The Sun.
London, England, 1863-10-29 00:00:00

THE SOURCES OF TIIE NILE,

(From the Athencrum.)
D Urban, Port Natal, South-East Coast
of Africa, Aug. 25, 1863.
Having taken a great interest in the travels of
Captains Burton and Speke to the Victoria Nyanza
Lake, and Captains Speke and Grant's late journey
through Central Africa to discover the sources of the
Nile, I send you a few extracts from Purchas's
"Relations of the World," published in 1917. Page
839, " In the kingdoms of Goyame the river Nilus
springeth ; it is there called Gion and comes from
two Lakes which for their greatness may seeme to
bee Seas, in which report goeth that Mermaydes,
Tritons or Menfshes are seene, and some have told
me (saith Aluarez) that they have seen it. Peter
Conillian, a Portugal', which had lived a great part
of his life in those partes, told me that hee had been
in that kingdom by order from Queen Helena," &c.
pages 878 and 879, " There is, indeed, another
Lake, which Nilus maketh in his course, but
standeth Northward from the first Lake Zembae,
itselfua e
te through the ground,
mon-
strous and not in East or West parallel!. Neyther does
Nilus (as some: u
affigaiue
rme?
buthideb
ru under
satnrdouasftaend rrYsdesart valleyes, without any settled
channel], and where no people inhabited, from
whence that fabulous opinion did grow. This Lake
is situate in 12 degrees of Southerly Latitude, and
is compassed about like a vault with exceeding high
mountaines, the greatest whereof are called Casate3,
upon the East, and the Hils of Sal-Nitrum and the
Hils of Selver, on another side, and on the other
side with divers other mauntains. The River Nilus
runneth northwards many hundred enyles and then
entreth into another great Lake, which the inhabi-
tants doe call a Sea; it is much bigger than the
uiundebrretabdethEtqwu
ionhocutaiadiriedLyanned. first and contayLrinagekbteth,
theAnzichi give certain and
towf etnbtiise sme
oyo
uleds ,
perfect intelligence, for they traffique into those
parts. And they report that in this second
Lake there is a people that sayleth in great
shipper, and can write, and useth number,
weight and measure, which they have not
in the parts of Congo; that they build their
houses with Lyme and Stone, and for, their fashions
and qualities may be compared with the Portugal's.
This seemeth to be in Goyame, where the Abassine
entitled himselfe King, and in his title (as before
you have read) oil's it the Fountain of Nilus, which
Aivarez also mentioneth that Peter Conillian saw,"
The first lake referred to must be the Lake Nyaesa,
about wnich Pr. Livingstone has written so much;
the lake under the Equinoctial Line is the Victoria
Nyanza Lake. If you could obtain admission to the
archives of the Portuguese Government you would
find that the Victoria Nyanza Lake was well known
to the Portuguese; but they keep all their disco-
veries in the dark, to suit their own ends, on account
of their jealousy towards other nations, to prevent
trading in or near their possessions on this co.vast
;ers
to wit, a cutter I sent last year into one of the rboar
d
e
northward was seized them, and all on
were bound, whilst suffering from fever, and
were
thrown into an open boat for days,
been released
the coast), and they would not havot
been
near the
spot—the particulars of
eneatehferwhem
died whilst thus exposed to rain and (this
was in an endeavour to open up the ivoryewe trade on
then if a British man-of-war had
hands of the British Government.R
which affair are now in. the
NV. . DICKENSON.

TELE AFRICA ISTEAMSLIIP.—St. John's, N.
E.,
Oct. 14.—The Africa still remains opposite the
so
entrance of the harbour, but will shortly move up toia snore
sheltered position. Her mails go to Halifax on
Thursday
by the Vesuvius. Capt. Stone considered himself 15 miles
further south when she struck. She was making water
fast that when the engines slowed to take on the pilot the
passengers had to assist the crew at the pumps to keep her
afloat. Her injuries will be difficult to repair here, as there
is no dockyard large enough to receive her. Oct. 15.--The
Africa has been beached in a sheltered place. at the head of
the harbour. It is impossible to ascertain the extent of the
damage till divers arrive &cum. Aandp oar
joonrtioofnthoet
keelsthteerukeaerildfrom
t forwardsternrlihss
tee
pi
s:
4rel3 gone,
saslesnoggeorsneh.ave
been There are
providedothe
r
damages amidships.
for on shore.

~L'AN LAIS TI TIDE,--Sir Robert Pecl."
P11,:c7„