Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1877-09-24
sTANLEY,s LAST DISCOVERIES


There have been some literary efforts
made to depreciate the Importance of
Henry NJ. Stanley's Nile discoveries in
Africa, but, while it must be admitted
that some of his conjectures are not war;
ranted by the facts be has reported, and
that a sensational air has pervaded
many of his narratives, still he has
unquestionably contributed more than
any other man to clear up the sources
of the Nile and settle the whole Nile
system of waters. Nothing more re-
mains now than to ascertain the size of
some of the feeders of the Victoria N.Y.
ANA Lake. In his last communication
to the public, however, Stanley has SUBJ
mitted wholly fresh and complete SOL
ution of one Of the srOat myotorios of
Africa. The river Congo has long been
known as pouring an immense volume
of water into the ocean on the West At
rican coast, but succession of cataracts
prevented all navigation, while natives
from the interior who were questioned
knew nothing about such river as the
Congo. On the other hand, Livingstone
discovered, to the westward of the great
lakes of Central Africa, river of con-
siderable magnitude flowing northward
which he called the Lualaba, and ht
lived and died under the impression
that this was the beginning of the Nile
Cameron hoped to show that the Lualab;
was rather the Congo, but he was
forced to make his journey across thu
continent so directly westward that h
left so wide gap between his leavin;
the one river and reaching the other
that he did nothing to throw light OF
the matter. Stanley did the work thor
oughly. He stuck to the river through
out. as, indeed, he was obliged to do b,
the impenetrable character of the jungl
: and the ferocity of the natives, who as
sailed him with poisoned arrows fror
g their invisible coverts on very unequa
conditions of warfare. By sailing dow
e the middle of the river he had partls
protection from his blood-thirsty pursr
e ers. Thus he kept on until he came
s the mouth of the Congo-having define
e the whole course of that hitherto III
; known river, which is now shown
s rise ten degrees south of the equatt
e and to run two degrees north of it, AM
! with It's many large tributaries. to dral
d an immense region. The ignorance
n the natives with regard to it is explain,
l. by the fact that the river bears a diffe
ID ent name in the country of every tri
IL through which it passes.
a. Like every great African discover
ne this has been attained not without gre
ne trials and sacrifices. Stanley foug
D. thirty-two battles with the savages, a.
he lost many of his most valued me
Ia including his last white assistant, t
4 gallant young Englishman, Francis I
wv cock. Often the party were in danger
"a starvation, and at one time they we
or three whole days without food, VII
IN providentially they came to villa
". that knew something of the amenities
N. trade. The journey throughout. viii
Of began on the 18th of last Noveml
,ot and terminated on the Sth of Augu
aw was of the most arduous and tryi
Ilv character. Stanley would now seem
NJ. have finished his African exploratio
re, and the result will be to place his ma
he high on roll of the greatest discover
Nv of modern time.-BOston Journal.