In Darkest Africa, Vol. 1; or, The Quest, Rescue, and Retreat of Emin, Governor of EquatoriaStanley, Henry M. (Henry Morton)
History
In Darkest Africa, Vol. 1; or, The Quest, Rescue, and Retreat of Emin, Governor of Equatoria
Stanley, Henry M. (Henry Morton)
Africa, Central -- Description and travel; Emin Pasha, 1840-1892
Why not attempt the carriage of this ivory to the Congo? Accordingly, I
wished to engage Tippu-Tib and his people to assist me in conveying the
ammunition to Emin Pasha, and on return to carry this ivory. After a good
deal of bargaining I entered into a contract with him, by which he agreed
to supply 600 carriers at £6 per loaded head--each round trip from
Stanley Falls to Lake Albert and back. Thus, if each carrier carries 70
lbs. weight of ivory, one round trip will bring to the Fund £13,200 nett
at Stanley Falls.
On the conclusion of this contract, which was entered into in presence of
the British Consul-General, I broached another subject in the name of His
Majesty King Leopold with Tippu-Tib. Stanley Falls station was
established by me in December 1883. Various Europeans have since
commanded this station, and Mr. Binnie and Lieut. Wester of the Swedish
Army had succeeded in making it a well-ordered and presentable station.
Captain Deane, his successor, quarrelled with the Arabs, and at his
forced departure from the scene set fire to the station. The object for
which the station was established was the prevention of the Arabs from
pursuing their devastating career below the Falls, not so much by force
as by tact, or rather the happy combination of both. By the retreat of
the officers of the State from Stanley Falls, the floodgates were opened
and the Arabs pressed down river. Tippu-Tib being of course the guiding
spirit of the Arabs west of Tanganika Lake, it was advisable to see how
far his aid might be secured to check this stream of Arabs from
destroying the country. After the interchange of messages by cable with
Brussels--on the second day of my stay at Zanzibar--I signed an
engagement with Tippu-Tib by which he was appointed Governor of Stanley
Falls at a regular salary, paid monthly at Zanzibar, into the British
Consul-General's hands. His duties will be principally to defend Stanley
Falls in the name of the State against all Arabs and natives. The flag of
the station will be that of the State. At all hazards he is to defeat and
capture all persons raiding territory for slaves, and to disperse all
bodies of men who may be justly suspected of violent designs. He is to
abstain from all slave traffic below the Falls himself, and to prevent
all in his command trading in slaves. In order to ensure a faithful
performance of his engagement with the State, an European officer is to
be appointed Resident at the Falls. On the breach of any article in the
contract being reported, the salary is to cease.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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