The Traveller.

Otago Witness, Issue 1418, 25 January 1879, Page 23

The Traveller.

MR H- M. STANLEY ON HIS AFRICAN EXPLORATIONS. At the Birmingham Town Hall, on the 6th November, Mr H. M. Stanley delivered the lecture which he has been giving at various towns in the kingdom on his African explorations ; and a large audienoe assembled to greet him with a hearty reception. Mr Stanley w&s accompanied on to the platform by the favourite page of the Emperor of Nganda, and without any introduction be at once- commenced bis graphic description of his adventureß in passing " Through the Dark Continent." In the first place, he directed attention to the route which was taken by him, as shown on a large map which was stretched across the foot of the orchestra. He c proposed to give them a sketch of his journey, in which he would show that there was something more in Africa than mere arid, sandy deserts, as they might have been led' to {believe. He l briefly described the equatorial portions of the African continent. He described Zanzibar and its inhabitants and their customs. ' The growth of commerce there" with England, the prosecution of British enterprise, and other matters led him to believe that the annexation of that part was a mere question of time, Having organised his expedition, it was in November, 1874, that he left Zanzibar for the continent with 356 people. Tne first hundred milea brought them to the first great mountain chain. He described tho difficulties and perils experienced in the onward journey, and spoke of the murder of some of his followers and of the loss of Edward Pocock, a young Englishman, 1 from the neighbourhood of Rochester, ' who died of typhoid fever in a locality 400 miles from the coast, as shown from the pedometer. With dismal forebodings for the future and with fully thirty men sick, in addition to - a number who had fallen in conflict with the unfriendly tribes, they proceeded on their journey until they came to Lualaba. He there gave an interesting description of his arrival at the Lake Victoiia Nyanza, of the beauties of the country, and the hospitable manner in which he was received by the natives. After alluding to Speke's theory as to the lake being one vast sheet of water, he spoke of tho launching of the Lady Alice, of its pasoage along the water, and arrival at Nganda. The reception accorded to him by the Etnperor Mtesa was pleasingly pourtrayed ; multitudes of people came out to meet him, and numerous presents were sent by the King. On being introduced to the King he was struck with the orderly looking group of superbly-dressed chiefs who sat on each side of him. For a moment he forgot that he waa in Africa, the ceremony, order, and government of the whole affair so profoundly impressed him. Having described the appearance and characteristics of the Emperor, who had 5000 wives, he said ho stayed with him twelve days. He gave the particulars of the way in which he conversed with him, and the way iv which he introduced Christianity to his notice. Though the circumnavigation of the Lake Victoria was not completed until August, and by the. time they returned to the camp in the southern end of the lake to rejoin the party left there, they Had been over ihree-quarters of that interior ocean, their object had been served, and Captain Speke'a discovery was vindicated, that, instead of five lakes, there was one vast lake, covering an area of 21,500 square miles; During his absence another young Englishman had died of fever, and one of the first objects that struck him on his return waa the humble mound raised by Frank Pocock over the grave of Frederick Barker. His second navigation of the lake was then referred' to, and a battle between the King of Nganda and a neighbouring ruler. Bidding Nganda farewell, and taking the youth who now accompanied him under his care, he hurried the expedition southwaid. His meeting with the chief Mirambo was described, and how he arrived on the 27fch of the following May at the bright waters of Tan'ganika. After reminiscences of Livingstone at Ujiji, the exploration of Lake j Tanganika was proceeded with. He then described the journey across tho western half of the coatment, the varied and changing character of the scenerj, the marvellous adventures which he passed through with the .escort of Arabs whom he had engaged with Tippu Tib, their chief. At this point Mr Stanley reached one of the finest pieces of description in bis lecture. He gave a thrilling narrative of their attempt to pass through an apparently impenetrable forest, ' where they were saturated with wet and obstructed by thick underwood. Under auch circumstances they found it impossible to piocccd in an orderly line, and. every man felt it to be uccesaaiy to

scramble through that dark wet jungle as best he could. He related how the Arabs at length refused to go any further, through what appeared to be an interminable forest, and how he found it necessary to diverge again to the river Livingstone or Congo, how he had the sections of his boat put together again, and resolved, either with or without hi 3 followers, to trace the majestic stream through its course or to perish ia the attempt. Mr Stanley then gave a thrilling narrative of his adventures in his journey onwards, his encounters with cannibals and savage tribes in various places on the way, and the dangers incurred in passing immense cataracts and dragging the vessel over mountains, one being 1500 ft in height. A numbsr of his follower perished. Hardly a day went by without an accident, and once he fell down a chasm 30ft deep, la 1877 his last English friend, Francis Pocock, was drowned. On the 13th of July, last year, the river had been completely traced to a portion that had previously been exploied, after an adventurous journey of nearly 7000 miles. Mr Stanley concluded by a touching narrative of the arrival of the party on the coast, in 999 days after having left Zanzibar, and of their meeting again with English f aceß. He thanked the audience fur the manner in which they had received him. The lecture was delivered throughout in a simple, yet impressive style ; the descriptions of the various incidents aud scenes were graphic and picturesque, and tha audience listened for two hours with unbroken attention, and frequently applauded tbe speaker.