Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1866-11-10
Tho Great Problem Solved.


"Threc En.lishmcn have penetrated into
the unknown wilds, where the great river had
been lost from tho earliest memory OF uian.
They have not rectilied, they have ma.lc the
map of the interior OF Atric,. New tribes
and undiscovered countries have sprung up as
it were, under their feet. ln despite Ut all
difficulty aud uf discouragencnt, aud disease
aud weakness, not to speak Of the disgust both
of body and mind, which is inevitable in sucl,
journey-Spcke and Grant aud Baker have
pursucd their great object to the end, and
have won from unwilling nature her long
hoardcd secret. The Nile has been forced out
of darkness and mystery into daylight aud tho
records of SCIENCE. 1t has been traced up to
those sources which arc unrraccnblc-to the
dcws and rains and monntnin cataracts, which
feed its two most northern lakes The great
fact is established and certain. There can he
no longer any doubt about the sources ot the
Nile. Let Us hope that higher and more i'm
portant results are to follow"
Mr.. Baker commenced his ex pcdtion from
Cairo, in April, 1861, when Spoke aud Grant
were still in Africa, accompanied by Mrs
B,kcr-a refined and Intelligent lady, who
makes no demonstration like our IS strong-
minded women but whose bravery, when
his men mutinied to murder him. and whose
care Of him when Frustrated by the tovcrs of
Africa, saved him from death among the can
nibal s'.vagcs OF Central Africa. Having pcn-
ctratel to l}crber he spent year in stud wing
the Arabic language, aud exploring the aiflu.
cnts of tho Nile from the Abyssini,n noun.
tains In 1862 he was ut khartuom. lie
hired his servants, forty five ar.nu.l men, forty
sailors, and other servants, u,king purity Of
ninety six, aud proceeded on his voyage of
many mishnps to GnndHnrh. Here he net
Spoke and Grant. who give him all the inior-
nation they had obtained concerning his route.
After several days spent with them. he took
his leave of the homcwarl bound explorers.
and star.ol ":<.;. l.i, mission tU discover
what the Nile dId with itself between Latitude
degrees I minutes and degrees 50 min
utes we cannot follow our explorers through
many months OF w!arSn.me iourncyinys-lt
one time half Stirvcsl, no ,n,innrd hy their ser.
wants, their canrls dead at another sick and
ready to persh-ivory traders aud brutal ne
grocs conspirng g,inst them Their priva
tions, tolls and sufsrinys surpass i'll the nd.
ventures of ro nance. In one part of their
journey lIc walked, half dead, at the side Of
the litter on which his wife, almost lifulcss,
was carried. and for seven days and nights
never closed bis eyes in sleep.
-Four days at'cr Mrs. Is, began to recover
from brain fever. they reached the great lako
III Central Africa--the long sou sllt Tor spring
whence flows the Nile. lIurryiny up the sum
nit of hill. he says:
"Thc glory of our prize burst suddenly
upon ne There, like II SCH of quicksilver,
lay far beneath tho grand cxprnse of water
boundless sciorizDn Oh tho South aud
Southwest glitterng in the noon.d y sun, and
on the West at fifty or sixty miles dist.ncc,
blue mountains 1889 fron the bosom of the
lake to a height OF about seven hundred feet
above its level 1t is impossible to describe
the triumph Of that moment; here was the
reward of all our labor-or the wears of to-
mcrity with which We had toilcd through At
RIGA. England had won tho sources of tho
Nile Long before reached this spot ar
ranged to give three cheers with all our men
In English style in honor Of the discovery, but
now that looked down upon the great inland
SCI, lying in tho very heart of Afric.. and
thought how vainly mankind had sought these
sources through SO many ages. and reflected
that | had been the hunblc iustru nert per-
mttcd to unravc this portion of the great n,ys-
terry when 30 many greater than had filled,
1 felt too serious to vent my feelings in vain
cheers for victory. aud sincerely thanked God
for having guided and supported us throu. h
NIL dangers to the good end. y The ziv.
zng path to descend to the lake was 81 steep
and dangerous that we were forced to leave
our oxen with guide, who was to take thcm
to NIagungo and wait for our arrival. We
commenced the descent Of the steep PISS on
foot. led tho WY. graspinga stout b.lnb,o;
my wife, in extreme we,kncss tottcred dow,
tho path, supporting herself on my shoulder,
and stopping to rest every twenty p ices, AZ
terra tolsonc descent OF about two hours
weak with years Of fover, bnt for tho moment
strengthened ny success, we gained tho level
plain below tho cliff"
On reaching tho waters c,,,e. he saws: "I
rushed into the lake, ard thirsty with heut