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95-642: The Yellala Falls ( Rapides de Yelala or Chutes Yelala ; also spelled as Ielala ) are a series of waterfalls and rapids on the Congo River just upstream from Matadi in the Democratic Republic of the Congo . The falls are the lowest of a long series of rapids that render the river unnavigable, forcing colonial explorers to travel by foot as far as the Stanley Pool 350 kilometres (220 mi) upstream. The Congo

190-721: A conference . Leopold wanted the International Association of the Congo boundaries drawn by Stanley to be officially confirmed, thus giving the Association an official status. On 26 February 1885, the Berlin Act was signed. The Act regulated an immense free trade zone in the Congo Basin and made it a neutral territory. Furthermore, the Act declared war on slavery. The act contained only one article that Leopold disliked: Article 17 gave

285-563: A padrão , a large stone cross-shaped marker, customary during the Portuguese Age of Discovery . The stone, which was not rediscovered until 1911, bears the words: "Aqui chegaram os navios do esclarecido rei D.João II de Portugal - Diogo Cão, Pero Anes, Pero da Costa." ("Here arrived the ships of illustrious John II , King of Portugal – Diogo Cão, Pero Anes, Pero da Costa".) Captain James Hingston Tuckey visited in 1816. He said that

380-742: A " Galvanized Yankee ." He joined the Union Army on 4 June 1862 but was discharged 18 days later because of severe illness. After recovering, he served on several merchant ships before joining the US Navy in July 1864. He became a record keeper on board the USS ; Minnesota , and participated in the First Battle of Fort Fisher and the Second Battle of Fort Fisher , which led him into freelance journalism. Stanley and

475-515: A 10-year-old girl and offered her to cannibals to document and sketch how she was cooked and eaten. Stanley found out only when Jameson had died of fever. The spread of sleeping sickness across areas of central and eastern Africa that were previously free of the disease has been attributed to this expedition, but this hypothesis has been disputed. Sleeping sickness had been endemic in these regions for generations and then flared into epidemics as colonial trade increased trade throughout Africa during

570-669: A book about his experiences: How I Found Livingstone; travels, adventures, and discoveries in Central Africa (1872). In 1874, the New York Herald and the Daily Telegraph financed Stanley on another expedition to Africa. His ambitious objective was to complete the exploration and mapping of the Central African Great Lakes and rivers, in the process circumnavigating Lakes Victoria and Tanganyika and locating

665-510: A calmness of exterior before the Arabs which was hard to simulate as he reached the group, Mr. Stanley said: – "Doctor Livingstone, I presume?" A smile lit up the features of the pale white man as he answered: "Yes, and I feel thankful that I am here to welcome you." Stanley joined Livingstone in exploring the region, finding that there was no waterway from Lake Tanganyika to the Nile. On his return, he wrote

760-481: A few days after a bite from a tsetse fly , many of his porters deserted, and the rest were decimated by tropical diseases. Stanley found David Livingstone on 10 November 1871 in Ujiji , near Lake Tanganyika in present-day Tanzania . He later claimed to have greeted him with the now-famous line, " Dr. Livingstone, I presume? " However, this line does not appear in his journal from the time—the two pages directly following

855-609: A few days' journey". Professor James Newman has written that "establishing the connection between the Lualaba and Congo Rivers and locating the source of the Victoria Nile" justified him (Newman) in stating that: "In terms of exploration and discovery as defined in nineteenth-century Europe, he (Stanley) clearly stands at the top." On 15 April 1877, King Leopold II of the Belgians sent his first expedition to Central Africa, then still under

950-404: A few tons of rubber per year here. You only have to sail up such a river and the branches with rubber hang almost up to your ship." In 1891, rubber extraction was divided among concessionaires. This soon led to abuses, when the switch was made to "forced labour". Stanley, who had left from a post at Vivi near Matadi on 21 February 1880, arrived at Stanley pool on 3 December 1882. Building

1045-499: A few weeks of his birth. There is some doubt as to his true parentage. As his parents were unmarried, his birth certificate describes him as a bastard ; he was baptised in the parish of Denbigh on 19 February 1841, the register recording that he had been born on 28 January of that year. The entry states that he was the bastard son of John Rowland of Llys Llanrhaidr and Elizabeth Parry of Castle. The stigma associated with illegitimacy weighed heavily upon him all his life. The boy

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1140-507: A field of work could best dispense with, and whose nobility is too nice to be stained with toil." About society women, Stanley wrote that they were "toys to while slow time" and "trifling human beings." When he met the American journalist and traveller May Sheldon , he was attracted because she was a modern woman who insisted on serious conversation and not social chit-chat. "She soon lets you know that chaff won't do," he wrote. The authors of

1235-525: A geological time scale. At that time the Atlantic continental margin was lifted up and formed a barrier between the basin and the sea. A large lake formed before the Congo River broke through this barrier, running through a narrow, rocky channel about 350 kilometres (220 mi) long from Kinshasa to Matadi . The river is navigable both above and below this stretch, called the lower Congo. The upper portion of

1330-825: A junior colleague jumped ship on 10 February 1865 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire , in search of greater adventures. Stanley was possibly the only man to serve in the Confederate Army, the Union Army, and the Union Navy. Following the American Civil War, Stanley became a journalist in the days of frontier expansion in the American West . He then organised an expedition to the Ottoman Empire that ended catastrophically when he

1425-463: A large piece of granite inscribed with the words "Henry Morton Stanley, Bula Matari, 1841–1904, Africa". Bula Matari translates as "Breaker of Rocks" or "Breakstones" in Kongo and was Stanley's name among locals in Congo. It can be translated as a term of endearment for, as the leader of Leopold's expedition, he commonly worked with the labourers breaking rocks with which they built the first modern road along

1520-689: A number of treaties curated there (and gathered by Stanley himself from what is present-day Uganda during the Emin Pasha Expedition), ostensibly gaining British protection for a number of African chiefs. Amongst these were a number that have long been identified as possible frauds. A good example is treaty number 56, supposedly agreed upon between Stanley and the people of "Mazamboni, Katto, and Kalenge". These people had signed over to Stanley, "the Sovereign Right and Right of Government over our country for ever in consideration of value received and for

1615-525: A portion of East African coast, of which Mombasa and Malindi were the principal towns. For eight years, to my knowledge, the matter had been placed before His Highness, but the Sultan's signature was difficult to obtain. The records at the National Archives at Kew, London, offer an even deeper insight and show that annexation was a purpose he had been aware of for the expedition. This is because there are

1710-449: A proposal to expand generation through improvements and the construction of a new hydroelectric dam . The project would bring the maximum output of the facility to 40,000 megawatts (MW). It is feared that these new hydroelectric dams could lead to the extinction of many of the fish species that are native to the river. Henry Morton Stanley Sir Henry Morton Stanley GCB (born John Rowlands ; 28 January 1841 – 10 May 1904)

1805-473: A road from Vivi to Isangila , Stanley took almost 2 years to traverse the rapids towing with him 50 tonnes of equipment, including 2 dismantled steamboats and a barge. After he arrived at Stanley pool, a local king, Makoko of the Anziku Kingdom , gave him a site near Kintambo to build a city. Despite hostilities from another nearby king, Ngaliema , he decided to start the construction of Léopoldville on

1900-481: A significant period on an evolutionary timescale. The cichlid genera Steatocranus , Nanochromis , Lamprologus and Teleogramma are found only in the Congo basin. Several dozen species in these genera are found only in the lower Congo. Steatocranus are rheophilic , meaning they have adapted to living in fast water. The four species of Teleogramma are found only in the lower Congo rapids. Genetically distinct populations have been found on opposite sides of

1995-433: A summary of Stanley's letters published by The New York Times on 2 July 1872. Stanley biographer Tim Jeal argued that the explorer invented it afterwards to help raise his standing because of "insecurity about his background", though ironically the phrase was mocked in the press for being absurdly formal for the situation. The Herald 's own first account of the meeting, published 1 July 1872, reports: Preserving

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2090-478: A wealthy trader. He saw Stanley sitting on a chair outside his store and asked him if he had any job openings. He did so in the British style: "Do you need a boy, sir?" The childless man had indeed been wishing he had a son, and the inquiry led to a job and a close relationship between them. Out of admiration, John took Stanley's name. Later, he wrote that his adoptive parent died two years after their meeting, but in fact

2185-3884: Is in the Ruwenzori Mountains , at an altitude of around 4,340 m (14,240 ft) above sea level. Distribution of the Congo basin area between countries: The most important hydrological stations along the Congo River are: Brazzaville The Congo River discharge at Kinshasa / Brazzaville stations since the start of measurements (1902 to 2021): 5°08′30.4″S 13°59′27.9″E  /  5.141778°S 13.991083°E  / -5.141778; 13.991083 5°02′57.3″S 13°59′28.2″E  /  5.049250°S 13.991167°E  / -5.049250; 13.991167 5°01′49.5″S 14°01′37.2″E  /  5.030417°S 14.027000°E  / -5.030417; 14.027000 5°2′20.6″S 14°02′09.2″E  /  5.039056°S 14.035889°E  / -5.039056; 14.035889 4°56′50.7″S 14°09′21.2″E  /  4.947417°S 14.155889°E  / -4.947417; 14.155889 4°55′38.5″S 14°15′16.5″E  /  4.927361°S 14.254583°E  / -4.927361; 14.254583 4°54′03.3″S 14°24′18.2″E  /  4.900917°S 14.405056°E  / -4.900917; 14.405056 Brazzaville 4°16′47.3″S 15°18′32.8″E  /  4.279806°S 15.309111°E  / -4.279806; 15.309111 4°05′24.4″S 15°30′39.1″E  /  4.090111°S 15.510861°E  / -4.090111; 15.510861 3°52′43.4″S 15°55′11.6″E  /  3.878722°S 15.919889°E  / -3.878722; 15.919889 3°33′18.7″S 16°05′32.2″E  /  3.555194°S 16.092278°E  / -3.555194; 16.092278 3°28′52.5″S 16°07′18.3″E  /  3.481250°S 16.121750°E  / -3.481250; 16.121750 3°11′23.7″S 16°11′09.6″E  /  3.189917°S 16.186000°E  / -3.189917; 16.186000 3°10′36.4″S 16°11′41.5″E  /  3.176778°S 16.194861°E  / -3.176778; 16.194861 3°09′59.7″S 16°10′51.7″E  /  3.166583°S 16.181028°E  / -3.166583; 16.181028 2°48′33.9″S 16°11′40.1″E  /  2.809417°S 16.194472°E  / -2.809417; 16.194472 2°12′22.9″S 16°10′49.0″E  /  2.206361°S 16.180278°E  / -2.206361; 16.180278 2°09′28.5″S 16°12′16.5″E  /  2.157917°S 16.204583°E  / -2.157917; 16.204583 1°52′15.5″S 16°30′43.4″E  /  1.870972°S 16.512056°E  / -1.870972; 16.512056 1°37′55.5″S 16°37′59.4″E  /  1.632083°S 16.633167°E  / -1.632083; 16.633167 1°14′22.2″S 16°47′44.5″E  /  1.239500°S 16.795694°E  / -1.239500; 16.795694 1°03′13.5″S 17°08′58.0″E  /  1.053750°S 17.149444°E  / -1.053750; 17.149444 0°54′39.2″S 17°23′27.1″E  /  0.910889°S 17.390861°E  / -0.910889; 17.390861 0°43′38.5″S 17°33′02.9″E  /  0.727361°S 17.550806°E  / -0.727361; 17.550806 0°41′00.4″S 17°36′43.7″E  /  0.683444°S 17.612139°E  / -0.683444; 17.612139 0°25′58.1″S 17°50′13.3″E  /  0.432806°S 17.837028°E  / -0.432806; 17.837028 0°01′17.4″N 18°13′10.9″E  /  0.021500°N 18.219694°E  / 0.021500; 18.219694 0°30′22.1″N 25°11′03.4″E  /  0.506139°N 25.184278°E  / 0.506139; 25.184278 The main river and tributaries are (sorted in order from

2280-463: Is necessary for their own well-being, even more than ours." Unexpectedly, France had sent its own expedition to the Congo Basin . Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza had undermined Stanley's mission by concluding contracts himself with native heads of state. The creation of a station that would later be called Brazzaville could not be prevented. Leopold was furious, writing angrily to Strauch: "The terms of

2375-470: Is not explicit on the agenda but it is clear enough: We then entered heartily into our business; how absolutely necessary it was that he should promptly enter into an agreement with the English within the limits assigned by Anglo-German treaty. It would take too long to describe the details of the conversation, but I obtained from him the answer needed. A few pages further in the same book, Stanley explains what

2470-545: Is recognised for his important contributions to Western knowledge of the geography of Central Africa and for his resolute opposition to the slave trade in East Africa . Henry Stanley was born as John Rowlands in Denbigh , Denbighshire , Wales . His mother Elizabeth Parry was 18 years old at the time of his birth. She abandoned him as a very young baby and cut off all communication. Stanley never knew his father, who died within

2565-510: Is the second largest river in the world by volume of water discharged, and the deepest in the world. The section of river that ends with the Yellala falls has over 300 species of fish, many found nowhere else. The region drained by the Congo River covers one eighth of Africa, including both tropical rain forest and savanna, much of it in a huge, shallow basin. The present system of rivers seems to date from around five million years ago, not long ago on

2660-661: The Atlantic Ocean and an additional 6% of bedload . The river and its tributaries flow through the Congo rainforest , the second largest rainforest area in the world, after the Amazon rainforest in South America. The river also has the second-largest flow in the world, behind the Amazon ; the second-largest drainage basin of any river, behind the Amazon; and is one of the deepest rivers in

2755-505: The Comité d'études du Haut-Congo , under Leopold's orders. King Leopold gave Stanley clear instructions: "It is not about Belgian colonies. It is about establishing a new state that is as large as possible and about its governance. It should be clear that in this project there can be no question of granting the Negroes the slightest form of political power. That would be ridiculous. The whites, who lead

2850-455: The Congo River . Author Adam Hochschild suggested that Stanley understood it as a heroic epithet, but there is evidence that Nsakala, the man who coined it, had meant it humorously. Having survived for ten years of his childhood in the workhouse at St Asaph , it is postulated that he needed as a young man to be thought of as harder and more formidable than other explorers. This made him exaggerate punishments and hostile encounters. It

2945-481: The Congo River . Having succeeded with this second objective, they then traced the river to the sea. During this expedition, Stanley used sectional boats and dug-out canoes to pass the large cataracts that separated the Congo into distinct tracts. These boats were transported around the rapids before being reassembled to travel on the next section of river. In passing the rapids many of his men were drowned, including his last white colleague, Frank Pocock. The expedition

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3040-756: The Herald in the Middle East and the Black Sea region, visiting Egypt, Jerusalem, Constantinople, the Crimea, the Caucasus, Persia and India , during which time he apparently carved his name into a stone of the ancient palace at Persepolis in Persia . Stanley travelled to Zanzibar in March 1871, later claiming that he outfitted an expedition with 192 porters . In his first dispatch to

3135-523: The Inga Falls and again at the Yellala falls, after which the river is navigable to the ocean. About 1,250,000 cubic feet (35,000 m) of water flows over the falls each second. The Yellala Falls were reached by Europeans as early as 1485, when the Portuguese explorer Diogo Cão took a group of men as far as the falls before they were forced to turn back by disease, probably malaria . In that place he set

3230-560: The Inga dams , about 200 kilometres (120 mi) southwest of Kinshasa. The project was launched in the early 1970s, when the first dam was completed. The plan (as originally conceived) called for the construction of five dams that would have had a total generating capacity of 34,500 megawatts (MW). To date only the Inga I and Inga II dams have been built, generating 1,776 MW. In February 2005, South Africa 's state-owned power company, Eskom , announced

3325-717: The Lualaba under Tippu Tip's friendship. Now, Stanley discovered that Tippu Tip's men had reached still further west in search of fresh populations to enslave. Four years earlier, the Zanzibaris had thought the Congo deadly and impassable and warned Stanley not to attempt to go there, but when Tippu Tip learned that Stanley had survived, he was quick to act. Villages throughout the region were burned and depopulated. Tippu Tip had raided 118 villages, killed 4,000 Africans, and, when Stanley reached his camp, had 2,300 slaves, mostly young women and children, in chains ready to transport halfway across

3420-577: The New York Herald , however, he stated that his expedition numbered only 111. This was in line with figures in his diaries. James Gordon Bennett Jr. , publisher of the New York Herald and funder of the expedition, had delayed sending to Stanley the money he had promised, so Stanley borrowed money from the United States Consul . During the 700-mile (1,100 km) expedition through the tropical forest, his thoroughbred stallion died within

3515-756: The Order of the Bath in the 1899 Birthday Honours , in recognition of his service to the British Empire in Africa. In 1890, he was given the Grand Cordon of the Order of Leopold by King Leopold II. Stanley died at his home at 2 Richmond Terrace, Whitehall , London on 10 May 1904. At his funeral, he was eulogised by Daniel P. Virmar. His grave is in the churchyard of St Michael and All Angels' Church in Pirbright , Surrey , marked by

3610-560: The Pool Malebo (Stanley Pool). Kinshasa (formerly Léopoldville) and Brazzaville are on opposite sides of the river at the Pool, where the river narrows and falls through a number of cataracts in deep canyons (collectively known as the Livingstone Falls ), running by Matadi and Boma , and into the sea at Muanda . Lower Congo constitutes the "lower" parts of the great river; that is

3705-504: The Royal Museum of Central Africa in Tervuren , Belgium in 1954. He died in 1959. Mainly at his wife's behest, Stanley took up British citizenship and entered Parliament as a Liberal Unionist member for Lambeth North , serving from 1895 to 1900. He disliked politics and made little impression on Parliament. He became Sir Henry Morton Stanley when he was made a Knight Grand Cross of

3800-511: The Ruwenzori Range and Lake Edward , and emerged from the interior with Emin and his surviving followers at the end of 1890. Despite its success, this expedition tarnished Stanley's name because of the conduct of the other Europeans on the expedition. Army Major Edmund Musgrave Barttelot was killed by an African porter after behaving with extreme cruelty. James Sligo Jameson , heir to Irish whiskey manufacturer Jameson's , allegedly bought

3895-506: The Uíge Province in Angola to the confluence with the Congo at Zongo some 80 km (50 mi) downstream from the twin capitals. Because of the vast number of rapids, in particular the Livingstone Falls , this section of the river is not operated continuously by riverboats. The Congo basin covers ten countries and accounts for about 13% of Africa . The highest point in the Congo basin

Yellala Falls - Misplaced Pages Continue

3990-442: The "general fury of the water is caused by the obstructions which the giant volume meets in the bed of the narrow defile." Sir Harry Johnston , who visited the falls in 1883, called the river "the last grand fall of Yellala" and detailed the sight and sounds of his impression of the falls. The Yellala Falls and the other falls and rapids upstream have largely isolated the aquatic fauna of the Congo Basin for around five million years,

4085-426: The American journalist May Sheldon , and between him and his wife Dorothy Tennant , shows that he enjoyed close relationships with those women, but both Roberts and Pike ultimately rejected him when he refused to abandon his protracted travels. When Stanley married Dorothy , he invited his friend, Arthur Mounteney Jephson , to visit while they were on their honeymoon. Dr. Thomas Parke also came because Stanley

4180-466: The Atlantic Ocean. Opportunities for the Congo River and its tributaries to generate hydropower are therefore enormous. Scientists have calculated that the entire Congo Basin accounts for 13 percent of global hydropower potential. This would provide sufficient power for all of Sub-Saharan Africa 's electricity needs. Currently, there are about 40 hydropower plants in the Congo Basin. The largest are

4275-624: The Congo below Boyoma Falls . The Chambeshi River in Zambia is generally taken as the source of the Congo in line with the accepted practice worldwide of using the longest tributary, as with the Nile River. The Congo flows generally toward the northwest from Kisangani just below the Boyoma Falls, then gradually bends southwestward, passing by Mbandaka , joining with the Ubangi River and running into

4370-456: The Dark Continent (1878) (in which he coined the term "Dark Continent" for Africa), Stanley said that his expedition had numbered 356, the exaggeration detracting from his achievement. Stanley attributed his success to his leading African porters, saying that his success was "all due to the pluck and intrinsic goodness of 20 men ... take the 20 out and I could not have proceeded beyond

4465-473: The French and Germans that, behind this professedly humanitarian quest, we might have annexation projects. However, Stanley's other writings point to a secondary goal which was precisely territorial annexation. He writes in his book on the expedition about his meeting with the Sultan of Zanzibar, when he arrived there at the start of the expedition, and a certain matter that was discussed at that meeting. At first, he

4560-455: The Lower Congo starts with the steep Livingstone Falls just below Kinshasa and continues for 133 kilometres (83 mi) through a number of smaller rapids. The central portion of about 129 kilometres (80 mi) is navigable, at times lake-like and at times narrow and as deep as 200 metres (660 ft). The lower portion of about 88 kilometres (55 mi) is the steepest, with huge rapids at

4655-427: The Nile via Lake Albert and thus be the river's primary source. It was therefore essential that Stanley should trace the course of the Lualaba downstream (northward) from Nyangwe , the point where Livingstone had left it in July 1871. Between November 1876 and August 1877, Stanley and his men navigated the Lualaba up to and beyond the point where it turned sharply westward, away from the Nile, identifying itself as

4750-574: The Wangwana. He described the history of Boma as "two centuries of pitiless persecution of black men by sordid whites". He also wrote about what he thought was the superior beauty of black people in comparison with whites. According to Jeal, Stanley was not a racist, unlike his contemporaries Sir Richard Burton and Sir Samuel Baker . The Wangwana of Zanzibar were of mixed Arabian and African ancestry : "Africanized Arabs", in Stanley's words. They became

4845-583: The backbone of all his major expeditions and were referred to as "his dear pets" by sceptical young officers on the Emin Pasha Expedition, who resented their leader for favouring the Wangwana above themselves. "All are dear to me", Stanley told William Grant Stairs and Arthur Jephson, "who do their duty and the Zanzibaris have quite satisfied me on this and on previous expeditions." Stanley came to think of an individual Wangwana as "superior in proportion to his wages to ten Europeans". When Stanley first met

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4940-447: The book The Congo: Plunder and Resistance tried to argue that Stanley had "a pathological fear of women, an inability to work with talented co-workers, and an obsequious love of the aristocratic rich," This is not only at odds with his opinions about society women, but Stanley's intimate correspondence in the Royal Museum of Central Africa , between him and his two fiancées, Katie Gough Roberts and Alice Pike , as well as between him and

5035-453: The continent to the markets of Zanzibar. Having found the new ruler of the Upper Congo, Stanley had no choice but to negotiate an agreement with him, to stop Tip coming further downstream and attacking Leopoldville and other stations. To achieve this, he had to allow Tip to build his final river station just below Stanley Falls , which prevented vessels from sailing further upstream. At

5130-422: The course of the river "for a mile and a half above". Afterwards, the water heads down a slope of around thirty feet "in 300 yards, spuming, colliding and throwing up foam, which looks dingy white against the dull yellow-brown of the less disturbed channel - the movement is that of waves dashing upon a pier". He went on: "The old river-valley, shown by the scarp of the rocks, must have presented gigantic features, and

5225-479: The elder Stanley did not die until 1878. This and other discrepancies led John Bierman to argue that no adoption took place. Tim Jeal goes further, and, in his biography, subjects Stanley's account in his posthumously published Autobiography to detailed analysis. Because Stanley got so many basic facts wrong about his purported adoptive family, Jeal concludes that it is very unlikely that he ever met rich Henry Hope Stanley, and that an ordinary grocer, James Speake,

5320-666: The end of his physical resources, Stanley returned home, to be replaced by Lieutenant Colonel Francis de Winton , a former British Army officer. In 1886, Stanley led the Emin Pasha Relief Expedition to "rescue" Emin Pasha , the governor of Equatoria in the southern Sudan , who was threatened by Mahdist forces. King Leopold II demanded that Stanley take the longer route via the Congo River, hoping to acquire more territory and perhaps even Equatoria After immense hardships and great loss of life, Stanley met Emin in 1888, mapped

5415-406: The ensuing decades. In a number of publications made after the expedition, Stanley asserts that the purpose of the effort was singular; to offer relief to Emin Pasha. For example, he writes the following while explaining the final route decision. The advantages of the Congo route were about five hundred miles shorter land journey, and less opportunities for deserting. It also quieted the fears of

5510-409: The entire African landmass. The name Congo/Kongo originates from the Kingdom of Kongo once located on the southern bank of the river. The kingdom in turn was named after the indigenous Bantu Kongo people , known in the 17th century as "Esikongo". South of the Kingdom of Kongo proper lay the similarly named Kakongo kingdom, mentioned in 1535. Abraham Ortelius labelled "Manicongo" as the city at

5605-430: The entire Congolese situation. The key question was how the Free State could become profitable. Stanley pointed out to the monarch, among other things, the potential of rubber production. Stanley wrote: "You can find it on almost any tree. As we made our way through the forest, it was literally raining rubber juice. Our clothes were full of it. The Congo has so many tributaries that a well-organized company can easily extract

5700-457: The exaggerated accounts of corporal punishment and brutality in his books fostered a public reputation as a hard-driving, cruel leader, in contrast to the supposedly more humanitarian Livingstone. His contemporary image in Britain also suffered from the inaccurate perception that he was American. In the 20th century, his reputation was also seriously damaged by his role in establishing the Congo Free State for King Leopold II. Nevertheless, he

5795-466: The flag of the International African Association . The members of the expedition, four Belgians, departing from Zanzibar , had the goal of establishing a scientific post in Karema , in today's Tanzania , but even before the group entered Central Africa , two of them had already died, one from a sun stroke, the other from a severe fever, upon which the other members of the expedition resigned. Because of these difficulties, Leopold realised how important it

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5890-501: The headmaster of the workhouse raped or sexually assaulted Rowlands, and that the older Rowlands was "incontrovertibly bisexual". When Rowlands was 10 years old, his mother and two half-siblings stayed for a short while in this workhouse, but he did not recognise them until the headmaster told him who they were. Rowlands emigrated to the United States in 1859 at age 18. He disembarked at New Orleans and, according to his own declarations, became friends by accident with Henry Hope Stanley,

5985-399: The height of the trough-walls, at least a thousand feet, gives the Yellala a certain beauty and grandeur. The site is apparently the highest axis of the dividing ridge separating the maritime lowlands from the inner plateau". The explorer Henry Morton Stanley , who visited the falls on April 6, 1880, wrote that over a five or six mile stretch the incline was only 45 feet (14 m), but that

6080-421: The hillside of Khonzo Izulu . Today Kinshasa 's population is 17,000,000, and it is one of the world's fastest growing megacities . Tippu Tip , the most powerful of Zanzibar 's slave traders of the 19th century, was well known to Stanley, as was the social chaos and devastation brought by slave-hunting . It had only been through Tippu Tip's help that Stanley had found Livingstone, who had survived years on

6175-598: The interior of the African continent. Leopold eagerly received a disenchanted Stanley at his palace in June 1878, and signed a five-year contract with him in November. Stanley persuaded Leopold that the first step should be the construction of a wagon trail around the Congo rapids and a chain of trading stations on the river. To avoid discovery, materials and workers were shipped in by various roundabout routes, and communications between Stanley and Leopold were entrusted to Colonel Maximilien Strauch . In 1879, Stanley left for Africa for his first mission, ostensibly working for

6270-410: The local people thought the falls were the residence of an evil spirit, and that anyone who saw them would never see them again. Visiting in the dry season, he was disappointed by the falls. He described the site as comprising a large hill of syenite , a course-grained igneous rock , on the south side. The northern side, made of the same material, was not as high, but steeper than the south. He described

6365-498: The matter was about and this time, he makes it clear that indeed, it had to do with annexation. I have settled several little commissions at Zanzibar satisfactorily. One was to get the Sultan to sign the concessions which Mackinnon tried to obtain a long time ago. As the Germans have magnificent territory east of Zanzibar, it was but fair that England should have some portion for the protection she has accorded to Zanzibar since 1841 ... The concession that we wished to obtain embraced

6460-399: The men. In 1848 the Hungarian László Magyar ascended the Congo to the Yellala falls, before spending five years exploring the region to the south. Due to his lack of contact with the outside world, the valuable information that he gathered received little circulation. Sir Richard Francis Burton , who first saw the falls in 1863, wrote a description of the great Yellala. Waves developed in

6555-483: The mouth heading upstream): Lower Congo (river mouth to Kinshasa ) Downstream of Kinshasa, from the river mouth at Banana , there are a few major tributaries. Middle Congo ( Kinshasa to the Boyoma Falls ) Upper Congo ( Lualaba ; upstream from the Boyoma Falls ) Although the Livingstone Falls prevent access from the sea, nearly the entire Congo above them is readily navigable in sections, especially between Kinshasa and Kisangani. Large river steamers worked

6650-409: The mouth of the river in his world map of 1564. The tribal names in Kongo possibly derive from a word for a public gathering or tribal assembly. The modern name of the Kongo people or Bakongo was introduced in the early 20th century. The name Zaire is from a Portuguese adaptation of a Kikongo word, nzere ("river"), a truncation of nzadi o nzere ("river swallowing rivers"). The river

6745-440: The occupation of the Congo Basin region, and his command of the Emin Pasha Relief Expedition . He was knighted in 1897, and served in Parliament as a Liberal Unionist member for Lambeth North from 1895 to 1900. More than a century after his death, Stanley's legacy remains the subject of enduring controversy. Although he personally had high regard for many of the native African people who accompanied him on his expeditions,

6840-482: The posts, have all the power." Stanley described in writings his dismay with the terrible scenes taking place in Congo. At the same time, his "findings" conveyed an idea that the Dark Continent must submit, willingly or otherwise. Stanley's writings show that he, too, held this view. "Only by proving that we are superior to the savages, not only through our power to kill them but through our entire way of life, can we control them as they are now, in their present stage; it

6935-403: The protection he has accorded us and our Neighbours against KabbaRega and his Warasura." On his return to Europe, Stanley married English artist Dorothy Tennant . They adopted a child named Denzil, who was the son of one of Stanley's first cousins, though Stanley concealed this fact from the public and possibly even from Dorothy. Denzil later donated around 300 items to the Stanley archives at

7030-412: The recording of his initial spotting of Livingstone were torn out of the journal at some point—and it is likely that Stanley simply embellished the pithy line sometime afterwards. Neither man mentioned it in any of the letters they wrote at this time, and Livingstone tended to instead recount the reaction of his servant, Susi, who cried out: "An Englishman coming! I see him!" The phrase is first quoted in

7125-480: The river as having forced its course and within the middle of the river an island of slate "still defies its power, and breaks the current into two narrow channels; that near the south side gives vent to a great mass of water, over which the torrent rushes with great fury and noise, as may easily be conceived". Tuckey, who was sponsored by the Royal Geographical Society of London to obtain information on

7220-457: The river until quite recently. The Congo River still is a lifeline in a land with few roads or railways. Railways now bypass the three major falls, and much of the trade of Central Africa passes along the river, including copper , palm oil (as kernels), sugar , coffee , and cotton . The Congo River is the most powerful river in Africa. During the rainy season over 50,000 cubic metres (1,800,000 cu ft) of water per second flows into

7315-504: The river. Although only 1 mile (1.6 km) apart, powerful currents that may exceed 30 miles per hour (48 km/h) have prevented interbreeding. Congo River Measured along with the Lualaba, the main tributary, the Congo River has a total length of 4,370 km (2,720 mi). It is the only major river to cross the Equator twice. The Congo Basin has a total area of about 4,000,000 km (1,500,000 sq mi), or 13% of

7410-576: The section of the river from the river mouth at the Atlantic coast to the twin capitals of Brazzaville and Kinshasa. In this section of the river, there are two significant tributaries, both on the left or south side. The Kwilu River originates in the hills near the Angolan border and enters the Congo some 100 km upstream from Matadi . The other is the Inkisi River , that flows in a northerly direction from

7505-416: The slave trade, noted the brutality of the Portuguese slave trade and gathered valuable information about the geography, animals, plants, minerals and people of the region. Talking of the people who lived above the falls, Tuckey said that fowls, eggs, manioc and fruits were the property of women. The items were never dealt with by the men without a discussion with their wives. Beads were given as presents from

7600-491: The source of the Nile . Between 1875 and 1876 Stanley succeeded in the first part of his objective, establishing that Lake Victoria had only a single outlet, the one discovered by John Hanning Speke on 21 July 1862 and named Ripon Falls . If this was not the Nile's source, then the separate massive northward flowing river called by Livingstone , the Lualaba , and mapped by him in its upper reaches, might flow on north to connect with

7695-486: The superpowers the right to establish an international commission to supervise the freedom of trade and navigation in Congo. As a result, Leopold would not be able to collect customs duties on the Congo River In 1890, on the 25th anniversary of Leopold's reign as Belgian monarch, Stanley was taken from one banquet hall to another, proclaimed a hero. Leopold honoured him with the Order of Leopold . Together they examined

7790-501: The treaties Stanley has made with native chiefs do not satisfy me. There must at least be an added article to the effect that they delegate to us their sovereign rights ... the treaties must be as brief as possible and in a couple of articles must grant us everything." Since everything in Central Africa was about the balance of power between the Great Powers , Leopold considered his next moves and sent an envoy to Berlin to press for

7885-497: The vicinity of Stanley Pool (Kinshasa), they will go home thoughtful men, and may return again to this land to put to good use the wisdom they should have gained ... during their peaceful sojourn." In How I Found Livingstone (1872), he wrote that he was "prepared to admit any black man possessing the attributes of true manhood, or any good qualities ... to a brotherhood with myself." Stanley insulted and shouted at William Grant Stairs and Arthur Jephson for mistreating

7980-546: The world, at depths greater than 220 m (720 ft). Because its drainage basin includes areas both north and south of the Equator , its flow is stable, as there is always at least one part of the river experiencing a rainy season . The sources of the Congo are in the highlands and mountains of the East African Rift , as well as Lake Tanganyika and Lake Mweru , which feed the Lualaba River , which then becomes

8075-627: Was Rowlands' true benefactor until his (Speake's) sudden death in October 1859. Stanley reluctantly joined in the American Civil War , first enrolling in the Confederate States Army 's 6th Arkansas Infantry Regiment and fighting in the Battle of Shiloh in 1862. After being taken prisoner there, he was recruited at Camp Douglas, Illinois , by its commander Colonel James A. Mulligan as

8170-414: Was a Welsh-American explorer, journalist, soldier, colonial administrator, author, and politician famous for his exploration of Central Africa and search for missionary and explorer David Livingstone . Besides his discovery of Livingstone, he is mainly known for his search for the sources of the Nile and Congo rivers, the work he undertook as an agent of King Leopold II of the Belgians that enabled

8265-611: Was a serious error of judgement for which his reputation continues to pay a heavy price. In the conclusion to his account of a fight with a fellow boy while in the workhouse, Stanley remarked, "Often since have I learned how necessary is the application of force for the establishment of order. There comes a time when pleading is of no avail." He was accused of indiscriminate cruelty against Africans by contemporaries, which included men who served under him or otherwise had first-hand information. Stanley himself acknowledged, "Many people have called me hard, but they are always those whose presence

8360-588: Was given his father's surname of Rowlands and brought up by his grandfather Moses Parry, a once-prosperous butcher who was living in reduced circumstances. He died when John was five. Rowlands then stayed with families of cousins and nieces for a short time, but he was eventually sent to the St Asaph Union Workhouse for the Poor. The overcrowding and lack of supervision resulted in his being frequently abused by older boys. Historian Robert Aldrich has alleged that

8455-403: Was imprisoned. He eventually talked his way out of jail and received restitution for damaged expedition equipment. In 1867, the emperor of Ethiopia , Tewodros II , held a British envoy and others hostage, and a force was sent to effect the release of the hostages. Stanley accompanied that force as a special correspondent of the New York Herald . His report on the Battle of Magdala in 1868

8550-457: Was known as Zaire during the 16th and 17th centuries; Congo seems to have replaced Zaire gradually in English usage during the 18th century, and Congo is the preferred English name in 19th-century literature, although references to Zahir or Zaire as the name used by the inhabitants remained common. The Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo are named after it, as

8645-493: Was repeatedly attacked by natives in canoes. Stanley and his men reached the Portuguese outpost of Boma , around 100 kilometres (62 mi) from the mouth of the Congo River on the Atlantic Ocean, after 999 days on 9 August 1877. Muster lists and Stanley's diary (12 November 1874) show that he started with 228 people and reached Boma with 114 survivors, with him the only European left alive out of four. In Stanley's Through

8740-498: Was seriously ill at the time. Stanley's good relations with these two colleagues from the Emin Pasha Expedition could possibly be seen as demonstrating that he could get along with colleagues. In Through the Dark Continent , Stanley observed the peoples of the region, and wrote that "the savage only respects force, power, boldness, and decision". Stanley further wrote: "If Europeans will only ... study human nature in

8835-414: Was the first to be published, as he had bribed a telegraph operator to send his story first, even before the official army report. After his message was sent, the cable broke; British government officials were greatly irritated to learn of the battle from an American newspaper. Subsequently, he was assigned to report on Spain's Glorious Revolution in 1868. In 1870, Stanley undertook several assignments for

8930-774: Was the previous Republic of the Congo which had gained independence in 1960 from the Belgian Congo . The Republic of Zaire during 1971–1997 was also named after the river's name in French and Portuguese . The Congo's drainage basin covers 4,014,500 km (1,550,000 sq mi), an area nearly equal to that of the European Union . The Congo's discharge at its mouth ranges from 23,000 to 75,000 m /s (810,000 to 2,650,000 cu ft/s), with an average of 41,000 m /s (1,400,000 cu ft/s). The river transports annually 86 million tonnes of suspended sediment to

9025-527: Was to find experienced men to lead his expeditions. He first tried to persuade Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza , but he had already entered French service; his eye now fell on Stanley. Stanley had first hoped to continue his pioneering work in Africa under the British flag. But neither the Foreign Office nor Edward, the Prince of Wales, felt called to receive Stanley after the many rumours of his looting and killing in

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