The Sun.
London, England, 1864-09-24 00:00:00

The Nile Sources.

Richard F, Barton, F.R.G.S., in a letter to the Times,
says :

"Sir,—ln your leader of the 19th of September there is
an allusion to the discovery of the Nile sources, on which,
perhaps, you will allow me to remark.
" The sad event to which your excellent article refers must
seal my mouth concerning many things. But without dis-
respect to the memory of Captain Spoke I may say that the
popular version of the discovery cf Lake Nyanza and of the
settlement of the Nile sources' is in advance of fact.

" On our return to Kazeh I was prepar.ng a march upon
the Nyassa Lake, since laid down by our great African, Dr
Livingstone. My journals were also to be written up. For
these reasons I despatched my second in command, Captain
Speke, to x rospect a water— ' the Nyanza'—of which dubi-
ous tales had bean reported by Arabs and Africans, This
most energetic explorer returned with a conviction that he
had discovered in it the sources of the Nilo. Now, the
sources of rivers are not in lakes ?

" After his return to England Captain Speke was enabled
by the recommendation of the Royal Geographical Society
and the liberality of her Majesty's Government to organiso
another expedition for the purpose of deriving the Nile
from the Lake Nyanza. My project was to set out from
Mombas and march to the N.E,, but two explorations at
the same time were not considered necessary.
Captain Speke succeeded in striking the N.E. shoulder Of
a water which many geographers think is a broadening of
the Kitangulo river, not his original Nyanza. Oa the other
hand, the Assua affiaen.t, coming from the S.E , is accord-
ing to most foreign geographers the true Nile. Again,
Dts. Livingtone and Kirk, after visiting the Nyassa lake,
and finding no affluent faom the Tanganyika, compel us to
believe that the latter drains into the " Luta Nzige," and
is thus the western loko reservoir of Ptolemy—Nyanza
being the eastern.

Being about to publish a pamphlet upon this subject, I
will trespass no more upon your valuable space. You
will, however, perceive that in recounting the last brilliant
episode of Captain Speke's brief but useful and eventful life
the discovery of the Nile sources can hardly be held a thing
settled in all future time.

RICHARD WHITTINGTON.—But no exaggeration
was needed in dealing with the merits of so remark-
able a man, When his story is stripped of every extraneous
ornament, and reduced from its romantic aspect to the sim-
plicity of truth, it will be impossible to withhold from him
a liberal meed of praise. The example of his successful career,
and of the admirable uses to which he dedicated his great
wealth, must often have stimulated or confirmed young
citizens in zealous industry or christian benevolence. The
tale of " Whittington and his Cat," almost rivalling in
interest the stirring legends of the nursery, must have fre-
quently fixed many an apprentice's fancy on the possibility of
a prosperous future, m.ty have filled troubled and desponding
hearts with the echoes of distant joy-bells, promising a
happy and honourable life. The value of such wise histories
can scarcely be overrated. He who muses over the stone at
Highgate, or in the College garden adjoining, and in his
poverty (if it be not criminal) comforts himself with a hope
that, like the despised Richard Whittington, he may one
day conquer fortune and position, should not be laughed at
as a mere dreamer. Within our own memory several chief
magistrates of London have reached that dignity from the
humblest ranks- One rode in the gilded city coach, over
roads he had once assisted in paving ;
a second, who became
a singularly astute and fortunate merchant, was for years
a tide-waiter at the Custom-house i and a third handled
the trowel, a working bricklayer, almost within sight of
the Mansion-house, where, in middle life, he was to pre-
side as Lord Mayor. It is especially the glury of London
that such unlooked for events in the annals of commerce
are of everyday occurrence. No clerk, no warehouseman,
no apprentice, need suppose he must always be doomed to
an interior post. Hog-firth, in his graphic delineation of
the career of two poor boys—the idle and industrious ap•.
prentiees—tells us iu the indelible symbols of art, governed
by the hand of genius, that the highest rewards belong as
of right to the all-achieving force of integrity and perse.
verance, and that poverty can never be a disgrace or an
ultimate injury, unless it be associated with sloth sod. iru-
naorality.—City Press,

OPENING OF AUTON HALL AND PARK.—On
Thursday afternoon the formal transfer of the property to
the municipal body was celebrated by a banquet given by
the mayor in the great gallery in the hall—a fine old man-
sion of the Elizabethan era, in excellent repair. The guests
numbered about 2,000 persons, and included the members
of dhe council, several of the county gentry, the borough
officials, and some of the leading inhabitants of Birmingham.
This is the third public park which has been dedicated to
the use and recreation of the people of the town within the
last few years. The hall, it is understood, will be fitted up
and furnished as judges' lodgings, in the event of the Go-
vernment authorities granting the prayer of the memorial
of the corporation to constitute Birmingham an assize
town

LATEST INTELLIGENCE.

(REUTERS TELEGRAMS.)
AUSTRIA.
VIENNA, SEPT. 23, Evening.

The Obendpost (the evening edition of the Wiener
Zeitung) of to-day says :—"lt was owing to the
relations of Austria, both at home and abroad, that
she has hitherto failed in concluding a loan. Now,
however, the position has changed. Instead of an
absence of producers, and an importation exceed.
ing the exports, producers are now numerous, and
our exports are considerable, trade, commerce, and
shipping being thereby favourably influenced,
Taxes are most regularly paid. A speedy conclu-
sion of peace will clue the extraordinary war ex-
penses to cease, and the outlay already incurred
will be returned by Denmark. We may therefore
hope that the moment is favourable to the negotia-
tion of a loan, if not abroad, at least at home."

FRANCE.

PARIS, SEPT. 23, Morning:

The Constitutionnel of to.day, in an article exa-
mining the Franco-Italian Treaty, shows that " the
Imperial Government has been faithful to its Ml 2.
sion. Ever convinced that the temporal power of
the Pope was not opposed to the liberty and inde•
pendence of Italy, it was sufficient for the Govern-
ment to know bow to await the proper moment to
effect a solution which should at one and the same
time put an end to the retrograde tendencies of
the Holy See, and the revolutionary tendencies of
Italy. We ought to congratulate ourselves that
time has rendered possible the combinations which
will accomplish this double result so necessary to
the tranquillity of Europe."

ITALY.

LOCARNO, SEPT. 24.

Adviess from Turin to the 221 inst. says :—" The
mob, after repeatedly insulting the soldiers at the
Hutel do Villo,were at last fired upon by the troops
several times, and numbers were wounded. Several
arrests were made. Among those wounded and
arrested, several were found armed with daggers
and revolvers. Tranquillity was restored at 11
o'clock at night.

THE BOMBAY MAILS.

SOUTHAMPTON, SErT. 24.

The Peninsular and Oriental Company's steam-.
ship Ellora, with the above mails, arrived here this
morning. She brings 33 passengers and a general
cargo, including 720 bales of raw silk, to the value
of £60,000 sterling.

The Admiralty steam yacht Enchantress, with
Rear-Admiral Robinson, Comptroller of the Navy,
arrived at Gibraltar on the 19th from Portsmouth.
The Ellora spoke the following steamers—on the
14th the Massilia, on the 15th the Euxine, on the
19th the Brazilian, and on the 22d the Poonah.
At Gibraltar—Exchange on London, at 90 days,
501 501 ; on Paris, 5.29 ; on Marseilles, 5.30.
Freights unchanged.

THE CAPE MAILS.
SOU [HAMPTON, SErT. 24.
A telegram received here from Madeira via Lisbon