The Sun.
London, England, 1865-07-07 00:00:00

Baker's Great Nile Discovery,

FO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
Sir,—To the information conveyed by telegrams
from Egypt, which I communicated to you on the
29th June, I rejoice to add that I have this day re-
ceived a letter from Mr. Samuel Baker, of which I
at once transmit to you a copy. The graphic and
straightforward account given by the bold discoverer
himself renders any comment of mine superfluous.
I may, however, remind your readers that the im-
portant additional knowledge obtained by Baker,
showing the existence of great cataracts on the Nile
between the point where Speke left the river and
the place where he next met it, explains that which
has been looked upon as a serious difficulty in the
acceptance of the views of that eminent explorer.
Judging from a carefully-drawn map which Mr.
Baker has sent to me, and also from a passage in
his letter, I infer that he substantiates the opinion
adopted by Speke, that the Nile flowed into the Luta
Nzige, and then emerged from it in its course to
Gondokoro.—l remain, Sir, your obedient servant,
RODERICK I. MURCHISON.
15, Whitehall-place, S.W., July 6.

" Khartum, April 30.

"My dear Sir,—l arrived here yesterday, and
trust to be in England shortly after you receive this.
I thank you for your very welcome letter, which
reached me in Unyoro, delivered by an Arab trader
on the 20th September, 1864. Your appreciation of
my researches among the various Nile tributaries in
1861 gave me great pleasure, and was a timely sti-
mulus at a moment when I was ill and broken down
with fever.

" I had the good fortune to meet Capt. Speke
and Grant at Gondokoro in February, 1863. The
object of my expedition being attained by meeting
them, and by their discovery of the Victoria Nyanza
Nile-head, I should have returned with them
had not Capt. Speke reported that he.had heard of
a lake called by the natives Lu::a Nzige. This, he
imagined, might be a second source of the Nile, and
I at once determined to attempt its exploration.

" My boats departed from Gondokoro for Khar-
tum with Captains Speke and Grant, but when I
was about to start the whole of my men mutinied
and refused to proceed, retaining possession of my
arms and ammunition. The ivory traders of the
place combined to prevent any European from pene-
trating the interior, fearing travellers' reports upon
the slave trade. The chance of being able to pro-

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teed appeared hopeless. riehec= 1 .2f e
driven back, and finding it imposbible Ed leaN my
men south, I at length induced 18 of my mutineers
to accompany me to the camp of one of the traders,
E.S.E. of Gondokoro about 80 miles, whence 1
hoped to be able to alter my course. Having loaded
my camels and asses, I started at night, without
either interpreter or guide, neither of whom were
procurable, all the natives being under the influence
of the traders. On passing the station of an Arab
trader, six days from Gondokoro, my men, who had
previously conspired to desert me at that spot, again
mutinied ; several absconded with arms and ammu-
nition, and joined the trader's party. They, how-
ever, with the entire party, were massacred by the
Latooka tribe two days after their desertion.
" A day's journey in advance of that station I
met an Arab trader, whose heart I gained by pre-
sents. I persuaded him to supply me with porters,
and to accompany me to the Unyoro country, where
he might commence a trade with King Kamrasi.
Thence I intended to strike west in search of the
lake.

" Owing to a succession of difficulties and delays
I did not arrive at Kamrasi's capital, M'rooli, N.
lat. 1 deg. 37 min., until the 10th of February,
1864. The trader's party returned to Gondokoro,
leaving me with my escort of 13 men to proceed.
After 18 days' march I reached the long wished for
lake, about 100 miles west of M'rooli, at Vacovia, in
N. lat. 1 deg. 14 min. In respect for the memory
of our lamented Prince I named it (subject to her
Majesty's
permission) the Albert Nyanza,' as the
second great source of the Nile—second, not in im-
portance, but only in order of discovery to the
Victoria Nile-head. The Victoria and the Albert
Lakes are the indubitable parents of the river.
" The capital of Unyoro (M'rooli) is situated at
the junction of the Nile and Kafoor rivers, at an
altitude of 3,202 feet above the sea level. I followed
the Kafoor to lat. 1 deg. 12 min. N. to avoid an im-
passable morass that runs from north to south ; upon
rounding this I continued a direct westerly course to
the lake. The route throughout is wooded, inter-
spersed with glades, thinly populated, with no game.
My route lay over high ground to the north of a
swampy valley running west ; the greatest elevation
was 3,686 feet. The rocks were all gneiss, granite,
and masses of iron ore, apparently fus 3d into a con-
' glomerate with rounded quartz pebbles.
" The Albert Lake is a vast basin lying in an
abrupt depression, the cliffs, which I descended by
a difficult pass, being 1,470 feet above its level.
The lake level is 2,070 feet, being 1,132 feet lower
than the Nile at M'rooli ; accordingly the drainage
of the country tends from east to west. From
the high ground above the lake no land is visible
to the south and south-west ; but north-west and
west is a large range of mountains, rising to
about 7,000 feet above the lake level, forming the
western shore, and running south-west parallel to
the course of the lake. Both King Kamrasi and

the natives assured me that the lake is known to
extend into Rumanika's country to the west of
KaragwO, but from that point, in about 1 deg.
30 min. S. lat., it turns suddenly to the west, in
which direction its extent is unknown. In N. lat.
1 deg. 14 min., where I reached the lake, it is about
60 miles wide, but the width increases southward.
The water is deep, sweet, and transparent ; the shores
are generally clean and free from reeds, forming a
sandy beach.

" I navigated the lake in a canoe formed of a hollow

tree for 13 days from Vacovia, arriving at Magungo,
at the junction of the Nile with the lake, in N. lat.
2 deg. 16 min. The voyage was long, owing to the
necessity of coasting, and to the heavy sea, which,
with a westerly wind, generally rose at 1 p.m. daily.

" At the Nile junction the lake had contracted to
a width of about 20 miles ; the shores were no longer
clean, but vast masses of reeds, growing in deep water,
prevented the canoe from landing. Mountains had
ceased on the eastern shore, giving place to hills about
500 feet high, which, instead of rising abruptly from
the lake, like the mountains further south, were five
or six miles distant, the ground descending in undu-
lations to the lake. The entrance of the Nile is a
broad channel of deep but dead water, bounded on
either side by vast banks of reeds. From this point
the lake extends to the north-west for about 40
miles, and then turns to the west, contracting grad-
ually ; extent unknown.

" About 20 miles north of the Nile junction at
Magungo the river issues from the great reservoir,
and continues its course to Gondokoro.

" I went up the Nile in a canoe from the junction ;
the natives would proceed no further north, owing
to the hostile tribes on the lake shores. About 10
miles from the junction the Nile channel contracted
to about 250 yards in width, with little 'perceptible
stream, very deep, and banked as usual with high
reeds, the country on either side undulating and
wooded. The course from the junction up the
river being east, at about 20 miles from Magungo,
my voyage suddenly terminated ; a stupendous
waterfall of about 120 feet perpendicular height
stopped all further progress. Above the great fall
the river is suddenly confined between rocky
hills, and it races through a gap, contracted from a
grand stream of perhaps 200 yards width to a chan-
nel not exceeding 50 yards. Through this gap it
rushes with amazing rapidity, and plunges at one
leap into a deep basin below. This magnificent
cataract I have taken the liberty of naming the
' Murchison Falls.'

From that point I proceeded overland parallel
with the river through Chopi, and at length I
reached Karma, having been for some months com-
pletely disabled by fever, my quinine long since ex-
hausted.

" Lake Albert Nyanza forms an immense basin
far below the level of the adjacent country, and re-
ceives the entire drainage of extensive mountain

ranges on the west, and of the Utumbi, Uganda,
and Unyoro counties on the east. Eventually re-
ceiving the Nile itself it adds its accumulated waters
and forms the second source of that mighty river.
The voyage down the lake is extremely beautiful,
the mountains frequently rising abruptly from the

water, while numerous cataracts rush down their

furrowed sides.

The cliffs on the east shore are

granite, frequently mixed with large masses of ,
quartz.

" On the eastern borders of the lake much salt is
obtained from the soil ; this forms the trade of the

miserable villages which at long intervals are situ-
ated on the Unyoro shore. The natives are ex-
tremely inhospitable, in many cases refusing to sell
provisions. Mallegga, on the west coast of the lake,
is a large and powerful country, governed by a king
named Kajoro, who possesses boats sufficiently large
to cross the lake. The Mallegga trade largely with
Kamrasi, bringing ivory and beautifuly-prepared
shins and mantles in exchange for salt, brass-coil
bracelets, cowries, and beads, all of which articles,
excepting salt, come from Zanzibar, via Karagwe,

there being no communication with the west coast

of Africa.

" The actual length of the Albert Nyanza from
south to north is about 260 geographical miles, in-
dependent of its unknown course to the west, be-
tween 1 deg. and 2 deg. south latitude, and of its
similar course in the north, in lat. about 3 deg.
I rejoice at having been able to accomplish this
exploration without the assistance which the Royal
Geographical Society so kindly offered. I enclose
map of my route, with a list of elevations above the
sea level (taken by one of Casella's thermometers,
subject to correction in England). Success having
rewarded me for all hardships, I look forward with

impatience to the pleasure of giving you more de-

tailed information in person—Very sincerely yours,

" SAMUEL W. BAKER.
" Sir Roderick I. Murchison, K.C.P."

THE WEATHER AND THE CROPS.—Some highly
acceptable showers fell yesterday morning in the
eastern counties. An. Ipswich letter says :—" The reports
of the wheat crop are this year most conflicting ; from one
large district of Suffolk it is stated that the crop is miser-
ably small, and will not yield one• half the usual quantity
per acre. It has been computed that at least 10,000 acres
of wheat have been fed off or ploughed up, owing to the
bad plant and draught. From another district of the county
,the crop is well spoken of, and although not thick uponthe
ground the ears are well formed and corny, and give pro-
mise of fair yield. Taking both sides of the county into
account, I estimate the crop will fall very far short of the
past two years, and p;ove in the aggregate at least eight
bushels per acre below au average of seasons."

LONDON, fRIDAY, JULY 7, 1865.

-

The conclusion of the Parliament of 1859 has
been long expected, and often threatened. The
dissolution has been held in terrorem over the
heads of refractory members of the Government
ranks, and the argument which lay in a new elec-
tion and possible loss of a seat was usually strong
enough to prove most convincing. But, however
amiable or accommodating the waverers might
prove on emergency the inevitable hour could not
be always postponed, and although it has been de-
ferred till the very last it has at length come.
Under the guise of the prorogation the members
were yesterday dismissed for the last time to return
to their constituents, and give an account of them-
selves and their proceedings during the last six
eventful years. It is along story that they have to
tell, both in the negative and the affirmative. The
six years from 1859 to 1865 have included the
whole story of the American war, which will hence-
forth occupy a prominent place in every modern
history. Six years ago the elements of strife
and discord were indeed rife in the great Re-
public, and wise men foresaw that the breach
must come sooner or later, but the tragedy had
reached no further than the prologue. The interval
from 1859 to 1865 has contained the whole of the
war, and although we cannot consider the drama
fully played out, or the curtain yet fallen over the
immediate consequences of the struggle, yet the
Parliament which has just expired has seen the rise
and fall of the Southern cause during its brief life.
How it has acted in that great and momentous
question, the part it has played, the influtnce which
it has exercised, will be one of the point's on which
it will have to take the opinion of the country. Many
of the members take credit to themselves for the
caution and prudence with which they have avoided
any discussion calculated to irritate or aggravate
the quarrel. Mere words are certainly never very
profitable, and in so delicate and complex an affair
.rash and injudicious speeches might have excited
angry feelings, and have done mischief. At the
same time a more firm and resolute froitt might
have stimulated the Ministry to pursue a line of
policy more consistent with the wishes of the country,
and which might have averted much internal
wretchedness from the Americans themselves.

The affair of Schloswig Holstein has reached a
climax during the lifetime of this Parliament, and it
has little cause to rejoice over its share in the pro-
gramme. It suffered itself to be deluded with
official pretexts and diplomatic mystifications, and
frightened by the cry of non-intervention, until
England was exhibited to the world in the con-
temptible aspect of having promised support which
he was afraid to give. Relying on English aid the
attempted to maintain their rights. Follow-
ing English advice, they resigned half of what they
laid claim to. Both advice and aid proved to be of
so flimsy and useless a character that it was evident
that Berlin had from the first been better informed
than Copenhagen as to the intentions of the Cabi-
net of St. James's. Non-iutervention has been, in
fact, the bugbear of the late Parliament. To that

1):,n

shadow it has sacrificed the rights of Denmark and
the independence of America. It has been so
anxious to assure the world that nothing would in-
duce it to incur war expenses that all its diplomatic
efforts were hampered and powerless. It will
not be very easy to make out a good case at the
hustings, founded on the foreign policy which the
House of Commons has supported and sanctioned.
In matters of internal legislation the scrutiny to
which the proceedings of members will be subjected
is likely to be still closer. They may excuse them-
selves on various grounds for the foreign policy
which they have supported, and may contend that
the responsibility of that department rests mainly
with the Ministry of the day ; but what they will
find to say for themselves on the question of reform
aemains to be seen. When the country sent up its
representatives to St. Stephen's reform was the
great question of the day. Parties were outbidding
each other, and the few men who were bold enough
to object to the principle were wise enough to be
silent. Under the leadership of Lord DERBY, the
party which had always been most opposed to inno-
vation or improvement had ranked itself on the side
of reform, while the reformers proper were out-
Heroding Herod, and were prepared to adopt the
six points of the Charter without delay. How all
these fine promises have melted away into thin air,
how the noble lord, whose " Resolutions" proved
fatal to the DERBY Cabinet, and landed his
own friends safely on the Ministerial benches,
has suddenly discovered that " Rest and
be thankful" is the motto of genuine reformers,
how the reforming Parliament, which was elected to
carry out the necessary constitutional changes, has
arrived at the same conclusion, is a matter of poli-
tical history more notorious than creditable. Very
few of the ex-M.P.'s will he able to explain this
part of their story honourably to themselves or satis-
factorily to the electors, seeing that the great
Liberal party, after obtaining office by a political
manceuvre, has held it for six years without attempt-
ing the smallest reform of that constitution which
they so loudly declared their intention to amend.
It would of course be strange if, in six years'
time, no good and useful measures had been passed ;
and perhaps the most gratifying part of the Par-
liamentary performances are those which have
affected the general, internal, and domestic affairs of
the country. Mr. GLADSTONE may take credit to
himself for the French Treaty, for which he shares
the glory with the late Mr. COBDEN, whose straight-
forward independence and great ability will no longer
adorn the walls of our Parliament. Many useful
matters of domestic legislation have been dealt with,
and perhaps the session just expired, with its Union
Chargeability Bill, its Courts of Law Bill, and its
Partnership Amendment Bill, has been as produc-
tive of practical good as any of its immediate pre-
decessors. In legal reform there is still much to be
done, but the principle is gaining ground, and the
late Lord Chancellor, whatever his other draw-
backs, has done good service in this respect. Our
finance is prosperous—no thanks to the currency
laws or to the economy of our expenditure. Still
the burden of taxation has been so far lightened
that the candidates have not much to fear from the
criticism of their constituents. The House of 1859
exists no longer, it has played out its part, and has
left to its successor plenty of work, if it brings the
capacity and the will to do it.

Lord PALMERSTON has taken care that there
shall not be too much time for the study of his
address, for it is dated on the day of the dissolution
of Parliament ; not that there is much in it to
criticise, for the noble lord's statement is chiefly
remarkable for its omissions, and we learn sur-
prisingly little of any future policy. This reticence
is certainly peculiar, and from one in his position
it is inconsistent in the extreme. On the eve of a
new Parliament, especially after so long a suspen-
sion of active measures, one might naturally suppose
that the public might receive some intimation of
more energetic steps being taken, and some more
striking policy sketched out before them. The
noble lord seems to feel a dim foreboding of this
himself, for he says that if he were addressing his
constituents for the first time it might be necessary
for him to enter into some details, and " dilate
upon the future," but that, as circumstances are,
it is enough for him to refer to the past.

It must be confessed that this is an unfortunate
allusion, for the six years that have elapsed since
Lord PALMERSTON'S last accession to office have
not been such that they may be so complacently
referred to, and held out as a beacon for the future.
It is indeed melancholy to reflect that much has
taken place to tarnish the lustre of Lord PALMER-
STON'S reputation during the period referred to.
He gave the sanction of his support to a regular
trick which Earl RUSSELL condescended to play
respecting Reform; and, above all, the foreign
policy of the Government has been conducted
in a manner which Lord PALMERSTON would
never have consented to in his better days.
Nothing would have aroused his indignation to a
greater degree than the same tactics had they been
pursued by his opponents ; and had a political
prophet, in the zenith of the noble lord's reputation,
foreshadowed his closing career as Premier, no one
would have believed it. No wonder that in this
address Lord PALMERSTON is mute concerning the
course pursued towards Denmark, and the fatal
encouragement given to the designs of Prussia.
Silence is the most decorous mode to adopt when
such themes suggest themselves to the mind.
Neither is much said on the subject of the Ameri-
can war, nor the conduct of the Government to-
wards' the belligerent parties.
As for the Premier taking credit to the Govern-
ment for the progressive prosperity of the country,
notwithstanding the distress in the manufacturing
districts, that is quite out of character, because it
was through the noble exertions of the community
at large that all impending danger was averted,
and private energy, joined to public liberality, sus-
tained the weight of the calamity, and carried the
nation safely through the crisis. It is very con-
venient, however, for Ministers to assume a virtue
if they have it not occasionally, and to take credit
for what belongs to others. This feeling is ably
satirized in " Sybil," where it is said that the
•" great measures of Sir ROBERT PEEL produced
three good harvests."
When Lord PALMERSTON deelares that " Peace
has been preserved with foreign nations, and this
country has been exempt from the exertions and
sacrifices which within that period other countries
have been required to make, he forgets that there
are other things to consider, and higher objects in
view than mere material advantages and the con-
siderations of wealth. The chief questions to ask are,
Has the honour of the nation been preserved pure
and immaculate? have we as a mighty people been
as sedulous to protect the weak as we were to
show the strong that we were indifferent to them ?
These are all-important inquiries to make at the
close of a new Parliament ; and if they were pro-
perly instituted what answers could be made to
them? Have not the most disastrous consequences
ensued because of the tame demeanour of our Mi-
nisters, and has not England lost her rightful influ-
ence among the nations of the world throughthe false
steps taken, and the imprudent schemes resorted to
by the advisers of the Crown ? Seldom has a _