in an air line, through an entirely unknown country. It proved to be a
virgin forest, the greatest of the world, through which a path had to be
cut almost the entire distance. For one hundred and sixty days they
marched through an almost unbroken forest-bush, jungle, marsh, and
creek. The scattered villages, filled with barbarous and hostile tribes,
were abandoned at their approach; poisoned skewers, covered with green
leaves, were planted in the paths, and twice the party was attacked.
On October 6th affairs came to a crisis, as provisions had failed, save
scanty wild plants; many, stricken with disease, including Stairs, one
of the officers, could go no farther. No less than one hundred and
twenty-six men had been lost by death and desertion, about half from
each cause, and all must perish unless the party divided. Stanley left
Nelson and 52 men in camp on Ituri River, about 1° 5´ N., 28° 30´ E.,
and started ahead for relief. After terrible privation, and nearly
perishing of starvation on the way, they reached Ipoto, October 17th,
where food was purchased from the natives. As soon as possible Jephson,
Stanley's able and loyal assistant, returned to Nelson's relief and
brought him and three men to Ipoto, nine carriers having died and forty
deserted. December 4th, Stanley with 175 men emerged from the forest and
nine days later reached Lake Albert, whence Wadelai, Emin's station, was
distant four days' journey by water, or twenty-five by land.
Finding no boats on Lake Albert, Stanley was obliged to retreat from its
desolate shores westward to a fertile region, where he built Fort Bodo
and planted crops, while a detachment brought up his steel boat, in
which Jephson reached M'swa and was met, on April 26, 1888, by Emin, who
had been notified by Stanley's native courier. Two days later Emin and
Stanley met at Lake Albert, when propositions and plans as to Emin's
movements were made and discussed with no definite results.
[Illustration: A Stockaded Camp.
(From a photograph.)]
The equation of Emin's character seems to have been best stated by Vita
Hassan, his friendly subordinate for twenty years, who considers Emin's
many virtues as those of a missionary rather than of a governor or
commander, and attributes his infirmity of indecision to innate goodness
of heart. It was nine months before Emin, his army mutinous, himself and
Jephson imprisoned, with death as an alternative, decided to return with
Stanley to Zanzibar.
In the meanwhile Stanley, anxious as to his rear guard, returned through
the dreaded forest hoping from day to day to meet it, but saw no signs
until he reached Banalya, on the Aruwimi, a few miles from where he had
left it. Here he found it in a state of inactivity and disorganization,
its chief, Major Barttelot, murdered by a native, Jameson and one
hundred and two out of the original two hundred and seventy-six dead,
and twenty-six deserted. Again the journey through the forest and its
hostile tribes to Lake Albert, where Stanley with the hesitating Emin
Pasha and his followers started for Zanzibar on April 1, 1889.
The return journey, made as far as Lake Victoria Nyanza over unknown
ground, resulted in the discovery of Mount Ruwenzori, a snow-clad peak
under the Equator, estimated to be seventeen thousand feet high.
Moreover, of vastly more importance, Stanley ascertained that Lake
Albert Nyanza through the Semliki River, drained a large lake, named
Albert Edward, thus determining the secret of the long-sought and ever
retreating source of the White Nile. Small streams feed Lake Albert
Edward from the south, whose extreme limit is placed by Stanley in 1°
10´ S. latitude.
December 4, 1889, found the party arrived at Bagamoyo, the coast town
opposite Zanzibar. The work which Stanley was sent to do, as all other
tasks assumed by this great explorer, was ended, and Emin Pasha once
more looked on the faces of his countrymen.
[Illustration: Ruwenzori (The Snowy Mountain) identified by Stanley with
"the Mountains of the Moon."
Ascended 10,677 feet above sea-level by Lieutenant Stairs. Total height
about 16,600 feet.
(From a drawing by Mr. Stanley, made at the time of the discovery.)]
Crowned with highest honors from all the powers of Europe, no tribute,
as Stanley has said, gave such gratification as that from the United
States, which, proud of the achievements of its great citizen, extended
to him the unprecedented honors of its official, well-considered, and
merited commendation, wherein, under date of February 7, 1878, it was
"_Resolved_, by the Senate and House of Representatives in Congress
assembled, That, regarding with just pride the achievements of their
countryman, Henry M. Stanley, the distinguished explorer of Central
Africa, the thanks of the people of the United States are eminently due
and are hereby tendered him as a tribute to his extraordinary patience,
prudence, fortitude, enterprise, courage, and capacity in solving by his
researches many of the most important geographical problems of our age
and globe, problems of a continental scope, involving the progress of
our kind in commerce, science, and civilization."
THE END.