Henry Stanley and the Quest for the Source of the Nile

Book excerpt: Henry Stanley’s physical and mental toughness earned him the nickname Bula Matari, “Rock Breaker.” Although best known for finding the lost Scottish missionary David Livingstone, the explorer and journalist had many other adventures around the world. Born in Wales in 1841, he was placed in a workhouse by his uncle at the age of six. Stanley escaped nine years later and made his way to New Orleans by working as a cabin boy. He fought for the Confederacy and was taken prisoner at Shiloh, one of the Civil War’s bloodiest fights. After the war, Stanley discovered his talent for journalism and traveled thousands of miles to cover battles and other news. His abilities made him the perfect man to lead the New York Herald’s expedition to Africa to find Livingstone. The two men became friends, and when Livingstone died, Stanley felt it was his duty to continue his work, including the search for and confirmation of the Nile’s source. From 1874 to 1877, Stanley embarked on an expedition that mapped huge areas of central Africa. He encountered tribal warfare, exotic illnesses, and dense jungles, but nothing stopped him. On his last African journey, Stanley helped rescue a government official, Emin Pasha, who was trapped in Sudan during a revolt to drive Europeans and Egyptians out of the country. While on this expedition, Stanley located the fabled Mountains of the Moon, the ultimate source for the Nile.