MR H. M. STANLEY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 9340, 3 February 1892, Page 3

MR H. M. STANLEY.

. Tho second lecture by the renoWh.d traveller, Mr Hv Mi Stanley, was given in the Garrison Hall last evening, the subject being "How I Pound Livingstone." As might have been expected the building was crowdod in all parts, there being a full houso some time before the kour announced for tho commencement of the

lecture. There is no need to add any remarks regarding Mr Stanley's manner as a lecturer. He speaks clearly, fluently, forcibly, and without any straining after effect. There were none present who were not roused to enthusiasm as he told, in simple, concise language, the story of the meeting and interview with the great missionary explorer, David Livingstone, *vhose name was the signal for applause, and his subsequent descriptions of Livingstone's travels, his sickness, and death, powerfully affected the audience. In opening his lecture Mr Stanley at once riveted the attention of his hearers by telling how he was summoned to Paris, and at a midnight inter--view with Mr Gordon Bennett received instructions, given in the most matter-rtf-fact manner, a* ■ ~ LV!.- nSßtone, who was "somewhere in Africa. Fifteen months after receiving these' instructions Mr Stanley, who in the meantime had performed numerous important duties, reached Zanzibar, without means to leave again much less to undertake an expedition into Central Africa. He managed, however, for a pretty substantial consideration to finance in the absence of letters of credit, and on the 21st of March 1871 ho set out on his apparently hopeless quest. The description of the journey to Lake Tanganyika occupied but httle time, and the magnitude of tneundertakmg was not by any means emphasised, put the account couhTnot be said to be wanting in interest. Mr Stanley told with much grim humour of an attempt in which he joined to capture a fortified village, which attempt resulted in such a stampede of the attacking forces, that ne thought some of the warriors must be running yet. He also described the tediously-painful'and well-nigh ruinous process of blackmailing to which he was subjected, and remarked that the discus--1 sion of the demands were carried on hour after Jjf-'i™ most kindly and amicable manner. Ine first hint of the existence of Livingstone was obtained from some Arab traders at the ferry crossed by Speke and Burton some nine years before, and after these tidings the expedition pressed forward to Ujiji, where the historic meeting took place between Stanley and Livingstone. First, Mr btanley tells us of the excitement of the servant of Livingstone on discovering that there was a white man in the caravan, and then of his own eager questioning to make sure that Livingstone was really in Unii, and finally of his seeing Livingstone, an old man, dressed in a red blouse, with tweed trousers, and a cap with a band (a consul s cap), tho only cap Livingstone had left. The' announcement of the meeting was received with loud applause, and every word detailing this scene and the interview which followed was listened to with breathless interest. The feast of welcome was described, and the episode of the opening of a bottle of champagne to celebrate tho event was exceedingly well told. The curiosity ond wonder of Uloma, Dr Livingstone's cook, was also vividly portrayed by the recital of T? m,arks to the otfler women. " Now, mark you, Ulema was h.»rd to say, ".it is truth ; there is no he in it. There are two white men sitting to-day, where only one white man sat yesterday. I wonder if there are any more white men in this world." Mr Stanley then told' how he accompanied Livingstone to the head of the lake, and how he tried to induce him to return to England, and failed because Livingstone, having given his word to Sir R. Murchison that he would solve the problem of the great river, would not do anything that would admit defeat. Then came a graphic description of the wanderings of Dr Livingstone and his conversation with the philosophical Kazambe, who wondered whyawhite man should trouble about the way which a river ran. Ihe war between the tribes between Ujiji and the river made it impossible, Mr Stanley explained, for Dr Livingstone to communicate with Zanzibar for supplies, and he was left stranded. Dr Livingstone eventually decided to wait at Tabora until Stanley could send him an escort and goods. Mr Stanley then told with a good deal of pathos of the parting between the two and his final look at Livingstone. The escort was sent, Stanley having reached Zanzibar on the fifty-fourth day after leaving Livingstone; and 57 men, fully equipped, reached Tabora on the 11th August 1872. Mr Stanley graphically sketched the expedition which proved fatal to the great missionary explorer, and with great feeling told the story of his sufferings and of his death. . At the close of tie lecture a number of interesting and some beautiful limelight views of scenes in connection with Mr Stanley's explorations were exhibited.

To-night the subject of Mr Stanley's lecture is How I found Emm Pasha."