The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1870-01-22
DIR. Livingstone's Discoveries in Africa

There was very great curiosity IN London DUR
inc the first week in November to learn the
contents of a dispatch which the papers an
nOunced had been received from DR.. David Living
stone. 1t was read at the meeting of the Royal
Geographical Society held on Monday, the 9Th,
before a crowded and fashionable audience. Sir
ROderick Murchison, who presided, INDUCED IN a
little selEgratulation at his own hopefulness and
faith in DIR. LiVingstone's existence, and said that
he had received a private letter from the explorer,
which covered twelve closely-written pages, but
that he would make public whatever in it should
be of general interest. The dispatch from DIR.
Livingstone TO the Secretary for Foreign Affairs
was then read. 1t was dated July, 1868, near
Lake Bangweolo, South Central Africa. The
main fact which was revealed in the letter,
namely, that the sources of the Nile are 10 be
found between the tenth and twelfth degrees of
south latitude, has already been telegraphed by
the Atlantic cable, and has been commented upon
by the press generally. The details of his dis
cOyeries can hardly be rendered interesting with
out the aid of maps which are not generally
accessible. The most of those contained in the
modern aliases are rather puzzling than an assist
ance to the student.
1t seems that the true sources of the Nile are
in the lakes and rivers that drain the great valley
i'm which the town of Cazembe is situated, and
lying to the south of Tanganyika. The small
streams from the south form a river, the Cham
beze, which flows north to Lake Bangweolo,
whence the dispatch is dated. This lake is con-
nected with Lake MOero, by the River Lapula,
on whose banks the town of Cazembe is built.
The River Lualaba then drains Lake MOerO into
the third Lake, Ulenge, and here the exploration
ends. DIR. Livingstone learns from natives tEat
the River Luf-a, a large stream which drains the
western side as the CambeZe drains the eastern
slope Of the great upland plain, takes the waters
of the Ulenge. They do not however agree
whether this great river. thus formed, enters the
Lake ChOwende direct or takes the Lake Dalgan-
yika and the River LOanda in it's course. DR..
Livingstone supposes that the Chowende is the
same as the Albert Nyanza, discovered by Sir
Samuel Baker. 1t Will be noticed from this
description, which can hardly be cOmprehended
without the aid of maps, that the only remaining
problem of the Nile is the link between Lake
UleDge and Lake Chowende, or Albert Nyanza.
There is a mass of interesting information con-
corning the topography Of the country explored
by the brave DIR. Livingstone. He found a great
upland region, from three to six thousand feet
above the level Of the sea, covered generally with
n dense forest, having n rich soil, well watered,
and quite cool. East of this space he discovered
another upland region, populated by a light
eolored race, very hOspitable to strangers. On
the first mentioned upland he discovered on the
ID of April, 1867, 4 lake called Liemba, which
he thus describes
"It lies in a hollow with precipitous sides
1000 feet down it is extremely beautiful, sides,
top and bottom being covered with trees and
other vegetation. Elephants, buffalOes and ante
lOpes feed on the steep slopes, while hippopOtami,
crocodiles and fish swarm in the waters. Guns
being unknown, the elephants, unless sometimes
deceived into a pitfall, have it ali their own way.
1t is as perfect a natural paradise as Xenophon
could have desired. On two rocky islands men
till the land, rear goats and catch fish. The
villages ashore are embowered in the palm oil
palms of the west coast of Africa. Four con-
siderable streams flow into Liemba, and a num-
Der of brooks (ScOnice trout burns) from twelve
to fifteen feet broad, leap down the steep, bright
red clay schist rocks, and form splendid cascades
] that made the 6ulleSt of NV attendants mango
and remark with wonder. i measured one of
the streams, the Lofu, fifty miles from its con-
fuence, and found it at a ford 294 feet, say 100
yards broad, thigh and waist deep, and flowing
fast over hardened sandstone flag in September
the last rain had fallen on the 18th of May.
Elsewhere the LOfu requires canoes. The Lonzua
drives a large body of smooth water into Liemba
bearing on its surface duck weed and grassy ISL
ands. This body of water was ten fathoIns deep.
Another of the four streams is said to be larger
than the Lofu, but an over o6icious head man
prevented my seeing more of it and the others than
their mouths. The lake is not large, from eighteen
to twenty miles broad, and from thirty-6ve to
forty long. 1t goes off north northwest in a
river ike prolOngation two miles wide, it is said,
to Tanganyika. L would have set it down as an
arm of that lake but that its surface is $500 feet
above the level of the sea, while Spoke makes it
1,844 feet only"
DIR. Livingstone was prevented from verifying
his conjecture by Il war among the natives which
delayed him and finally led him to abandon the
project. He mentions one little circumstance to
show how early in its career the water that forms
the Nile begins its caprice of OVERLOOKING. Near
the south end of Lake Moero were two rivulets,
one thirty and the other forty yards wide at the
ordinary stage of waters, but when he saw them
they had Oyeriowed TO the width of a half mile
and a mile. lie exposes in a very amusing way
some of the errors of previous explorers, and
even how some of his own sketches were altered
by persons who thought they could improve on
his geography. His numerous. difficulties in
securing assistance would discourage most men.
Indeed he says: only one of my attendants
would come here the others, on various pre-
fences, abscOnded. The fact is, they are all tired
OF this everlasting tramping, and SO verify am L.
Were 1T not for an inveterate dislike to give in to
difficulties, without doing my utmost to overcome
them, | would abscond too" A postscript to
this letter is quite interesting:
I" Always something new from Africa a large
tribe lives in underground houses in Rua. Some
excavations are said to be thirty miles long, and
have running rills in them. A whole district
can stand a siege in them. The writings
therein, | have been told by some of the people,
are on wings of animals, and not letters. OF
course l should have gone to see them. Very
dark, well made and eyes s~lantingwards.''
Rua referred to above is a chain of mountains
in the upland region, through a rent in which
the River Lualaba flows from Lake Moero into
Lake Ulenge. DIR. Livingstone ought to be heard
from on the coast very soon, but it is II by no means
certain that he will bring all his discoveries with
him, since he himself remarks that SO small an
event as the upsetting of his canoe would destroy
all his documents.