The New York herald., 1875-12-07
SIR SAMUEL BAKERS MISTAKE.
WHAT HB HAS ALREADY ACCOMPLISHED

BY the European mail we have been placed in posses.
sion of a complete report Of the address which was
read by Lieutenant Colonel Grant, C. b.. before the
Royal Geographical Society, the members and visitors
on the goth Of November the subject OF exploration
in Central Africa from the earliest efforts which have
been recorded to the latest the grandest and
ccssful in history-the work and accomplishment OF
Mr. Henry NJ Stanley in tracing the Nile sources
in following up and placing most of its great afuens
and in correcting the made by previous savans
on the subject The story of the work Of the Ameri.
can commander OF the NEW YORK HERALD and Tele.-
graph expedition, coming from the lips OF Colonel
Grant, possesses extreme interest for the world at
large.
LIEUTENANT COLONEL GRANTS ADDRESS.
The journey recently made by Mr. H. NJ Stanley
the commissioner OF the NEW YORK HERALD and Lon
don Telegraph is one ofthe most porant and brilliant
that has ever been made in Central Africa or indeed
in any other country. For when we consider that he
accomplished 1t SO quickly taking only about fifteen
months from the time he left England it seems at first
as incredible as was his famous discovery Of the late
Dr. Livingstone IL is not alone the short time, but
the great geographical question which he has finally
settled-namely, he has confirmed Speke's discovery
that the Victoria Nyanza was one vast inland fresh
water lake; he has navigated its shores for thousand
miles thereby proving that its continuous,
OPINIONS OF THE ANCIENT GsoGRAPHERs.
Before remarklng upon Mr. Stanley's two letters
dated the LIST OF March and 10th OF May last may al
ude to the knowledge we had OF the great lake previous
TO the time when Mr.. Stanley visited IT, The lakes Of
benrai Africa were known to geograpners as far back
as the year S33, for in Tabula Anamunianan of this
date, also in Abul Hassan's map loOS We have the
Nile rising trom one Lake Lacus Kura Kavar and in
lhe latter map we have mention of NJ Komr Mountains
Dfthe Noon at latitude deg south. Several old maps
showing the lakes with their efuens, have been
terred TO in Lelewels Geographic du Moyen Age" thus
and may be classed as iolows:-
1l54 Tabula Rotunda Rogerana 1874 Ib'n Said; 1881
lsmael Ab'ueda-Have three lakes and three rivers
i24 Ib SaidHas one lake and three rivers 1911 Ber-
nardi Syvani; l50l-4 Charta Marina Portugalensis:
1907 Johannes Ruysch-Haye two lakes and river
1929 Diego Rlbero; 1929 Diego Ribero; 1870 p Api-
anus. K. Gemma Frisius-Haye three lakes and one
liver.
Other more modern maps might be quoted but dur
ing tho last century map makers seem TO have lett out
all the lakes OF Central Africa and it only the last
uiteen years that the centre Of Africa has again been
studded with its lakes
BURTON AND spEKE's EXPLORATIONS
In the year 1857 the London Geographical Society
sent Captains Burton and Spoke, both officers OF our
Indian army, to explore Africa from Zanzibar via Lake
Nyassa, to Egypt Thus II was that first heard OF
lakes Tanganyika and Victoria. Captain Speke in
1858, went twenty marches north OF Kazch alone with
~ seventeen natives, 10 test the Arab that
great ocean, which they called bahr or sea- existed
de found that the Arabs had informed him correctly
lake OF almost unbounded extent stretched away
from him to the north; there was, he was told as
great breadth Of his left hand there was on his
'ight He returned TO England and presented his map
cety accompanying with his belief that the
he had seen those Of the Nebut this had yet
be proved The President for the time the late
Sir Roderick Murchison, who once grasped the sub
lect and said, Speke, we must send you back again. -
GRANT AND spEKE OUT.
Many months PREPARATION for his next expedition
passed slowly TO Speke but at length in 1860, he and
started from Zanzibar with 200 followers II will
give some idea of the ncko African when 1 tell you
that we had only 40 men OF the 200 when reached
Kazch 430 miles west of the seacoast. Three-fourths
bad deserted us. We need not therefore, be alarmed
II.
non-e1ectve, He will enlist Others or do with fewer
Months Of weary delay again took place on the way
between Kazch and the hilly region of Karagweh,
account Of the difficulties thrown in the way by the
habitans We wished to get quickly, and tried 10
route via usui must be kept We accordingly went
that way, and crossed the watershed at 2S deg south
latitude. From this position descended the north
srn incline Of Equatorial Africa, and never left Nile
and Till We reached the Mediterranean.
AFTER CROSSING WATERSHED.
After leaving Karagweh, the country bounding the
lake on the west and north to Uganda, it's capital may
DC generally described as plain Of 1000 feet insati
Jude, but worn away NJ intervals OF from to ten
miles with narrow excavations made by streams falling
INTO the lake The route may be kened to the teeth of
saw, the points being plains and the depressions
Iwamps We had extensive views Of the lake from
lhese plains seeing its bays and islands but peaks
nor distant ridges nor mountain cones to the cast moth
ing but clear sea horizon was visible, and native
could tell who lived beyond this sea
BAYS, NLETs ISLANDS.
The bays and long inlets OF friths seen by
on the western and northern shores M'werooka
katonga, Murchison, &c. Some completely land
locked and twenty miles length allude the
seen near our camp al Uganda capital II here prob
ably that Colonel Long OF the Khedves service, found
himself The other day, when he reported that spekes
victoria Nlyanza was merely small affair OF thirty
miles IN extent, What prize he had at his feet
The largest island observed that OF Sesseh at
lhe northwestern of the lake; BY compass
bearing u was forty miles long; the width could not be
taken with any accuracy from the shore but IL ap-
peared only three or tour miles IL has no hills is low
In the water, and at point observed its shore to
De within mile OF the mainland The King of
Uganda keeps his fleet Of canoes here and consuts
no pOu of llq al Cln tdaoc ,I,3~
SIR SAMUEL BAKERS MISTAKE
twas mentioned last season, at OF our meetings
hore by Sir Samuel Baker that he given TO under
stand the native Tor the lake Sesseh Peter.
mann, ia comprehensive map published this autumn
has followed this mistake by calling the lake sessi See
as well as Ukerewe, and Victoria Nyanza | explained
that Sesseh large island, and glad TO have my
statement confirmed by Mr. Stanley, who has found il
70 be the largest island on the lake. Various and
numerous the other islands by us, but they
we're nearly all uninhabited and Of no Importance
kiTANGULE KAGRERA RIVER
The greatest the route between the most
southern point Of the lake. round It's and
northern shores is the Kitangule Kageera the dis
irct of Karagweh II rises probably from the foot OF
the concal mountain Of M'foombiro, supposed by us
10 be 10000 feet high. Numerous lakes and valleys
majestic winding course, which s navgable for thirty
70 forty miles from its mouth Vessels drawing
twenty five feet OF water could believe, float at the
ferry where we crossed. speke and had TO conjec-
ture this depth at the ferry because forciby
prevented from dropping our lead-ines into III the
King would not be pleased; II was not "canny" to
take soundngs. should not be the least surprised to
hear that Mr. Stanley selects this noble river as point
for exploration. With the Lady Alice he can ascend
this stream from the lake up almost TO King Ruma-
nikss door, or he cross over the mountains Of
kuanda and Urundi and descend 70 the spot on Lake
ranganyika where Livingstone and he had such
pleasant picnic he may select the Albert Nyanza as
hls hed Tor exploration All will be new to us either
Voute would interest geograpners Intensely Tor tho
country, It's people and IT'S animals are all unknown
Five TWENTY STREAMS.
Leaving the River Kitangule and proceeding north
20 the capital OF Uganda distance of 125 geographical
miles, We counted i've and twenty streams, varying in
depth from three to ten feet, which waded swan
crossed by bridge There were numerous other
mailer ones, which would not give trouble when
Aoooed' They were mud-coiorod and mud sided
swamp rivers, In fact
THE AREA LAKB,
recording TO Speko who took atitudes and gtudes
or It's western hair and only had native Information for
she other half Is 645 geographical miles in circum.