Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1868-06-10


Africa, one called the Albert N'yanza, ant
one the Victoria Nyanza. 1t was journey
through a country peopled by hopeless
race of savages, and in which the travele
was in mortal peril continually from th
climate, from the ferocious wild beasts, and
from the barbarians more savage than the
beasts and more dangerous than the tropica
sun, and from malariou fevers. Since thai
book was published the author has given to
the public another volume, giving an account
of the exploration of the Nile tributaries il
Upper Egypt and Abyssinia. This last vol
ume is printed, in this country, by o. D Case
4 Co, of Hartford, CT. 1t makes large
volume of over six hundred pages.
The constant stream of the White Nile is
fed by the vast lakes in Central Africa, but
the annual overflow of the river, as 1t pour sa
fertilzing stream through Egypt to the Med
iterrancan, is due to the heavy fall of rain
from June until September, which floods the
Blue Nile and the Atbara, two grand aff1u
ents from Abyssinia. These are streams OF
immense volume and great grandeur in the
rainy season, but afterward shrink to utter
insignifcance, the Blue Nile becoming so
shallow to be unnavigable. and the Atbara
becoming perfectly dry. The book before
us describes, with the writer's easy facility
and graphic power, his explorations, o ccupy-
ing twelve months, of these and other tribu-
taries of the Nile Of course his journey
was diversified with a great variety Of Incl
dents, as he encountered races only partly
civilized or wholly savage. The country
abounds with the great game of Africa, and
furnishes abundant sport for daring hunters
and the book is enlivened with many narra-
tivcs of the excitements of the chase. The
volume is a valuable contribution to geogra-
ply and science, and will aid in forming a
correct idea of portion of Africa of which
little has been, until recently, certainly
known.
We copy below an extract from the vol
ume.
TIE DESERT JOURNEY.
Farewell to the Nile We turned our
backs upon the life giving river, and our
caravan commenced the silent desert
march.
\ few hours from korosko the misery
of the scene surpassed description. Glow
ng like a furnace, the vast extent of yell
low sand stretched to the horizon. Rows
of broken hills, all of volcanic origin,
broke the fiat plain Conical tumul of
volcanic Stag here and there rose to the
height of several hundred feet, and in the
far distance resembed the pyramids of
Lower Egypt-doubtless they were the
models for that ancient and everlasting
architecture hills of black basalt jutted
out from the barren base of sand, and the
molten air quivered on the overheated sur
face OF the fearful desert. ia Fahren-
heit in the shade under the water skins
l37 : in the sun Noiselessly the spon-
~ tread OF the camels crept along the
sand, the only sound was the rattle of some
loosely soourod haggag 70 of thcir packs.
The Arab camel drivers followed silently
at intervals. and hour by hour we struck
deeper into the solitude of the Nubian
desert
We entered dead level of orange
colored sand, surmounted by pyramidical
hills the surface was strewn with objects
resembling cannon shot and grape of all
sizes, from b FOUNDER downwards The
spot looked like the old battlefield of some
internal region rocks glowing with heat,
not a vestige of egetatiOn-barren, with
eriug desolation. The slow rocking step
of tie camels was most irksome,and despite
the heat | dismounted to examine the sa-
tame bombs and cannon shot. Many of
them were perfectly round as though cast
in a mould, others were egg shaped, and
all we're hollow With some difficulty |
broke them and found them to contain
briglt red sand they were in fact volcanic
bombs that had been formed by the ejec-
ton Of molten lava to great height from
active volcanoes, then had become gIobular
in falling, and having cooled before
reaching the earth, they retained their
forms as hard spherical bodies, precisely
resembling cannon shot. The exterior was
brown, and appeared to be rich in iron.
The smaller ones were the more perfect
spheres as they had cooled quickly, but
many of the heavier masses had evidently
reached the earth only half solidifed, and
collapsed upon falling. The sandy plain
was covered with such vestiges of volcanic
action. and the Internal bombs lay as i'm
perishable relics of a hailstorm, such as
may have destroyed Sodom and Gomor-
rah.
Passing through this wretched solitude
we entered upon a scene of fsurpassing desc
lation. Far as the eye could reach were
waves like a stormy sea, gray, cold-looking
waves in the burning heat; but no drop of
water 1t appeared as though sudden
curse had turned raging sea to stone.
The simoom blew over this horrible wild
erness and drifted the hot sand into the
creviees of the rocks. and the camels
dropped their heads before the suffocat-
ing wind, but still the caravan crept
noiselessly on over the rocky undulations,
until the stormy sea was past; once more
we were on a boundess plain of sand and
pebbles.
The guide commanded the caravan-he
was the desert pilot, and none dared ques-
ton his directions he ordered halt for
taco hours rest This was the usual stage
and halting place by the side of perpen-
dicular rock, the base of which was strewn
thick with camel's dung; this excellent
fuel soon produced a blazing fire. The
coffee began to boil and fowls were
roasting for hasty dinner. A short
snatch of sleep upon the sand, and the
voice of the guide again disturbed us The
camels had not been unloaded, but lay
down to rest with their packs, and had
there eaten their feed of dhurra (scrQtuua
culrare) from mat. In few minutes
We started; once more the silent and mon
OtOpouc 1acart ,,orob