SIR SAMUEL BAKER. 757 



bolstering. la fact, I should have preferred that some other and more com- 

 petent hand wrote a comment on Mr. Stanley's journey. However, I have 

 great pleasure in complying, for it has opened up to me an old love, and 

 given me this opportunity of congratulating the Society on the great achieve- 

 ment before them. Who amongst us would have had his energy? Who 

 would undertake a cruise in an open boat, and absent himself from his camp 

 for fifty-eight days ? Who would risk such danger to life, and exposure to 

 an African sun in the month of April ? Who of us are able to guide, provide 

 for, lead, and attend to a little army successfully, and, in the midst of all 

 this, take their observations for latitude and longitude? I think him a worthy 

 representative of the energy which sent out such an Expedition." 



Sib Samuel Bakee, who was cheered, said " that, even when old African 

 travellers were placed upon the retired list, there was a pleasure which re- 

 mained to them still, and that was to watch the efforts and endeavours, and 

 to praise the energies, of those younger travellers who were filling up the 

 paths the older ones had cut out. He had come that evening from the south 

 of England, at some personal inconvenience, personally to render all the 

 praise an old African traveller could to the energy displayed by their friend, 

 Mr. Stanley. At the same time it was such a pleasure to add his testimony 

 to the indomitable perseverance Mr. Stanley had shown, and it was so grati- 

 fying to meet old African travellers — and they had in Captain Burton the 

 oldest living African discoverer — that he should have been sorry not to have 

 been present at that meeting. He had always advocated ' Fair play and no 

 favour,' among African travellers, and although, unfortunately, there had 

 been some little rivalry amongst them, he was perfectly certain every tra- 

 veller who started from this country started with one great aim — to carry out 

 his duty to the Society, and to represent the integrity and determination of 

 England. Captain Burton started with Speke, when he (Sie S. Bakee) was 

 comparatively a young man, and Speke a very young man, and he had owed 

 most of his success to the map Speke had given him. The original map was 

 among the records of the Society, and it was not only recognised, but proved 

 almost to the letter by Mr. Stanley. In these days of geographical triumph, 

 they all grieved that Speke was no more ; and he was sure his fellow-travel- 

 ler, Colonel Grant, was only too happy to feel that this day would add to his 

 dead friend's undying reputation. Speaking of Mr. Stanley's letters, he (Sir 

 S. Bakee) must say that everybody must be struck with the candour of his 

 descriptions. There were people in England fond of sitting down to criti- 

 cise, who said Mr. Stanley need not have fought or occasioned bloodshed. 

 But it was most unfair for any person who had no knowledge of the state of 

 the case or of the country, in which there was no law but the law of force, 

 to speak or write in this way. He felt certain no person travelling for the 

 Society would commit an act of force, except through necessity ; but still 



