The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1875-10-21
THE AFRICAN EXPEDITION.
Stanley Meets with Success, after Over
coming Many Obstncles---Ilis Report.

Stanley Meets with Success, after Over
coming Many Obstncles---Ilis Report.
Mr.. Stanley's letter, describing his re-
markable journey of 720 miles from the
coast to the shore of the Victoria lake in
one hundred and three days, will in
crease the reputation for bravery and
skill which he long ago so thoroughly
earned. Not only was the march made
with rapidity which is new in African
exploration, but it was brought to sue
cessful end in the face of obstacles which
cost the lives of 126 out of the 800 men
comprising the expedition. Twenty-one
fell in three days battle with the bar
barians, in which Stanley proved
himself soldier as we'll as an explorer.
A few deserted or strayed from the route,
and nearly one hundred, including two
OF the Englishmen belonging to the
force, died of hardship and disease.
The splendid bravery which carried the
expedition through so terrible march
will give Stanley place as leader be-
side the indomitable Baker while the
Importance of his discoveries bids fair to
rival that of the discoveries of Speke
and Livingstone.
No single geographical discovery has
been made in Africa during the last
eighteen years, with the exception of
Cameron's discovery of the outlet of
Lake Tanganyika, which is of so much
interest as Stanley demonstrate of the
truth of Speke's description of the
Victoria N'yanza as one vast inland sea.
Speke saw the lake from three different
points, on its southern, western, and
northern shores, respectively, and he
also sailed for some distance along the
northwestern coast. Capt. Grant-his
companion during his second journey
saw less of the lake, but he agreed with
Speke in asserting that it was one con-
tinuous body of water. Inasmuch as,
previous to the recent journey of Col.
Long, Speke and Grant were the only
white men who had ever visited the lake,
their statements as to it deserve to be
credited. Nevertheless, many geo.
graphers have of late adopted the theory
that the Victoria N'yanza was really a
cluster of small lakes, connected one
with another by streams or by tracts of
marshy country that were overhowed in
the rainy season. This theory, which
implied that Spoke lacked either veracity
or the power of observation, probably
owed it's origin to the personal dislike of
Captain Burton for his comrade in the
Tanganyika expedition. 1t will be re-
membered that Burton and Speke dis
covered Lake Tanganyika and that
while Burton halted at Kazeh Speke
made journey northward, and first
sighted the Victoria lake.
Throughout Buttons "Lake Regions
of Central Africa" he not only ridiculed
Speke's belief that this northerly body
Of water was the source of the Nile, but
made display of his hatred of his COM
rade which was in extremely bad taste.
journey, which demonstrated that he was
eclipsed in public estimation the African
exploits Of Burton, the latter was
naturally rather annoyed. That Speke
was greatly inferior in education and in
natural abilities to Burton no one doubts.
1t is, therefore, not difficult to under
stand how the suggestion that Speke
had mistaken half dozen small lakes
for one larg one gradually gained Gre
dence. 1t was one which pleased Speke' s
enemies, aud it was approved by men
whose opinion as to African geography
deserved respectful attention. Even
DIR. Livingstone, during the period
when his sutferings had affected his
brain and made the good old man capa-
BILE of sneering at so gallant gentleman
as Baker, joined with the detractors OF
Spoke, and assumed in his last journals
that Spoke was either an incompetent
explorer or an untruthful narrator. it
was time that Stanley should come to
clear the reputation OF as true ard honest
man as ever dared the dangers of the
African Jungle. He has found that
Speke's account of the Victoria lake is
thoroughly accurate, and henceforth
there will be no room for any envious
theory which can detract from Speke s
fame as the true discoverer of the source
of the Nile. Stanley has, it is true,
found an apparent error in Speke's esti.
mate of the latitude of the lake. This
may afford some little satisfaction to
Burton, who only made an error of about
1000 feet as to the altitude of Tan.
gauyika.
Sfauley's next undertaking will be the
survey OF the Albert lake. He will reacl
the lake without difficulty, since he will
march all the way through the friendly
kingdom Of Uganda and unless his
supplies are exhausted, he will probably
be safe from disaster for some time tC
,, come. The survey of the Albert lake
although matter of great interest, is o
secondary importance in its bearings OF
the problem of the Nile sources. The
southern limit of the lake is unknown
but the observations of Schweinfulti
,, and Livingstone have given us sutficien
knowledge of the watersheds west ant
south of the lake to render it certain
that it receives no river south of th'
,, equator which can be of sufficient i'm
) portance to be regarded as the true
, source Of the Nile. That mighty rivel
,, has its birth in the lake which Spek'
discovered, and the gallant American
who rescued Livingstone from horrible
= death has now rescued Speke's reputa
tion from the hands OF dull and enviou
, theorists. We may heartily congratulate
, Mr.. James Gordon Bennett ON the sue
cesses which have rewarded the expedi
tions which he was the first to suggest
and which have been mainly carried ou
at his expense.