STANLEY HENRY M.: (1841-1904) British Explorer & Journalist.

STANLEY HENRY M.: (1841-1904) British Explorer & Journalist.
A.L.S., Henry M Stanley, four pages, 8vo, Balinakill, Kintyre, Scotland, 9th July 1885, to Miss Felicie Hegemans. Stanley informs his correspondent that with regret 'it has not been my good fortune to be able to pay a visit to the kindly, sympathetic & warm hearted people of Cadogan Gardens', explaining that 'various circumstances and a singular unbroken run of engagements mainly have prevented me from paying my respects to yourself & the sister graces who did me the honor to escort me round Hampton.' Stanley continues 'In respect to your invitation - re Mons Hegemans I fear that I shall never have the courage to pay a visit to a stranger, simply because I am on a visit to Anvers ... Even in London it is a difficult matter to get me out of my chambers…' and concludes 'However Mons. Moscheles is such a friend of your father & has spoken so warmly of him I should look more to him to bring us together rather than to myself ... Should I be in Anvers it would be better for Mons Hegemans to call on me at my hotel when it would be most likely it would not require much persuasion to induce me to accompany him to his House especially as the charming Miss Felicie would be there.' Some light overall age toning and a small tear at the base of the central vertical fold, only very slightly affecting a couple of words of text, but not the signature, about VGThe present letter was written from Balinakill in Kintyre, the home of Sir William Mackinnon (1823-1893) Scottish Shipping Magnate. Mackinnon had plans to lease from the Sultan of Zanzibar a vast area of East Africa from the coast to the Congo, which the British Government refused to sanction. He also played the major part in financing Stanley's Emin Pasha expedition.Felix Stone Moscheles (1833-1917) English Painter, Peace Activist and Advocate of Esperanto. Moscheles lived at Cadogan Gardens and had recently painted Stanley's portrait.Stanley was famous for his exploration of central Africa and his search for the missionary and explorer David Livingstone. Upon finding Livingstone, Stanley reportedly asked, 'Dr. Livingstone, I presume?' Stanley is also known for his search for the source of the Nile, his work in and development of the Congo Basin region in association with King Leopold II of the Belgians, and commanding the Emin Pasha Relief Expedition. He was knighted in 1899.