Stanley's Story; Or, Through the Wilds of Africa: A Thrilling Narrative of His Remarkable Adventures, Terrible Experiences, Wonderful Discoveries and Amazing Achievements in the Dark ContinentFeather, A. G., Col.
History
Stanley's Story; Or, Through the Wilds of Africa: A Thrilling Narrative of His Remarkable Adventures, Terrible Experiences, Wonderful Discoveries and Amazing Achievements in the Dark Continent
Feather, A. G., Col.
Africa, Central -- Description and travel; Livingstone, David, 1813-1873; Stanley, Henry M. (Henry Morton), 1841-1904
After leaving Bumbireh, Stanley next landed and camped at Dumo Uganda,
which is a two days’ march north of the Kagera River and two days south
of the Katonga River. This camp he selected for his expedition because
it was intermediate, whence he could start on a northwest, west, or
southwest course for the Albert Nyanza, after ascertaining from Mtesa
which was best: for between the Victoria Nyanza and the Albert Nyanza
are very powerful tribes, the Wasagara, Wa Ruanda, and Wasangora
especially, who were continually at war with Mtesa.
Here Stanley remained several days, until he could procure force
sufficient from Mtesa to pierce the hostile country through which alone
he could penetrate to the Albert Nyanza, the aim of his present
expedition. He himself was of opinion that unless the Emperor gave him a
force of fifty thousand men, it would be almost hopeless to expect that
they could hold their ground long enough to enable him to set out on a
two-months’ voyage of exploration and find on his return the expedition
still intact and safe. On presenting these views to the Emperor, he and
his chiefs assured Stanley that two thousand men were amply sufficient,
as Kabba Rega would not dare to lift a spear against the Waganda,
because it was he (Mtesa) who had seated Kabba Rega on the throne of
Kamrasi. Though not quite convinced with the assurances Mtesa gave him
that there would be no trouble, Stanley entreated him no further, but
accepted thankfully General Samboozi and two thousand men as escort.
The march across Uganda, west and northwest, was uninterrupted by any
event to mar the secret joy Stanley felt in being once more on the move
to new fields of exploration. The party made a bold show of spears and
guns while marching across the easy swells of pastoral western Uganda.
Arriving at the frontier of Unyoro, they made all warlike preparations,
and on January 5th entered Kabba Rega’s territory. The people fled
before them, leaving their provisions behind them, of which free use was
made. On the 9th they camped at the base of Mt. Kabuga, at an altitude
off 5500 feet above the sea. East of the low ridge on which they camped
the Katonga River was rounding from the north to the east on its course
toward Lake Victoria, and west of camp the Rusango River boomed hoarse
thunder from its many cataracts and falls as it rushed westward to Lake
Albert. From one of the many spurs of Kabuga they obtained a passing
glimpse of the king of mountains, Gambaragari, which attains an altitude
of between 13,000 and 15,000 feet above the ocean.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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