The Sun.
London, England, 1863-06-23 00:00:00

rest which our patron the Queen, and our vice-
patron the Prince of Wales, take in this great dis •

covery. When I recently waited upon the Queen
at the building of the International Exhibition,
along with other Royal Commissioners, her Ma-

esty was pleased to congratulate me most gra-.

ciously upon this great geographical feat, and I feel

certain, from the kind and emphatic manner in
which her Majesty expressed herself the first time
in which the Queen had appeared after her sad be-
reavement, that she is truly proud in the reflection

that two of her own gallant Indian officers should
have succeeded in doing what the people of every

European nation have failed to accomplish. Then
as to our vice-patron, the Prince of Wales, I know
that his Royal Highness, who is himself a great
traveller, and who loves our science, would have

been here this evening had not a very special

engagement prevented him ; but arrangements
have, I am happy to say, been made by which his
Royal Highness will hear, to-morrow night, a lec-
ture from Captain Speke at the Royal Institution.
Whilst our own Royal family recognises the im-
portance of this great discovery, the Sing of Italy
has taken the lead amongst foreign sovereigns in
the expression of his desire to commemorate this
great discovery, and has directed two golclmedals
to be struck in honour of our hefeeti-of tote Rife.

One of them, or that which is destined for the leader,
has arrived, and has on it the inscription, " Honor a

Nilo." I must here add that the letter of the
Italian Minister, the Marquis d'Azeglio, which

accompanies this appropriate reward is such an
elegant and apposite composition, that it is worthy
of the country which reared a Columbus. The

chairman read a letter from the Marquis d'Azeglio

expressing the admiration of the King of
Italy for the gallant explorers, and concluded
by saying, " As the French Geographical Society
(like our own society) gave a gold medal to
Capt. Spoke for his original discovery of the great
lake, he, in grateful remembrance of that act,
named a large channel at the head of the Victoria
Nyanza after the Emperor Napoleon, who will, I
doubt, duly appreciate the honour of having had

- -
his name affixed to such an important feature in the
heart of Africa, and by such a distinguished British

geographer." I now call
. -
on Captain Speke to read

his communication.

Captain SPEKE said—ln attempting to describe
the extent and character of this great river—the
Nile—compared with its tributaries, within the
limits of actual inspection by myself, I will first
treat of its head, the Victoria Nyanza, from its
southern extremity, which I found by astronomical
observation in 1858, to be close on 3 deg. S. of the

equator, and gradually bring it down to its point
of debouchure in the Mediterranean Sea, 31 deg. N.

of the equator, by which it will be seen the Nile re-
presents, considering it lies almost in one direct
line from the south to north, a total in round num-
bers of 2,000 miles geographical rectilinear in
length, and is, therefore, nearly 1-10th the circum-
ference of the globe. It must be borne in mind,
however, that my observations respecting this great
river are not the result of one expedition, but of

,wo ; that I have not actually followed its banks
'rom head to foot, but have tracked it down, occa.

sionally touching on it, and even navigating it as
occasion offered, for the barbarous nature of the
African forbids the traveller doing as he likes ;
therefore, to give full weight to any inferences I
may draw, deduced from what I have only seen in
part, I will blend native information to my own ex-
periences, and in doing so I shall hope to leach
others what I know, and, beyond that, what I be-
lieve myself. In the year 1858, when I discovered
the Victoria Lake, which is the great reservoir of

the Nile, I found it a large sheet of sweet water
lying on the main level, or from 3,000 to 4,000 feet
above the sea level of the great interior plateau of

equatorial Africa, looking for all the world like

the source of some great river ; so much so, indeed,
that 1 at once felt certain in my own mind it was
the source of the Nile, and noted it accordingly.
To add to this impression the natives, who there
only know it by the name of Nyanza, which
equally means lake, pond, and river, described its
extension in this confused manner to the northward
as being' boundless, whilst its breadth really—in
fact its circumference—was enormous; greater, if

anything, on the east than on the western side, for
the negro informants knew the name of all the
countries surrounding the lake, and must, bad they
understood the value of geographical definitions,
have been able to separate the river Nile from the
Nyanza, and to reduee their explorations to any
common understanding. Our informants, Arab
merchants and their slaves, resident at Zanzibar,
who penetrate Africa in search of ivory, who had

completed the whole circuit of the Nyanza, not in-
dividually but separately, some on one side and

some on the other, assured me the Nyanza was the
source of some great river. They knew not what,
though they heard confused accounts from the
natives living on the equator of the European ivory
merchants who frequented the Nile in vessels at 5
deg. N., latitude, and had further heard through the
same channel that with the rising of the Nile, and
consequently the violence of its waters, islands were
floated down its surface, which really is the case,
not composed of earth and stone, but tangled roots
of trees, rush, and grass, with even sometimes huts
upon them, which otherwise undisturbed, are torn
away by the violence of the stream, and carried
down perfect floating islands, Then, again, these
men described,the territory between the Nile and
Asua rivers as an island on the one side and the land
comprising the ancient kingdom of Kittara. accord-
ing to their acceptation of the word, as an island,
also being nearly circumscribed by the Kitangule,
and Luta Nzige rivers, in conjunction with the Lake
Nyarza and the Nile. No merchants, however, had
crossed the first parallel of north latitude ; none
understood geography. They heard what the
natives said, but could not fully comprehend them,
and thus it was that a doubt still existed in every.
body's mind but my own, as to the origin
of the Nile, which no one would believe until
I went again and turned the river down from
hand to mouth. Had I been all alone in the first
expedition I should have settled the Nile in
1859, by travelling from Unyanyembi to Uganda
with an Indian merchant, Musor Mzuri, who was
prepared to go there, but my proposal having been
with the journey, I negativedsiek a tthe btyi thenieachief
tiredof the expedition, who was
re-
turned to England, and, to my inexpressible de-
light, the very first day after my arrival here, found
in Sir Roderick Impey Murchison a warm advocate,
and proposer to the Royal Geographical Society to
complete what I had before begun, and, as mey be
imagined, I could not rest satisfied until the world
accepted my own views, happily now verified by in-
disputable means of actual inspection and astrono-
mical observation, that the Victoria Nyanza is the
great reservoir of the Nile. Suffice it now to say,
after returning to Unyanyembi (the old point), three
degrees south of the lake, in 1861, I struck upon a
new route, which I imagined, from the unsophisti-
cated depositions of the ivory merchants, would lead
me to a creek on the westerly flank of the Nyanza,
situated on the southern boundary of Karaguve.
Geographical definitions were here again found
wanting, for, instead of a creek to the great lake
appearing, a new lake was found, called Luero
(white), or Lake of Urigi, which formerly appeared
to have contained a considerable amount of water,
but is now fast drying up. Its head lies in Urundi,
and, circling round the south and east flanks of Kara-
gave, in form a mountain valley, is subsequently
drained by the Kitangule River into the Nyanza,
but not in sufficient quantity to make any sensible
impression on the perennial contents of the Nyanza
basin. It is to the west and north of Karaguve that
the lake receives its greatest terrestrial supply of
water, through the medium of the Kitangule River,
which, in draining the aforesaid Luero-lo•Urigi,
drains off the superfluous waters of many minor

lakes, as the Akeuyard in Urundi ; the Luckurow,
which is the second of a chain with the Akeuyard ;

he Ingerzi and Karagure ; and the little Winan-

dermere, which, in Karanguve, lies below the
capital on its south-eastern corner. None of
these lakes are large—mere puddles in com-
parison to the great Victoria Nyanza; but
still the Kitangule River, after receiv-
ing all their contributions, is a noble river, low sunk
like a huge canal, about 80 yards across, with a
velocity of about four miles an hour, which appears

equal to the Nile itself as soon es it issues from the
lake by the Ripon Falls. The question naturally

suggests itself, what forms these lakes ? whence
originate their waters P It is simply this : the
mountains of the moon, in which they lie, encircling
the northern end, and the Tanganyika Lake are
exposed to the influences of the rainy zone, where
I observed, in 1862, no less than 233 days out of the
year were more or less wet days. Mashonde, in
the Uddu portion of Uganda, is the first place where
in this second expedition, I obtained a view of the

Victoria Lake, called in these more northern coun-
tries Lueru (white)—(lo-of)—Lata (dead) Nzige
(locust), in consequence of the reputed feet that

. .
flights, of locusts, in endeavouring to cross these
waters, have dropped down from fatigue, unable to

accomplish such an extended journey on wing, and,
peilghifig in-ThiriMlHrebeerfoiiiid-difErdin dense
masses by the boatmen. But, like the word Ny-
anza, it is also applied to the Nile and its tribu-
taries, confounding all inquiry. For instance, the

Waganda—who know of the Nile and the Little
Luta Nzige, a semi-lake tributary to it, flanking
the northern boundary of Ungoro, that being the
extent as to the instances of the dead locusts—say
at once Uganda, conjoined with Ungoro, is an island,
so that a man may walk for months and never see
the end of it. The whole is likewise called Nyanza
there, for, as might be expected in countries where
no literature is known, nor knowledge sought be-
yond the actual requirements of domestic life, the
people are satisfied with local names, never
troubling their heads with general specific ones.
This is the explorer's greatest difficulty in en-
deavouring to put together the information
which he hears, though it may be overcome by
close questioning, even better with the natives than
with the Arabs, for whilst the former regard all

rivers flowing, as we do, from head to mouth,
the Arab invariably says it goes from mouth
to head. In a southerly direction the Waganda
boatmen go as far as the Island Ukerewe,
which I saw ou my first journey to Maanzaat, the
southern extremity of the lake ; and to the east-
ward beyond the escape of the Nile, to the north-

eastern corner of Victoria Lake, where by a strait
they gain access to another lake in quest of salt,
possibly the Baringo of Dr. Kraph, which he, from
information gained through the natives, called Salt

Lake, most likely because there are salt islands in
it ; which reasoning I deduce from the fact that on
my former expedition, when the Arabs first spoke
to me of the Luta Nzige, they described it as a salt
lake belonging to the Great Nyanza ; yet not be-
longing to it, when farther pressed upon the sub-
ject. The Great Nyanza waters were purely fresh
and sweet. They (the Arabs), like Dr. Kraph,
merely narrated what they heard. As salt islands
were visited by the natives in search of that
mineral, the surrounding waters naturally were con-
sidered salt by them, deprived as they were of those
connecting links, which included the whole area of
ground under consideration within the limits of the
drainage system of the Nile. The Arabs, it is now
very clear, had heard of everything in connection
with the Nile ; but from not being cognisant with
the science of philosophical geography, were unable
to connect what they had gleaned in detached frag-
ments from it. Dr. Kraph further tells us of a
river trending from the river Nowey by Mount
Kmnio towards the Nile. If such is the case, it
must be a feeder to the Baringo, whose waters pass
off by the Asua river into the Nile, for the whole
country immediately on the eastern side of the
Victoria Nyanza is said by the Arabs, who have
traversed it for ivory, to be covered with low, roll-
ing hills, intersected only by small streams and
nullahs from this point in Muanza to the side stream
which is situated on the equator on the northern
boundary of the Victoria Nyanza. Turning now
again to Mas-horde, and proceeding north along the
bending coast of Nyanza to the valley of Kalonga,
which, as situated on the equator, the lake is
constantly in view. The land above the lake is
beautiful, composed of low sandstone hills, scoured
down by small streams, the effect of constant
rains, grown all over by gigantic grass, except
where the numerous villagers have supplanted it
by cultivation, or on the deltas where mighty trees,
tall and straight as the blue gums of Australia,
usurp the right of vegetation. The bed of the Ny-
anza has shrunk from its original dimensions, as we
saw in the case of the Urigi Lake; and the moor-
lands immediately surrounding are covered with a
net-work of large rush drains, with boggy bottoms,
as many as one to every mile, even counting from
the Kitanqula, which of itself was obviously at one
period a much fuller stream than at the present day
when the old bed was on the level of the present
surface of the water, and its breadth was double
that which now exists. The mountains of the moon
are wearing down, and so is Africa. Crossing over
the equator altogether the conformation of the land
appeared much the same, but increased in beauty ;
the drainage system was found the opposite, clearly
showing we were on the north slope of Africa. One
stream, the Mwerango, of moderate dimensions,
said to arise in the lake, flowed north and joined the
Nile in the kingdom of Unigoro, where its name is
changed to Kafu ; or another stream, the Luagevri,
followed its example ; and then still further on
from the centre of the Lake Nyanzi's coast issued
the parent stream of the Nile, flowing over rocks of
igneous character 12 feet high, which, as the na-
tives and also some Arabs simply designate by the
simple name of stones. I have dono myself the
honour to christen it the Ripon Falls, after his lord
ship who was the President of the Royal Geogra-
phical Society when the expedition was set on
foot. This escape of the Nyanza waters, 20 miles
north of the equator, is the only one accurately in-
spected, owing to the barbarous restrictions placed
on visitors by the king of Uganda for the supposed
maintenance of his dignity ; but it mattered not, as
by following the Nile we saw the junction of both
the Kafu and Asua rivers, and crossed Luagevri
immediately before its place of junction. Now pro-
ceeding down the Nile from the Ripon Falls, the
river first bisects the sandstone continued hills,
which extend into Usuoga above the coast-line
of the lake, and rushes along north with
mountain-torrent beauty, and then, having passed
these hills, of no great extent, it turned through
long flats more like a lake than a river, where, in
Ungyoso, it was increased by the contributions of
the Kafu and the Luagevri, and continued in this
navigable form to the Karina Falls in Choppi,
where again, the land dropping suddenly to the
westward, we saw the river rushing along with
boisterous violence, but would not follow it owing
to the war which lay upon the track. It was in-
deed a pity, for not 60 miles from where we stood,
by common report, the Little Luta Mzige, which I
had taken so much trouble in tracing down its
course from the Lunre Montes with its salt islands
in it, joined the Nile. The old river was next met
with in the Modi country, due north of the Marine
Falls, where it stillbore the unmistakable character
eheve,
e b
of the Nile—long flats, long rapids.
to the junction of the Little
Lute Mzige,
to the navigable Nilc—
the North
a rapid extending down is navigable
that is to say, the Nile which The Southernable its entire
half of the Madi was a flat extending, w
length during the period of its flooding ; and here
it was the Asia river of which we had heard drain-
ing from the north-east corner of Victoria Lake,
joins—in a rainy season an important feeder, but
when low fordable. The rest of the Nile, consider.
ing it is 'lrrigated, ought to be well known; but

it isnot so; as no one has yet taken the trouble to
place kilometers on its various branches, by which
we might know the perennial amount of water
Grained away by each every year, and from want of
which, it appears to me—who have seen them all
in their dry season, the best time for judging their

various degrees of magnitude—great misconcep-
tions have taken place. To these branches, then,
more particularly, I wish to draw attention. No-
ticing only that the Nile—the White River, as it is
called—in its south bearings, carries the palm with
it in all instances, and its branching throughout
has been so often described, especially to the junc-
tion of the Blue River. The first great affluent,
which indeed is the only one worthy of remark on
the left of the Nile, is the Bakr el Ghazal. It joins
on with the appearance of a diminutive lake at the

sharp elbow of the Nile, without any visible stream
of its own, whilst the great river winds round with
considerable velocity, carrying, as I have said, the

palm with it. The second affluent in order of posi-
tion, which, with all the others, is on the right of
the Nile is the Geraffee River swirling with consi-
derable stream and graceful round into the parent
Nile. Its magnitude and general appearance is
like that of a first-class canal, inferior to the Kil-

angfile river, although not so much as equal in
quality of fluid one-third of the Nile at its point of
junction. It is navigable to a great distance south,
but where it comes from nobody knows. It cannot
be called a mountain river, as we found it full of
rosets floating on its surface as in the Nile, evi-
dently showing that both the trunk and the branch.
are subjugated to the same effects of sluggish flats
and rapids. Indeed, its chazacter suggests the pos-
sibility of its emanating in the Victoria Nyanza,
although it most surely is fed to a considerable ex •
tent by minor branches from the Great Eastern
mountain chain. The third is the Southern Sobat

River, which was full and navigable—in breadth it
is greater than the Geraffee River, but less in
rapidity, so that we may infer their perennial con-
tents are much the same. Unfortunately the

Northern Sobat was passed without our knowledge,
which, also being navigable, would make the
Upper Sobat, that is to say the Sobat above the
Delta, of far greater magnitude than the Geraffee,
unless, indeed, the three streams may be one river
still further south, when, in its combination the
comparison would have to be drawn with the Nile
above, it would be very nearly equal ; for the Nile,
with these additions, has scarcely doubled its im-
portance, considered as it was seen from above
entering the Bakr el Ghazal. The Blue River was
long assumed to be the Nile only because the peren-

vial powers were never tested. It appears it is
a mountain stream, emanating in the country
without the rainy zone, but subject to the in-

fluence of tropical rains and droughts, at one time
full, and empty at another, so shallow as to be
fordable. The suspicion, therefore, that it was the
Nile must of itself appear absurd, for its waters,
during the droughty seasons, would be absorbed
long before they reached the sea. But

-
apart from this feature of the amount of
the Blue River, the Nile runs like a sluice in its
wonted course, whilst the Blue River, conjoining
with the Geraffee and Sobat, describes a graceful
sweep. The Alhara, which is the last, is in all re-
spects like the Blue, only smaller. With one more
remark I will conclude. In the height of the dry
season in the White River, the Blue is freely navi-
gated, owing to the great accessions of the Geraffee
and Sobat Rivers ; but below the Blue and Alhara
rivers to the sea the sandbanks obstruct further pas-

sage. There is one thing that I have left unstated,
and that is the fact that on my return the first Eng-
lishman I met was Mr. Baker, with whose name you
are already acquainted,who eame.up'for the purpose
of heiping us out of a scrape if we had got into one.
Mr. Baker hearing that there was one branch of the
river that I had not explored, went on for the pur-
pose of searching for it; and I trust that before an-
other year is out we shall see him back to tell us all
about it. (Cheers.) Another remarkable event
was, that three ladies came up to meet me, but one
having been taken ill, Miss Tinney and her mother
went up the river to satisfy their desire for geogra-
phical knowledge. I endeavoured to persuade them
to return, and subsequently wrote them a letter en-

treating them to give up their journey, with what
result remains to be shown. (Loud cheers.) If the
remaining branch is not explored by these parties
why I shall have to do the work myself. (Cheers.)
Capt. GRANT, who was most cordially received,
said he could not resist the temptation of accom•
panying his brother Indian officer in his search. He
considered that the important discovery that had
been made was entirely owing to the skill, courage,
and cordiality of Captain Speke.
The PRESIDENT said it would doubtless be of
interest to the meeting if Capt. Speke would give
them some anecdotes of his adventures, and would
describe the character of some of the equatorial
kings. The whole particulars of the journey would
shortly be laid before the public, in a forthcoming
work, which he had no doubt would be eagerly
read. _ _ _

Captain SPEKE, on presenting himself for the
second time to the meeting, was again heartily
cheered. In compliance with the suggestion of the
president he proceeded to give some of the more in-
teresting details connected with his journey. These
statements he prefaced by a few general remarks
respecting the physical geography, the flora and
fauna, and the natural history of the vast African
continent. In a very clear and lucid manner he de-
scribed a few of the interesting events in his jour-
ney from Zanzibar through Uzaroma, Usagara,
Ucoco, M'Gunda, Unyamwezi, and Uzinza. Those
portions of his narrative in which the greatest inte-
rest was displayed were those which referred to the
negro', territories bordering close upon the great
lake which had been so successfully tracked as the
source of the Nile. Describing his adventures in
Uganda, he said—There was great difficulty in get-
ting persons to accompany him. Of two men who
had travelled with them some time, one expressed
himself willing to go, and the other was jealous at
his companion having anything like superiority
over him. All these men have their feelings of
pride ; they have their own standing and rank just
as we have among ourselves. At last he decided
to take Barakko with him, because he bad hitherto
found him a faithful and reliable servant; but after
a short distance only had been got over, he found to
his great surprise that the native would accompany
him no farther, and he was compelled to return to
Sorombo, which is a part of the kingdom of Uzinza.
There was no resource left but to reorganise the eArabsx-
The
pedition, but this was no easy matter.
in this part had a great dislike to him, and were
suspicious of his real intentions ; but at last he suc-
ceeded in finding one black man who expressed his
willingness to aid him in his journey. The natives
of these parts are tall and gaunt, and are certainly
very superior to the common negro. The travellers
were looked upon by the natives in this part as
magicians. It happened while he was there that
the King of Uganda had received some officers
who had come on a mission from a neighbouring
king to solicit the hand of his daughter for their
master. These pleniptentiaries told the king that
their master was one of the mightiest of an the
kings on earth, and if the prayer were not granted
a dire and terrible vengeance would he take. The
King of Uganda did more for the exploring party
than any other king in the conntry. His inflarnek,
was an great that it did not, in fact, leave thorn
until they got, to the Lake Nyanza itself. Aftet
leaving this kingdom Captains Speko and Grant
came to the more delightful Mountains of the Moon,
within the territory of the King of Nuanda. One
of these hills he estimated to be at least 10,000 feet
high, judging from the immense altitude which
they appeared to be at the great distance where he
saw them towering in the clouds above everything
else. The country was indeed a land of pleasure. He
• had come through a land of persecution, and now
t heartily appreciated the change. The country was

e3,-/ \---:7
marvellously fine, and rd could not have believ9l/7 -. _- _-., ~.-
that there was anything like it in the heart rat ,--; ,:lfa :ill
Africa. (Hear, hear.) Capt. Grant and my elf :::•-atil:
received at the hand of the King every possible c rr,a- 2 -)t';s
sideration, who, when he first heard of our inte
111/4_
tion to go northward, was, however, much opposed, Al.r
and endeavoured to dissuade us by every argu-
ment in his power. The King was a most intelli-
gent and inquiring man. His Majesty asked ques-
tions about the geography of the world, and espe-
cially about the north, and was astonished to hear
of the land surrounded by water. He asked about
the stars and sun, and what became of the old suns
and moons. (Laughter.) His anxious desire was
to obtain knowledge upon every topic which came
under his notice. The King had heard of the ex-
traordinary power of the white people, and wished
to know from us whether it was not so great that,
if we chose, we could blow up Africa. (Laughter.)
Scarcely a day passed while in this kingdom
without going to pay a visit to the King ;
and many strange stories were told which he could
not now remember. This amiable King gave him
much valuable information, ine:uding all that
about the system of lakes and rivers draining
into the Nile, and others rising in the Mountains
of the Moon and in Uganda. Indeed, from
this information he was enabled to send home a map
very nearly as good as that which he had since been
able to prepare after his journey to the Nyanza.
We went out shooting together, and sometimes his
sons accompanied him, and they always acted in the
most courteous, and, he would say, gentlemanly
manner. If he shot a rhinoceros they would come
up and congratulate him on his success, shaking
him by the hand. When about to resume his jour-
ney the King sent an officer to the King of Uganda,
expressing his wish to visit the country, and pray-
ing his brother potentate to afford every facility in
his power. But he still did not wish him to pass
to the northward. His conduct in this respect
seemed very strange, and was the only thing, in
fact, that was not agreeable during his stay in this
part of the country. The gallant speaker referred
to the illness which had overtaken his fellow-travel-
ler, Capt. Grant, at this stage of the journey, and
proceeded to give some interesting accounts of his
visit to and reception by another sable monarch in
the territory adjoining. Here he was surprised at
the neatness and tidiness of the people, the manner
in which they deported themselves, and the style of
the native dress, which, he said, would not disgrace
a fashionable promenade in London. These people
of Uganda were a most superior set. The King had
prepared a grand reception for him. On arriving
at the place indicated he found the palace filled
with men and women ; cattle were being led about
the approaches to the palace; there were bands of
musicians, and a great display of public rejoicing.
When he reached the front of the palace the King
had not arrived, and he was requested to sit upon
the ground and wait the King's leisure, for his Ma-
jesty was dressing. This, however, he declined to
do, and walked back to his camp. The reason he did
not sit down upon the ground was that he was
anxious to assert a high position, and to obtain influ-
ence among the people which might be useful to him
in his future travels. When the King arrived and
found that the Englishman had gone, he sent an offi-
cer to summon him back, and when he returned he
explained to the Bing that he did not like to sit
upon the ground, and that it was little better than
au insult to ask him to do so. In Uganda no one had
ever sat upon a chair or stool in the presence of the
King, but he was allowed to sit upon a stool, so that
he was the first person who had ever enjoyed the
honour of thus sitting in the presence of the ruler
of that nation. (Cheers.) The King was seated on a
throne of brass, beautifully dressed, and carried his
shield and spear, and his warriors round him were
also armed with spears. The officers squtted around
the King, and with these a general conversation
was kept up. Wearied with sitting so long in the
sun, he (Captain Speke) put up his umbrella, to the
intense wonder of the court and its sovereign. At
last the courtiers and warriors left, and while in full
stare at him, the King said, " Have you seen me ?"
He replied that he had had that pleasure, and look-
ing at his watch, found that he had enjoyed that
gratification for exactly half an hour, and hoped his -
Majesty was quite well. (Laughter.) The King then
went into the palace, to which he also had the
honour of being invited. 'When he arrived there he
found, to his great surprise, that the King was sit-
ting, not with men, as he had been just before, but
in the midst of his wives—at least 200 or 300 in
number. (Laughter.) Here again the same gazing
at each other ensued, and at the end of about half
an hour the King again inquired if he (Capt Speke)
had seen him ? (Laughter.) In addition to this the
King asked him where he had come from, and said,
he should like very much to see him again. He re-
plied that he should be happy to be favoured with
the opportunity of visiting his Majesty, and added
that, as was always the custom with him on ap-
proaching men of rank, he had brought with him,
and begged his Majesty's acceptance of, some small
presents. The King said, "Let me see them." The
first of the presents shown him was a revolver pistol.
This the King took up and played with in the most
tidiculous manner, for he had no idea of its use. At
the end of our interview he said, "It is now getting
dark ; would you like some liquor ? what will you
take?"—(alaugh)—and said that he would send some
thing to-morrow. He appointed the following day
for a second visit, but subsequently said, " Oh no,
that day won't do, because I am going to show all
these pretty things that you have given me to my
mother the Queen Dowager and all my officers."
The following day was accordingly fixed. He visited.
the King not only upon that but span almost every
other day during his stay. The King took a great
fancy to shooting, and several shooting parties were
arranged, the King having practised beforehand by
shooting the cows in his yard. The shooting parties
pleased the King amazingly ; they were accompa-
nied by bands of musicians—and very good bands
too they were—by officers, and by many of his
wives. The arrangement of the procession was a
somewhat difficult affair, and it was arranged that
the Englishman should go before the King. To this,
however, he (Capt. Speke) objected, on the ground
that he never went before royalty. The King was
in some difficulty, because, by placing him after
him, he would be between his Majesty and his
wives. (A laugh.) The point, however, was con-
ceded, and he found that the best place in the pro-
cession, for the women were as amiable as amiable
could be. (A laugh.) Whenever any vulture or
other bird flew up the King shouted out, "Now,
shoot that," and he was kept firing as fast as he
could, and each time that a bird was knocked over
the King and his officers and his ladies clapped their
hands, and shouted and danced in the most extraor-
dinary and ridiculous manner. The speaker next
referred to his visit to Murchison Creek, a beautiful
piece of water on the north side of the Lake Nyanza,
one of the most lovely spots which he had met with
in all Africa, and which he had named after the
man who had been the first to take him in hand in
the matter of the expedition. (Cheers.) At this
Everybody,LaQk e, following
was,
spot he found as many as 50 boats, all well made
and well manned. It was his wish to go northwards
the
ed
wholeinak a
courseais way
of thence
til
eN i i
ef oa. r
nthitmeh e,
and
wasa
how-
ever, opposed to this plan,
y_u_(eaenlaugh)—
sought to dissuade Mother,
who was greatly attached to dh
good sort of creature in her very
Wa
him on the ground of some
great festivities that Were to come off on the coro-
nation of her son—for as yet he was but the prince
elect. Some very my steri
the coronation of Kings. ous things take place at
As each sovereign has
so many wives, there is a large number of children,
and on the accession of a new king all his brothers
and sisters are killed off, with the exception of
two, who are kindly reserved against any contin-
gency that may happen. (A laugh.) The king
wag willing to allow him to proceed northward, for
lie said the "Englishmen live in the north, and it
is froin the north that Africa must he opened up,"
Starting on his journey, Captain Speke told the
meeting how he was opposed by the natives of
Usoca, how boats filled with armed men threatened
to impede their progress, and how a complete
victory was gained by the discharge of one or two
rifles, the effect of which spread the utmost constc.r.
nation among the native warriors. The haul( wir of
prevented
of theenteti
the
gallant captain from detdl-
interesting incidents of his
itillig e hourany
mo
journey-, and he resumed his seat amid much cheer-
ing.
ti„
Sir ODF.R.ICTi Muttents6N, with a few appro-
priate words, placed in the hands of Captains
Speke and Graut a gola: medal which the King of
Italy had forwarded to the Geographical Society,
with a request that it should be presented to the
successful explorers of the source of the Nile.
The compliment was acknowledged in a fe N?
words, and the thanks of the meeting, proposed by
-
Sir. Roderick Murchison, brought the proceedings
to a close,

LONDON, TUESDAY, JUNE 23, 1863.

Important telegrams from the American seat of
war have, only very late this afternoon, reached our
hands, brought to our shores this morning per the
Jura. The accounts they convey, although dating
down no more than three days later than the last
received intelligence—tell strongly in favour of the
Southern forces both in the direction ot the Rap:
pahannock and in that of the Mississippi. Every-
where the Federals appear to be suffering grievously.
I❑ Indiana the enrollment cm:rid only bo carried on
under the assistance of the cavalry. On the Rap-
pahanncck the situation is becoming so seriously
threatening that while some of the New York papers
still affect to talk about General HOOKER assuming
the offensive, it is certain that on the 13th a battle
was then raging on the banks of that river, between
a portion at least of the opposing armies : and already
before that renewal of hostilities had commenced,
it was matter of notoriety that the Confederates
had latterly been gathering together there a very
formidable array of reinforcements. Insomuch that
it was generally understood, among the better in-
formed classes of the North, that General
LEE'S army now in and around Fredericksburg
was, upon a moderate computation, about
twice the numerical force he had assembled under his
banners when his headquarters were at Chancel-
lorsville. It was, in point ot fact, about as little
likely that General HOOKER would venture upon
any movement of his army en masse across the
Rappahannock with a view to a serious onsiaught
upon the accumulated forces of General LEE, as it
was (when our last advises last left America) in the
highest degree probable that General LEE would,
on the contrary, soon enough commence hos-
tilities in serious earnest against General
HOOKER ! The supposition in regard to
the designs of the Confederate Commander-in-Chief
appeared to be this—that he would probably direct
General STUART to advance in hot haste with his
cavalry across Maryland into Pennsylvania, until
Gen. HOOKER would be compelled to despatch a
portion of his forces in hurried pursuit, And that
then, upon those diminished forces of the Federal
army left in the vicinity of the Rappahannock,
General LEE would direct the whole fury of his
attack from the neighbourhood of Fredericksburg.
Supposing which course to be followed out, the
routing of HOOKER'S army and the advance of LEE
upon Washington—certainly do appear to be not
improbable consequences.

Turning our regard now from the Rappahannock
towards the Mississippi, the situation we shall find
there also more than ever ominous for the Federals.
If our telegrams—given elsewhere in this same
page, and given there it will be seen very
r Y—are examined with any ordinary care
_li
t will be perceived from them that
both Northern and Southern accounts agree
as to the really perilous position in which General
BANKS bad been placed by the movements princi-
pally of General
j -Y SMITH. The last men-
tioned enterprising Brigadier
had not only driven
General BANKS before him h
instant
from Port Hudson, but
had contrived by the et
successfully to
effect the complete occupation of Milliken's Bend.
General BANKS himself, during
the progress of the
that had ended thus in h
sharp fighting
is signal
discomfiture, had unhappily lost an
arm—his negro
regiments being fairly beaten back in a sharp
hand-to-hand contest do No to the very river ban
and under shelter of the gunboats. By
the mere fact of his occupation of milli_
ken's Bend, with 10,000 victorious Con.
federates, it is considered, even by the Federals
that General KIRBY SMITH has succeeded
in cutting off GeneralIGRANT from his supplies.
An attack upon the rear of General GRANT was
looked to as a matter of exceeding probability both
in New York and in Washington. The resolute
defender of Vicksburg, that same dauntless General
PEMBERTON whose soul-stirring address to the gar-
rison was given by us only the other day, is stated,
moreover, to be sostrong and so well- provisioned there
in Vicksburg that he has apprized General JOHN-
STONE that Vicksburg wall hold oat coute qui coute so
long as JOHNSTONE may carp to occupy himself in
his preparations for its relief. General PEMBER-
Tol.r; in fact, has informed General JOHNSTONE
that ho is on no account to hurry himself,

that h'3 is to bide his time, to act and move with
all due deliberation—to take as his motto, in effect,
the ancient device of the PLUNKETT'S, festina knee!
Things are beginning in fact to look about as
badly for General HOOKER on the Rappahanock,
for General BANKS on the Mississippi, and for
General GRANT before Vicksburg, as they are now
looking propitiously for General LEE at Fredericks-
burg, for General KIRBY SMITH at Milliken's Bend,
for General PEMBERTON even in Vicksburg, and
for General JOHNSTONE—StiII vaguely, but for that
very reason the more formidably—somewhere !

It must be a matter of regret to all right judging
persons that the jury who were engaged to con-
sider the circumstances concerning the death of
MARY ANNE WALKLEY, should have decided in so
strange a manner, All the details that were eli-
cited tend to prove the correctness of the reports that
were at first circulated regarding this unhappy af-
fair. The words of the verdict prove either too
much or too little. They are that the " deceased
died of apoplexy, but there is too much reason to
fear that her death was greatly accelerated by work-
ing long hours in a crowded workroom, and sleep-
ing in a close badly ventilated bedroom." This is
too much for any jury to say, without calling in
question the conduct of those who authorise such
treatment of their employers. The hours of work
in themselves were shameful, they would have been
too much for occasional pressure, but for a continu-
ance were really scandalous. From half-past six
in the morning until eleven at night, and sometimes
a much longer period was this poor girl condemned
to toil. There is something monstrous in the idea
of young girls being condemned to endure such an
infliction in the heart of a civilised city. There are
meetings constantly taking place to benefit the poor,
succour the distressed, and relieve the suffering,
but in the midst of these kind intentions and
earnest efforts the poor dressmaker's apprentice is
being slowly killed or rendered a hopeless invalid.
It seems that no one can or will help these sufferers.

It is no excuse for those whose life of fashion is the
cause of giving employment to the establishments
where they toil, to say that they know nothing of
it. They ought to know, and to institute inquiries
concerning the mode practised in these houses.
The laissez aller style of procedure is often the
cause of great injustice and injury, but in this case
it results in positive cruelty. The account given
of the sleeping apartments is, if possible, worse than
the description of the day's work. Each cell, as it
might be called, is "just large enough to contain
two beds plaeed end to end, and there were two
young women in each bed." In allusion to thissub-
ject the writer of a letter to the Times observes
with great truth that " the horrors of the middle
passage in a slave ship can hardly exceed this."
The same writer truly remarks that it is a wonder
that an infectuous disease should not have broken
oat at thib establishment, and recommends the
neighbours to call upon the officer of health of the
district to do his duty. If anything could have
been more absurd and uncalled for than
another in this painful affair, it was the
statement of the husband of Madame ELISE,
that " he did all he could for the comfort and health
of his young people." If all he and his wife can
do to promote these ends is to foster the system be-
fore commented on, they sooner they give up em-
ploying any one to work for them the better for
their own consciences and the welfare of all con-
nected with them. Yet the worst consideration of
all is that this state of things recorded is not a
solitary instance but a sample of many similar este-
blishments. Madame —LISB now incurs the odium

through the chance of one girl being more delicate
than the others, or more unaccustomed, perhaps, to
work and close confinement. But there are many
other places where jast the same practices rrevail,
and it is high time that such abuses should be pre-
vented by law. Too much has been left for too
long to the good feeling and consideration of all
concerned in the affair; it now remains to insist
that such tyranny comes under the penalty of the
law. Why should so much be done for all classes
of the community, and the most helpless among
them be left to the mercy of those who do not seem
to know the meaning of justice. The sums charged
by these Court milliners and dressmakers are enor-
mous, and it is scandalous that they cannot
afford to employ extra hands on an emer-
gency, instead of crushing the life out of
those committed to their care. MARY ANNE
WALKLEY will not have died in vain if her
wretched end calls attention to the fate of her

living fellow sufferers. There are many more
pining as she did for fresh air and liberty to whom
a brief respite from unremitting toil in the midst
of their close application, and a longer rest at night
in a well ventilated chamber, would seem like a
boon from Heaven. Surely something could be done
for this oppressed and persecuted class, and if not

it will be a mockery to call ourselves a humane
people, and it will be an outrage on commonsense
for any lady to attend a charitable institution in a
dress that has perhaps been the last touch to the
overwhelming toil that has sacrificed a life. This
is not the first time that these cases have been be-
fore the public, and no one has an excuse to plead
ignorance, but if they never heard of them before,
let them now take heed, and at once institute in-
quiries and exact reforms. Some obstacles are sure
to lie in the way, and much opposition will have to
be overcome, but if ever there was a "cause which
required able advocates, it is that of the dress
maker's apprentice. No trouble can be too great
that is undertaken to free them in some
measure from their thraldom, and few im-
provements in the social system can be
more satisfactory than that which brings a ray of
sunshine to lighten their benighted ways. It is to
be trusted that something will be done to check
this growing evil, and remove this blot from the
reputation of all immediately or remotely concerned
in these transactions. Many wrongs are perpetrated
through carelessness or inattention, but to persist
willingly and knowingly in sanctioning injustice is
a positive crime, and ends in making the tacit
observer as guilty as the actual instigator of the
evil, and indeed more so if possessed of greater
power and more extended influence.

The members of the Royal Geographical Society
assembled in great force last night to welcome the
fortunate travellers who have succeeded in solving
the mystery that has perplexed so many genera-
tions.
tas. The many famous adventurers who, from
the days of
HERODOTUS, have wandered over the
vast continent and given us details, more or less
authentic, of
the African people and their ways,
have left us no hint of the existence of the mighty
lake which has noivproved to be the key to the
riddle. Even the
have started with the explorers of modern times, who
..ad the sagacity
express purpose discovering
Lake.
the source of the Nile, have never ~ of ----''''"s
or the good fortune to approach the Ny
The difficulty of the route, the dangers to be ap.
prehendcd from the natives, and the ignorance of
the exact direction in which to search for the
source, all combined to keep successive explorers
out of the right line of search. It was reserved
to Captain SPEKE, on his discovery of the Lake
Victoria Nyanza some five years since, at once to
e.i.l Die the steret. He tells us that when he found
to
this large sheet of sweet water, lyicg about 3,500

feet above the level of the sea, he at once felt cer-
tain that it could only be the source of some vast
river like the Nile. The traditions of the natives,
too, confirmed this conjecture, by their account
of the great extent of the lake, while the
Arab merchants, who had visited those districts in
search of ivory, asserted boldly that it was the
source of a great river. Captain SPEKE tells us
that he would have settled the question in 1859,
but the chief of the party he was accompanying
having fallen ill, he was compelled to return. Sir
RODERICK MURCHISON, however, was deeply im-
pressed with the necessity of further researches, and
accordingly Captains SPEKE and GRANT started on
their last and conclusive expedition. On reaching
Unyanyembi, 5 deg. south of the lake, they fol-
lowed a near route, which they conjectured from the
accounts of the ivory merchants would lead to the
creek on the Western side of the lake, but owing to
some confusion between the terms river and lake,
they found that the path led them to another lake,
the Luero-10-Urigi, which was once of great extent,
but is now drying up. The travellers thus made an
accidental discovery, which though not of much
profit familiarised them still more with the nature
of the country. The Luero-10-Urigi and other
neighbouring lakes are drained by the river
Kitaugule, which Captain SPEKE describes as a
noble stream, 80 yards wide, and sunk low in the
earth like a huge canal. This river flows into
the Victoria Nyanza, bringing it its largest
supply of terrestrial water. All these lakes are
supplied from the Mountains of the Moon, where
more than two-thirds of the year are wet and
rainy. Among the many errors and misstatements
current respecting the African interior, there is
none greater than the commonly received notion of
the scarcity of water. The abundant means of irri-
gation and water works supplied to the settler
encourages the sanguine view now beginning to be
taken of the future rise and progress of these long
neglected wilds. The population, according to
Captain SPEKE, are for the most part courteous and
intelligent. Making due allowance for his grate-
ful feelings towards the people of Karaguve and
their King, his account of them is most promising.
They present, however, a singular anomaly in the
human race, if the travellers' account be true, that
they have no religion, and do not believe in a soul.
We should incline to think that this can hardly be
entirely correct—that some dim superstition or lin-
gering tradition must prevent the natives of Kara-
gave from forming so remarkable an exception
to the belief in another life, which has
been the universal idea of all races and
generations. The difficulties and dangers,
the labours and disappointments which fell to the
lot of these enterprising travellers heightened the
triumph of their success, but did not serve to abate
their energies. The public will no doubt receive
before long a fuller account of their wanderings,
and of the gradual progress of their scientific dis-
coveries. Englishmen may well be proud of
adding such an achievement to the list of their
daring feats, and the boastful nineteenth century
has another cause for triumph. It may serve, how-
ever, to temper the self-conceit of modern science,
to learn that the great lake which has proved to be
the source of the grand old river, was clearly
marked in an Arabian map more than 1,000 years
oid, while PTOLEMY was the first to give an ac-
count of the sub-equatorial lakes of Africa.
Captains SPEKE and GRANT have not met the
usual reward of public benefactors, for kings and
philosophers have combined to do them honour,
while the enthusiastic reception they met with last

night at Burlington House must have served to

convince them of the honour and admiration which
their countrymen have bestowed on their labours.

MR BENEDICT'S CONCERT.

This accomplished and popular musician gave
his annual grand morning concert yesterday in St.
James's Hall. Mr. Benedict has a threefold claim
on popular support as a composer, as a conductor,
and as a pianist, for in each of these capacities he
has won golden opinions from the public. His
concert is always one of the fashionable assemblies
of the season, and the present occasion was no
exception to the rule, for a large and brilliant
audience crowded the hall and appeared to be
highly gratified by the entertainment. The list of
artistes included some of the most eminent names
of the day, Mesdames Alboni, Carlotta Patti, with
Signor Giuglini and Mr. Sims Reeves, being among
the vocalists; and Madame Arabella Goddard,
Signor Piatti, Messrs. Lindsay Sloper and Bene-
dict among the instrumental performers. Madame
Alboni's exquisite singing can never fail to give
pleasure, and in a scena from Tancredi and the
Tyrolienne from "Betly" she delighted the audience
with that easy and melodious style so rarely even
approached by others. Madlle. Patti achieved a
decided triumph in Bellini's graceful Polacca " Son
vergin vezzosa," in which her voice reached to mar-
vellous altitudes with surprising facility. Madlle.
Artot sang a, vocalized waltz with great skill and
execution, and Madame Lemmens- Sherrington dis-
played her powers of embellishment in several ela-
borate pieces. Madlle. Trebelli, who sang a solo
with taste and expression, and took part also in a
quintett from one of Verdi's operas, acquitted her-
self with credit, while the other ladies were more or
less
successful, Signor Giuglini substituted the
new and popular romanza " Colli Nativi," which is
never heard without an encore, for the operatic

morceaux set down for him in the programme, and
certainly the audience did not disapprove of the ex-
change, for there was no exception to the general
rule, and a unanimous redemand induced the singer
to repeat it. Mr. Sima Reevis sang twice, the
graceful ballad of "The Message," being one of his
performances. He was, as usual, loudly applauded.
Mr. Santley was very well received, and displayed
his fine voice to advantage in a scena from Mr. Bene-
dict's " Dirgo di Lara." Piatti's performance on
the violoncello is too well known to need criticism.

It is enough to say that he sustained his reputation
on the instrument he has made especially his own.
The pianoforte performances were not the least in-
teresting portion of the concert. The duet for two
pianofortes, played by Madame Goddard and Mr.
Benedict, was a marvel of executive skill, while the
quartett for four performers on two pianos was
played with correctness and brilliancy. There were
many other performers and performances, for the
programme was of unusual length, but those we
have mentioned were the gems of the concert. It
is a pity that some means are not devised of afford-
ing proper ventilation to the Hall, for, as we heard
it remarked, the physical discomfort in this warm
summer weather interferes very considerably with
the pleasure derived from the entertainment.

LIFE-LIKE Po RTRAITS—There are some excellent 1
portraits in'the Exhibition now held at the Palais
de l'lndustrie, in the Champs Elysees, and which is open
every day—on Sundays gratuitously. That of the Emperor,
by Flandrin, is admirable. He is represented at full length,
in the uniform of a General of Division, standing with his
right hand resting on a table, and ttie left on the hilt of his
sword. It is of the simplest kind possible, and is a striking
likeness. There is also a:portrait of the:Pope, who is repre-
sented kneeling, and in an attitude of fervent prayer, with
his hands closely clasped together ; and not far off the por-
traits of Cardinal Morlot, the late, and M. Darboy, the
phaaresenptsa,ieuirchbishop of Paris. Among crowned heads the
picture of King Victor Emmanuel stands foremost as an
admirable likeness. Not all the loyalty of Alice Lee could
extort from her the admission that Charles 11. was other-
T.',.is, than " hard favoured," and I doubt whether any
..t.,at:utiaont,thhoewtre:mere
catches
shusiastic he may be for the " Be
(ileattvuoino" as a sovereign and a soldier, would say that
and comple
tlxiyo,fain, Apollo. Be this as it may, M. Faguani
ba and
mhiees
rheeditzVtematot
form,
, lifelikeeloclothed
thatd i
n t
the
es
militaryyo u ente
dressr the
that saloon,best
I rated the artist with t your eye, he actually
Lperfe9t is the resemblasneeeemign to
oeawtuarike
l Painted by the s'aralnePelare is a Jae simile of the one
with
which
the artistomo Itozlthe Town-hall of Naples, and
Italy vas t° pleseed that he deco
Own hirnd,

LATEST INTELLIGENCE

(REUTER'S TRLEGRAMS.)

AMERICA.

PER THE JURA,

NEW YORK, JUNE 13, MORNING.

There is nothing decisive from Vicksburg. An
early attack upon General Grant's rear is considered
probable.
Southern advices are very hopeful. They state
that General Pemberton has reported he could hold
Vicksburg, and that General Johnstone was to take
his time to organize his forces. They also assert
that Kirby Smith, with 10,000 men, has occupied
Milliken's Bend, 20 miles above Vicksburg, cutting
cff General Grant's supplies.
Northern accounts state that there was fighting
along the river from Lake Providence to within
sight of Vieksburi,, and that a severe fight occurred
at Milliken's Bend upon the 6th inst., the Federal
forces consisting mostly of negro regiments, being
driven to the bank of the river under cover of the
gunboats. _ _

Advices from New Orleans to the sth inst. state
that batteries were constructed along the entire
Federal line at Port Hudson and would open
against the enemy on the 6th inst.

General Lee is said to be heavily reinforcedupon
the Rappahannock, and to have nearly double the
number of troops he had at Chancellorsville. He
is daily expected to assume the offensive.
A small Confederate cavalry force advanced to
within three miles of Poolesville, Maryland, driving
a company of Michigan cavalry into the town and
burning their camp. They afterwards re-crossed
the Potomac.
The New York Herald thinks General Lee's
plan is to envelope Harper's Ferry, another to move
General Stuart's cavalry across Maryland into
Pennsylvania upon a destructive raid, which would
cause General Hooker's army to be broken up, to
go in pursuit of General Stuart, and General Lee
would then crush Hooker's remaining forces upon
the Rappahannock and push on to Washington.

The Governor of Illinois has prorogued the State
Legislature till the 18th inst. Sixty-five Republi-
cans left the Legislature, thereby preventing a
quorum, but the Democrats refused to recognise
the prorogation, and entered a protest against the
Governor for unconstitutional usurpation and the
revolutionary breaking-up of the Legislature. The
Governor's pretext for his action was that there
was disagreement between both Houses on the sub-
ject of adjournment. Great indignation was mani-
fested among the Democrats.
General Hascall has been superseded by General
Wilcox.

Southern despatches from Mobile to the 4th
inst. state that the Federals had been repulsed
at Port Hudson, and that Gen. Banks had lost

an arm.

The Provost Marshal, his assistant, and the en-
rolling officer were fired upon near Manville, Indi-
ana, whilst making an enrolment. The two for-
mer were killed, and the latter escaped.
Two military companies were sent from Indiano-
polis to the scene of the murder.
Two new military departments have been created
in Pennsylvania under Generals Couch and Brooks,
who have summoned all citizens between 18 and 60
years of age to organist- for defence, subject to the
call of the commanding General. The Governor of
Pennsylvania has issued a prcclamation, urging
the people to respond promptly.
The Enrolment Commissioners have been driven
out of some counties in Indiana, where excitement
continues to prevail.

The Governor has solemnly warned the people
against resisting the Government.
The Southern conscription is being resisted in
North Carolina.

The corps of General Hooker's army still remains
on the South tide of the Rappahannock below
Fredericksburg.
Official advices from Vicksburg to the Bth inst.
state that the siege was progressing satisfactorily.
Three divisions from General Bragg's army were
reported to be marching to join General Johnstone.
Breckenridge had already joined him. Grant aas
being reinforced. Grant's total loss since crossing
the Mississippi is estimated at 7,000 men.

Advices from General Banks to the 4th instant
have been 'received at General Grant's headquarters,
announcing that the siege of Port Hudson was pro-
gressing favourably.
The Democratic State Convention of Ohio, after
having unanimously nominated Mr. Vallandigham
for the Governorship, appointed a committee to
demand his release of the President. Resolutions
were passed declaring that the Democracy would
hail with delight the expression of a desire on the
part of the seceded States to return to their alle-
giance, and would co-operate with the citizens of
those States to restore peace.

Mr. Vallandigham is said to have reached a
Southern port, intending to sail for Nassau.
A Democratic meeting has been held at Brook-
-137n, at which resolutions were passed denouncing
interference with the liberty of speech.

A meeting has been held to raise 10,000 negroes
for General Fremont. It was announced that Pre-
sident Lincoln had consented to give Fremont a
department if negroes were raised.
The New York Herald urges the nomination of
President Lincoln for the nett Presidency, in order
to prevent a reign of terror and a revolutionary
election campaign in 1864.
The commissioners who superintended the dis-
charge of the Peterhoff's cargo have presented their
report. The case will be argued on the 15th inst.

The privateer brig Croquette has burned the
barque Whistling 'Wind in lat. 38, long. 71. The
Nassau Guardian states that the Federal steamer
Rhode Island chased and fired at the steamer Mar-
garet and Jessie within 250 yards of the shore off
James Point. Several shots from the Rhode Island
reached the shore, alarming the inhabitants. The
Margaret and Jessie escaped.

DETAILS OF THE CAVALRY RAID AT
BEVERLEY FORD.
NEW YORK, JUNE 12 (Evening).
(Per the Jura.)

In consequence of a belief which is said to be con-
firmed that Gen. Lee had assembled a large cavalry
force between Culpepper Court-house and Beverley
Ford to make a raid into Maryland, Gen. Hooker
ordered three brigades of cavalry, and 2,000 infan-
try, with two batteries, all under the command of
Gen.. Pleasanton, to cross the Rappahannock to
counteract Gen. Lee's movement.

Gen. Pleasanton's force crossed early on the morn-
ing of the 9th the right under Bufford at Beverley's
Ford, and the left under Gregg at Kelly's Ford, the
six miles apart—they both moved to
Culpepper,
on the roads converging at Brandy,
twwho erebei being
a iu junction
was to be made. Bufford crossed
without opposition, and the Bth Cavalry advanced
to the woods, where they were met by the Confe-
derate cavalry and
driven back with heavy loss.
The Federal cavalry then charged the Confederates,
driving them back to their main body, which was
forming in the rear of the woods. General Plea-
santon then directed Bufford to charge the Conte-