“We have made many important geographical discoveries—one of the most important being Mount Ruevenzori, which for all these three thousand years has been undiscovered. The very source of the Nile is from its snow-capped peaks. It is a wonderful sight. I went up ten thousand seven hundred feet, but was stopped by ravines two thousand feet deep.
“Anchori and the Albert Nyanza are new places to Europeans—at least beyond the mere names. Here in Karagwe we found the Urigi to be a large lake instead of the petty thing laid down on the maps.
“After a hard march of four months we reached here (Ursalala) and found Mr. McKay and Mr. Dreaks of the Church Missionary Society. We have been here three days, and from these kind-hearted people have received a most hearty welcome, and rejoiced again in a cup of tea, with milk and biscuit. We fortunately found that cloth and beads for us had come up from the coast enough to buy our way out to the coast. Everything has been stopped on its way inland by the Arabs, making affairs assume a very critical aspect for missionaries and attached whites living inland.
“From here to the coast—should we have open roads—is a four and a half months’ march for the caravan. If the Arabs, however, oppose our progress no one can say how long it will take.
“Of our trials and sufferings I have said very little, but so far our expedition has been an immense success, in spite of sneers seen in some of the English papers. I hope we will emerge triumphantly to the coast. The Pasha we have; also Casati, the Italian, besides Egyptian and Turkish officers, soldiers, men, women and children and convicts.
“We have had no news from the coast here for over one and a half years, and we are all in uncertainty. If pluck and determination can carry us through, we shall reach the coast.
“One of our greatest dangers has been from starvation in the immense forest between the Congo and the Albert Nyanza, which was thought to be an open, grassy country. In this forest we lost out of six hundred Zanzibaris some three hundred and sixty; also sixteen Somali boys and about forty Nubian soldiers. This was en route to the Pasha. The loss of life since leaving the Albert Nyanza has been general—some two hundred. In this forest for three weeks we lived on roots and fungi, and though we hunted and fished, not a thing could we bring in. Of course our poor men died like dogs, and we whites were just about pegged out when we reached food.”
Under the date of Ursalala, August 31, Stanley writes Sir Francis de Winston a long letter, wherein he objects very strongly to the tone of a batch of newspaper cuttings he had received, which commented with an utter lack of common sense and a total disregard of accuracy upon his expedition. He dwells upon Emin’s indecision, which cost him a journey, otherwise unnecessary, of thirteen hundred miles for Barttelot.
He justifies the payment of a salary of £30 per month to Tippu-Tib as a means for averting a desolating war, and declares that if both parties are honest in the maintenance of their agreements peace may continue for an indefinite period.
He rebukes those persons in England who had lost faith in his steadfastness of purpose to such a degree as to give credit to rumors that he was marching in the direction of Khartoum.