The New York herald., 1872-11-26
Important Egyptian Movement-The
viceroy's Expeditlon or Five Thou
sand Mon 20 Aid DIR. Livingstsne's
DlSCOyerlea.

VicerOy's Ekpedhtt0n OF Five Thou
sand Men 20 Aid DIR. LivingstSne's
Discoveries.
We have, in special cable despatch, the
very interesting and important information
that the Egyptian yiceroy's Central African
armed expedition OF five thousand men. just
organized, under the command of Purdy Bey
| (some English or American soldier named
| Purdy), will be carried round, via the Suez
Canal and the Red Sea, in transports to Zanzi-
bar, from which point it will strike into the
heart Of the African Continent that it's osten-
sible object is to join DIR. Livingstone and to
cooperate with him. if agreeable, in settling
the problem of the Nile sources; but that
otherwise this Egyptian expedition will act
independently in the exploration and location
of the Nile sources under the Egyptian flag.
In short, it appears to be doubtful whether
this expedition, in any event, intends to join
Livingstone. The real object is supposed to
be to form junction with Sir Samuel Baker,
or Baker Pacha, as he is now titled, in the
great equatorial lake basin Of the Nile, and
thence to open anew military line Of opera
tions northeastwardly into Abyssinia.
We incline to the opinion, however, that
the objects Of this expedition are confined to
the relief of Baker Pacha and the annexation
Of the Nile sources to the Egyptian Vice
royalty. Our last accounts from Baker who
is great fayorite with the Viceroy, repre-
sented him as having assembled the main river
with his army and his boats to the marshy
of nd oh k,a IL, ,cft tl,a RaJ
el-Gazal, where from the abandonment of
most of his boats, and in pushing still south
ward by land, he was completely cut off from
his base OF supplies down the river, and was
accordingly, regarded as in a somewhat critical
position. Hence, no doubt, the organization
of this powerful armed expedition from the
Khedive, to so by way Of the Red Sea and the
Indian Ocean to Zanzibar and thence directly
across the country to the great equatorial
Nile lakes. The first object, we hold, is the
relief of Baker, the second object is, we sup
pose, under Baker, to continue his explora-
tions to the head waters Of the sacred Egyp-
tian river, and to anticipate and head off
England by the annexation to Egypt of all
those countries that are tributary to the
mighty Nile.
1t is reasonable to suppose that the Egyptian
Viceroy had heard of the proposed African
mission Of Sir Bartle Frere, and that, sus-
pecting it to cover some great designs of Eng
lish occupation and colonization, the vgilant
Ismail Pacha has resolved to anticipate Sir
Bartle, and to secure the Nile sources to
Egypt, if possible, ahead even of Livingstone.
But whatever the Viceroy designs, this Egyp-
tian expedition for Central Africa, by way of
Zanzibar, adds immensely to the interest of all
these movements for the abolition Of the slave
trade in East Africa, and for the opening of
the heart Of that great Continent to Christian
civilization and to the general trade of the
civilized nations of both hemispheres. Had
England understood her interests in this bust
ness as well as the Viceroy has evidently COM
pretended the interests of Egypt British
armed expedition of five thousand men would
now be on its way to Unyanyembe, Lake Tan
ganyika and the Livingstone chain of lakes
and rivers, to annex them to the British
Crown. Now the Egyptian viceroy, in the
name of his Sultan, will probably carry off the
prize.