The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-09-24
Isman Pacha and Sir Samuel Baker,
Mile Expedition.


Isman Pacha and Sir Samuel Bakers
Mile Expedition.
In the very interesting report which we pub
ished yesterday, from HERALD CORE
spondent at Cairo, of lengthy conversation
between him and Ismail Pacha, the enlight-
ened and progressive Viceroy of Egypt, there
are some illusions to Sir Samuel Bakers Nile
expedition which, we think, are entitled to
special attention. Our correspondent Gust
returned from his expedition up the White
Nile to Gondokoro) was asked by the Viceroy
for As last news of Baker. Our commissioner
answered, "When left the White Nile
heard that Sir Samuel had reached the Lake
Albert Nyanza, with small force. The intel
gence is not certain. 1t was passed down the
White Nile through all the tribes that the
white Pacha Baker, had left Gondokoro and
had reached the junction with the Lake Albert
Nyanza." The viceroy did not credit the
news Our correspondent believed, however,
that Baker had reached the lake, and re-
marked that Notwithstanding all the obstacles
in his way Baker was man Of ready re-
sources sand will, believe, surprise Your
Highness in the end
The reply of the Viceroy to this remark
very broadly discloses his disappointment with
the results of Bakers expedition. He said
that Samuel Baker went to the White Nile to
create and not to destroy commerce." that
''instead of increasing our trade there he has
nearly destroyed it," that travelling is not
safe along the line of the river" that 'the
tribes are in hostility to the government" and
that 1--WE find our dominion under his war of
conquest unsafe, unsounder than if he had
not gone there at ALL" that formerly our
empire extended to Gondokoro and beyond"
that sit is not increased by any annexation
by Samuel Baker," and that 'you observed,
perhaps, that commerce was dead there"
Our correspondent replied in the affirmative,
when the viceroy enlarged upon the destruc-
ton of trade in that quarter; and then he went
on to say that peace, and not war, was his true
regretted what Sir Samuel Baker had done,
''because it implants in their rude, untaught
minds the idea that Egypt is their enemy"
As this annexation expedition Of Sir Samuel,
however (though doubtless adopted from the
force of his arguments in it's favor), was
equipped and despatched under the Viceroy's
instructions, we have no fear that Baker will
be otherwise than generously treated on his
return from his perilous enterprise. But it
appears that, when last heard from, he was in
a critical position that the boats sent up to
his succor had returned with great mortality;
that they could not proceed beyond the Sobat
River, near the Bahr-el- Ghazal, that arm of the
Upper Nile which Livingstone believes is the
outlet of this great chain of beautiful lakes
and their immense drainage Baker, there
Completely cut off from his base Of supplies,
he is also, we apprehend, from the diminution
of his men, boats and animals, cut off from O
retreat down the river. His only alternative
then, would be to push forward, in hope of a
junction with Livingstone, south of the Lake
Albert Nyanza, and in hope of reaching the
seacoast over the route from Ujiji to Zanzibar,
now familiar to the world from the travels of
Burton, Spoke and Grant, Livingstone and
Stanley.
1t would be another event for universal con-
graduation if Baker should come out from the
dangers and weary trials Of his daring Nile
expedition at the point on the sea coast from
which Stanley set out in his search for Living
stone, especially if he should bring with him
the 'old white man. Of UjUi, together with
the comn1ete solution between them of the
sources and the drainage Of the mighty Nile
And this, we hope, will be the browning reward
to Baker and Livingstone, and to Ismail Pacha
and to science and civilization, of Sir Sa muel' s