Though much has been done since Livingstone’s time to fill up the blanks of Central Africa’s physical geography, no expedition has ever returned with a richer harvest of discoveries than Stanley’s last. The almost impenetrable forest of the Aruwimi, probably the largest of African forests--extending over four hundred miles of latitude and longitude--with a dense jungle in all stages of decay, resounding with the murmurs of monkeys and chimpanzees, strange noises of birds and animals, and the crashes of troops of elephants rushing through the dark and tangled copse, is an obstacle that, once surmounted, gives us the hydrography of the greatest lake-system of the globe, adds to the giant mountains of geography the stately and snow-clad Ruwenzori, whose rocky peak towers eighteen or nineteen thousand feet above sea-level, and to the lakes the Albert Edward Nyanza, whence issues the mysterious stream which fertilizes Egypt and makes the valley of the Nile the most marvellous seat of human culture, art and science. In STANLEY’S STORY the reader has presented a most thrilling narrative of the terrible experiences encountered, as well as a graphic account of these wonderful discoveries and the amazing achievements accomplished by Mr. Stanley during his career in Africa. The subject--one of unparalleled interest--is presented in the characteristic style of the writer, from thoroughly reliable information, data, and the official reports of Mr. Stanley himself. It favorably commends itself to every lover of geographical science, as well as to the admirer of the marvellous in life and nature. It has been prepared in a popular form, and at a price much lower than books of like character and value, and very much lower than others which claim to give the story of Stanley in Africa, but are simply compilations from the writings of the different explorers who have in times past essayed to traverse its vast interior, and failed. Stanley, however, has not failed. Fate has decreed otherwise. His story has been told. It is the only authentic story, as recorded in these pages, and the reader will find it not only interesting but highly entertaining and thoroughly instructive throughout. THE PUBLISHERS. [Illustration] CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTORY. A BRIEF ACCOUNT OF AFRICA -- ITS ANCIENT CIVILIZATION -- LITTLE INFORMATION EXTANT IN RELATION TO LARGE PORTIONS OF THE CONTINENT -- THE GREAT FIELD OF SCIENTIFIC EXPLORATION AND MISSIONARY LABOR -- ACCOUNT OF A NUMBER OF EXPLORING EXPEDITIONS, INCLUDING THOSE OF MUNGO PARK, DENHAM AND CLAPPERTON, AND OTHERS -- THEIR PRACTICAL RESULTS -- DESIRE OF FURTHER INFORMATION INCREASED -- RECENT EXPLORATIONS, NOTABLY THOSE OF DR. LIVINGSTONE AND MR. STANLEY, REPRESENTING THE NEW YORK “HERALD” NEWSPAPER 17 CHAPTER II. GEOLOGY OF AFRICA--ANTIQUITY OF MAN.