The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1859-11-19
DISCOVERIES IN AFRICA.


The Cape Town Mail, of August 20, has
the following copy of letter from DR.. Liv-
ingstone to Sir George Grey, containing
sketch Of some important geographical dis
coveries in addition to those recently an
nounced by that distinguished explorer:
RIVER SHIRE, June |, 1859.
"MY DEAR SIR GEORGE we have later
discovered very fine lake by going up this
river in the steam launch about 100 miles,
and then marching some fifty more on foot.
1t is called by the natives Shirwa, and the
Lake N'gami is mere pond in comparison.
1t is, moreover, particularly interesting
from the fact reported by the natives on it's
shores that it is separated by strip of land
of only FIVE or six miles in width from
MANIA, or Lake F'ymyesi-the stars, which
Burton has gone to explore. Lake Shirwa
has no outlet, and the waters are bitter, but
drinkable. 1t abounds in fishes, leeches,
alligators and h,ppopotami. We discovered
also by examining partlya branch Of the
Shire, called Rue, that one portion of Shr-
wa is not more than thirty miles distant
from point that may easily DO reached by
this launch, which by newspaper measure
ment draws thirteen inches, and actually
thirty ono. The Lake Shirwa is very grand
1t is surrounded on all sides by lofty green
mountains. Dromba, or rs people nearest
it say, Zomba, is over 5000 feet high, of
same shape as Table Mountain; but inhab-
tied on the top; others are equally high but
inaccessible.-lt is a high land region-the
lake itself being about 1000 feet above the
sea. 1t is 90 or 80 miles wide, and 50 or
60 long. On going some way up hill, We
saw in the far distance two mountain tops,
rising like islands on watery horizon. An
inhabited mountain island stands near
where we first came to it. From the size of
the waves it is supposed to be deep. Mr..
Maclsar will show you the map. DR.. Kirk
and | with fifty Makololo formed the land
party. The country is well peopled and We
rymuch like Lauda in the middle of the
country, many streams rising out of boys
the vegetation nearly identical also. Never
saw so much cotton grown as among the
Manganga Of the Shire and Shrwa Valleys
ali spin and weave it. These are the lati.
tudes which have always been pointed out as
the cotton and sugar lands they are pre-
eminently so, but such is the disinterested-
ness Of some people that labor is exported
to Bourbon instead Of being employed here
Tho only trade they have is that of slaves,
and the only symptoms Of impudence We
met were from party Of BAHAMA slave-tra-
ders; but they changed their department i'm
medately. on hearing. that we were English
and not Portuguese. There are no Maravi
a. or near Shirwa; they are all ives: Of the
Shire. so this lake can scarcely be called
Lake Maravia, the Portuguese know moth
inc Of it, but the minister who claimed blue
book for 1857, the honor OF first traversIng
the African continent for two black men,
with Portuguese names, must explain why
they did not cross the Shrwa. 1t lies some
FORTY or fifty miles on each side Of the lat
i,ude of Mozambique, They came to Tsse
only. and lacked at least 400 Of Mosam-
bioue. We 90 back to Shirwa in July, and
make n rush for N'yinyesi.