The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-03-14

stanley's Latest Achievements.
All admirers of indomitable energy and
courage, as well rs every student ofgeograph-
ical science, will be rejoiced to learn
that Henry M. Stanley has again been heard
from, and that he continues to pursue his
important explorations in Central Africa.
Considering the enormous difficulties that
surround the task of research and discovery
which Stanley has undertaken we cannot
accord to him the full need of praise and
admiration which his perseverance and
pluck deserve, because even our liberality
would fall short of justice where we cannot
realize the extent of the merit. Few people
who have taken the trouble of studying the
nature Of the problem which Stanley Is now
on the eve Of solving have taken into account
the immensely of the field of his labors.
They read that he has circumnavigated
Lake Victoria Niyanza in sailboat, pene-
trating every little gulf and bay OF the
broken outline Of that great inland sea, and
carefully locating by instrumental observa-
ton the prominent landmarks as guides to
those who will follow him. But few stop to
consider that this single lake is over two
hundred and ten miles in length and one
hundred and eighty miles in breadth, and
has a coast line of over fifteen hun
dred miles and an area of not less
than thirty-eight thousand square miles.
To make an accurate coast and hy-
geographic survey of this vast sheet
of water, subject rs it is to those terrible
Equatorial tempests, is work that should of
itself alone bring Stanley lasting fame.
Our explorer has not, however, limited
his undertaking to the survey and explora-
ton of the Lake Victoria Niyanza He has
pushed his way across the divide which sep
arates the Victoria Niyanza from the Albert
Niyanza, another Of the great lakes that
form the Equatorial reservoirs of the Nile
This journey was not only arduous on ac-
count of it's length, but also extremely dam
gerous because of the hostility of the ma
tives. By organizing large army, which
was furnished him by King M'tesa of
Uganda, Stanley was able to reach the
Albert Niyanza but from the dangers of
famine that surrounded him, he was COM
PEELED to retreat with his forces through a
most difficult and in some parts sterile
region. Although repulsed in this attempt
the explorer resolved to reach the Albert
Niyanza by another route, and took his
course to the south, hoping to effect a
crossing of the divide through more hos
pitable region. While making this march
he discovered the Kageera River, which he
has since explored and found to be one of
the most important feeders of the. Victoria
Niyanza and really an extension of the Nile
itself into unexplored regions four degrees
south of the Equator. In prosecuting his re-
searches along the line OF the Kageera Stanley
was again met and repulsed by the ferocity
of the natives and the dangers Of famine.
He then decided to reach Ujiji by direct
marches and endeavor to approach the
Albert Niyanza from the south All these
attempts bore their own fruits in the most
valuable discoveries and added much to the
knowledge he had already acquired by de-
scrption and observation of the territory he
was traversing
From Ujiji Stanley commenced complete
survey of Lake Tanganyika part of which
he had explored with Livingstone soon after
their first eventful meeting. The results
of this survey must prove highly important
in determining the value of the lake itself as
q factor in the calculations respecting the
sources Of the Nile and the Congo Stanley
settles the question of the outlet raised by
Cameron. The latter explorer insists that
he has discovered the channel through which
Lake Tanganyika discharges its waters into
the western region. Stanley finds that while
such an outlet may have existed during an
abnormal height Of the lake level it does
not do so at present, as the Cameron river
was at the time of his visit, only creek
which might at some future time become
the lake outlet or one of many. Now as
Stunning that at the present time Lake Tan
ganyika has no outlet and that its surplus
waters are lost by evaporation, the inference
is plainly justifable that considerable
precipitation must take place to the west
ward Of the lake. The water supply for
another large lake means the existence of
such lake, and we therefore regard the
announcement by Stanley of the reported
existence of lake westward of Tanganyika
as a legitimate deduction from the reason
ings of the physical geographer, as well as
probability based on the statements of the
natives.
In dealing with the general questions of
the Nile sources Stanley takes conpre-
hensive view Of the subject. His letters
contain so many important statements, sup
ported by an array of facts that have been
verified, either wholly or in part by other
explorers, that we can now accept them
with the fullest confidence. 1t must be re-
membered that the field of discovery is
enormous, and that the liability to error is
therefore very great. Still, Stanley con-
meets all his geographical details so COM