In Darkest Africa, Vol. 2; or, The Quest, Rescue, and Retreat of Emin, Governor of EquatoriaStanley, Henry M. (Henry Morton)
History
In Darkest Africa, Vol. 2; 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
“Do you think he will obey them?”
“Most certainly. What, Shukri Agha! He will be here in ten days without
fail, and all his soldiers with him.”
_March 16th_.--Shukri Agha descended to the Nyanza to-day; also 108
carriers, natives, for baggage.
_March 17th_.--Twenty-nine natives of Malai’s tribe, and sixteen natives
of Bugombi, have been sent to the Nyanza Camp. Total, 1,190 carriers up
to date.
The Pasha proceeded this morning to the Baregga Hills for a picnic, and
to increase his ornithological and entomological collections. A goat was
taken up also to be slaughtered for the lunch. Lieut. Stairs, Mr.
Jephson, Captain Nelson, Surgeon Parke, and Mr. Bonny have gone up with
quite a following to encourage him to do his best and keep him company.
[Sidenote: 1889.
March 17.
Kavalli’s.]
Yesterday Jephson and I had examined the summits of the hills, and in
one of the hollows we had discovered tree ferns, standing eight feet
high, with stalks eight inches in diameter. We also brought with us a
few purple flowering heliotropes, aloes, and rock ferns for the Pasha.
All this has inspired him with a desire to investigate the flora for
himself.
These hills have an altitude varying from 5,400 to 5,600 feet above the
sea. The folds and hollows between these hills are here and there
somewhat picturesque, though on account of late grass burnings they are
not at their best just now. Each of the hollows has its own clear water
rillet, and along their courses are bamboos, tree ferns, small palms,
and bush, much of which is in flower. From the lively singing of the
birds I heard yesterday, it was thought likely this insatiable collector
might be able to add to his store of stuffed giant-larks, thrushes,
bee-eaters, sun-birds, large pigeons, &c. Only four specimens were
obtained, and the Pasha is not happy.
In a bowl-like basin, rimmed around by rugged and bare rocks, I saw a
level terrace a mile and a half long by a mile wide, green as a tennis
lawn. Round about the foot of this terrace ran a clear rivulet, through
a thick bank of woods, the tops of which just came to the level of the
terrace. It has been the nicest site for a mission or a community of
white men that I have seen for a long time. The altitude was 5,500 feet
above the sea. From the crest of the rocky hills encircling it we may
obtain a view covering 3,000 square miles of one of the most gloriously
beautiful lands in the world. Pisgah, sixty miles westward, dominates
all eminences and ridges in the direction of the forest world;
Ruwenzori, 18,000 to 19,000, white with perpetual snow, eighty miles
off, bounds the view south; to the east the eye looks far over the
country of Unyoro; and north-east lies the length of the Albert Nyanza.
On the terrace the picnic was held.
[Sidenote: 1889.
March 18.
Kavalli’s.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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