Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1849-04-07
SOURCES OF THE N,LE-DIscovnnrEs.

SOURCES OF THE NiLE-DiScONEHiEs'
The last number of Liicll's Living Age
has n remarkably interesting articleon Wern's ,
expedition to the sources of the Nile. This
wonderful stream, our readers known, ras !
never been traced 10 its source, which is
somewhere in The interior OF Africa Inc
Nile has two branches, called the Blue Nile
and the White Nile. The source OF the Tor
mer of these was discovered by Bruce, in the
interior of Abyssnia, but such was the popu-
,ar belief that the sources of the Nile could
no, be discovered. that Bruce was no, be-
lieyed! One of the best modern travellers,
who told very accurate story, was not be-
l;eyed because il was incredible that the
springs of the Nile should be known, or that
such peculiar race OF blacks should exist
rs we're found in these regions of ancient
Ethiopia!
Relieved or not, however Brucc's account
was true He did discover the springs OF the
Blue Nile. Blu, the Blue Nile was much the
shortest branch. II bore the same relation 10
the White Nile (which is the real rlveF;) as
the Upper Mississippi does to The NnSso'r',
II is the inferior branch. The real source oi
tho Nile remained 10 be discovered, and IS
not yet known
The White Stream, (Nile;l which is the
Western branch. is the largest. Prior TO the
eypedition fitted out by Mchemed All, III
1890. and in which Mr.. Verne was passen-
ger. the fat,hest point reached up the Niie
Ruf ale
though the sonrcc il not yet exactly known,
we do know that it is very near, ii net lusi
exactly onthe equator
MIR. Verne in this expedition, reached ia'i-
,pde degrees, or nearly 400 miles beyond
the previously asccitained limit. There was
an obstruction or fall in the stream, and II
grew narrower as Mr.. Werne thought; bnt
it was quite certain its sources OF the Me
and the Niger will probably be found not tar
apart. They are said 10 be in the ''Moun-
,ains of the Moon:'' but who knows anything
of the Mountains of the Moon! No one.
There are unknown lands which may yet
reward some future advcnturers with The
fame of discovery.
1t is most curious, lha, the lat. deg. 10
which Mr.. Verne penetrated) is several de-
rrees beyond the point at which the heads OF
the Nile are placed, on our common maps,
while it is certain that the real springs were
vet hundreds of miles beyond lat. i degrees
All our IDEAS of Central Africa, (generally re-
presented as desert,) are deranged by The
fact, that Mr. Verne found these remote re-
gons luxurant in foliage, and inhabited by
dense swarms of people. These people
were, some of Them, gigantic in stature
while they were most savage in life
The voyage of this Egyptian was one o
peculiar interest. 1t has but recently beer
given 10 the English public, Mr.. Verne bein:
aGerman. Blackwood's Magazine thus speak
of it:
We can conceive few things more exciting
than such VOYAGE as Mr.. Verne has accom-
plished and recorded. Starting from III
eu,posts of civilization, he sailed into th
very heart of Africa, up stream whose NJ
per waters were then for the first time fu
rowed by vessels largerthan savage, cano
"a stream of such gigantic proportions: tha
its width at thousand miles from the sc;
gave it the aspect of Il lake rather than of
river The brute creation were in proportio
with the magnitude of the water-course. Ih
hippopotamus reared his huge snout aboy
the surface, and walow i'll the gullies that c
either hand run down the stream, enormol
crocodiles groped along the shore ; elephan
played in herds upon the pastures: the Ia
giraffe stalked among the lofty palms; snak
thick as trees lay coiled in the Shiny swamp
and ant hills ten feet high, lowered abo'
the rushas. Along the thickly peoped ban
hordes of savages showed themselves, gain
in wonder at the strange ships, and makil
ambiguous gestures. variously construed
by the adventurers as signs Of friendship
hostility. Alternately sailing or towing,
the wind served or not constantly in sight
natives, but rarely communicating with the
often cut off for days from land by intermin
BILE fields Of tangled weeds--,he cNpediti
pursued its course through innumerable per
guaranteed from most of them by the liqr
rampant on which it aoated Lions look
hungry and savages shook their spears, |
neither showed disposition TO swim off a
board the hota-Cia. Atlas.