VOLUME 98, JANUARY 4, 1890***


E-text prepared by Malcolm Farmer, V. L. Simpson, and the Project
Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net)



Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this
      file which includes the original illustrations.
      See 25685-h.htm or 25685-h.zip:
      (http://www.gutenberg.net/dirs/2/5/6/8/25685/25685-h/25685-h.htm)
      or
      (http://www.gutenberg.net/dirs/2/5/6/8/25685/25685-h.zip)





PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI

VOL. 98

JANUARY 4, 1890

[Illustration: PUNCH
VOL 98]








London:
Published at the Office, 85, Fleet Street,
and Sold by All Booksellers.
1890.

       *       *       *       *       *

[Illustration: Preface]

It was a Midsummer Night, and Mr. PUNCH in his _sanctum_ dreamed a
Dream! To adapt the Laureate's lay:--

  He read, before his eyelids dropt their shade,
      The _Lusiads_ of CAMOENS, long ago
  Sung by the Lusitanian bard, who made
      Great GAMA'S glories glow.

It was the wondrous tale of STANLEY which had turned the Sage's
attention to the pages of the great Epic of Commerce.

He had read:--

  "Afric behold! alas, what altered view!
  Her lands uncultured, and her sons untrue;
  Ungraced with all that sweetens human life,
  Savage and fierce, they roam in brutal strife;
  Eager they grasp the gifts which culture yields,
  Yet naked roam their own neglected fields."

And though even Africa has considerably changed since the year of grace
1497, when "daring GAMA" went "incessant labouring round the stormy
Cape," Mr. PUNCH thought of that great gloom-shrouded Equatorial Forest
and its secular savage dwarf-denizens, and mused how much there was yet
for our modern GAMAS to do in the Dark Continent.

Mr. PUNCH found himself in the lovely "Isle of Venus," the delicious
floral Paradise which the Queen of Love, "the guardian goddess of the
Lusian race," created "amid the bosom of the watery waste," as "a place
of glad repast and sweet repose," for the tired home-returning GAMA and
his companions.

"Of 'glad repast,'" said a familiar voice, "there is plenty and to
spare; but for the'sweet repose,' 'tis not to be found in this 'Isle of
Banqueting.'"

"Mr. STANLEY, I presume?" said the Sage.

"You _cannot_ presume," rejoined H. M. neatly. "But some of these
gregarious dinner-givers _do_, and sometimes,--yes, sometimes I'm afraid
I let them see that I'm aware of it."

"As fame-preoccupied, country-loving GAMA, wearied of the 'feasts,
interludes, and chivalrous entertainments,' with which 'the taste of
that age demonstrated the joy of Portugal,' might perchance have snubbed
some too importunate Don. 'The compliments of the Court and the shouts
of the streets were irksome to him,' says the chronicle."

"SALISBURY is not quite a Prince HENRY apparently," remarked the modern
GAMA. "He and his father JOHN did not find the discoveries and
acquisitions of their heroic compatriot 'embarrassing.' 'The arts and
valour of the Portuguese had now made a great impression on the minds of
the Africans. The King of CONGO, a dominion of great extent, sent the
sons of some of his principal officers to be instructed in arts and
religion.' This was four hundred years ago! And now the Portuguese can
be safely snubbed and sat upon, even by a SALISBURY! But if your prudent
Premier doesn't'stiffen his back' a bit, with regard to the tougher and
tentative Teuton, 'the arts and valour' of the Britishers will not make
as great an impression on the minds of the Africans as your ill-used
East African Company could desire."

"Don't be _too_ downhearted, HENRY," smiled the Sage. "Much dining-out
doth breed dyspepsia, and atrabilious views are apt to be a _leetle_
lop-sided."

"Right, _Mr. Punch!_" said a musical but somewhat mournful voice, that
of the great but ill-starred LUIS DE CAMOENS himself. "I wrote much of
my _Lusiadas_ in Africa.

  "'One hand the pen