The Sun.
London, England, 1861-01-02 00:00:00

AFRICAN EXPLOR ITION.

(Frain the Cape Monitor.)
His Excellency Sir G. Grey has allowed the fol-
lowing highly interesting communication from the
Consul at Zanzibar, in reference to Captain Speke
and his exploring party in the eastern coast of

Africa, to be published :
British Consulate, Zanzibar, Aug. 23, 1860.
My dear Sir George Grey,—Capt. Speke arrived
here in the Brisk on the 17th inst., and from him I
have received the letter and books you so kindly
sent me, and for which I feel very much obliged to

you. Knowing the deep interest you take in every-
thing connected with Africa and its races, I have
often wished to communicate to you subjects con-
nected with these parts of it, and will do so on
every future opportunity, and also forward to you
as often as I can information regarding the pro-
gress of Capt. Speke's expedition. I think he has
every chance of success in his favour. British in-
fluence has been very much increased here by the
events of the last two years, especially by the active
aid given to the Sultan by British ships of war
during the rebellion of his brother and the El-
Harth tribe of Arabs. I have also lately eman-
cipated 4,500 slaves who were held by British
Indian subjects. I have had all these slaves
brought to the Consulate, and given to each a cer-
tificate of emancipation, with new dresses and pre-
sents of money and sweetmeats ; and all the tribes
on the coast are now aware that the English are
their best friends. The negroes of this part of
Africa are a most good-natured, docile, merry race,
and soon become very much attached to Europeans.
I have not yet had time to study the Zooloo Caffre
Dictionary you so kindly sent me, but in glancing
over it I am surprised to find how many words are
exactly the same as those of the Kisuahel language
spoken throughout the Zanzibar dominions; and
in lately reading Magyar's travels, I observed the
same of the language spoken by the tribes of the
West Coast, near Benguela, proving beyond a
doubt, that the people of the whole continent as
far north as the equator are of one original race.
An Arab merchan t,who has travelled across Africa
. from opposite Zanzibar to Loando, lately returned
here, and he told me that the languages all across
were so similar to that spoken here that his people
had no difficulty in making themselves understood.
Captain Speke had dozens of volunteers to accom-
pany him directly his arrival was known, and many
of his former companions are anxious to proceed
with him. Dr. Roscher, a young German, who left
Zanzibar in June last year, to explore the Lake of
Nyassa, was murdered on the 19th of Match last,
and his two murderers were beheaded here this
morning. He reached Nussera, on the east shore
of the Lake of Nyassa, on the 19th of November,
and remained there nearly four months, being
treated with the greatest kindness by the Sultan
and all the inhabitants. On the 16th of March he
left Nussera to go to the River Rovooma, accompa-
nied only by two negro servants, and with no
arms but a revolver. On the third day's march,
while resting at a village, they were attacked
by robbers, and poor Dr. Roscher was shot in
the throat and chest by arrows, and expired in
a few minutes. One of his servants was also
shot ; the surviving servant returned to the
Sultan of Nussera on the Lake, and the scene
of the murder being beyond his dominions
he sent him with an escort to the Sultan Kinzo-
manza, in whose territories the murders occurred.
This chief at once proceeded to the spot and
arrested the murderers, and recovered as much of
Dr. Roscher's property as he could, and sent the
men here, together with all the articles Dr. Roscher
had left as Nussera. Considering that no white
man had ever befose visited these districts, and that
Dr. Roscher had no escort, and no presents
for the chiefs, as he was very ill provided with
money, I think the kindness with which he was
treated by the chiefs and people is a strong proof
of their good disposition towards white men. His
unfortunate death was entirely owing to his own
imprudence in travelling through wild districts
with valuable instruments, &c., so entirely without
any means of defence. Another German gentle•
man, the Baron Van der Decken, a colonel in the
Hanoverian army, is now preparing for a journey
to the Nyassa, and by him I intend sending some
presents to the Sultan Nussera and the Sultan
Kinzomanza, who behaved so nobly towards a soli-
tary and unprotected white traveller. Dr. Reuther
said that it is a magnificent country all the way up
to the lake, which he reached in 85 days from the
coast. The Rovooma is crossed about six days before
reaching the Nyassa, and is there a deep, broad
stream. It discharges an immense body of water
nto the ocean, and is well worthy of being ex-
plored. While lately engaged in writing out the
certificates of emancipation for these 4,500 slaves, I
remarked that most of those who had been brought
here from the coast, some years ago, belong to the
tribes which inhabit the coast opposite Zanzibar,
while those which have been brought here within
the last few years are from the south, and belong
to the great tribes of Mazindo, Mizzahow, and
Nyassa, and I was then informed that most of the
tribe's which formerly famished most of the slaves
are now nearly extinct, and the country between
the coaot and the Lake Nyassa is fast becoming
depopulated. An Arab merchant, who recently
tohu
ntt
returned here from Nyassa, informed me
travelled for seventeen days through which
covered with ruined towns and villagaes
b the
,c
1:
the Custom-
a few years ago were inhabd
ear 19 000
itewdherey
now
Nyassa and Mizzailow tribes, _
no living soul is seen.
slaves were import .'•d thronige
Ist
from the coast
house here; of these 4,000 we
Jieelwa: destination
th
opposites and 15,000 from