The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1875-03-06
Recent Publications.

THE LAST JOURNALS OF DAVID LIvNGsToSB IN
CENTRAL AFRICA, from 1855 to his death. Contin-
ued by a narrative Of his last moments and suffer-
ings obtained from his faithful servants Chums and
Susi by Horace Waller, Rector Of Troywell'
New York Harpers. From Loring. Short s. Har-
mon. ... .-.. 81.
The life of DR.. Livingstone lately noticed
contained just enough of the important geo.
graphical discoveries covered by these journals
TO awaken without satisfying the interest of the
African student, and he learns with pleasure
from the preface that thanks Co the faithful
ness of the native attendants not note book is
missing. We have also truthful map, most
rare boon, covering from tho Indian Ocean to
the 25th meridian, andfrom 90 to 16o south lati-
tude, territory 800 miles square. This gives
us about 800 miles of the river Lualaba from
Lake Bangweola When we find that lake
with twenty rivers flowing into it, Lake Moero
between 80 and 100 south with an equal number
of tributaries, Lake Komolondo on PARALLEL,
$50 miles long with other large contingents, all
flowing north through this river, with many
other large rivers emptying In from either side,
and finally, as it reaches within two or three
degrees of the Equator. joined by its west
branch from Lake Lincoln with almost an
equal volume of water, we cannot wonder that
the old man felt that he was at last on the
verge of great discovery. As Oar Far is now
part of Egypt, according to the recent tele-
graph C announcement, We may assume that
the territory is fairly known in that direction,
although We should like to see the head waters
of the Bahr ell Arab little more clearly de-
fined but here we have a tremendous river
which flows no whittier, so far as geography
knows, and like Sammy Weller, we wish to
know if something isn's to be done about it.
This map is so clear In regard to Lake Tan
ganyika that we cannot but conclude that Ba-
ker's African nformants who claimed to have
passed into it from Albert Lake really crossed
from the head waters Of Que lake to the head
waters of the other, as our Indians used to do,
by portage, or else that the boy lied.
The outlet to Lake Tanganyika seems to
have been q troublesome problem to Living
stone. The lake is 600 miles long with 1400 or
1900 miles of coast, of which Livingstone has
carefully examined 1000 miles, and yet ho can
only conjecture that it escapes through subter-
ranean passages in the West Kabogo noun
tains, about so south, and empties into the Luz
alaba as the Luamo.
Livingstone loved travel for its own sake.
He says: "The mere animal pleasure OF travel
ing in wild unexplored country is very great.
When on lands of couple of thousand feet
elevation, brisk exercise imparts elasticity to
the muscles, fresh and healthy blood circulstes
through the brain, the mind works WE'LL the
eye is clear, the step is firm, and days exer-
ton always makes the evening repose though
| ly enjoyable"
Further on in the same discourse about the
charms Of travel he says, 1T is only when one
| eloats over marrow bones and elephants feet,
that indigestion is possible"
He concludes that ouly meat eating people
can stand long continued labor without exhaus-
ton; and this accords with the observation Of
most other African explorers.
This last journey commenced at Zanzibar
Jan. %, 1866. He went by sea to the mouth of
the Rovuma and ascending that river struck
across to Lake Nyassa, skirted its lower ex-
tremity, and then, with zgzag track marched
up to Lake Tanganyika, reaching 1t April l,
1867. Thence he passed to Lake Moero, which
he reached in November. Lake Moero was
well known, the Portuguese having reached it
when trying to establish an overland route be-
| tween their eastern and western possessions.
Dr. Lacerda, governor of Tette, on the Zambesi
| died there. The people in this district have
| fine faces like those sculptured on the Assyran
monuments, and the Doctor thought this up
land region TO be the true home and this race
the true type of the pure negro, and that the
west coast races owe their gliness to their ma
larious swamps; he said the women excited
| the admiration of the Arab slave trader-"bu'
they file their teeth to points, the hussies, and