Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-11-28


ther Facts Concerning DIR. Living
stGEIe,
AT a meeting of the Royal Geographical
Society in London, on Nov s, some let
tiers were read from DIR. David Living
stone, the explorer of Africa The latest
date of the news from him was July s,
SOS, sixteen months previous; and he
then wrote, Il have had no news from
anywhere for TWO years and upwards
If any adventurous spirits are mourning
that the earth's surface has been so thor
oughly examined, and travel made so easy
and rapid that nothing remains for Co
lumbus or Cortez of these days, they
may be cOmforted by learning that there
are still regions so remote as to require
nearly -four years to obtain an answer to
a letter; regions in which foreign inva-
der might reign over a kingdom as large
as France for a Presidents term of office,
or might perish and ''be blown about the
desert dust before his friends at home
could know whether he is alive or dead.
The most curious discovery made by
Dr. Livingstone in this, his boldest expe-
dition into the solitudes of Africa, is
summed up by Mr.. John Kirk, the British
Consul at Zanzibar, in the following re
port TO the secretary of the government at
Bombay:
''Sir-The chief point of geographical
interest in the present letter of DIR. Liv-
ingstone, is the statement that the sources
of the Nile are to be found in the lakes
and rivers that drain the great valley in
which Cazembe is situated, and lying to
the south of Tanganyika, between ten
and twelve degrees of south latitude.
'"The town Of Cazembe, from which
DIR. Liyingstones previous letters de
cember, 1860 were dated, has been al
ready visited and described 10y the Portu-
guese missions. It is situated on the shore
of one of a chain of lakes that flow north
wards. The ChambeZe having collected
by many streams, the waters of the north
crn slope of the damp, elevated plains,
flows to join Lake Bangweolo. This
again is connected with Lake Moero by the
LOapaia, on whose banks the town of Ca
zembe is built. Moero is, in its turn,
drained by the Luabala into another lake,
named Ulengy, and here exploration ends.
Natives have told Dr. Livingstone that
Ulenge is an island-studded lake whose
waters Join the Lufira, large river com
ing from the western side of the same
great plain, whose eastern slope is drained
bv the Chambeze. This united stream,
some saw, enters the Tanganyika, and
thence hy the LeOnda into Lake Chow
ambe but Dr. Liyingstone's infomantS
are not unanimous, and some assert that
the Lufira passes 10 the west of Tan
ganvika, and so to the Lake ChOWmnbe,
which DR. Livingstone thinks is the same
rs the Albert Nyanza of Sir 5. Baker.
"m fact, The interest of the journey
centers in the southern connections Of the
Albert Nvauzl; aud Arab traders geneT.
ally agree in thinking that water com.
munication does not exist between that
and the Tanganyika; but have not met
with any one who processes 10 have traced
out this communication.
'tFrom Arabs who visit CaZembc,
learn that the lakes now described by DR.
Livingstone are of considerable size
probably from five to ten days march il
length, and, like Nyassa, Tanganyika ant
the Albert NyanZa, OveThung by higl
mountain slopes, which open out in bay
and valleys, or leave great plains, which
during the rainy season, become flooded
so that caravans march for days through
water knee deep, seeking for highei
ground on which TO pass the night ThD
country abomds with large game ans
domestic cattle, while the climate i
spoken of as not unhealthy, and is Ger
tainlv a contrast to the Zanzibar coast, i
we may judge from the tanned, healthy
traders who return.
The evidence on which DR.. Livingston
concludes that the valley of Cazembe j
the source of the Nile is not given in hi
letters, and the question has perhaps err
this been decided by his personal invest
cations. Should the opinion here eX
pressed be confirmed, it will prove tia
the Greek gcographer, Ptolemy, haC
solved more than seventeen centurie
ago. the question which has most of al
peTplcXed The gcogTaphers of the nine
teenth century. In this it viii only al,
one more to the well-Camed hOnOrs o
perhaps the greatest name in ancient sci
ence, the discovcrcr of the form of TIA
earth, the inventor of the parallels of lat
itude and longitude, the first astronomC
who caught a glimpse of the true theOr
of the solar system, and the first physics
philosopher who understood the cause
rcfraCtiOn.
If the Nile rises where DR. Livingston
supposes, il is by far the longest river
the world. 1t extends from latitude !
or 10 degrees south to latitude 81 degre,
north, a distance in a straight line {
nearly OF quite 5000 miles, or much MOI
than the whole breadth of the temporal
zone between the tropic of Cancer an
the polar circle, within which lies nin
tecp-twcntieths of the continent of Mort
America.