The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1875-03-11

said to me finally.
GAN have is yours if you make me
great King. / want carriage and a
horse"
BY talking such grandeur to him got
him to consent to my propositions. lie
however, resisted my desire to return by
the Victoria Nile, But was stubborn,
and ultimately succeeded. On July IA,
although suffering from long continued
dysentery, | visited the Victoria Nyanza,
three hours to Murchison creek. was
met by thousand of MTse's warriors
in canoes of bark of a native tree, sewed
together and ornamented by the head and
antlers ofthe Tetel. The Nagarrah drum,
accompanied by limitations of the crow,
echoing over the smooth surface of the
lake made the occasion one never to be
forgotten. Down Murchison creek and
out upon the lake / was escorted by this
numerous suite.
found the lake twenty-five to thirty
feet in depth and from twelve to fifteen
miles across. 1t might be double that
distance. And although | visited the
right shore found no shells and no ira
ces of tide marks to disturb this one source
of the Nile.
Ihad intended to pass from the lake
via Ripon Falls to Urondogani. Super-
stition and "Afrikes" were too strong
counter-inhuences Notwithstanding the
King had assumed that he had decapita-
ted the seven devils. / had to abandon
the project and return to Mise, to whom
again made my adieux, l left for Uron-
dogani the 10th of July. After much suf-
fering arrived after a march of twenty
days when, under ordinary circumstan-
ces, it could be accomplished in three or
four days, The native chiefs opposed me
because | had closed the wall to Zanzibar
and had received the assurance of Mise
that all ivory should in future pass via
Gondokoro and down the Nile. When
Mise heard of my treatment he offered
to indemnify me to any extent,and prom
ised to punish severely those to whom he
hadconfded my safe conduct to the river.
African diplomacy did its utmost to deter
me from my purpose to navigate the un-
known Nile. /, however, siezed from the
un willing M'Tongolis two bark canoes,
and at dawn Of day on the 9th of August,
accompanied by my two soldiers, two SER
wants and three children and presents
from Mise, folded my tent and silently
stole away.
On the 18th ofAugust, in north latitude
10 30 sec, high mountain on my right,
| entered large basin or lake. The bed
ofthe river here loses itself. was beset
by storms and without compass. | was
fOrty-eight hours struggling to find my
way in this lake, which is at least twenty
to twenty-five miles wide, wholly unable
to perceive land on either side Finally,
the storm abating, again resumed my
my journey, This lake seems not alone
the reservoir Of the waters of the Lake
Victoria Nyanza, but of the waters of the
plateau, the great watershed extending
southwark. Almost perpetual rains Tex
cept in July and August,) fall and fill
this basin to an immeasurable depth, and
when the waters get too high they break
through the channel, and, perhaps, this
accounts for the periodical inundation of
the Nile.
August II arrived near M'Rooli where
I was attacked by 400 men of Keba Re-
gas in canoes. | defeated them after
severe fight, with loss to them ofeighty-
two killed, causing them to desert their
sinking boats. / was wounded in the face
during the battle. The river then from
Karuma to Foweira to Urondogani is nav
igable even for ships like the Great Eas
tern. Resuming my march northward
the 18th of September | arrived at Con
dokoro the 18th Of October.
The results of my expedition were--in
Uganda | had induced Mise to close the
road to Zanzibar in the interests
of Egypt's monopolp of ivory, l had dis
covered new route to Gondokoro l had
explored the Victoria Nyanza. | had
navigated the unknown Nile from For
weia to Karuma Falls. Mise gave me
information of Lieutenant Cameron, who
was there July 10, 1874, still at Ujiji.
The country of Uganda is mountainous
and picturesque soil fertile and impreg-
mated with iron. The climate is salubri-
Gus, but debilitating for Europeans. 1t is
a land of morass and marsh in some quar-
ters. Buffalo and elephants abound. The
jungle fever is prevalent, and even the
natives are victims to it. Spring may be
said to exist there at all seasons of the
year.
The products are coffee, grown Wild to-
bacco largely cultivated and resembling
the peruque Of Louisiana; sugar cane,
Indian corn, sweet potatoes, yams and
beans. The banana is of excellent quail
ity. 1t is the only fruit of the country.
Boiled, roasted or baked, it is the chief
food of the natives The character of
the natives is childlike, and in no wise
warlike. He works but little, smokes,
drinks ''morissa," and the harem is his
happiness.
Four years ago Mise adopted the Mos
lem faith, introduced by a Zanzibar ira
der. 1t is little observed.