The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-11-13
AFRICAN EXPLORATION.
From the New York Sun, November r.
ABOUT STANLEY.


STANLEY.
In these days OF high pressure journalism active
geographical exploration becomes quite an mteresh
ing question whether Mr.. Henry N. Stanley ID moro
worthy Of the NEW YORK HERALD or the New foRa
HERALD OF Mr. Henry d. Stanley II Mr.. Stanley
lacks literary capacity and good taste he compensate
for this deficiency by pluck and perseverance, II ths
HERALD may be complimented on elegance OF style IL
betrays in commenting the achievements Of its Own
explorer very great geographical ignorance. We only
trust that when Mr. Stanley to read the artice4
about him. should they penetrate to the shores Of
NyanzA or NyAnza he insists calling it, he may
be as much pleased with the HERALD the HERALn
evidently is with him. We do not say this disparag.
ingy. We have high appreciation OF the enterprise
alike OF the journal and OF the man; bat 90 wish
that the would write less vulgary and the otheA
comment more ntelligenty.
The HERALD in its contribution TO geographical
knowledge clngs to the absurd theory which even
Livingstone reluctantly abandoned before his deaths
that the acustrne river discovered by him, and called
Weobs Lualaba, may possibly prove be the Nile
Stanley, with that contempt for "armchair geogi
raphers' which not unnaturaly characterizes African
explorers warmly adopted this idea simply because il
was propounded to him by Livingstone and Illuminated
in London against all who held that the Luaaba must
be the upper Of the Congo If armchair geog-
raphers adopted the theory Of every explorer SOON
as he has emerged from Africa convinced that he has
solved the problem he TO solve, there would be
great many more solutions than problems II has been
by comparing the results of these Journeys dives
ing them OF the colorng with which each explorera
observations are tnged that the armchair fraternity
conclusions which invariably turn out 10 ia
more accurate than those of the travellers themselves
fne theory tenaciously chung TO by Burton that Tan
ganyka emptied Itself by river into the Albert Nyanzs
was concuslvely disproved by both Livingstone aud
Stanley who the Ruszi flowing from the north
into the former lake Spoke, when he and Burton FIRST
discovered Tanganyika, maintained the impossibility
of any such connection and described the horseshoe
range which surrounded its northern extremity: whla
later observations have shown difference Of only ten
feet ofleve in favor OF the Albert Nyanza so that any
river flowing from one to the other would have run
practically level.
When this theory exploded the new one waa
started that the Lualaba flowed from Lake Bangweolo
in latitude IL dogs south, and ultimately became tho
Nile There were many reasons why this could
be the case and Livingstone, when he
reached his furthest point At Nyangwe found
himself in latitude degs. south, about four de-
grees TO the Of Albert Nyanza, with the river
trendng still TO the west with rapid current,
and containing a larger volume Of water than the Nile
could for; while the Congo. which pours
water into the than the Nile is absolutely without
source OF supply, II i be not the Lualaba This ia
confirmed by all the accounts which Arab traders
the spot have given of the course Of the river, aud
especially by the fact OF It's evident identity with
the Luaaba, across which the Pamberos ierried
when travelling from Muata Yauvo's TO Casembe'a
town; but whether Il be the Congo the Impos-
sbiity of its being the Nile is finally set by
Camerons last discovery Of the outlet Of the Tangan-
yika, which flows into the Lualaba while that river
could not flow into the Albert NyanZa, for the
simple that its level 10 below that OF the lake.
That the Victoria Nyanza the true fountain Of the
Nile fact established 10 the satisfaction of all
geographers fifteen years before Mr. Stanley reached it,
To Spoke, and TO him alone belongs the honor OF ting
great discovery; those who knew him never doubted
the accuracy OF his description Of IL Ms single lake,
would question regard to the true basin OF the
Nile have had il been the jealousy VI
Burton, aud the belief for some time entertained by
Livingstone because he big river that it
could be other than the Nile. For days Spoke
skrIed this lake with its constant water horizon until
he last arrived at htesas there TO be received
Stanley has been again. with all the honors IL is how
ever most probable that the river Shimecyu-the
mouth of which Stanley has vsitcd-wil prove to bo
the longest and important aiuent of the lake,
and in that very limited its source which has stT
TO be discovered by jealous rival claim to be-
considered source Of the Nile.
With this honor Mr. Stanley must rest contepted.
There are no problems left for him solve IN the
region he exploring and his only chance TO mako
dash for the Congo. He would have been more likely
to himself with glory had he made at once for
Tanganyika instead OF the Victoria NyanZa- Here how
ever. he would have interfered with Cameron and
shudder to think Of the consequences of the meeting in
the Of Africa Of these rival explorers But he
may still make flank movement by which his enemy
from vacovia Bakers lurthest the Albert Nyanza,
10 Nyangwe, Livingstones furthest on the Lualaba
Let him connect those points and the biggest
chair now occupied by geographer will be al his
vice Nay, more will offer TO write. the
tce tn the HERALD explaining the nature OF his achieve
ment II he only sail down the Luaaba, from
Nyangwe the coast he will gain the blue ribbon
OF African exploration but do positively
that both he and the HERALD must abandon the
unnatural attempt In which they engaged Of forcing
this unhappy stream In the words Of the late Rev.
Robert Montgomery, TO ''mcander level with its font'