348 STANLEY'S JOURNEY THROUGH AFRICA 



villages betokened the presence of plenty. But Stanley kept his force 

 together with the greatest difficulty, for the people of Manyema, the 

 country through which they were passing, were reported to be can- 

 nibals, and the feelings of the Wangwana were thereby considerably 

 exercised. Though Stanley had distributed £350 in presents to the 

 people before leaving Ujiji — as a "refresher" to their drooping spirits 

 — yet many desertions took place, and for a time the expedition was 

 in a high state of demoralization. Nothing but firm treatment suf- 

 ficed at such a crisis as this, and it was fortunate for Stanley that his 

 indomitable character enabled him to grapple with the spirit of mutiny 

 in a masterful way. 



For more than two hundred miles the route lay along the valley 

 of the Luama — a tributary of the Lualaba — and, at its confluence with 

 the great river upon which Livingstone had spent so much time, 

 thought and labor, Stanley realized that at last he was face to face 

 with a simple problem — he was to follow the river to the ocean, and 

 prove or disprove once and forever its identity with the Nile. He was 

 to follow it into countries of which even the natives could give no 

 account, deal with peoples whose very name was unknown, and finally 

 trace it to an end no man could indicate. 



At Mwana Mamba he met the Arab with whom he was to be 

 afterwards — on this and other expeditions — so closely connected, 

 Hamed Bin Mohammed, alias Tippu Tib, a man of remarkable char- 

 acter and' of the greatest influence over the Arabs of that region. 



The most terrible tales were told by the Arabs of the savages 

 dwelling on the banks of the Lualaba. Dwarfs who shot with poisoned 

 arrows, cannibals who regarded the stranger as so much meat, bar- 

 barians who wore no clothing and killed all men they met — these 

 were some of the people to be met on the river, which in itself pre- 

 sented great difficulties. There were many falls and many rocks ; and 

 the river flowed northward for ever and knew no end. In the face of 

 such testimony from men who had traveled for some distance down 

 the river, Stanley's intention never swerved; he was determined to 

 follow the Lualaba to the sea. 



To help him attain this end, and to inspire his trembling followers 

 with courage, Stanley engaged the services of Tippu Tib, who, in 



