EQUATORIAL AFRICA.

North Otago Times, Volume XXXV, Issue 7152, 1 June 1891, Page 2

EQUATORIAL AFRICA.

The Field, in reviewing Major Casati's work on Equatorial Africa, says : Major Casati commenced hie travels in Africa in January, 1880, having been sent out to assist Gessi Pasha in the construction of mapa of the Equatorial Province. From one cause and another he wag delayed in his journey, eo Ui.it hu did not reach Gesai, at Wau, uutil the month of August, when that gentleman was about to set out for Khartoum ; so that he was too late to take any part in the duties which he had been sent out to perform, as Gessi never returned to the Equatorial Province. From this time it ia difficult to judge as to the position winch Major Casiti held ; sometimes he appears to have been acting as an envwy for the Egyptian Government, at others he seems to have been wandering about as a private individual without any special object m view beyond visiting countries that were new to him, ,iud making notes on the manners and cuatoma of the people. Eventually we find him as a companion and friend of Emin Pasha, and employed" aa an envoy to Chua (better kuown as Kabba Rega), King of Unyoro, who made him a prisoner, seized his notes, and would have put him to death if he had not managed to effect his escape, together with a few Egyptian soldiers who had been sent by Emin Pasha to act as his guard and servants. It is doubtless owing to the loss of his notes that the account which the author gives of his travels, previous to this event, is so disjointed as, in places, to be hardly intelligible. The chief interest, however, that attaches to this book lies in Major Casati's description of the state of aflairs in Emin Pasha's proviuce, and which, indeed, throws an entirely new light on the subject. In this country it | was very generally believed, when the Emin Pasha Relief Expedition left England, that Emin Pasha, by a firm and just tule, had succeeded in maintaining the authority of the Egyptian Government in the Equatorial Province, tlub the soldiers under his command were amenable to discipline, and that, though surrounded by enemies, peace and plenty were to be found under his paternal rule. It is true that danger was anticipated from the ever-increasing power of the Mahdi, and for this reason it was deemed expedient to send him relief — it nevei, that we have heard, being suspected that the real danger which threatened Emin was from the mutiny of his troops and other internal dissensions. This latter, however, according to Major Casati, was in fact the case, and it was only when the Mahdists threatened an attack that the troops paid the slightest heed to Emin'g commands ; at other times they did just) what they liked with him, and raided all the surrounding country, stealing cattle and grain, shooting the natives, and burning down their villages, according to their own will ard pleasure. We doubt, indeed, whether the atrocities committed by the troops, nominally under Emin, were f.u surpassed l>y those of the Arab slave-hunters. As regards Emin himself, if what the HUthor states is accurate, Mr Stanley was not far out m the estimate he formed of his character. Casati directly accuses him of being the cause of hia misfoUuneg in Unyoro, where ho had gone as a friend to try and sen e him; and he seems to have been entirely wanting in that decision and force of character essential to the maintenance of discipline with the class lie had to deal with in an isolated position, at the same time being extremely jealous of anything which migh appear to afhet the authority which he only held at Hi° pleasure of a mutinous riffraft. The appearance of Mr Stanley an.d his companions, when they arrived on the shores of tho Albert Nynnz*, did not impress the author at all favorably. Emin had to supply shoes, linen, tobacco, and provisions to the expedition equipped and sent out from Europe to his aid, and Casxti tells us that "the rescuers were rescued." Under these circumstances the rd would seem to have been good grounds for Emin Pasha doubting Mr Stanley's ability to take his large party of men, women, and children to the coast f and that Mr Stanley eventually did this with a large number of Emin's people is, indeed, a marvellous performance, considering the demoralised state into which Emin Pasha had allowed them to fall. According to Major Caeati, there was np love lost between Emin and Stanley, the latter being strong-minded and overbearing ; ani the former proud and vacillating, and jealous of a show of authority ; besides which, Emin seems to h we been loth to leave his province, and yet afraid to remain, k is little to be wondered, theu, that no cordiel feeling could exist between two such opposite charters. During the march to the coa^t there were many deaths, all whoso strength failed being relentlessly abandoned to thr-ir fate ; and the a'-count w'lich Majoi C isati ci\ c* of this march forms a fitting sequel to the Yambuya incident.

The heart knoweth its own bitterness. Many a man who looks happy is wearing a shirt his wife made.