crossing the atlantic ocean with stanley.—"through the dark continent."—an impromptu geographical society.—personal appearance of stanley.—comments upon him by frank and fred.—how the geographical society was organized.—reading stanley's book.—stanley's departure from england for zanzibar.—joint enterprise of two newspapers.—preparations for the expedition.—the lady alice.—barker and the pococks.—zanzibar.—prince barghash.—inhabitants of zanzibar.-the wangwana.
at eight o'clock on the morning of december 15, 1886, the magnificent steamer eider, of the north german lloyds, left her dock in new york harbor for a voyage to southampton and bremen. among the passengers that gathered on her deck to wave farewell to friends on shore was one whose name has become famous throughout the civilized world for the great work he has performed in exploring the african continent and opening it to commerce and christianizing influences.
that man, it is hardly necessary to say, was henry m. stanley.
near him stood a group of three individuals who will be recognized by many of our readers. they were doctor bronson and his nephews,[pg 14] frank bassett and fred bronson, whose adventures have been recorded in previous volumes.[1]
sandy hook from navesink light-house.
slowly the great steamer made her way among the ships at anchor in the harbor. she passed the narrows, then entered the lower bay, and, winding through the channel between sandy hook and coney island, was soon upon the open ocean. near the sandy hook light-ship she stopped her engines sufficiently long to discharge her pilot, and then, with her prow turned to the eastward, she dashed away on her course at full speed. day by day and night by night the tireless engines throbbed and pulsated, but never for a moment ceased their toil till the eider was off southampton, more than three thousand miles from her starting-point.
doctor bronson was acquainted with mr. stanley, and soon after the steamer left the dock the two gentlemen were in conversation. after a little while the doctor introduced his nephews, who were warmly greeted by the great explorer; he had read of their journeys in the far east and in other lands, and expressed his pleasure at meeting them personally.
as for frank and fred, they were overjoyed at the introduction and the cordial manner in which they were received. they thanked mr. stanley for the kind words he had used in speaking of their travels, which had been of little consequence compared with his own. frank added that he hoped some day to be able to cross the african continent; the way had been opened by mr. stanley, and, with the facilities which the latter had given to travellers, the journey would be far easier of accomplishment than it was twenty or even ten years ago.
then followed a desultory conversation, of which no record has been preserved; other passengers came up to speak to mr. stanley, and the party separated. as the steamer passed into the open ocean most of the people on deck disappeared below for the double reason that there was a cold wind from the eastward and—breakfast was on the table.
"what a charming man mr. stanley is!" fred remarked, as soon as they had withdrawn from the group.
"yes," replied his cousin, "and so different from what i expected he would be. he is dignified without being haughty, and friendly without familiarity. before the introduction i was afraid to meet him, but found myself quite at ease before we had been talking a minute. i'm[pg 15] not surprised to hear how much those who know him are attached to him, nor at the influence he possesses over the people among whom his great work has been performed."
stanley in abyssinia.
"just think what a career he has had," continued frank. "after various adventures as a newspaper correspondent in spain, abyssinia, ashantee, and other countries, he was sent by the editor of the new york herald to find dr. livingstone in the interior of africa. he found the famous missionary; but when he came back, and told the story of what he had done, a great many people refused to believe him, because they considered the feat impossible for a newspaper correspondent. he came out of africa at the same point where he entered it, and it was said by some that he had never ventured farther than a few miles from the coast. this made him angry, and the next time he went on a tour of exploration in africa he made sure that the same criticism would be impossible."
"yes, indeed!" responded fred. "he went into the african wilderness at bagomoya, on the east side of the continent, and came out at the mouth of the congo, away over on the other side. he descended that[pg 16] great river, which no white man had ever done before him, and passed through dangers and difficulties such as few travellers of modern times have known. and, besides—"
before fred could finish the sentence he had begun the doctor joined them, and asked frank where he had put the parcel of books that they had selected to read during the voyage.
"it is in our room," the youth replied, "and ready to be opened whenever we want any of the books. we will arrange our things this forenoon, and i will open the parcel at once."
"you selected mr. stanley's book, 'through the dark continent,' i believe," doctor bronson continued, "and i think you had better bring that out first. now that mr. stanley is with us, you will read it again with much greater interest than before."
the youths were pleased with the suggestion, which they accepted at once. fred laughingly remarked that there might be danger of a quarrel between them as to who should have the first privilege of reading the book. frank thought they could get over the difficulty by dividing the two volumes between them, but he admitted that the one who read the second volume in advance of the first would be likely to have his mind confused as to the exact course of the exploration which the book described.
musicians of the dark continent.
doctor bronson said he was reminded of an anecdote he once heard[pg 17] about a man who always read books with a mark, which he carefully inserted at the end of each reading. he was going through the "life of napoleon" at one time, and for three evenings in succession his room-mate slyly set back the mark to the starting-point. at the end of the third evening he asked the reader what he thought of napoleon.
"he was a most wonderful man," was the reply; "in three days he crossed the alps three times with his whole army, and went the same way every time."
while the party were laughing over the anecdote mr. stanley came up, and said he wished to have a share in the fun. the doctor repeated the story, and explained how it had been called to his mind.
"well," said mr. stanley, "it would be very unfortunate for masters frank and fred to get the story of the dark continent doubled up in the manner you suggest. i propose that they shall study it together, one reading aloud to the other, and, as the entire book is too much for the limited time of this voyage, they will be obliged to omit portions of chapters here and there. the readings can take place daily during the afternoon and evening, and the youth who is to read can devote the forenoon to selecting the parts of the chapters he will suppress and those which are to be given to the listeners. i will assist him in his selections from time to time, and, with due diligence, the book will be finished before we reach southampton."
it was unanimously voted that the plan was an excellent one, and the boys immediately proceeded to carry it out. the volumes were brought forth, and frank retired to a corner of the saloon to make a selection for the first afternoon's reading. mr. stanley sat with him a short time, marking several pages and paragraphs, and then went on deck, where he joined doctor bronson in a brief promenade. meantime fred busied himself with an examination of several other books of african travel; he was evidently familiar with their contents, as he ran through the pages with great rapidity, and marked numerous passages, with the evident intention of referring to them in the course of the time devoted to what we may call the public readings.
there was an intermission of labor towards the middle of the day, and at this time frank and fred made the acquaintance of two or three other youths of about their age. when the latter learned of the proposed scheme, they asked permission to be allowed to hear how the dark continent was traversed, and their request was readily granted. consequently the audience that assembled in the afternoon comprised some six or eight persons, including mr. stanley and doctor bronson. neither[pg 18] of the gentlemen remained there through the whole afternoon, partly for the reason that they were both familiar with the narrative and partly because they did not wish to seem otherwise than confident that the boys knew how to manage matters for themselves. this kind of work was not altogether new to frank and fred, as many of our readers are aware; and in all their previous experiences they had acquitted themselves admirably.
when everything was ready frank began with the opening chapter of "through the dark continent" and read as follows:
"while returning to england in april, 1874, from the ashantee war, the news reached me that livingstone was dead—that his body was on its way to england!
village where dr. livingstone died.
"livingstone had then fallen! he was dead! he had died by the shores of lake bemba, on the threshold of the dark region he had wished to explore! the work he had promised me to perform was only begun when death overtook him!
"the effect which this news had upon me, after the first shock had passed away, was to fire me with a resolution to complete his work, to be, if god willed it, the next martyr to geographical science, or, if my life was to be spared, to clear[pg 19] up not only the secrets of the great river throughout its course, but also all that remained still problematic and incomplete of the discoveries of burton and speke, and speke and grant.
"the solemn day of the burial of the body of my great friend arrived. i was one of the pall-bearers in westminster abbey, and when i had seen the coffin lowered into the grave, and had heard the first handful of earth thrown over it, i walked away sorrowing over the fate of david livingstone.
"soon after this i was passing by an old book-shop, and observed a volume bearing the singular title of 'how to observe.' upon opening it, i perceived it contained tolerably clear instructions of 'how and what to observe.' it was very interesting, and it whetted my desire to know more; it led me to purchase quite an extensive library of books upon africa, its geography, geology, botany, and ethnology. i thus became possessed of over one hundred and thirty books upon africa, which i studied with the zeal of one who had a living interest in the subject, and with the understanding of one who had been already four times on that continent. i knew what had been accomplished by african explorers, and i knew how much of the dark interior was still unknown to the world. until late hours i sat up, inventing and planning, sketching out routes, laying out lengthy lines of possible exploration, noting many suggestions which the continued study of my project created. i also drew up lists of instruments and other paraphernalia that would be required to map, lay out, and describe the new regions to be traversed.
"i had strolled over one day to the office of the daily telegraph, full of the subject. while i was discussing journalistic enterprise in general with one of the staff, the editor entered. we spoke of livingstone and the unfinished task remaining behind him. in reply to an eager remark which i made, he asked:
"'could you, and would you, complete the work? and what is there to do?'
"i answered:
"the outlet of lake tanganika is undiscovered. we know nothing scarcely—except what speke has sketched out—of lake victoria; we do not even know whether it consists of one or many lakes, and therefore the sources of the nile are still unknown. moreover, the western half of the african continent is still a white blank.'
"'do you think you can settle all this, if we commission you?'
"'while i live there will be something done. if i survive the time required to perform all the work, all shall be done.'
james gordon bennett.
"the matter was for the moment suspended, because mr. james gordon bennett, of the new york herald, had prior claims on my services.
"a telegram was despatched to new[pg 20] york to him: 'would he join the daily telegraph in sending stanley out to africa, to complete the discoveries of speke, burton, and livingstone?' and, within twenty-four hours, my 'new mission' to africa was determined on as a joint expedition, by the laconic answer which the cable flashed under the atlantic: 'yes; bennett.'
"a few days before i departed for africa, the daily telegraph announced in a leading article that its proprietors had united with mr. james gordon bennett in organizing an expedition of african discovery, under the command of mr. henry m. stanley. 'the purpose of the enterprise,' it said, 'is to complete the work left unfinished by the lamented death of dr. livingstone; to solve, if possible, the remaining problems of the geography of central africa; and to investigate and report upon the haunts of the slave-traders.... he will represent the two nations whose common interest in the regeneration of africa was so well illustrated when the lost english explorer was rediscovered by the energetic american correspondent. in that memorable journey, mr. stanley displayed the best qualities of an african traveller; and with no inconsiderable resources at his disposal to reinforce his own complete acquaintance with the conditions of african travel, it may be hoped that very important results will accrue from this undertaking to the advantage of science, humanity, and civilization.'
"two weeks were allowed me for purchasing boats—a yawl, a gig, and a barge—for giving orders for pontoons, and purchasing equipment, guns, ammunition, rope, saddles, medical stores, and provisions; for making investments in gifts for native chiefs; for obtaining scientific instruments, stationery, etc., etc. the barge was an invention of my own.
the "lady alice" in sections.
"it was to be forty feet long, six feet beam, and thirty inches deep, of spanish cedar three eighths of an inch thick. when finished, it was to be separated into five sections, each of which should be eight feet long. if the sections should be overweight, they were to be again divided into halves for greater facility of carriage. the construction of this novel boat was undertaken by mr. james messenger, boat-builder, of teddington, near london. the pontoons were made by cording, but though the workmanship was beautiful, they were not a success, because the superior efficiency of the boat for all purposes rendered them unnecessary. however, they were not wasted. necessity compelled us, while in africa, to employ them for far different purposes from those for which they had originally been designed.
[pg 21]
"there lived a clerk at the langham hotel, of the name of frederick barker, who, smitten with a desire to go to africa, was not to be dissuaded by reports of its unhealthy climate, its dangerous fevers, or the uncompromising views of exploring life given to him. 'he would go, he was determined to go,' he said.
"mr. edwin arnold, of the daily telegraph, also suggested that i should be accompanied by one or more young english boatmen of good character, on the ground that their river knowledge would be extremely useful to me. he mentioned his wish to a most worthy fisherman, named henry pocock, of lower upnor, kent, who had kept his yacht for him, and who had fine stalwart sons, who bore the reputation of being honest and trustworthy. two of these young men volunteered at once. both mr. arnold and myself warned the pocock family repeatedly that africa had a cruel character, that the sudden change from the daily comforts of english life to the rigorous one of an explorer would try the most perfect constitution; would most likely be fatal to the uninitiated and unacclimatized. but i permitted myself to be overborne by the eager courage and devotion of these adventurous lads, and francis john pocock and edward pocock, two very likely-looking young men, were accordingly engaged as my assistants.
candidates for service with stanley.
"soon after the announcement of the 'new mission,' applications by the score poured into the offices of the daily telegraph and new york herald for employment. before i sailed from england, over twelve hundred letters were received from 'generals,' 'colonels,' 'captains,' 'lieutenants,' 'mid-shipmen,' 'engineers,' 'commissioners of hotels,' mechanics, waiters, cooks, servants, somebodies and nobodies, spiritual mediums and magnetizers, etc., etc. they all knew africa, were perfectly acclimatized, were quite sure they would please me, would do important services, save me from any number of troubles by their ingenuity and resources, take me up in balloons or by flying carriages, make us all invisible by their magic arts, or by the 'science of magnetism' would cause all savages to fall asleep while we might pass anywhere without trouble. indeed, i feel sure that, had enough money been at my disposal at that time, i might have led 5000 englishmen, 5000 americans, 2000 frenchmen, 2000 germans, 500 italians, 250 swiss, 200 belgians, 50 spaniards, and 5 greeks, or 15,005 europeans, to africa. but the time had not arrived to depopulate europe, and colonize africa on such a scale, and i was compelled to respectfully decline accepting the valuable services of the applicants, and to content myself[pg 22] with francis john and edward pocock, and frederick barker—whose entreaties had been seconded by his mother.
"i was agreeably surprised also, before departure, at the great number of friends i possessed in england, who testified their friendship substantially by presenting me with useful 'tokens of their regard' in the shape of canteens, watches, water-bottles, pipes, pistols, knives, pocket-companions, manifold writers, cigars, packages of medicine, bibles, prayer-books, english tracts for the dissemination of religious knowledge among the black pagans, poems, tiny silk banners, gold rings, etc., etc. a lady for whom i have a reverent respect presented me also with a magnificent prize mastiff named castor, an english officer presented me with another, and at the dogs' home at battersea i purchased a retriever, a bull-dog, and a bull-terrier, called respectively by the pococks, nero, bull, and jack.
"on the 15th of august, 1874, having shipped the europeans, boats, dogs, and general property of the expedition, i left england for the east coast of africa to begin my explorations."
here frank paused and informed his listeners that he would not read in full the chapter which followed, as they could not readily comprehend it without the aid of a map. "it contains," he said, "a summary of the history of the expeditions that have sought to find the sources of the nile from the days of herodotus to the present time, the accounts of the discoveries of the central african lakes and of the nile flowing from the northern end of lake victoria, together with a statement of the knowledge which dr. livingstone possessed concerning the congo river and its course. at the end of the chapter mr. stanley repeats his proposal to solve the problems concerning the extent of lakes tanganika and victoria, to find the outlet of the former, and determine whether the great river which livingston saw was the nile, the niger, or the congo. and now we will see," continued the youth, "how mr. stanley entered the african continent on his great exploration."
with these words he referred again to the book, and read as follows:
"twenty-eight months had elapsed between my departure from zanzibar after the discovery of livingstone and my rearrival on that island, september 21, 1874.
view of a portion of the sea-front of zanzibar, from the water battery to shangani point.
"the well-remembered undulating ridges, and the gentle slopes clad with palms and mango-trees bathed in warm vapor, seemed in that tranquil, drowsy state which at all times any portion of tropical africa presents at first appearance. a pale-blue sky covered the hazy land and sleeping sea as we steamed through the strait that separates zanzibar from the continent. every stranger, at first view of the shores, proclaims his pleasure. the gorgeous verdure, the distant purple ridges, the calm sea, the light gauzy atmosphere, the semi-mysterious silence which pervades all nature, evoke his admiration. for it is probable that he has sailed through the stifling arabian sea, with the grim, frowning mountains of nubia on the one hand, and on the other the drear, ochreous-colored ridges of the arab[pg 23] peninsula; and perhaps the aspect of the thirsty volcanic rocks of aden and the dry, brown bluffs of guardafui is still fresh in his memory.
zanzibar, from the sea.
"the stranger, of course, is intensely interested in the life existing near the african equator, now first revealed to him, and all that he sees and hears of figures and faces and sounds is being freshly impressed on his memory. figures and faces are picturesque enough. happy, pleased-looking men of black, yellow, or tawny color, with long, white cotton shirts, move about with quick, active motion, and cry out, regardless of order, to their friends or mates in the swahili or arabic language, and their friends or mates respond with equally loud voice and lively gesture, until, with fresh arrivals, there appears to be a babel created,[pg 24] wherein english, french, swahili, and arabic accents mix with hindi, and, perhaps, persian.
red cliffs behind universities mission, zanzibar.
"in the midst of such a scene i stepped into a boat to be rowed to the house of my old friend, mr. augustus sparhawk, of the bertram agency. i was welcomed with all the friendliness and hospitality of my first visit, when, three years and a half previously, i arrived at zanzibar to set out for the discovery of livingstone.
"with mr. sparhawk's aid i soon succeeded in housing comfortably my three young englishmen, francis john and edward pocock and frederick barker, and my five dogs, and in stowing safely on shore the yawl wave, the gig, and the tons of goods, provisions, and stores i had brought.
view from the roof of mr. augustus sparhawk's house.
frank pocock. frederick barker. a zanzibar boy. edward pocock. kalula.
bull-terrier "jack." "bull." retriever "nero." mastiff "captain." prize mastiff "castor."
(from a photograph by mr. stanley.)
"life at zanzibar is a busy one to the intending explorer. time flies rapidly, and each moment of daylight must be employed in the selection and purchase of the various kinds of cloth, beads, and wire in demand by the different tribes of the mainland through whose countries he purposes journeying. strong, half-naked porters come in with great bales of unbleached cottons, striped and colored fabrics, handkerchiefs and red caps, bags of blue, green, red, white, and amber-colored beads, small and large, round and oval, and coils upon coils of thick brass wire. these have to be inspected, assorted, arranged, and numbered separately, have to be packed in portable bales, sacks, or packages, or boxed, according to their character and value. the house-floors are littered with cast-off wrappings and covers, box-lids, and a medley of rejected paper, cloth, zinc covers, and broken boards, sawdust, and other débris. porters and servants and masters, employees and employers, pass backward and forward, to and fro, amid all this litter, roll bales over, or tumble about boxes; and a rending of cloth or paper, clattering of hammers, demands for the marking-pots, or the number of bale and box, with quick, hurried breathing and shouting, are heard from early morning until night.
[pg 25]
[pg 26]
the british consulate at zanzibar.
"during the day the beach throughout its length is alive with the moving figures of porters, bearing clove and cinnamon bags, ivory, copal and other gums, and hides, to be shipped in the lighters waiting along the water's edge, with sailors from the shipping, and black boatmen discharging the various imports on the sand. in the evening the beach is crowded with the naked forms of workmen and boys from the 'go-downs,' preparing to bathe and wash the dust of copal and hides off their bodies in the surf. some of the arab merchants have ordered chairs on the piers, or bunders, to chat sociably until the sun sets, and prayer-time has come. boats hurry by with their masters and sailors returning to their respective vessels. dhows move sluggishly past, hoisting as they go the creaking yards of their lateen sails, bound for the mainland ports. zanzibar canoes and 'matepes' are arriving with wood and produce, and others of the same native form and make are squaring their mat sails, outward bound. sunset approaches, and after sunset silence follows soon. for as there are no wheeled carriages with the eternal rumble of their traffic in zanzibar, with the early evening comes early peace and rest.
seyyid barghash.
"barghash bin sayid, the sultan of zanzibar, heartily approved the objects of the expedition and gave it practical aid. it is impossible not to feel a kindly interest in prince barghash, and to wish him complete success in the reforms he is now striving to bring about in his country. here we see an arab prince, educated in the strictest school of islam, and accustomed to regard the black natives of africa as the lawful prey of conquest or lust, and fair objects of barter, suddenly[pg 27] turning round at the request of european philanthropists and becoming one of the most active opponents of the slave-trade—and the spectacle must necessarily create for him many well-wishers and friends.
"the prince must be considered as an independent sovereign. his territories include, besides the zanzibar, pemba, and mafia islands, nearly 1000 miles of coast, and extend probably over an area of 20,000 square miles, with a population of half a million. the products of zanzibar have enriched many europeans who traded in them. cloves, cinnamon, tortoise-shell, pepper, copal gum, ivory, orchilla weed, india-rubber, and hides have been exported for years; but this catalogue does not indicate a tithe of what might be produced by the judicious investment of capital. those intending to engage in commercial enterprises would do well to study works on mauritius, natal, and the portuguese territories, if they wish to understand what these fine, fertile lands are capable of. the cocoa-nut palm flourishes at zanzibar and on the mainland, the oil palm thrives luxuriantly in pemba, and sugar-cane will grow everywhere. caoutchouc remains undeveloped in the maritime belts of woodland, and the acacia forests, with their wealth of gums, are nearly untouched. rice is sown on the rufiji banks, and yields abundantly; cotton would thrive in any of the rich river bottoms; and then there are, besides, the grains, millet, indian corn, and many others, the cultivation of which, though only in a languid way, the natives understand. the cattle, coffee, and goats of the interior await also the energetic man of capital and the commercial genius.
"those whom we call the arabs of zanzibar are either natives of muscat who have immigrated thither to seek their fortunes, or descendants of the conquerors of the portuguese; many of them are descended from the arab conquerors who accompanied seyyid sultan, the grandfather of the present seyyid barghash. while many of these descendants of the old settlers still cling to their homesteads, farms, and plantations, and acquire sufficient competence by the cultivation of cloves, cinnamon, oranges, cocoa-nut palms, sugar-cane, and other produce, a great number have emigrated into the interior to form new colonies. hamed ibrahim has been eighteen years in karagwé, muini kheri has been thirty years[pg 28] in ujiji, sultan bin ali has been twenty-five years in unyanyembé, muini dugumbi has been eight years in nyangwé, juma merikani has been seven years in rua, and a number of other prominent arabs may be cited to prove that, though they themselves firmly believe that they will return to the coast some day, there are too many reasons for believing that they never will.
a zanzibar nurse-maid.
"the arabs of zanzibar, whether from more frequent intercourse with europeans or from other causes, are undoubtedly the best of their race. more easily amenable to reason than those of egypt, or the shy, reserved, and bigoted fanatics of arabia, they offer no obstacles to the european traveller, but are sociable, frank, good-natured, and hospitable. in business they are keen traders, and of course will exact the highest percentage of profit out of the unsuspecting european if they are permitted. they are stanch friends and desperate haters. blood is seldom satisfied without blood, unless extraordinary sacrifices are made. the conduct of an arab gentleman is perfect. impertinence is hushed instantly by the elders, and rudeness is never permitted.
"after the arabs let us regard the wangwana, or negro natives of zanzibar, just as in europe, after studying the condition and character of the middle-classes, we might turn to reflect upon that of the laboring population.
"after nearly seven years' acquaintance with the wangwana, i have come to perceive that they represent in their character much of the disposition of a large portion of the negro tribes of the continent. i find them capable of great love and affection, and possessed of gratitude and other noble traits of human nature; i know, too, that they can be made good, obedient servants, that many are clever, honest, industrious, docile, enterprising, brave, and moral; that they are, in short, equal to any other race or color on the face of the globe, in all the attributes of manhood. but to be able to perceive their worth, the traveller must bring an unprejudiced judgment, a clear, fresh, and patient observation, and must forget that lofty standard of excellence upon which he and his race pride themselves, before he can fairly appreciate the capabilities of the zanzibar negro. the traveller should not forget the origin of his own race, the condition of the briton before st. augustine visited his country, but should rather recall to mind the first state of the[pg 29] 'wild caledonian,' and the original circumstances and surroundings of primitive man.
"being, i hope, free from prejudices of caste, color, race, or nationality, and endeavoring to pass what i believe to be a just judgment upon the negroes of zanzibar, i find that they are a people just emerged into the iron epoch, and now thrust forcibly under the notice of nations who have left them behind by the improvements of over four thousand years. they possess beyond doubt all the vices of a people still fixed deeply in barbarism, but they understand to the full what and how low such a state is; it is, therefore, a duty imposed upon us by the religion we profess, and by the sacred command of the son of god, to help them out of the deplorable state they are now in. at any rate, before we begin to hope for the improvement of races so long benighted, let us leave off this impotent bewailing of their vices, and endeavor to discover some of the virtues they possess as men, for it must be with the aid of their virtues, and not by their vices, that the missionary of civilization can ever hope to assist them.
lady of zanzibar reading an arabic manuscript.
"it is to the wangwana that livingstone, burton, speke, and grant owe, in great part, the accomplishment of their objects, and while in the employ of those explorers, this race rendered great services to geography. from a considerable distance north of the equator down to the zambezi and across africa to benguella and the mouth of the congo, or livingstone, they have made their names familiar to tribes who, but for the wangwana, would have remained ignorant to this day of all things outside their own settlements. they possess, with many weaknesses, many fine qualities. while very superstitious, easily inclined to despair, and readily giving ear to vague, unreasonable fears, they may also, by judicious management, be induced to laugh at their own credulity and roused to a courageous attitude, to endure like stoics, and fight like heroes. it will depend altogether[pg 30] upon the leader of a body of such men whether their worst or best qualities shall prevail.
native water-carrier, zanzibar.
"there is another class coming into notice from the interior of africa, who, though of a sterner nature, will, i am convinced, as they are better known, become greater favorites than the wangwana. i refer to the wanyamwezi, or the natives of unyamwezi, and the wasukuma, or the people of usukuma. naturally, being a grade less advanced towards civilization than the wangwana, they are not so amenable to discipline as the latter. while explorers would in the present state of acquaintance prefer the wangwana as escort, the wanyamwezi are far superior as porters. their greater freedom from diseases, their greater strength and endurance, the pride they take in their profession of porters, prove them born travellers of incalculable use and benefit to africa. if kindly treated, i do not know more docile and good-natured creatures. their skill in war, tenacity of purpose, and determination to defend the rights of their elected chief against foreigners, have furnished themes for song to the bards of central africa. the english discoverer[pg 31] of lake tanganika and, finally, i myself have been equally indebted to them, both on my first and last expeditions.
"from their numbers, and their many excellent qualities, i am led to think that the day will come when they will be regarded as something better than the 'best of pagazis;' that they will be esteemed as the good subjects of some enlightened power, who will train them up as the nucleus of a great african nation, as powerful for the good of the dark continent, as they threaten, under the present condition of things, to be for its evil."
here frank paused and announced an intermission of ten minutes, to enable the reader to rest a little. during the intermission the youths discussed what they had heard, and agreed unanimously that the description of zanzibar and its people and their ruler was very interesting.
[pg 32]
hindoo merchant of zanzibar.
