Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1857-01-21
DIR. L1v1NGsroNE.s DISCOVERIES.

The n. Y. Tribune says The secret Of Az
rica has ceased to be. That mysterious quar-
ter of the globe, last in civilizaton-for in the
geography of human advancement, as well as
in physical geography, Egypt has always been
part of Asa-fortifed against foreigners i,y
its compact form, its fatal fevers, the fabulous
savagery IF its inhabitants, and more than all,
the uncertain terror which is everywhere pro-
jectcd like shadow from the unknown. has
within few years past, lost part of its mys-
terious character. The sources OF the Nile
have been almost reached. The countries to
the south of Sahara have been crossed and re-
crossed by white men. Steam has vcxed a
thousand miles of the waters of the Niger
and TribWnes have been regularly sent to with
in three or four hundred miles of the geogra-
phical center OF the country. North of tie
Cape of Good Hope, Lake Ngami has recent
~ added something to our knowledge, and its
discovcrer, DIR. Livingstone, is now astonish-
ing the lovers of heroic perseverance and per-
feet maps, by his details of a walk of 1000
miles from ST. Paul de Loando on the Allan
tic, to Quillimanc the Indian Ocean.
DIR. Livingstone is nearly forty years old.
His face is fu:rowed by hardships and thirty
fevers, and black with exposure TO burning
sun. His left arm is crushed and nearly help
can lion and sixteen years among savages have
given him an African accent and great hesi-
fancy in speaking English. Passing through
all privations with the heart of a true hero, not
as sacrifices but victories, he reached ST.
Paul de Loando, in May, 1851, after foot
journey of thousand miles from his mission
among the Bechuanas. lie remained at ST.
Loando until the close of the year when lie
set out for the unknown East. In March he
arrived az Quilimane, where he taken up
by British man of war. On the wa he
traced the Lecambyc down to the Zambezc
thus demonstrating the existence in the cen
ter of this unknown land of a river some two
thousand miles long.
This immense stream, whose discovery is
the great fruit of the journey, is in itself an
enigma without parallel. But small portion
of its waters reach the sea-coast. Like the
Abyssinian Nile, it falls through a basaltic
cleft, near the middle OF its course, which re-
duces its breadth frcm 200 to % yards A
bove these falls it spreads out periodically in
to great sea, filling hundreds of lateral chan
nels; below it is a tranquil stream of totally
different character. Its mouths seem to be
closing. The southernmost was navigable
when the Portuguese first arrived ia the conn
try. 800 years ago, bnt it has long since ceas-
ed to be practicable. The Quillmane mouth
has of late years been impossible, even for
canoe, from July to February, and for 2oo or
300 miles mp the river navigation is never at
tempted in the dry season. Aud IN this very
month of July, when the lower portion of the
river, after its April freshets. has shrunk to
mere drib lie, above the falls the river spreads
ont like sea oyer hundreds Of square miles.
This, With frequent cataracts and the hoS,ili
ty of the natives, would seem to be an eff.ctu-
n hH ~ ~ hiSs hsuss - - tsAs sad iui.