STANLEY'S JOURNEY THROUGH AFRICA 353 



savages he had encountered since leaving Nyangwe, and it proved to 

 be the last. Three days later the wearied voyagers entered a wide 

 basin, surrounded by lofty cliffs, white and gleaming, on the flat top 

 of which grew green and succulent grass. Having an area of more 

 than thirty square miles, the basin seemed to the eyes which had grown 

 accustomed to the river — wide though it was, nearly five miles in 

 places — ^just like a vast pool — and at Frank Pocock's suggestion it 

 was named Stanley Pool, and the lofty white cliffs Dover Cliffs. Pass- 

 ing out of the pool, the roar of a great cataract burst upon their ears. 

 This was the first of a long series of falls and rapids which were to 

 continue until they reached Boma — a distance of 155 miles — in the 

 course of which there were no less than thirty-two falls, and an 

 average declination of the river of about seven feet per mile. Stanley 

 gave to this enormous stretch of cataracts and rapids the name of 

 "Livingstone Falls." The difficulties presented by man had, to a great 

 extent, passed away, only to reveal obstacles offered by nature — 

 obstacles, indeed, which were to deal a severer blow to Stanley and the 

 expedition than had all the cunning and violence of those savages who 

 regarded their fellow-creatures as so much prey. 



At the Isangila Cataract — where the already explored "Congo" 

 began — Stanley left the river, which had been so fraught with adven- 

 ture, privation, and sorrow, and started on a direct line across country 

 to Boma — the nearest European settlement, and about 60 miles distant. 

 The long line straggled' on, weary and footsore, faint from insufficient 

 food — for a few bananas and ground nuts were all they could pro- 

 cure — and silent from suffering. When half the distance had been 

 traversed, and no food was forthcoming, Stanley wrote a letter of 

 earnest appeal to any Europeans v/ho might be at Boma, and sent this 

 letter by his ever faithful and willing coxswain, Uledi. A most gen- 

 erous and timely response was made by two gentlemen who repre- 

 sented an English firm there, and just as the poor wretched' Zanzibaris 

 were lying down by the roadside, gaunt with starvation and resigned 

 to fate, the welcome appearance of Uledi at the head of a caravan of 

 goodly supplies brought new life back to the weary souls, and supplied 

 the sinews for the continuance of the journey. 



On August 9, 1877, the more than decimated expedition marched 



