The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-07-15


enemies, as he would not be with them on
their return up the river SO we are left in
doubt if the Victoria Nile was assembled, in
stead of the Nile proper being descended,
from the love of geography, or from sheer
necessity. The latter is to be doubted, for
the travellers could have exchanged canoes on
reaching the Madi, and sent the lake
people back in safety. This was all
the more vexatious, as, Sir Samuel
saws he could see the river
issuing from the lake within eighteen miles of
Magungo, and although it is marked on the
map as being navigable to the first cataract at
Mount Koko, still the question of first im7
portance, as to the navigability with few
intervening portages) of the Great River
Nile, from its embouchure in the Mediterra-
mean to the Albert Nyanza, would have been
forever determined, and Sir Samuel and Lady
Baker might have been spared many perils
and much suffering. This is one great point
which may now happily be fairly considered
as on the way of being settled
1t is not little remarkable that so intui-
lively did the quick feminine perception of
Lady Baker feel this point, that when Sir
Samuel proposed going up to Karuma,
although he felt, by taking so circuitous
route, he might lose the boats at Gondokoro
and become prisoner In Central Africa, ill
and without quinine, for another year, Lady
weakness to complete the river to Karuma,
but wished, if possible, to return and follow
the Nile from the lake down to Gondokoro
The latter res olive, based upon the simple
principle of ''seeing is believing, was how
ever, declared by her lord and master 'to be
q sacrifice most nobly proposed, but simply
impossible and unnecessary" If there was
any unnecessary sacrifice to be made in the
matter, it would certainly seem to have been
in taking the sick lady up to Karuma, instead
of conveying her by canoe down the Nile to
Gondokoro.
A second and equally interesting point,
although not of SO much Importance to the
future opening of the country, is the possible
communication between the Albert Nyanza
and Lake Tanganyika. From the elevation
at which Sir Samuel Baker stood, when he
first saw Lake Albert with boupdless hori-
zon to the south and southwest, it's waters
would appear to extend beyond the parallel
assigned by Burton and Spoke to Lake Rusisi,
and, in fact, to embrace that lake as a kind of
inlet, as also Lake Tapganyika further south.
The elevation given to Lake Tanganyika of
only eighteen hundred and forty-four feet
above the level of the sea, while the Albert
Nyanza is two thousand four hundred and
forty feet above the same level, and the in
formation given to Burton and Speke as to
the waters at the north end of Tanganyilza
flowing into that lake, are opposed to this
view of the subject; but it is possible that
there may have been an error in the
barometrical observation made, as also in the
information obtained from the natives. 1t is
now known that the waters of Lake Tangan-
yika do not flow into the N'yassa, which has
an elevation of only thirteen hundred feet
above the level of the sea; but, on the con-
trary, that the rivers and small lakes south of
the Tanganyika pour their waters into that
great reservoir. 1t is not probable that Lake
Tanganyika should have no outlet and receive
rivers at both its north and south extremities,
as also in its centre, the Malagarasi. The
position of the lake, added to the discovery
made by Sir Samuel Baker of the great south
erly extension of the Albert N'yanza, would
then tend to show that the most southerly
tributaries south of Tanganyika-possibly
the Moi Tawa, discovered by Livingstone,
northeast of the N'ysssa-are the most remote
sources of the Nile. 1t is to be hoped that
Livingstone's last journey will have settled
this dubious point, and we shall but express
the satisfaction which will be felt by all, at
hearing of the safe return of the great tra-
weller before Sir Samuel Bakers expedition is
set in motion. As that expedition partakes,
if we understand rightly, of character of
Egyptian occupation and annexation, the
African chiefs may now be induced to look
upOu llS pI6ScuCc Ol II WulI0 III IuSlr
countries as the fCrerunner of invasion on
the part of their hereditary foes, and the life
of such man, however innocent his inten-
tions, would no longer be safe.
DR.. Livingstone may, however, be in quite
a different part of the country; for it is Sir
r. l. Murchison's opinion that if the distin-
guished traveller satisfied himself when at the
southern end of Lake Tanganyika that its
waters were about eighteen hundred feet
above the sea, as stated by Burton and Speke,
he would necessarily infer that they could not
flow northwards in the much higher equato-
rial lakes. In this case he would abandon the
northern route, III which it was supposed he
might find the waters of the Tangan-
yika flowing into the Albert N'yanza of
Baker. Having also ascertained that the Tan
ganyika was fed by rivers flowing
from the south and the east, it would be evil
dent under these circumstances that this vast
body of fresh water (three hundred miles in
length) must find its way to the west, and he
would then follow the river or rivers which
issue on the west coast of Africa. Under this
supposition, Sir II. 1. Murchison thinks he
may be first heard of from one of the western
Portuguese settlements, or even from those
on the Congo. If this view be entertained,
we cannot be expected to hear OF
Livingstone for some time to come as
the distance he would have to traverse
is vast, and the region unknown. This
hypothesis is also said to explain why no in
telligence whatever respecting him has been
received at Zanzibar, inasmuch as he has been
travelling through vast country, the IN
habitants of which have no communication
with the eastern coast Sir r.. l. Murchisor
says he entertains a well-founded hope that
his distinguished friend-thanks to his iror
frame and undying energy-wil issue from
Africa on the same shore at which, after