The New York herald., 1877-10-09

platform at the bow, for the best warriors,
held ten men eight steersmen, with ten
feet paddles, steered the great war vessel,
while from stem to stern there ran Q
broad planking, along which the prin-
cipal chiefs danced up and down, CIV
ing rehearsal to what they proposed
to do with us. In half IN hour the fight
was decided in our favor, of course, or we
should not write to you to-day. This great
affluent puzzles me q good deal. Can it
possibly come from the Albert Niyanza?
Or is that gulf 1 discovered in rs min. N.
lat. separate lake, giving birth to this
afiuent of the Lualaba? Or is it merely
the Welle of Schweinfirth?
NO NEWS FROM EUROPE
The people at home can best say which II
is, for am ignorant of everything that has
transpired since November. 1874. Neither
letters nor newspapers have reached me,
except a wreck Of few Illustrated London
Ne,os, sent to me by Colonel Gordon, in
the early part of 1876. from Ismailia; but
these contained no geographical news.
If Gordon Pacha and his officers have ex-
plored the Albert Niyanza, as Colonel de
Bellefonds informed me they were about to
do the question is easily answered as re-
CARDS the Albert Lake; but if they have not,
one may build any number of hypothesis
without being censured by authority. One
may say that the Albert Lake is possibly not
a reservoir of the Nile alone, but also of the
Congo; that the Lake Victoria, on which
spent such laborious toll, not unacoom-
panied with frequent dangers, is also not
60; and proceed in this strain until every
thing is muddled with theories again. And
I remember that Colonel de Bellefonds had
something to say about the uncertainty
putting it mildly-of Sir Samuel Bakers
discoveries. But, as I remarked before, the
geographers at home can best determine all
these questions, for they gather the news
from all points, and the best thing an ex-
plorer can do is to leave it all to them.
INACCURATE MAPS AND CHARTS.
Another thing must hint to you about
for, as told you, this is a letter or note
written very hurriedly, upon very excit-
ing occasion; cannot enter into details
now-the incorrectness, or rather the in
famous inaccuracy, of the chart of Western
Africa. The chartmaker may be to blame,
after all but if he can produce his authority
and the source Of his information he is saved
from the serious charge of having published
much of his work upon hearsay, without
marking his informstion 40 "suoh." I dare
not imagine Captain Tuckey to be RESPONSE
BILE for these errors. should much rather
accuse Portuguese traders, who might be
presumed to be very uncertain about the
meaning Of the words geographical accu-
raoy." In palmer terms, nothing that can
be seen on your map Of Western Africa
twenty miles east Of Yellala Falls is
correct. 1t is simple show Of
names that / hear nothing about aud q
wild wavy line marked deeply black which
pretends to be the Congo. We have also
just above the Falls Of Yellala sketch Of a
river four or five miles wide, with islands,
the whole of which l shall be able to show
you is sheer nonsense, and anybody who
doubts it need only spend Gl0O to satisfy
himself by personal investigation. Be-
sides the enormous amount Of internal sat-
isfaction he will receive he will have a
pleasant five days walk through pictur-
esque country.
FATAL ERRORS IN THE MAPS.
You will be surprised and grieved to hear
however, that to these errors on this map
owe the loss of one of the most gentle souls,
and withal ono of the bravest--Francis Po-
cock-along with fifteen Of my people, two
narrow, escapes Of myself, the loss of about
$4,000 worth of ivory, twelve canoes, q
mutiny Of my command and the almost total
ruin Of the expedition, besides dislocated
limbs, bruises without number and wear
ing anxiety during FIVE months which has
made me an old man in my thirty-ffth year.
JOY AT A GREAT DELIvERANcE
But the gracious God be thanked, who
has delivered us from 'the mouth Of hell
and the jaws Of death r. We are now safe,
and the merchants on the West Coast are
doing their very best to make us feel at
home. About sixty Of my people are suffer-