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The Stanley Pool

The Stanley Pool image
Parent Issue
Day
20
Month
July
Year
1882
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

If recent intelligence from France is reliable, Stanley, the hero of the Congo aud of the "bark Continent," has been distanced by a Frenchinan, i:i the enterprise to which he has been of late devoted. The Belgian governmeut, iware of the importance of the Congo river as a means of controlhng the commerce of Central África, sought the services of Stanley to make it available as a water-way. l'he difflculty to be overeóme existed in the fact that before the river flnds the sea, it breaks into dangerous cataracts. The Belgian goyernment fltted out Stanley's expedition, giving him power tü find a way to turn the difliculty. Tbeproblemwas how to reach Stanley pool.thepoint wliere the great river becomes navigable for a great distance ; and Stanley could think of no better way than to cut a road from the seaside to the pool at the cataracts, for wliicli purpose $1,CUO,000 wa3 subseribed. Stanley set himseli to work, cut bis road, transported bis steamer and approacbed the pool only to find lifty vs3els alieady tbere, flying CM Frencli flag in quiet possesaion! A Frenchrnan, Savergnan de Brazza, had stolen the march on him, and made the Congo virtually a French river. At Gaboon, a Frenen possession near the mouth of the Congo, líe Brazza had been iuquiring after the aflluents of the great river, which raight lead him in the direction of the pool by water. Ascending the Ogovue, he found it separated only 80 kilonietre8 frpm another unknown river, the AÏima, which flows straight into the pool, while Stanley's roadway was 240 kilometres long. De Brazza kept his secret, obtained a vote in aid f rim the French parliament, returned to his work, and made such use of his time that beíore Stanley amved, be uaü seized the pool in the name of the rencb, concluded treaties with the natives and bought large possessious on the banks of the river.

Article

Subjects
Old News
Ann Arbor Democrat