The Nevada Democrat., 1860-01-04
WHOLE NO. 326.
Discoveries In Eastern AFRICA.


The intrepid and scientific travellers, Captains
Barton and Spske, conquering thousand diff
iculties, succeeded Ia penetrating the continent
between latitudes four degrees south to the
depth Of six hundred miles, over land that the
foot OF a European never trod before. The
most remarkable discoveries they made consist
ed 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 oonhne our notice 10 the Lake Ny
anza ne the most important, II was found to
be 2.T00 feet above tae level of the sea, and
hence about three times higher than the Lake
OF Geneva. It's breadth was estimated from
forty to ninety miles, aud its length conjectured
at three hundred, which would give II an area
equal to that of two thirds Of Ireland. This
mighty inland sea IL conjectured by Capt Speke
to be the true aud long sought for source Of the
Nile--a question which has puzzled civilized
men for two thousand years aud is still unset
tied. In our Judgement the question Is more
of words than OF substance. Every great river
has many sources. aud il depends on the nom-
enclature TO which Of the seve al contributing
streams we may give the name which practice
has assigned. We have. however, no doubt but
that the water of the Lake Nyanza does con-
tribute 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 enter
prising travellers, we have few words to say,
The land is evidently less favored by nature
than that OF the western side of the continent,
and the negroes are physically and perhaps
even mentally, inferior. The eastern side pos
sesses no navigable rivers leading to the sea, as
does the western nor has IL the gold or vana-
BILE palm Of the latter. Its corns consist OF
mellet and Of maize. the latter received from
America, through India. With apparently
abundant facilities for irrigation, not a grain
Of rice, the main cereal OF tropics, is grown by
the rude and stupid inhabitants. The only VAL
liable product is coffee--still however, In q
wild state only. This is peculiar indigenous
plant 10 this part Of Africa, although we call IL
Arabian, because we first derived IL in Its cul-
tivated 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
domestcaied. The horse is unknown, and so
10 the hardy ass except to-a few Arabian set
tiers. Man, then, has here no help Ia bis toll,
without which any respectable progress towards
civilization s impossible. A hardy, course cot
ton 10 grown, aud the art Of weaving fabric
of corresponding quality is understood. SO is
the art of making malleable iron, the highest
stretch of negro civilization in this part OF AT
rica. Letters are unknown to negroes of the
eastarn coast. The staple exports consist of
the bodies Of the inhabitants ia bondage, and
Of the tusks OF the slaughtered elephants. The
Imports correspond In value.- London Examiner.