Page:The Zoologist, 3rd series, vol 2 (1878).djvu/334

310 grey. But he has lived to see the accomplishment of his fondest hopes and aspirations, and, in the acclamations of his fellow-men throughout the world, to reap the honour which is due to him. May he live to see all his observations verified, and his surmises confirmed.

From the description which is given of the court and character of the Emperor Mtesa, and of his readiness to embrace Christianity, it would seem that there is at length some encouragement to European enterprise to attempt opening the interior of a vast continent.

The important additions to our knowledge of African geography which have been made through Mr. Stanley's instrumentality will be best understood by examining successively the five maps which precede the first chapter in the first volume. Of these maps, which have been most carefully prepared, four show the routes of previous African travellers and the extent of their explorations; the fifth embodies the results of Mr. Stanley's last jouruev ; while two much larger folding maps give, on a more extended scale, the details of his route in the eastern and western halves respectively of Equatorial Africa.

We say nothing of Mr. Stanley's researches in African Zoology, for we learn from the "Publishers' Note" prefixed to this work that in consequence of the size to which it has expanded, it has been found necessary to omit a large amount of valuable matter relating to the Hydrography, Ethnology and Natural History of Central Africa; and that this material, together with the account of Mr. Stanley's explorations of the Rufiji River, will be published in a supplementary volume during the ensuing autumn.

Of the Natural History, therefore, we shall hope to say something later. Meantime we have read enough to convince us that if Mr. Stanley has not thoroughly earned the title of "hero," we do not rightly apprehend the meaning of that word.

author of this volume gives us, at the outset, a clue to the general scope of its contents, when he dedicates it "on behalf of the bridled and saddled to the booted and spurred." The text, if