The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1877-09-21
SANKEY'S Inst Discoveries.

There have been some literary efforts
made TO depreciate the importance of
Henry NJ. SANKEY'S Nile discoveries in
Africa, but while il must be admitted
that some of his conjeciures are not war
ranted by the facts he has reported, and
that a sensational air has peryadcd much
of his narratives, still he has unques-
tionably contributed more than any
other man to clear up the sources Of the
Nile and TO settle the whole Nile sys-
tenn of waters, Nothing more remains
now than to ascertain the size of some
of the feeders of the Victoria Nyanza
Lake. In his last communication 10
the public, however, Stanley has sub
mitted wholly fresh and complete So
luton of one of the great mysteries of
Africa. The river Congo has long been
known as pouring M immense volume
of water into the ocean on tho West
African coast, but II succession of catar-
acts prevented all navigation, while ma
tives from the interior who were ques-
toned knew nothing about such Il river
as the Congo. On the other hand, Liv-
ingston discovered, TO the westward OF
the great lakes of Central Africa, riv-
Ell of considerable magnitude flowing
and he lived and died under the impress
sion that this was the beginning of the
Nile. Cameron hoped to show that the
Lualaba was rather the Congo, but he
was forced TO make his journey across
the continent so directly westward that
he left SO wide a gap between his lcay.
ing the one river and reaching the 9TH
er, that he did nothing TO throw light on
tho matter.
Stanley did the work thoroughly. liz
stuck TO the river throughout, as, indeed
he was obliged TO do by tho impenetra-
BILE character of the Jungle and the fe
rooity of the natives, who assailed hin
with poisoned arrows from their invisi
BILE coyerIs on very unequal conditions
of warfare. BY sailing down the mid
die of the river he had a partial prOlec
ton from his blood-thirsty pursuers
Thus he kept on until he came TO tho
mouth of the Congo, having dcfinet
the whole course Of that hitherto I'M
known river, which l. now shown t,
, rise ten degrees south of the equator ant
to run two degrees north Of ii, an,
with its many large tributaries, TO drqil
an immense region. The Ignorance o
the natives with regard to il is explain
) ed by the fact that the river bears
different name in the country of ever!
tribe through which ii passes.
Like every great African discovery
this has been attained not without grca
trials and sacrifices, Stanley Tough
thirty-two battles with the sayagas, an,
he lost many Of his most valued men
including his last white assistant, In
, gallant Young EnglishmaH, Francis PO
cock. Often the party were Ia DANCE
of starvation, and at one time they wen
three whole days without food, whel
proyidentially theycame to village tina
= knew something OF the amenities o
| trade. The journey throughput, Yhicl
began on the 10Th Of last November an,
terminated Oh the Slh of August, was q
I the most arduous ard trying character
e Stanley would now seem 10 have finish
ed his African explorations, and the re
suit will be 10 place bis name high o
the roll OF the greatest discoverer O
modern tiIes,-[ Boston Journal.