Stanley’s Dream of Wealth.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume I, Issue 55, 18 October 1887, Page 2

Stanley’s Dream of Wealth.

A curious story about Henry M, Stanley is told by a friend of the ex 4 plorer, a journalist on One of the London dailies. He says that Stanley told him just before starting on his last ex* nedition that he expected to live to see himself the most extensive landowner in the world, one of the wealthiest men of his generation. The story was that, during his exploration of Africa, Stan, ley was struck wtth the amazing fer. tility of the region and the superior natural advantages possessed by many spots for use as commercial depots, owing to their situation on great rivers and in the centres of sections rich in valuable products. Firmly believing that not many years would elapse before adventurous white men would reduce those promising regions to commercial settlement, Stanley took advantage of his friendly relations with some of the powerful Native chiefs to obtain by purchase some othef richest territory, whieh he intends to hold by title, trusting to time to make it remunerative. When asked if he thought his title would be recognised he is reported to have declared that half the titles to land in America rested precisely noon the same foundationgrants by aboriginal chiefs to the first white settlers. He had taken tbe precaution to have white witnesses to all his tranactions, which were verified by written instruments. The consideration given was, of course, comparatively trifling. Stanley said the number of sites suitable for important trading posts on the Congo and its chief tributaries is limited, and he thought he had secured the best ones. The establishment of the Congo State had greatly enhanced the prospects of the country, and he expected to secure the co-opera-tion of a number of Englishmen and Americans of his acquaintance in developing certain districts in whieh he was personally most interested. He intimated that the real extent of the wealth of the region had been purposely concealed from the general public by those who were arranging to secure practical control of the country before the tide of dev< lopment should set in. There was a fit Id there, he declared, for hulf-a dozen development syndicates as big as tha famous East India Company.