New-York tribune., 1877-05-01
SPIKE IND STdNLEY.

In the new number of the North Amerirnn
Reriew MIR. Laurence Oliphant has very care
fully considered and intelligent paper upon
d" African Explorers wherein he weighs Mr.
Stanleys claims to the discovery of the Alex
"andra Nile aud the Outlet-Or rather no.
outlct-of Lake Tanganyila. Our readers
may remember that in THE TRIBUNE TOT
March 81, in an article entitled Stanley $
Last Report we showed by quotations from
Cant. Spckc's work that the latter explorer
was not only the disoOverer of the kltangne,
or Kagecra River, but that he undoubtedly
gaw as much and knew as much about Its
course and probable sources as Stanley himself
Mr.. Oiphant, after n more thorough lnvcstl-
gatiOn of the subject, expresses precisely the
same opinion. He makes it clear that even
the reported lake. on which Stanley ostenta-
tiousy bestOws the name OF the " Alexandra
Nyanza,' is given in Capt. Spekc5 map as
Akenyara, one of its native titles. He con-
sidcrs that the former ldbOrs under - griev-
"ous error" in suppOsing that he was making
important geographical discoveries, or adding in
any essential particular 10 the information which
had already been obtained by Spoke and
Grant. His concluding remarks upon this
point are severe, but fully justified by the IN
tcrcsts of geographical science:
lie Sanleyl runs the risk of bcn converted IN spite Of
himself from an excellent and conscientious traveller into
geographical charatan, and we have TOO Huch respect
for his many great quiie. and high merit rs an ex-
nlorcr 10 such fao befa him. 1t is certainly
no; by dstOrtiug magnify Ing his achey ncnts beyond
All recognition that appreciation Of them 0eSt be
forced upon scientific world. Mr. Stanley may r"st
assured that he will win laurals explorer JUS in the
~ ,s g.ftt. tT in
stead OF sending home crude orsnsa,nna tn 'orrs with
imaginary ap5 hcregined hs and his Information
until he had an opportunity Of consulting tho authorities
he has forgotten take WI IA HIM he would ect FAR
more credit only himself bat upon those whose
enterprise and lhcalty have -ecHIei to the dnse oi
geographical science his valuable services Meantime
we cannot adopt either his geography his noueuca
ture until he has visited the region he has ra! ped
In regard to the outlet of Lake T&nganyilia,
3Ir. Olphant shows that Stanley has incor-
rectly quoted Capt Camcron's account of his
exploration Of the Lukuea River. Instead of
the apparent outflow being caused by an
eastern wind, the latter distinctly states that
the wind was blowing in his face hat is.
from the west; and he reports more than a
fathom of water on the shalOwest part OF the
bar at the mouth of the liver, where Stanley
found depth of to , feet. 1t is Therefore
entirely probable that both travellers are cor
rect in their staiem6nts-but one of them is
rather tGO anxious to make discoveries and
construct theories. The subject was discussed
before the Royal Geographical Society, two
years ago, by Mr.. Clement Markham, who
came to the conclusion that the lake
discharges itself through the Laknga
River only at certain seasons of the year.
Mr.. Oliphant adopts the same view: this cut
cling of 1,2O0 feet in the Kiyanj range" he
says, :" is difficult to account for on any other
"hypothcsis." The theory Of any connection
between Lake Tangsnyika and the Nile has
long since been given up by all ge0Giaphers.
The watershed between the Nile and the
Congo will certainly be found between the
Tanganyilsa and Albert Lakes; and the inn
posing Alexandra " system Of Stanley will
vanish more rapidly than n Central African
pool in the dry season. Bat the intrepid ex-
plorer is probably now III a region where he
has no time to thcOrizc, and we cannot wish
him any better fortune than escape from all
peril and a good store OF positive facts.