The Sun.
London, England, 1864-04-04 00:00:00

THE SOURCE OF THE NILE.

[rho following letters have been sent to us for
publication, and our readers, we are rvesured, will
thank us for inserting them, seeing that they are
the very original comments upon an enthralling
theme penned by that veteran Traveller an d Natu-
ralist, Charles Waterton, the veteran Squire of Walton
Hall, bettec known to the world at large out of
Yorkshire as the celebrated author of the " Wan-
derings."—ED, SUN.]

(1)
Walton-hall, March, 1864.

The roar of Lord Nelson's cannon has long ago informed
the world whereabouts this useful river terminates its
course. But its source has not been so satisfactorily de-
fined.

No doubt in its own native land the fountain-head of the
Nile, be it large or small, is as well known to those who
inhabit its vicinity, as the source of the river Calder is
to us industrious people who cultivate land■ in the West
Riding of Yorkshire,
The comforts of home have but little hold on the mind of
the explorer; thus, the missionary for the love of God, the
merchant for the love of gold, the soldier for glory, and the
adventurer for fame, will defy difficulties and resolutely
enter countries where death in all the horrors of fever,
starvation, and ill-treatment is everlastingly staring them
in the face.

Great minds will untinchingly contend with great diffi-
culties—difficulties apparently unconquerable. On some
day, not far off, when winter's cold blasts shall howl dis-
mally around us, we may in the social chimney-corner take
a comfortable view of old father Nile, and see what those
brave souls have done when engaged in long pursuits of
him, in his mysterious windings to the threshold of his
distant hiding-place• CHARLES WA.TERTON.

Walton Hall, March, 1864.
" Nilus in extremum fugit perterritus orbem
Occubuitque caput, quod adhuc latet."
We have before us on the page of history four separate
accounts of good old Father Nile.
Ovid, some 2,003 years ago, has informed us that during
the awful conflagration of the world (caused, we are told,
by the follies of a brainless cabman), Father Nile was scared
out of his wits, and took himself off into Mother Earth's
extremest boundary. There he hid his head, which still
lies concealed ; so far the poet,
For some centuries after this no one knew what had be-
come of the terrified fugitive, until one day some adventu-
rous and holy sons of St. Ignatius ds Loyola stumbled on
him in Abyssinia, whilst they were engaged in preaching
Christ crucified to the surrounding Gentiles.
Things went on gingerly in these distant wilds of Africa,
when a well• known native of Caledonia travelled into these
regions in quest of Father Nile's dark cavern. He fancied
that he had succeeded in his investigations ; and he then
informed the scientific world of his success, congratulating
himself that ho alone was the discoverer of the long-hidden
source o f the Nile.

And now, in our own days, two hardy explorers, dissa-
tisfied with former accounts, sallied forth from home, and
stopped not until they had reached the very spot where the
scorched king of the Nile had hidden himself at the time
when the world was on fire.

Should these accounts still be unsatisfactory, let us hope
that some experienced investigator may speedily go on his
travels, and that (avoiding, however, the track of the go-
rilla, in which science has lately cut so sad a figure) his
discoveries may content all parties, and prove to the world
at large that the source of the Nile no longer remains a
doubt. Whilst talking of the River Nile, we wish to hear
no more that "Adhuc Bab judice lie est."

CHARLES WATERTON.

(3)
Walton Hall, March, 1864.

"Serino ocius sorm:exitura."

Leaving to the Roman poet his river and his river's
mysterious hiding-place, let us see what lights the labours
of investigators have thrown upon the wonderful Nile
during these our later times of scientific research and useful
exploration.
There appeared towards the close of the 15th century a
Bascayan gentleman, whose genius, piety, and zeal have
placed science at a surprising altitude, and procured the
blessings of domestic happiness to the most barbarous
nations of the then known world. This was Don Ignatius
of Loyola, an officer in the Spanish army, and the illustri-
ous founder of the Society of Jesus.
Its members became such intrepid and staunch apostles
of the Catholic creed that Voltaire, the sworn enemy of our
Redeemer, was often heard to say he could not destroy
Christianity until he had destroyed the Jesuits. A most
merited compliment indeed I
These indefatigable missionaries soon penetrated into
Abyssinia, where their labours and their successes asto -
nished the surrounding multitudes. In order to form a
correct notion of what these intrepid men effected, I refer
the reader to a work called "Lectres Edifiantes et Curl-
eases," of which I shall translate an extract in my fourth
letter on the Nile.
There will be seen what is said of the river Nile in the
new edition of " Islemoires du Levant." Tome troisieme
Paris Chez G. Merigol (le jeune) libraire, Quai des
Augustine, au coin de la Rue Parse, M.D., cc. lxxx., avec
approbation et priviltlge du Roi, p. 331.
CHARLES WATERTON.

(4)
(Translated from the French.)
There are only about 60 French leagues from Tremba to
the source of the Nile. I had intended to see these famous
sources, of which so mach had been said in Europe, and
the Emperor had the goodness to give me a company of
cavalry to conduct me thither, and thus servo as an escort ;
but I could not avail myself of so favourable an opportunity,
having found myself at the time much incommoded by a
disease of the chest.

I besought Mourat, one of the Prime Ministers of the
Emperor, and uncle of the ambassador, concerning whom I
have already spoken, to give me information about the
Nilo. Mourat is a venerable old man aged 104 years, who
has been employed during more than 60 of these in most
important negotiations with the Mogul, and in all the
Courts of the Indies. The Emperor has so much conside-
ration for him that he commonly calls him Baba-Mourat,
or Father Mourat. See what this Minister, who has been
often at the sources of the Nile, and who has inspected
them with care, reports to me concerning them.
There is in th% kingdom of Goyame a very lofty moun-
tain, at the summit of which are two strong springs of
water, one to the east, the other to the west. From these
proceed two streams which precipitate themselves in a
headlong course towards the centre of the mountain, into
a spongy and boggy soil, producing canes and rushes.
Those waters only appear ten or a dozen leagues from this
spot, where, winding, they form the river Nile, which in a
short time increases in size, as it receives the water of many
streams. It is remarkable that the Nilo flows through the
middle of a lake without mixing its own waters with those
of the lake. This lake is so extensive that it is called
Bahal Dembea, i.e., the sea of Dembea.
The surrounding country is of the most enchanting de-
scription. On every side are to be seen hamlets and fine
groves of laurels. It is about 100 leagues in length, and
from 35 to 40 in breadth. The water is soft and pleasant,
and much lighter than that of the Nile. About the middle
of the Lake there is an island in which the Emperor has a
palace in no degree inferior to that of Gondar for the beauty
and magnificence of its architecture, although it is not
quite so large.
CILAULES WATERTON.

(5)
Walton Hall, April, 1864.
Rome, during her days of Pagan splendour, dealt largely
in fables. But, after her acceptance of Christianity, her
chimeras gave way to truth, and in due course of time, the
sable EMS of Ethiopia received fromher hands a plentiful
i
supply of heavenly grace. It e impossible,, to read that
valuable work, the " Lettres Edifintes and not be con•
vinced that the sources of the Nile were well known to
Europe about the close of the 15th century, through the
incessant exertions of Loyola's faithful and enterprising
sons:
On perusing, long ago, the travels of the Caledonian ex-
plorer, in six volumes, from the year 1768 to 1773, I felt
sorry to find them replete with venom against those valu-
able missionaries; although he does not seem to have been
personally acquainted with a single individual of that
learned band.
Indeed, I cpncluded that their labours were a fatal ob-
stacle to his own claims as the discoverer of the true source
of the Nile, and that, in order to obtain this desired end,
he must absolutely destroy the credit of the Jesuits with
the public by defaming their character for veracity.
Thus did Herod, in Judea, cause to be plain the first born

in every family, lest, one day or other, a claimant might
arise from amongst them and dispute his right to the crown.
Not that I would wish to subtract a single iota from the
merit due to his well-earned trophies. Certainly, without
any title to the discovery of the source of the Nile, his
labours were tremendous. Far distant from the comforts
of an hereditary home, he bore privations with a heart as
strong as that of Hercules himself. Giant dangers dwindled
down to dwarfish obstacles as he fearlessly approached then;
while sickness never once subdued his manly soul.
Pity indeed it was that some time after his safe return t©
his native land death struck him suddenly, and at the vary
time when there was every appearance of his reaping a
well-merited reward for the many troubles, anxieties, dan-
ger, and disappointments he must have undergone in hia
wanderings through the trackless wilds of distant Ethiopia,
" Ye gentlemen of England
Who dwell at home in easA,
Oh I little do you think upon
The dangers of the seas ; "
In a word, methinks that everything in the way of reward
is due to him, saving the fame of being the first discoverer
of the source of the wonderful Nile.
CHARLES WATERTON.

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE Thi
s Days
CITY BETTING.—Tms..DAr,
CITY AND SI, 111.7RIBAN.
7to 1 agst Gordian Knot (taken)
9 N 1 agst Veternarian (taken)
14 to 1 agst Voluptas (taken)
16 to 1 agst Jarsiooton (taken)
20 to 1 agst Flying Fish (taken)
25 to 1 agst Mousley (taken)
33 to 1 agst Vivid (offered)
33 to 1 agst Stockinger (taken)
33 to 1 agst Lord Burleigh (taken)
33 to 1 agst Count Cavour (offered)
METROPOLITAN.
6to 1 agst Lord Zetland (taken)
10 to 1 agst Mileika (taken)
14 to 1 agst Summerside (taken)

RACING FIXTURES FOR 1864.

Croxton-park 1
Edinburgh Spring 2
Abergavenny b
Thirak 5
Epsom Spring
Newmarket Craven
Llanboldy . 12

Chester
York Spring
Salisbury..
Blayion
Radcliffe l6

Ju
Wye 1
Maidstone
Ascot .
Hampton l5
Newton
Odiham
Bibury

Newmarket July
Carlisle ..
Pontefract
Abingdon
Cambridge
Liverpool July
Stamford

Aul
Brighton.. 2
Brighton Club
Lewes 5
Huntingdon .
Wolverhampton
Reading
Egham
Oxford .. 1S

SEPT:
Weymouth 1
Warwick September 6
Leicester 8
Bridgwater
Doncaster ..

RIL.
Newcastle and Gateshea3 14
Knighton
Liverpool Hunt Club.... 15
Lewes Spring l9
Cardiff
Newmarket First Spring 25

Redditch l6
Bath
Manchester , (Summer
Harpenden .... 20
Epsom..
'NE.

Beverley 22
Stockbridge
Chelmsford 23
New Forest Hunt 2B
INo wcastle-on-Tyne .. • • 28
Worcester (Summer)
Ipswich
my.

Nottingham
Winchester l9
Southampton ..
Chesterfield
King's Lynn 2l
Goodwood

Brecon .. 19
Richmond
Monmouth
Manchester Autumn
NewmarketFirst October 27
'OBER.

Dover
York August 2:l
Yarmouth
Plymouth
Lichfield
Stocktcn
Devon and Exeter
Derby
MISER.

OCT'
Bedford 4
Northallerton 6
Newmarket Second Oct lO
NOVE'
Worcester Autumn .... 1
Shrewsbury Autumn

Ar:
Kildare Hunt
Curragh
County Louth 2O, 21

Lincoln
Gloucester
Newmarket Houghton 2¢
:MBER.

LeamingtonaWar,Hunt 22

SH.
RIL.

Fethard. 22, 23
Athlone 26, 27

Liverpool Cotton Market—This Day,

Market quiet and unchanged. Sales about 5,000
bales. Import, 18,697. Previously, 6,078.

The Right Hen. Sir George Grey arrived in town
on Saturday from Stratton-park, Hants.

The Right Hon. the Chancellor of the Exchequer
left town on Saturday evening for Cliefden, on a
visit to the Dowager Duchess of Sutherland.
THE PRINCE IMPERIAL'S BANQUET to the en-
fans de troupe, his companions in arms, took place on Fri-
day, in the Galeria de la Pei', at the Tuileries. His Im-
perial Highness presided, wearing for the first time his
stripe as a sergeant. The Emperor and the Empress, who
have hitherto presided on such occasions, were present as
spectators. The fete passed off to the perfect satisfaction
of all who took part in it.
DEATH OF THE COUNTESS OF GLENGALL.--The
long illness under which this lady has been suffer-
ing terminated in her death on Saturday afternoon, at the
family residence, in Grosvenor-square. The deceased was
youngest daughter and co-heir of the late Mr. William Mel-
lish, of Woodford, who by his successful government con-
tracts during the wars of Napoleon achieved a colossal
fortune. She married in 1834 the second Earl of Glengall,
who died in 1858, when the family titles in default of male
issue became extinct.

LYCEUM THEATRE.—On Saturday evening' Mr.
Fechter, having recovered from his severe accident,
reappeared in his former character of Angelo in the
romantic drama "Bel Demonic" He was very warmly
received by a crowded house, and went through his part
with all his usual earnestness, The evening's receipts were
handed over to the committee for alleviating the sufferings
caused by the dreadful accident at Sheffield as a donation
•
from Mr. Fechter.
THE BISHOP OF OXFORD went to Calais and. St.
Pierre last week, to hold a confirmation.
A HINT TO LONDONERS,—Four of the streets
adjoining or abutting on the new Grand Opera-house at
Paris are to bear the respective names of Halevy, Adam,
Auber, and Scribe.
LORD PALMERSTON will open the new Town
Hall at Tiverton on the 19th of May. Preparations are
being made for a banquet,
MADAME GRlSl.—According to accounts from
Paris, Madame Grisi and her husband, Mario, are
now residing in the magnificent mansion they have re-
cently built and furnished in the Champs Blysees at a cost
of something like two million francs. The great artist, We
are told, was to be seen wandering "about this splendid
mansion, attired in brown velvet a la " Lucrezia Borgia,"
looking the very personification of royalty—the furniture of
the saloons, all after the old fashion, with oak carvings,
sombre tapestries, and massive gildings, assisting to com-
plete the illusion." In the midst of so much luxury, which
a long and arduous career has secured, Grisi still sighs for
the excitement of public life. Her voice is wonderfully
fresh, and in personal appearance she is equally remark-
able. "Ma voglie cantare" is the leading theme of her
discourse, and she declares that, as soon as the arrange..
oafga nin6s be.
heard in the great
ment expires by which she bound herself not to sing in Lon-
don,.city thiehviosiwceilolfbNe oartmthaeshenadll
has just com-
pleted
Wales for a medal to be struck in commemoration of her
AIL a
W mYed°alNlio OFn portrait REGENT-STREET
of R.H. the Princess of
R.
Royal Highness's entry into London on the 7th of March,
1863. The likeness is good, and the execution of the work
very satisfactory.
A NEW CANTATA.
—,..mong the new pieces to
be brought out at the Birtningham Festival next :autumn
is a cantata called " The Masque of Kenilworth," by Mr.
Sullivan. Mr. Chorley is the author of the libretto.
GENERAL M'CLELLAN is about to publish in
octavo the " Report of his Connection with the Army of
' the Potomac," from its first formation ; with an introduc-
fory chapter on the campaign in Western Virginia, which
does not appear in the report as sent to the Government.
THE ARMS OF THE FIJI TROOPS are of the
most varied description. Some had one club,
others two ; some bows and arrows, others rusty muskets,
and some spears. Ihe dress was much in accordance with
the traditional idea of the fall dress of the South Sea
islander—namely, a cocked hat and a pair of straps. EverT
one wears something, but that ',something was very little.
They seem to devote their particular attention to paint
Mid head-dresses. " Many had their faces blackened, and
also a part of their bodies; others were painted in stripes.
One man of very eccentric taste had his face entirely black-
ened, except the point of his nose, which was tipped with
vermillion, giving him a very odd appearance ; others,
again, wore immense wigs ; while some of simpler tastes
helmeted themselves with bright-coloured leaves." The
Fijians, scanty though their clothing be, are very vain'
about personal adornment, even in time of peace. Neck-
laces of sharks' teeth and beautiful shells are very common
among them, and they bestow great care on the adjustment
of their. hair. The want of looting-glasses is supplied by
cutting little basins in the trunks of trees, where water is
allowed to collect.— IV. 117.1C.1 rya Me Rect(LT.

DRESDEN, April 2.—lntelligence has been re-
ceived here from Vienna that the Archduchess
Hildegard°, a daughter of King Ludwig of Bavaria,
born June 10,1825, expired this morning.