The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-08-27


civilization to the Ethiopans Are the people OF
Rua their descendants Another OF the ancients.
whose lights have been dimmed by intermediate
ignorance and who comes like seer from the
past, is
CLAUDIUs PToLEMy,
the EGYPTIAN mathematician, astronomer and geo.
grapher, who nourished In the early part or the
second century. In his universal geography no
speaks OF the Nile with certainty as rising far
south IN Africa and passing through series
OF lakes, just as Livingstone describes IL.
Coming down To modern times 1t is curious
- nv;e now the "Holy Niler has been won back, as
IT were, from the clouds OF ignorance that dwarfed
It's length rendering the mystery greater still OF
Its l4oo miles OF unaided now its wonderful fcrtil-
zing rise of from twenty-four to thirtysix feet and
It's fall TO the old level. In 1863
A sCoToHMAN NAMED JAMES BRUCE,
with the old mystery at heart left civilization be.
hind him and the following year reached Gondar in
Abyssina Two years exploration followed, and he
at last found three fountains, which he believed to
be those OF The true Nile, but which have since
proved to he those of Bahr ell Azrek or Blue
Nile. The story OF his travels was read
by the youth OF the generation with avidity for
the curious views of savage and semisavage life it
furnished but at which the wiseacres shook their
heads, until later research justified him. Gradu-
ally the mists lifted from the mighty river, ana the
White Nile or Bahr ell Abiad was declared 10 be the
true Nile while the Blue Nile was lesscned to u
tributary, ranking only above the Atbara, rising
on the same Abyssinian plateau, and Joining It's
rain food TO the Nile farther north near Berher.
Again the Nile sources were lost, like the Hes
perides of old. Many expeditions were undertaken
both at the instance Of the Egyptian government
and OF European governments. The first which
claims attention, not in It's actual order, but in
its collective Importance, was that of
SIR SAMUEL W. BAKER,
who accompanied by his lady, went up the Nile
from Cairo and turned up the Atbara at Gerber
to solve finally the question OF the annual rise.
In one night he saw the dry bed OF the Atbara
hlcd with roaring torrent rushing perturbed
and muddy down, and saw within week the
shrNelled trees and heritage put on new coats
OF green. After complete survey Of the
various streams Which join the Nile between
Berber and Khartoum he bent his way to the lat
ter city. and brought with him one-half OF the
mystery It was this; that the extraordinary an
nual rise of the Nile is due to the prodgous rain
fail the elevated plateau OF Abyssinia, which
carries down in its headlong course the soft, black
soil OF the countries through which it channels It's
way TO spread
THE THIN BUT RICH MUD DEPOSIT
over the valley OF the Nile, which makes it so w0n-
der,tily fertile. From khartOnm he proceeded
south, and In about latitude three degrees north
discovered the great Lake Albert Nyanza. The dis
cOveries OF
CAPTAIN JOHN II. sPEKE
must here be alluded to. In 1855 Captain Spoke,
having obtained u three years furlough from
his regiment then stationed in India, joined an
expedition to explore Central Africa under the
command OF Lieutenant X. II. Burton. This ex-
pedtIon rcndezvoused at Berbera, on the African
shore Of the Gulf of Alden, and with Lieu
tenant Burton at its head started for the In
terror With them also two other military
officers on furlough. few days after the exped
ton got under way they were attacked by the
savages One Of Speke's companions was killed,
and he himself severely wounded. lie now returned
to England. His next expedition into Africa was
successful. The lake regions of the INTERIOR 80
glowingly described by Doctors Krapf and Rebman
upon information gathered from the natives, were
the object of the journey which began at Zanzibar
In June 1857. They struck boldly forward, but met
terrible obstacles in the way OF sickness and deser
ton of their men. After long and weary journey,
broken by enforced, dispirting has, they In
sight OF the great
TANGANYIKA LAKE,
at Ujiji. They were prevented by untoward cir.
cumstances from fully exploring the lake, and re-
turned TO Unyanyembe. Here they parted, Captain
Spoke taxing a northery trail which led to his
then
CONJECTCRED TO BE THE TRUE SOURCE
of the Nile. On his return to England he pre-
pared for the next voyage, which he under
took IN company with Major Grant. They
left the east coast in October, 1850,
and marched for the Nyanza Lake. They skirted it
on its shore, and on the northern end Of II
discovered the efriuents which they subsequently,
after much worry and opposition from the native
chieftains, succeeded in sufficiently tracing
to the White Nile On this journey,
in February, 1862 they were met at
GondokOro by Sir Samuel Baker, who was then
proceeding up the Nile. Thus the second line OF
drainage was brought to light by the proof that
the Victoria Nyanza, at point nearly under the
Equator, flowed out into stream which, through
a series OF falls, joined the Albert Lake. and thence
went on to form the Nile. AT last the true Nile"
the world cried In applause, but not yet all the
secret torn from old Africa's bosom. Lake Tan
gaDyka, which lies to the south Of Albert Lake,
and which Richard +. Burton and Captain Spoke
had seen together before the latter set out for
Victoria Nyanza, was suspected Of being q link
further south OF the mighty river, and con.
Meeting with the Albert Nyanza Alleged dit.
ferences in altitude or these lakes belonged
this question, and there it has since remained
Thus two great lines OF drainage were secured
Dr. Rarth, the German explorer Mr. Petherick, the
British Consul at Khartoum; DR.. Piaggia, the
Italian and DR.. Schweinfurth, another German
traveller had made extensive explorations OF other
continents of the White Nile on the western bank
With these latter, through
THE BAHR Ell GHAZAL
or Petherick's branch, Doctor Livingstone believes
he will yet connect the third or great central
line OF drainage which
-. ~ has cost him already six
C years OF toll to trace
II from ten to four degrees
" south latitude. The great