, 1879-08-23
Geographical Discoveries.

mates, The discoveries OF Livingstone,
Cameron aud Stanley have made the world
partially acquainted with the heart of this
great continent. They have also stimulated
other enterprises of similar nature, but
perhaps more in the interest OF commercial
ventures. The latest successful geographical
explorations in Africa are those which were
set on foot by the Lisbon Geogra2 2bical Soci-
ETY.. which appropriated 500, 900 to equip an
expedition for the exploration OF the southern
part Of that continent
Major de Serpa- Pluto left Benguela, on
the Atlantic side, in latitude II deg, 50 sec.
south. He traversed the continent in a
southerfv direction, reaching Port Natal, on
the Indian ocean, in south latitude 50 deg.
abont twenty months later. The route was
mainly a new one He crossed the path Of
Liviugstnne's more souther!y explorations.
Major Pinto started with an escort of 500
men. composed almost entirely of cannibals
Only aisht Of these men were with him
when he reached the other side Of the CONT
nen. according to the brief account given,
which the New York Herald publishes
The expedition had the usual complement OF
scientific men, and of course collected a
great deal OF data of special interest.
Aided by the information obtained from the
natives. succeeded in determining the sources
Of the CGando- All the great rivers of South
Africa have their sources in an immense rich
plain 100 metres above the level OF the sea. in
u deg. south latitude. The way in which
rivers take their rise and are formed in Africa
is curious III the beginning a slight humidity
is Observable resembling the trickling of a
l,,- h,- ~.
swellS and Suddenly, without having received
any visible ailments, becomes AN enormous
river, on which one may sail at viii. Vt its
source the Cuando is a tiny rill, which | saw
flowing between my feet. \ little lower down
| descended i IN 4 canoe. accompanied by mv
two little blacks here. The river is quite navi-
gable till it enters the IambeSi, where Living
stone called it the Chohe, 4 rame entirely un-
known at the present day in Africa. 1t forms
many curves, which delay navigation. Many
Of the afiiuentS Of the Cuando are navicable
Iher. is a cataract at the extremity Of one
which was almost fatal to me, as it had never
been mentioned by anybody. There is no con
ncction Gy water between the Cuand0 and Gu
bango. The course | followed WAS through
Ung0-e-U lingo, which would lead me from the
Cuan,lo to the Upper Zamhesi- The graHnd |
tr:.yersed was All miry an Immense marsh.
was accompanied on my passage through part
OF this region bT natives generously supplied
by friendly chief. There was no game; VA
ter covered everything, and we consequently
suffered much misery and many privations.
The ethn,io.;ca! d;5coYe-ie1 Tere Got the
least remarkable naees Of rign;es have
been frequently discovered by other trav-
elers. Bat white Africans we're discovery
made by this Portuguese explorer
| here made ono Of the most curious liscov-
cries "f nay journey | one day noticed that
one cf the carriers WAS Il white man. He be
long,d "a race entirely unknown up to the
present day. \ great many white people exist
in SoGth Africa. Their name is C&SSaluereS
thcv are winter than the Cauci>ianS, and II
p!ac. ol hair have their heads covered with
small tufts Of very short wool Their Chez,
homes are prominent, their eyes Ike those oi
tl,4 Gaia.S-. The men are extremely robust.
When they discharge an arrow 1t an elephant
the shaft i completely buried in the animal :
holy They live on roots and the chase. and
it is only when these supplies fail them that
they hold aHv relations with the ighborInS
rs,.-. the Amhuelas. from whom they obtain
food in exchange FL: ivory. The CaSsequereS
are an entirely nnmaGio rece, and Geyer sleep
ts-s nights IN the same eacamFIEeEt- They
their food in pots They wander about, in
groups of from four to six families, over all the
trrritorv living between the Cuchi and the Gu
ban.o. 1t would seem that Srom a crossing OF
the Cassegueres witE the negroes OF other races
s,rran" those inulatOeS Of the south whom the
English call Bushmen. The latter are, how
ever. better off than the CaSSeIueres, and use
pots in cooking their food, while their diSpoSi-
tions are good, though quite opposed to evil
zation.
Major Pinto crossed the ailments OF the
Lnaluba, and reaches the conclusion that
this river is tributary of the Congo. But
as that question was thoroughly settled by
Stanley, his observations on that point are
OF less Importance Livingstone's most
southerlv explorations in Africa include the
great Lake Nyassa, which he discovered,
and the tracing OF the Upper Zambesl. the
largest river which falls into the Indian
ocean. On the Upper Zambesl the explorer
discovered many cataracts, which, however,
could not have been very great, as he de-
seended most OF them.
The banks of the river were well wooded,
and game was to be found in abundance; but
we soon began t. sisht hasalt aEd then cata-
racts and rapids IN the bed Of the river My
rurupaniOnS and myself were exposed to the
greatest peril rs We descended the thirty
cataracts Of the ZamheS. | saw thirty cata-
racts in the space Of AN hour and half that
have never been mentioned by any one; in
fact. may say thai nc this period l WAS very
near perishing of hunger and the cataracts.
Fear never left me for an instant. During the
intervals Of delirium did my best 20 land and
make a map Of the cataracts and the banks Of
the river The whole of the country that L
traversed is well peopled, with the exception
Of the region of the cataracts. To the sorth-
east ike the terrible 81 Macalacas," fighting
race. but when vanquiShed supplies slaves to
all the other people OF Africa
Reaching the great Victoria Falls on the
Zambesi, the explorer was then on ground
traYe-sed by Livingstone Below that point
the river has been Surveyed The cataracts
We're, however, measured by Major Pinto.
The water rrlshes down through large fs-
sure in the baSait from height which AZ one
point is about one hundred and eighty metres,
and at another point from height which
ver!feI to be one hundred and twenty metres
Nv observations IN making this calculation
were taken while | was suspended over the
abvSs bv the clothes which formed the clOthIn-
Of one nf nv negroes, and which my blacks
held, trembling as they d!i So
At SAoshons, a place not far distant, the
capital Of considerable territory, be found
that the inhabitants had been ehrstianl2ed
hy the missionaries, that English coin was
in circulation, and civilization had gone so
iar that system OF credit had been estab-
lished which permitted the circulation OF
bills or promissory notes. While the Portu.
guese explorer was III Africa he beard OF
Stanley's expedition. and knowing that the
latter had set out to solve the mystery OF
the Congo, Major Pinto therefore turned IN
a soutlLy direction.
OF all the discoveries which have recently
been made in africa, none are more lmpor-
tant than those Of the great lake system and
the table lands lying under the e4uator and
extending ten or twelve degrees south- THIS
great table land appears to be the source OF
waters flowing in every direction The Por-
tuguese explorer says: ''Gne can IN feI'
minutes, without going further than the