The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1868-08-12
What Geographical Science Owes to
Missionaries.

There is no class of men that has contrib
uted more to the advancement of Geograph-
ical Science than missionaries. Impelled by
an earnest desire to benefit their fellow-men,
by imparting to them knowledge that shall
by its humanizing influences bring them out
from the darkness of barbarism, with a self
denial and patience worthy of our highest
appreciation, they surrender the society of
kindred and friends and the comforts of civil
ed life for homes in distant and unknown
lands. Toward whatever portion of the
globe We may turn our eyes-whether it be
amid the SHOWS of the artics or under the
burning sun of the equator-in the jungles
of india or on the islands of the sea-wher
ever man has made his habitation, may be
found the missionary, laboring, not for the
accumulation of wealth, not for personal
aggrandizement, but as the apostle of Him
who commanded, $50 We into all the world,
and preach the Gospel to every creature"
From the missionary stations throughout
the world, We receive not only much valua-
bic information relative to the country, its
people and products in their immediate
vicinity but there are few missionaries who
do not explore the surrounding country to
greater or less distance. Let us, by way of
Illustration, state single instance: A mis-
sionary society desired to make u trial of
their work in Eastern Africa, then a new
field, and established a mission, the head
quarters of which were on the eastern coast
of Zanguebar, opposite the island of Nom
bas. After establishing themselves, for the
purpose of becoming acquainted with the
manners and customs of the native tribes,
that they might the better judge of the pros
poets of the result of their labors, they pene-
trated into the interior; on one of their ex-
plorations, seeing lofty mountain, they
made their way to it. This was q snow
mountain, the Kiflimanjo.
An account of this journey was published
in England, but the existence of such a
mountain was denied by the scientific men
there. The missionaries persisted in their
testimony, and in order TO be able to furnish
further proof of the truth of their assertions,
made further explorations, and not only dis
covered second snow mountain, the Kenia,
but sent home information, obtained from
the natives, of great inland sea.
The Royal Geographical Society, after max
ing the most thorough investigation, posi-
BILE, determined to send an expidition to ex-
plore this country-and the result was the
discovery of two lakes, the Taganyika, and
one larger than this, which was named by
Capt Speke the Victoria Nyanza.
While this expedition, under Capts. Speke
and Grant, was at work in this vicinity, an
other expedition, of which Mr. (now Sir
SamueD Baker was the head, was formed
for the purpose of ascending the Nile, and
finding, if possible, another and larger lake,
of which vague reports were obtained from
the natives. After various detentions and
overcoming almost unsurmountable obeta-
cles, they at length, in March, 1864, came in
sight of the lake. "Like sea of quicksilver
lying far beneath the great expanse of water,
a boundless sea horizon on the south and
southwest, glttering In the MONDAY sun I;
while on the west, at so or go miles distance,
blue mountains rose from the bosom of the
lake to about 1000 feet above its level"
This lake, which they named the Albert Ny
ANA, proved to be the source of the upper
branches of the Nile, and settled definitely
question that has troubled the geographical
world for years.
1t is not probable that those results would
have been obtained for years but for the es-
tablishment of the missionary station allud-
ed to.
But it is not as explorers that missionaries,
as a class, render the greatest service to geo.
graphical science, but as aids to exploring
expeditions, by establishing for them points
of departure. There are but few expeditions
that do not on the outposts of civilization
halt at a missionary station, to gird them
selves anew, before plunging into the un-
known regions before them. The friendship
of the natives of the country secured by mis-
sionary labors enables more complete pre-
paratioDs to be made, and often supplies
guides for some distance, and frequently in
Productions to and safe passage through sec
tions upon which the light of the missions
shine only by reflected rays.
There is scarcely history of an expedition
of discovery in any country that does not
contain confirmation of this, and the ac-
knowledgment of the explorers of their
indebtedness to the missiouaries.-C Colt0It's
Journal Of Geography.