TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Press, Volume XLVIL, Issue 7699, 3 November 1890, Page 4

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Wβ do not think Mr Stanley will add to his reputation by his attacks on the memory of Major Barttelot. Major Barttelot, of the 7th Fusiliers, was the son of a wealthy Sussex Baronet, who for many years represented West Sussex in Parliament. He was one of the first volunteers who came forward to join Stanley's expedition.' It is now a twicetold tale how Stanley left him in charge of the rear column, with instructions to follow him when he went with the advance guard to find Enxin; how Stanley, after reaching the beleaguered Pasha, and finding Barttelot did not come on, retraced his steps and discovered the rear column at Banalya, a little more than a fortnight's journey from where he had left them—Major Barttelot dead, Troup, another officer, invalided home, hundreds of the men dead, the survivors preventing the most loathsome appearance from famine and disease, and most of them in an apparently dying condition. After hearing the explanations of the survivors, Stanley professes to be utterly unable to understand how it all happened— it all seems a hideous dream to him. The impression which the general reader gets is that Barttelot 'was as a child in the hands of that Crafty old villain Tippoo Tib, who "strung him , on" with promises of . assistance whioh he never intended to fulfil until he had sue.ceeded, in " bleeding " him to almost the last remnant of his resources, and had reduced the rear .column almost to its last gasp: Stanley also contrives to bint that Barttelot has not the tact and'forbearance necessary for handling a large body of men, especially euch as comprise the body of an African expedition. Still, the great leader does little more than insinuate possess Ju* own explorer,, but then this is modest Mr Siauiey'a way —he insinuates pretty much the same thing in,regard to everybody else whom he has occasion to mention. Aganuaoft again, however, he confesses himself fairly puzzled as to why the rear column was so badly managed. In one passage ho says s—

"What Barttelot I that fearless, cheery joung soldier, with hie dauntless bearing, "whose aoul was ever yearning for glory: A xoan so lavishly equipped with Nature's advantages to bow the knee thus t<? the grey craftiness at Stanley Falls ! It was all an unsolved riddle to mc. I would have wagered he would have seized that flowing grey beard of Tippoo Tib and pounded the face to pulp rather than allow himself to be thus cajoled time and time again."

Thheh is a tone of disappointment here with the failure of Barttelot'a promise as a leader, bufc no hint of anything darker, 1 like the latest innuendoes. So, in another place, he refers to him—after hie death, mind—as "a gecerous, frank, and chivalrous young , English ofjloer, ." Jtia« tinguished in Afghanistan and on the Soudanese Nile for , pluck and performance of duty." Nowhere does Stanley ill his book make a plain, straightforward statement as to any misconduct on Barttelot's part. Hedoes, however, manage to convey an insinuation in what we cannot imfc consider , a vary peculiar manner. When' he was giving'his' instructions to Barttelotj on leaving him in charge of the rea*" column, Barttelot reminded him of thd conversation which took place when he was introduced to Stanley.' Something in the latter's tone as he spoke had evidently! rankled in his memory* "The fact ie/l said Barttelot to Stanley— " Yon said something about 'forbearance' which reminded- mc that I have heard that word before, when General pitched into mc about punishing a Somali mutineer in the desert during the Soudan earn* paign. I was all alone with the Somalia when they turned upon mc, and I sprang upon the ringleader at last when there was no other way of reducing them to order and pistolled him, andat trace t'ia Somalis became as quiet as lambs. I thought that General ——, who ia not remarkable for good will to mc, had mentioned this affair to you." Stanley assured Barttelot that he had never heard the etory before, adding, rt It was your own lac* which inspired the word forbearance." What we do not under* stand is why Stanley should print this presumably private conversation in his b<»k unless to create a prejudice against Barttelot' by way of funaendo which he could not, venture to pub in plain honest English. Nor do we ' understand why -Sfenley should again be throwing out die* honoring 1- insinuationa against his dead lieetenant Hβ cays Barttelot was killed for ill-treating a chiefs wife. This is the official report of the tragedy furnished by Mr William Bonny, who was in charge of the rear column when Stanley returned to ;, ■ .:■■■..■ '■">. vr'.-'y-', •

•'lSth July—Early this morning a Manyuema woman commenced beating* dram and flinging. It is tiaeir daily custom. The Major sent his boy Soadl, who was only about 13 years old, to stop them, bat at once load and aagry voices were Heard, followed by t#o efaots by way 61 defiance. Ttio Major ordered some Sou--danese to go end sad the men Who were I firing, at the same time getting up from' bed himself and taking , his reroTvere from the case he said, 'I will shoot the first man I catch ftri&g.' I told him noi to interfere with the people's daily cuafcom, to remain inside and not go out;, icasmuca aa they woiild. soon be quiet. He went out rovolTer ia hand to where the Soudanese were. They told him tHafi they could aot Sad tbe men who were firing. The. major then pushed aside some. Manyuema and passed through then* towards the woman who was beating the drum and eineringiand ordered her. fco d«4st. Just then a shot was fired through a loophole iv aa oppo< We* hi& from within by S*nga» the woiaan'e hoabaad, The charge penetrated jurt below tae the aeaart,smd

Granted that the ill-fated lUor'ifato-. ij great iratabUity and wantof taaT* must nmember that he w» worn «*Mrt«! worry and care and all the trials of African olimate. There is nothing ia jrj Bonnes aooount to justify the insinuations now thrown out by m! Stanley. What we cannot why the latter should now be twia» W blacken Barttelot's character. Let if k! admitted that he was not the nun foi tt! post, that he failed in his charge, disappointed all Stanley's hopes. rate he died in Stanley's service, and » that ought to have been sufficient to eed the leader's lips. If there are any g**, and urgent reasons why those lipe be unlocked, it should not be darkling hints and subtle which ever create a more preesion than a downright charge in tfaiti terms, and are, of course, inftnitejy diiEoult to answer. We fancy ena M» Stanley's most devoted admirers will find it difficult to approve his latest conduct,

Poob Mr Egeson, of the Sydney treathe department, has been dismissed fot ja™, eisting in his prognostications of & years' drought. Some time ago he » tt warned that subordinates matt not t». sume to prophesy—et Jeaet, not enl«e their predictions had been approve} X the head of the department. Thedroegh* was on Mr Egeson's mind, however, «m he was unable to keep his dolehaVa&J. nations to himself. We moat Mr »« sympathise with him. It U &t*j to see what harm he oouU A> as long as ib was understood tfe»» he was making the prediction oa |& own aooount, and was not pledgi&»&» department in any way. Wβ truai, <f course, that his prognostication wfil gg be realised. If, however, it out to be true, Mr b. perior officers will be in an awkward position. There ia *n<Akk aspect of the case. Supposing Mr Sgeu out of deference to his superiors,, hfidfcs silent. Supposing further, the drought fe take place, and that it then becomes teavn that Mr Egeson, from information mlk possession, had itelt oertain all along &ti it would take place, what would ba tta popular verdict P People would sty ii«u an act of almost criminal reticence oa He Egeeon'e part not to give them warning,* that they might in some measure have beoi prepared for the calamity. We are mora than ever convinced that it is a thaakleu office to be a meteorologist. X! ,|» prophesies a storm, and the etona in due course arrives, he is aimed as if he had actually had , tfo brewing of it. If it glances of! and goes somewhere else, as storms not ttttfreqpeatfcr do, he ie jeered at for being , wro&g ie hit warnings. Mr Egeson's case Tiould father seem to show'thatt mett>omhs<%l forecasts must be mado, notonly tosmifc the weather, but also to suit the bead & the weather department. HTHs it, iask#4 hard lines. , '.. "