Stanley's Adventures in the Wilds of Africa Part 23

"Three separate times necessity compelled us to traverse these unholy regions, with varying fortunes. Incidents then crowded fast. Emin Pasha was a prisoner, an officer of ours was his forced companion, and it really appeared as though we were to be added to the list. But there is a virtue, you know, even in striving unyieldingly, in hardening nerves and facing these everclinging mischances, without paying too much heed to reputed danger. One is a.s.sisted much by knowing that there is no other _coup_ and danger.

"Somehow, nine times out of ten the diminished rebels of Emin Pasha's government relied on their craft and on the wiles of a 'heathen Chinee,'

and it is rather amusing now to look back and note how punishment has fallen upon them.

"Was it Providence or luck? Let those who love to a.n.a.lyze such matters reflect on it. Traitors without the camp and traitors within were watched, and the most active conspirator was discovered, tried and hanged. Traitors without fell foul of one another and ruined themselves.

If not luck, then surely it is Providence, in answer to good men's prayers far away.

"Our people, tempted by extreme wretchedness and misery, sold our rifles and ammunition to our natural enemies, the Manyema slave-holders.

True friends, without the least grace in either their bodies or souls!

What happy influence was it that restrained me from destroying all those concerned in it?

"Each time I read the story of Captain Nelson's and Surgeon Parkes'

sufferings I feel vexed at my forbearance, and yet again I feel thankful, for a higher power than man's severely afflicted the cold-blooded murderers by causing them to feed upon one another a few weeks after the rescue and relief of Nelson and Parkes. The memory of those days alternately hardens and unmans me.

"With the rescue of Emin Pasha, poor old Casati, and those who preferred Egypt's flesh pots to the coa.r.s.e plenty of the province near Nyanza, we returned, and while we were patiently waiting the doom of the rebels was consummated.

"Since that time of anxiety and unhappy outlook I have been at the point of death from a dreadful illness. The strain had been too much, and for twenty-eight days I lay helpless, tended by the kindly and skilful hand of Surgeon Parkes. Then little by little I gathered strength and ordered the march for home.

"Discovery after discovery in this wonderful region was made. The snowy ranges of Ruevenzoni, the 'Cloud King' or 'Rain Creator,' the Semliki River. Albert Edward Nyanza, the plains of Noongora, the salt lakes of Kative, new peoples, Wakonju of the Great Mountains, dwellers of the rich forest region, the Awamba, the fine-featured Wasonyora, the Wanyoro bandits, and then Lake Albert Edward, the tribes and shepherd races of the Eastern uplands, then Wanyankori, besides Wanyaruwamba and Wazinja, until at last we came to a church, whose cross dominated a Christian settlement, and we knew that we had reached the outskirts of blessed civilization.

"We have every reason to be grateful, and may that feeling be ever kept within me. Our promises as volunteers have been performed as well as though we had been specially commissioned by the government. We have been all volunteers, each devoting his several gifts, abilities and energies to win a successful issue for the enterprise. If there has been anything that clouds sometimes our thoughts, it has been that we were compelled by the state of Emin Pasha and his own people to cause anxieties to our friends by serious delays.

"At every opportunity I have endeavored to lessen these by despatching full accounts of our progress to the committee, that through them all interested might be acquainted with what we are doing.

"Some of my officers also have been troubled in the thought that their government might not overlook their having overstayed their leave, but the truth is that the wealth of the British treasury could not have hastened our march, without making ourselves liable to an impeachment for breach of faith, and my officers were as much involved as myself in doing the thing honorably and well."

The same mail brought to Sir William Mackinnon a letter from Stanley, dated Kafurro, Arab Settlement, Karagwa, August 5th, 1889, from which the following is taken:

"On the 13th of February a native courier appeared in camp with a letter from Emin Pasha with news which electrified us. He was actually at anchor just below our plateau camp; but here is his formal letter:

"'IN CAMP, February 13th, 1889.

"'To HENRY M. STANLEY, Commanding the Relief Expedition:

"'SIR--In answer to your letter of the 7th inst., for which I beg to tender my best thanks, I have the honor to inform you that yesterday, at three, I arrived here with my two steamers, carrying the first lot of people desirous to leave this country under your escort. As soon as I have arranged for the cover of my people the steamships have to start for Mswa station, to bring on another lot of people awaiting transport. With me there are some twelve officers anxious to see you, and only forty soldiers. They have come under my orders to request you to give them some time to bring their brothers, at least such as are willing to leave from Wadelai, and I promised them to do my best to a.s.sist them.

"'Things having to some extent now changed, you will be able to make them undergo whatever conditions you see fit to impose upon them. To arrange these I shall start from here with my officers for your camp, after having provided for the camp, and if you send carriers I could avail myself of some of them. I hope, sincerely, that the great difficulties you have had to undergo, and the great sacrifices made by your expedition on its way to a.s.sist us, may be rewarded by full success in bringing out my people. The wave of insanity which overran the country has subsided, and of such people as are now coming with me we may be sure.

"'Signor Casati requests me to give his best thanks for your kind remembrance of him. Permit me to express to you, once more, my cordial thanks for whatever you have done for us until now, and believe me to be yours, very faithfully,

"'DR. EMIN.'"

On the 17th of February Emin Pasha and a following of about sixty people, including several high officials, arrived at Stanley's camp.

They seemed unanimously in favor of departure from their position; but they pleaded for time, and finally the 10th of April was decided upon as the final day of the delay, which now had aggregated nearly a year. Emin Pasha throughout this interview insisted that it all remained with his people, but still April 10th was agreed to as a day when all could be ready for the start. This decision was emphasized by a council of Stanley's officers, all of whom agreed that no delay beyond the appointed day should be thought of. After much hesitation and questioning on Emin's part, lest he should do a wrong in abandoning any of his people, his final muster was made and the march was begun on the day set by Mr. Stanley.

CHAPTER x.x.xIV.

FORWARD MARCH!

"At muster this curious result was returned: There were with us one hundred and thirty-four men, eighty-four married women, one hundred and eighty-seven female domestics, seventy-four children above two years, thirty-five infants in arms--making a total of five hundred and fourteen. I have reason to believe that the number was nearer six hundred, as many were not reported from fear probably that some would be taken prisoners.

"On the 10th of April we set out from Kavallis, in number about one thousand five hundred, for three hundred and fifty native carriers had been enrolled from the district, to a.s.sist in carrying the baggage of the Pasha's people, whose ideas as to what was essential for the march were very crude.

"On the 11th we camped at Masambonis, but in the night I was struck down with a severe illness, which well nigh proved mortal. It detained us at the camp twenty-eight days, which, if Selim Bey and his party were really serious in their intentions to withdraw from Africa, was most fortunate for them, since it increased their time allowance to seventy-two days. But in all this interval only Shukri Aga, the chief of Mswa Station, appeared. He had started with twelve soldiers, but they, one by one, disappeared, until he had only one trumpeter and one servant. A few days after the trumpeter absconded. Thus only one servant was left out of a garrison of sixty men who were reported to be the faithfullest of the faithful.

"On the 8th of May our march was resumed. The route skirted the Mega Mountains at their southern end, and encountered the King of Uyoro. The first day's encounter was in our favor, and it cleared the territory as far as the Semliki River, of the Wanyoro. Meantime we had become aware that we were on the threshold of a region which promised to be very interesting, for daily, as we advanced to the southward, the great snowy range which had so suddenly arrested our attention and excited our intense interest on May 1, 1888, grew larger and bolder into view. It extended a long distance to the southwest, which would inevitably take us some distance off our course, unless a pa.s.s could be discovered to shorten the distance to the countries south.

"Much, however, as we had flattered ourselves that we should see some marvellous scenery, the 'Snow Mountain' was very coy and hard to see. On most days it looked impending over us like a tropical storm cloud, ready to dissolve in rain and ruin. On its snowy cap shot into view jagged clouds, whirling and eddying round. Often at sunrise Ruwenzori would appear like a crag deeply marked and clearly visible, but presently all would be buried under ma.s.s upon ma.s.s of mist until the immense mountain was no more visible than if we were thousands of miles away; and then, also, the 'Snow Mountain' being set deeply in the range, the nearer we approached the base of the range the less we saw of it.

"It took us nineteen marches to reach the southwest angle of the range, the Semliki Valley being below us on our right, and which, if the tedious mist had permitted, would have been exposed in every detail.

That part of the valley traversed by us is generally known under the name of Awamba, while the habitable portion of the range is princ.i.p.ally denominated Ukonju. The huts of the natives, the Bakonju, are seen as high as 8,000 feet above the sea.

"A few days later we entered Unyampaka, which I had visited in January, 1876. Ringi, the king, allowed us to feast on his bananas unquestioned.

After following the lake sh.o.r.e until it turned too far to the southwest, we struck for the lofty uplands of Aukori, by the natives of which we were well received, preceded as we had been by the reports of our great deeds in relieving salt lake of the presence of the universally obnoxious Warosura.

"If you draw a straight line from Nyanza to the Uzinja sh.o.r.es of Victoria Lake it would represent pretty fairly our course through Aukori, Karagwe and Uhaiya to Uzinja.

"Aukori was open to us because we had driven Wanyaro from the salt lake.

The story was an open sesame. Here also existed a wholesome fear of an expedition which had done that which all the power of Aukori could not have done. Karagwe was open to us, because free trade is the policy of Wanyamba and because the Wateanda were too much engrossed with their civil war to interfere with our pa.s.sage. Uhaiya admitted our entrance without cavil, out of respect to our numbers, and Wakwiya guided us in a like manner, to be welcomed by Wazinja.

"Nothing happened during our long journey from Albert Lake to cause us any regret that we had taken this straight course, but we have suffered from an unprecedented number of fevers. We have had as many as one hundred and fifty cases in one day. In the month of July we lost one hundred and forty-one Egyptians.

"Out of respect to the first British Prince who has shown an interest in African geography we have named the southern Nyanza, to distinguish it from the other two Nyanzas, Albert Edward Nyanza. It is not a very large lake compared to Victoria, Tanganika and Nya.s.sa. It is small, but its importance and interest lie in the sole fact that it is the receiver of all the streams at the extremity of the southwestern or Left Nile basin, and discharges these waters by one river, the Semliki, into Albert Nyanza. In a like manner Lake Victoria receives all streams from the extremity of the southeastern or Right Nile basin and pours these waters by the Victoria Nile into Albert Nyanza. These two Niles amalgamate in Lake Albert, under the well-known name of White Nile.

"By the route taken I traversed the Semliki Valley, the Awamba, the Usongora, the Toro, the Utraiyana, the Unyampaka, the Antrosi, the Karagive, the Uhaiya, the Uzimza, the South Victoria and the Nyanza. No hostile natives were met. Since we left Kabbarega we travelled along the base of the snowy range Ruwenzori. Three sides of the Southern Nyanza or Nyanza of Usongora, which is called now Albert Edward Nyanza, are about nine hundred feet higher than Albert Nyanza, having an exit at Semliki which receives over fifty streams from the Ruwenzori and finally enters the Albert Nyanza, making the Albert Edward the source of the southwest branch of the White Nile, the Victoria Nyanza being the source of the southeast branch."

The relief committee at once made arrangements for the forwarding of supplies to meet Stanley at Mpwapwa. It was thought that he could not reach the coast before the beginning of next year. Mpwapwa is a station about one hundred and fifty miles from the coast, on the road from Zanzibar and Bagamoyo to Lake Tanganika. But the expedition made rapid progress. On November 20th Captain Wissmann telegraphed from Zanzibar that Stanley had reached Mpwapwa on November 10th, and simultaneously there came a despatch which Captain Wissmann had written at Mpwapwa on October 13th, as follows:

"Four of Stanley's men and one of Emin's soldiers have arrived here.

They left Stanley at Neukmma on August 10th, and came by way of Noembo and Mwerieweri north to Mgogo in thirty-three days, including nine days on which they rested. Emin and Casati had three hundred Soudanese soldiers and many other followers with them. They had in their possession a large quant.i.ty of ivory. Stanley had a force of two hundred and forty Zanzibaris and was accompanied by six lieutenants--Nelson, Jephson, Stairs, Parke, Bonny and William. The expedition struck camp as soon as the messengers started. Therefore the party should reach Mpwapwa by November 20th. Emin and Stanley repeatedly fought and repulsed the Mahdists, capturing the Mahdi's grand banner. A majority of Emin's soldiers refused to follow him southwards, a.s.serting that their way home did not lie in that direction. Emin left two Egyptian officers in charge of stations."

This prediction that the expedition would reach Mpwapwa by November 20th was more than verified. He got there on November 10th. On November 11th Sir William Mackinnon received a despatch from Stanley announcing his arrival there, and stating that he expected to reach Zanzibar in a few days.

To the British Consul at Zanzibar Mr. Stanley wrote, under the same date:

"We arrived here yesterday on the fifty-fifth day from Victoria Nyanza and the one hundred and eighty-eighth day from the Albert Nyanza. We number altogether about seven hundred and fifty souls. At the last muster, three days ago, Emin Pasha's people numbered two hundred and ninety-four, of whom fifty-nine are children, mostly orphans of Egyptian officers. The whites with me are Lieutenant Stairs, Captain Nelson, Mounteney, Jephson, Surgeon Parke, William Bonny, Mr. Hoffman, Emin Pasha and his daughter, Captain Casati, Signor Marco and a Tunisian, Vitu Ha.s.san, and an apothecary. We have also Peres Girault and Schinze, of the Algerian mission. Among the princ.i.p.al officers of the Pasha are the Vakeers, of the Equatorial province, and Major Awash Effendi, of the Second battalion.

"Since leaving Victoria Nyanza we have lost eighteen of the Pasha's people, and one native of Zanzibar, who was killed while we were parleying with hostile people. Every other expedition I have led has seen the lightening of our labors as we drew near the sea, but I cannot say the same of this one. Our long string of hammock bearers tells a different tale, and until we place these poor things on shipboard there will be no rest for us. The worst of it is we have not the privilege of showing at Zanzibar the full extent of our labors. After carrying some of them one thousand miles, fighting to the right and left of the sick, driving Warasura from their prey, over range and range of mountains, with every energy on the full strain, they slip through our hands and die in their hammocks. One lady, seventy-five years of age, the old mother of the Valkiel, died in this manner in North Msuk.u.ma, south of Victoria Nyanza.

"We had as stirring a time for four days as we had anywhere. For those four days we had continuous fighting during the greater part of daylight hours. The foolish natives took an unaccountable prejudice to the Pasha's people. They insisted that they were cannibals and had come to their country for no good. Talking to them was of no use. Any attempt at disproof drove them into white hot rage, and in their mad flinging of themselves on us they suffered."