Stanley Sir Henry

Stanley, SIR HENRY MORTON (b. 1840), African explorer, was originally named John Rowlands, and qas born at Denbigh, in Wales. He was deserted in chlldhood, and commenced life as a cabin-boy at the age of fifteen, voyaging to New Orleans. He joined the Confederate army in the Civil War, but afterwards served in the Federal navy. In 1867 he was sent by the New York Herald to describe the British expedition to Abyssinia, and the same paper subsequently sent him to search for Dr. Livingstone in the heart of Africa. He discovered Llvingstone, and showed that what the latter thought was the Nile was really the Congo. In 1872 his book, How I Found Livingstone, appeared. He represented the Herald during the Ashantee War, and, published Coomassie and Magdala in 1874, after which a second Journey to Africa was made, resulting in some valuable discoveries. The expedition was described in his Through the Dark Continent, 1878. In the following year he returned there, and, helped by the King of Belgium, founded, despite many difficulties, the Congo Free State in 1884. Another feat was his expedition in 1887 to find Emin Pasha, which was also successful. On his return he married Miss Dorothy Tennant, the artist. In Darkest Africa appeared in 1890, and is a record of terrible experiences and remarkable discoveries. In 1895 he was elected M.P. for N. Lambeth, and was made a G.C.B. in 1899.