The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-11-22
DIR. Livinsstono's Report-Discovery Of the
Sources Of the Nile.

DIR. Livinsstone's Report-Discovery of the
Sources Of the Nile.
| We reproduced yesterday from the London
| Post of November the report Of DR.. Living
stone on his explorations and the sources of
| the Nile. This report was read on the even
ing OF the Sth inst, at the opening meeting
of the Royal Geographical Society, in the
Theatre of the Royal Institution, London,
Sir 4. Murchison, the president, in the
chair The Count de Paris, the Duke of We'll
ington, Sir Bartle Frere and Mr.. Crawford,
NJ p, were among the crowded and fashion
able attendance on this memorable occasion.
DR.. Livingstone's report is dated "Near
Lake Bangweolo. South Central Africa, July,
1863" 1t begins with reference to his
despatch dated February, 1857 in which he
had recorded his impression that he was then
on the watershed between the Zambesi and
either the Congo or the Nile. More extended
observation subsequently convinced him that
his impression was essentially correct, and
with his habitual modesty he announces one
of the most glorious discoveries in the annals
of modern geographical exploration by
sayng-'T think ! may safely assert that
the chief sources of the Nile arise
between ten degrees and twelve degrees south
latitude, OF nearly in the position assigned to
them by Ptolemy, whose river Rhapta is pro-
badly the Rovuma." The short sketch of his dis
coveries which he then proceeds to give conclu-
siyely shows that the springs o. the Nile have
hitherto been searched for very much too far
to the north. ''They rise some four hundred
miles south of the most southerly portion Of the
Victoria Nyanza, and, indeed, south of all the
lakes except Bangweolo." We need not reca-
pitulate the details of DR.. Livingstone's jour
ney from the valley Of the Loangwa over the
upland space some three hundred and fifty
miles square, south of Lake Tanganyika; the
country of Usango, east of that space; the
southern end Of the great valley enclosed be-
tween Usango and the Kone range; across the
Chambeze in ten degrees thirty-four minutes
south, and its continents south and north, with
their hippopotami the mountains of Rua the
upland on the northern slope of which he dis
covered on the I'd of April, 1867, Lake
Liemba, in the midst Of ''as perfect natural
paradise as Xenophon could have desired )"
and of this full and minute description
is given; towards the west of Tan
ganyika, avoiding the district disturbed by a
war between the chief of Itawa and party of
Ivory traders from Zanzibar; his visit to
Nisama, the chief of Itawa; to Lake Moero;
to Cazembe, and north towards Ujiji, which he
could not reach on account of the foundations.
DR.. Livingstone gives vivid account of the in
undations which obliged him to return to Cam
beze Only one of his attendants would ac-
company him as far as he was able to go; the
others on various pretences absconded. ''The
fact is" he says, ''they are all tired of this
everlasting tramping, and so verify am /.
Were it not for an inveterate dislike to give in
to difficulties without doing my utmost to over
come them would abscond too. / comfort
myself with the hope that by making the
country and people better known am doing
good. and by imparting little knowledge oc-
casionally l may be working in accordance
with the plans of an all-embracing Providence.
In such simple and noble language does the illus
trious explorer reveal the secret motives of the
ambition which leads him to expose his life in
behalf ofscience and the welfare ofmankind. It
is not at all surprising that this passage and
other eloquent passages in his report were
greeted with applause at the meeting Of the
Royal Geographical Society. The justifiable
complaints which DR.. Livingstone makes of
~ uho fall into ri1
blunders by tampering with his mathematical
observations also provoked and merited sym
pathy. To a postscript he consgns in a char
acteristic style, under the head of 'Always
something new from Africa, an alusion to his
discovery of a large tribe that lives in under
ground houses in Rua Many other travellers
would have written volume about such a
discovery, but Dr. Livingstone contents him
self with brief mention of it. The whole
civilized world will rejoice in the announce
ment by the President of the Royal Geographi-
cal Society that the great problem Of the
sources of the Nile has been solved-that the
road is open to his ilustrious friend whose
return, he said, might be expected within a few
months, and who would receive q welcome
such as few Englishmen have ever expe-
rienced
THE PEABODY MONUMENT FUND-A SCAN
DALous SCENE.-A meeting was to have been
held in the Stock Exchange on Saturday for
the purpose of raising a fund for 9 monument
! TO the late George Peabody but the gathering
turned out to be most scandalous affair,
almost unworthy of Five Points rowdies. If
the Stock Exchange can pay no higher COM
| pliment to the memory of Mr.. Peabody the