The Hawaiian gazette., 1875-12-08
s1anIey's Explorations.

Among the most interesting news by the
last mail, were several letters from Stanley,
published in the New York Herald They are
quite lengthy, but very interesting. A refe-
renee to map in either of the late works on
Central Africa, will enable the reader to un-
derstand the following summary of what he
has accomplished. His explorations in .equa-
torial Africa have thus far been crowned with
very remarkable success. In point of health
and strength, in securing the friendly offices of
the native tribes and keeping on the good side
Of the petty chieftains who greatly abound
among the Nile lakes, and in supplying himself
with provisions, he has been very fortunate
Judging from his letters, indeed, there is every
reason to believe that he viii before long solve
the mystery of the sources of the Nile, which
Livingstone so nearly had reached when death
overlook him. The scheme of SANKEY'S ex-
plorations embraces three great objects. The
first of these is thorough exploration of the
great lake, the Victoria Nyanza, originally
discovered by Spoke and Grant, and supposed
by them to be the main fountain head of the
Nile. Stanley describes his voyage upon the
waters of this unknown sea from Kagehyi on
the South, 900 miles, or nearly two-thirds
of the way round it, to large island off its
northwestern shore. From this point he for
some reason which does not yet appear, seems
to have retraced his course to Kagehyi, leaving
about one-third of the shore on the southwest
unexplOred.
SANKEY'S second object is a thorough explo-
ration of the other known fountain of the Nile,
the Albert Nyanza, lying northwest of the
Victoria Nyanza, and connected with it by the
Victoria Nile. The Albert Nyanza was dis
covered by Sir Samuel Baker, but he explored
it only about 100 miles south from its outlet
into the Nile. The tribes occupying the
country between the two great lakes have
already been pacifed, and have such hearty
fear of the whites that it is not anticipated
Stanley will have any difficulty in crossing it.
His success in exploring the Victoria Nyanza,
which is much larger than the Albert Nyan-
"a, is good omen for success in exploring the
latter. If no misfortune shall overtake him,
this exploration will solve the question of
connection between the Albert Nyanza and
Lake Tanganyika on the south, which was the
grand theatre of DR.. Livingstone's operations.
The third and last object CT Stanley is to
pluck the mystery of this Tanganyika basin,
which undoubtedly Livingstone would have
solved had not death overtaken him. In pur-
suing his way westward from the Tanganyika,
DR.. Livingstone found that the great system of
lakes, rivers, creeks, and springs, north of the
Lakiga Mountains, which undoubtedly con-
stitute the watershed of the Nile, drained into
the Lualaba and Lomame Rivers, and that
these rivers in turn flowed into great river
suddenly cut off in an unknown and unexplored |
region. DR.. Livingstone firmly believed that I
this whole interior basin, with its COM
plicated web of lakes and rivers, belonged to
the Nile, and to solve this mystery is SANKEY'S
paramount ambition. If he can definitely es-
tablish.the fact that the great river formed |
by the Lomame and Lualaba flows into the /
Nile or into the Albert Nyanza, then the whole
mystery of the Nile source is at an end.
Not only this, but he win also establish the
fact that the Nile is the longest river of the
world, and thus revolutionize geography as he
has already revolutionized the previous dis
cOveries Of Spoke, Grant, Livingstone, and
other explorers.
In this great work, the gallant journalistic
explorer viii have the good wishes of the
whole world. He has proved himself to be
'kllful, patient, perseyering, plucky, explorer;
md when he has succeeded in roofing out
he mysteries of the Nile fountains under the
orolling equator, we suggest that the Herald
lext give him chance in the Arctic regions,
md see if he cannot read the secrets Of the
Pole Chicago Tribune.