Stanley's Story; Or, Through the Wilds of Africa / A Thrilling Narrative of His Remarkable Adventures, Terrible Experiences, Wonderful Discoveries and Amazing Achievements in the Dark Continent

by Col. A. G. Feather

CHAPTER XI.
INTELLIGENCE OF THE SUCCESS OF THE “HERALD” ENTERPRISE.

Mr. Stanley’s Despatches to the “Herald” — They Create a Profound Sensation — The Question of Authenticity of his Reports — Conclusive Proof Thereof — Testimony of the English Press, John Livingstone, Earl Granville, and the Queen of England Herself — Mr. Stanley’s Reception in Europe — At Paris — In London — The Brighton Banquet — Honors from the Queen.

Mr. Stanley’s despatches to the “Herald” were sent through the London bureau of that office. The noted telegram printed on the morning of July 2, 1872, announcing his arrival at Zanzibar and the discovery of Livingstone, created a profound sensation. Followed by other cablegrams giving reports of his journey towards Europe and of his reception at Paris and elsewhere, the intelligence was received with almost as much avidity as the news which came from day to day of the Franco-German war, or that of the attempted revolution in Paris.

To some, however, the reports of Mr. Stanley’s great success were incredible. There were those who did not believe he had seen Livingstone, and who did believe that the story of the meeting—with, of course, all the correspondence from Zanzibar, Unyanyembe, Ujiji, and elsewhere—was but an adroitly-devised romance, after the fashion of that of Ali Moosa, to cover up inglorious failure. It is needless now to fully state the arguments upon which this incredulity was based. Perhaps newspaper jealousy had something to do with it. Certainly it was a matter of deep chagrin to many Englishmen that the British Government, upon whose soil the sun never sets, should have been totally eclipsed by the enterprise of private citizens of a rival nationality. Then there were certain little errors—chiefly misprints and the excusable mistakes of telegraphing long despatches great distances—which were claimed by the doubting as showing that the so-called great Special Search Expedition of the “Herald” was but a magnificent hoax, after all. Moreover, the universal interest manifested in the subject gave a splendid opportunity to adventurers, both male and female, to ventilate themselves and become public characters. Hence, those who had known Mr. Stanley as a native of Wales, and not of Missouri, or of this, that, or the other country; who knew that he had not been a correspondent as had been generally stated; and, in fine, who knew that many assertions in regard to him were untrue—these adventurers became even more numerous than the celebrated cow of the crumpled horn which originated the terrible conflagration of Chicago, and then, with miraculous self-multiplication, surpassed in number the cattle of a thousand hills, and, mournfully ruminating over her sad mishap in kicking over the kerosene lamp, became the observed of all observers in all Christian lands, and at the same instant of astronomical and clock time.

It were needless to disguise the fact, however, that the statements of those incredulous of the Search Expedition’s wonderful success, being for some time constantly iterated and reiterated through the press, had considerable effect upon the public mind, and actually left it for a period in a state of painful uncertainty in regard to the fate of the great explorer, the truth in regard to whom was earnestly desired by all intelligent persons throughout Christendom. Happily, the authenticity of Mr. Stanley’s reports were placed beyond reasonable doubt by a mass of testimony against which no one could dispute.

SLAVE-ROBBERS’ CAMP.

Much of that testimony has already appeared in this volume, different portions in their appropriate places. These are:

1.—The letters of Dr. Livingstone to Earl Granville, which were published by authority of the British Government. In these letters the African explorer not only gratefully alludes to Mr. Stanley, but expressly says his despatches are entrusted to his care because of the great traveller’s belief in Mr. Stanley’s enterprise and capacity to accomplish whatever he might undertake. In one of these despatches Dr. Livingstone also states that he had given to the custody of Mr. Stanley his journal of explorations, sealed, to be delivered to his daughter when the commander of the Search Expedition of the “Herald” should arrive in England.

2.—Upon Mr. Stanley’s arrival in England, this journal was promptly forwarded to Miss Livingstone. Her acknowledgment was published in many English and American journals. It was as follows: