502 
AFRICA AND ITS EXPLORATION. 
this letter craving relief from you. I do not know you ; 
but I am told there is an Englishman at Embomma, 
and as you are a Christian and a gentleman, I beg you 
not to disregard my request. The boy Robert will be 
better able to describe our lone condition than I can tell 
you in this letter. We are in a state of the greatest 
distress ; but if your supplies arrive in time, I may lie 
able to reach Embomma within four days. I want three 
hundred cloths, each four yards long, of such quality as 
you trade with, which is very different from that we 
have ; but better than all would be ten or fifteen man- 
loads of rice or grain to fill their pinched bellies 
immediately, as even with the cloths it would require 
time to purchase food, and starving people cannot wait, 
'fhe supplies must arrive within two days, or I may have 
a fearful time of it among the dying. Of course I hold 
myself responsible for any expense you may incur in 
this 1 msiness. What is wanted is immediate relief ; and 
I pray you to use your utmost energies to forward it at 
once. For myself, if you have such little luxuries as 
tea, coffee, sugar, and biscuits by you, such as one man 
can easily carry, I beg you on my own behalf that you 
will send a small supply, and add to the great debt of 
gratitude due to you upon the timely arrival of the 
supplies. for my people. Until that time I beg you to 
believe me, 
“ Yours sincerely, 
“ H. M. Stanley, 
“ Commanding Anglo-American Expedition 
for Exploration of Africa. 
“ P.S.— You may not know me by name ; I therefore 
add, I am the person that discovered Livingstone in 
1871.— H. M. S.” 
I also wrote a letter in French, and another in Spanish 
as a substitute for Portuguese, as I heard at Nsanda 
that there was one Englishman, one Frenchman, and 
three Portuguese at Embomma ; but there were con- 
flicting statements, some saying that there was no 
Englishman, but a Dutchman. However, 1 imagined I 
