The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-10-27
Discoveries I'M EASTERN AFRIcA.


DISCOVERIES IN EASTERN AFRICA.
The intrepid and scientific travellers, Cap
tains Burton and Spoke, conqueriug thousand
difficulties, succeeded in penetrating the CONT
nent, between latitudes four degrees south 20
the depth Of six hundred miles, over land that
the foot Of European never trod before. The
most remarkable discoveries they made con-
sisted of two fresh-water lakes, those Of Ujiji
and Nyanza, the bare existence of the first of
which only had been known, while that of the
latter, by far the largest, had not even been
suspected.
We shall oon6ne our notice to the Lake
Nyanza as the most important. 1t was found
to lie 1900 feet above the level of the sea, and
hence about three times higher than the Lake
of Geneva. Its breadth was estimated from
forty to ninety miles, and its length conjectured
at three hundred, which would give il an area
equal to that of two-thirds Of Ireland. This
mighty inland sea is conjectured by Captain
Spoke to be the true and long sought.for source
of the Nile; question which has puzzled civ
ihzed men for two thousand yeas, and is still
unsettled. In our judgment, the question is
more of words than of substance. Every great
river has many sources, and il depends on the
nomenclature to which of the several contribu>
ting streams he may give the name which
practice has assigned. We have, however, no
doubt but that the water of the L Ike Nyaaza
does contribute largely toward feeding the
classic stream, the inundation Of which is the
source of the fertility of that Egyptian valley
which for thousands of years has exercised so
large an influence on the civilization of man.
OF the country and people seen by our sn-
terprisiug travellers, we have bat few wotds to
say. The land is evidently less favored BY ma
nm tbaY hot ne tha N
nent, and the negroes are physically, and per-
haps even mentally, inferior, The eastern side
possesses no nsvigsble rivers leading to the sea.
as does the western, nor has it the gold or tia
valuable palm oil of the latter. Its corns COO
stat OF rnlllet aud of maize, the latter received
from America though India. With apparently
abundant facilities tor irrigation, not q grain Of
rice, the main cereal of tropics, is grown by the
rude and stupid inhabitants. The only yalua-
BILE product is cofee-still however. in a wild
state only. This is peculiar indigenous plant
in this part of Africa, although VIC call it Ara.
ban, because we first derived Il in its cultivated
state from that country. The common fowl
and oxen, the latter used only for their flesh
and small milk, but not for labor, are the only
animals which have been domesticated. The
horse Is unknown, and 80 is the hardy ass, ex-
oept to a few Arabian settlers Man, thea, has
here no help IN his toll, without which any re.
spectacle progress towards civilization is ilrpos.
slble. A hardy, coarse cotton is grown, and
the art of weaving fabric of corresponding
quality is understood. So is the art of MAKING,
malesbie iron, the highest stretch Of negro civ.
lilsation in this part Of Africa. Letters are an,
known to the negroes of the eastern coast. The
staple exports consist of the bodies OF the iu-
habitants III bondage, and of the tusks of the
slaughtered elephants. The Imports CORES.
pond In value.--LondOn Examiner,