Explorer Henry Morton Stanley Writes From The Congo River, 1881
A lengthy letter from the American journalist and explorer, Henry Morton Stanley, sent from the Congo River, West Coast of Africa, August 20, 1881 to a Mr. Robert Newton in Loanda (Angola). The letter reads in part, "...I have sent Mr. Valcke to your city to purchase for me a few articles which I cannot get on the Congo, but as we do not keep gold on the river at our station I can only scrape just enough to take him to Loanda.. I shall feel greatly feel obligated to you to give the gold to Mr. Valcke and render him any assistance...He is no businessman therefore your assistance will be most valuable to him....Please remit my old friends at Loanda of my existence and assure them at your convenience that my memory of kindnesses rendered to me years ago is most retentive." Signed, "Henry M. Stanley." Stanley at this time was in the service of King Leopold of Belgium. His work in the Congo Region resulted in the Congo Free State in 1885, which became the Belgian Congo and Zaire.
