, 1881-07-23
LITERATURE.
Central Africa "A Young
Scotchman Among the
- Natives.:
a Fearful Responsibility-Lor-
inner and Wife-Patty's
Pcrversities.
Kugby-Tll0mas Carlyle-A Sail.
or's 1Innly.1sook-Theis.%
tic Arguments.
The Republic Of God-Magaaines-
Literary Notes-Books Ro-
=. oeived.

AyVt20 &JVVhH 19H0
oeived,
TO TIE CENTRAL AFRICAN LAKES
AND HACK.
There are aDtte fncts III connection with
Afr. Tl,nnlson's narrative OF Ills in,rncy 10
Lakes Nyassu n.nl 'l'anga,,yil;a which retl-
tier II one Of tho most remarkable 0f nl0itcrn
exploring expeditions. Mr.. tnscph 'rllumson
WIS a bcnrtlIess yUutll not much over 70
ycars Of nge. n fay0rit pupil In geology Of
DR.. Geikie, Just graduated FROM the Unl-
verstty, wien llH read Il notice fn the ,luiiy
papers to tho effect TINT Mr.. Keith Johnston
was abont to undertake. q t0lri1cv tu tho
Central African lnlses under tie auspices Of
the Royal Geographical Society. Mr.. Tllom-
solt olfered Ills services M II ReoloRtst to tho
expedition, and was ncceptetl ns Mr.. John
ston's assistant. 1lart1ly Ind tt1e caravan
gotten fafrly under why tro,n Dar-cs-Snlanm
into tlb Interior When Mr.. Johnston
died. and tho inexperienced youth became
tho responsible lent1er ut the expedition.
lie might lave turned back and Abandoned
The jo'trIley and been nlusldanlly Justified on
account Of Ills 1t,e nnI iMoxptricllee. But lie
lAl t0n much Scotch grit Md enurgy IN Ills
composition for thnt III l,ntl atnrte, and did
not propose to turn back. ,1lo at Ulico
assumed the leadership; pushed onward
into tho uncxp10red n1nl unknown region !;
accomplished" only a1t that had been ex-
pected by the S6ciety by which lie Ind hccn
commissioned, but went further ami settled
some questions. which both Cameron md
Stanley Ind lcftin dispute. LII accomplished
ln0re, lit fuctr tllnn either Dr. IIotub or Nlnj
Pluto ai,tl his recortl 1t exploration ar.l utl-
venture, tnking everything Into cntlsIslcra-
tion, Is one Of tic most remarkable
books OF traynl uf modern times
There II, moreover, frcstlncss nnl
lack Of conventiolality In tic style
particularly pleasing, and, while some Of the
descriptions llny appear tuo tfor1tl aud sol.,u
Of the writer's conclusions too general and
mt based on sufficient knowledge, nevcrtl,o-
less 1t is really n very readable and enter
tatnIng work, peryadcd with m,tcll of tho
freshness md 6uoyuncy natural to So young
q traveller.
1t is undoubtedly true that explorers who
pass rApidly through strange anu unknown
country tlrAW conclusions too hastily n,,tl
stilte NJ facts what n,ly u LONG sojourn or
extended residence would warrant them In
stating rs true. No wonder tllun that even
In going over the same grol'nd different ex-
plorers cosue to entirely different conclusions.
uld Mr.. Thomson Is found Iii disagreement
OIL very injury points with sucl. lncll as, Bur
tor; spoIse, Cameron, md Stanley. rEach
snw tho salne ttltng untlor entirely different
,conalti0ns4as;f for instance, lit the. case Of
aae sfs ka'eKa kx e St|st fa bra n{ ts
by Mr. Thomson, after lchvlng Xnilxlbnr,
was through MI uilknhWn reG!an from tho
Goast tq Urbung!l, ut, tho northern end OF
l.,ko Nyassa; This Il evident 'fronl un l,,-
Volume, Oil which Mr. ThoMs0, las narkutl
TIC srcatcr pert of Mr filnSsots % s. yi,tirs; ai';
Journey was through! an unklnwlt region,
Lake TnnEanytsa ailt It's return trip through
UMyaiiyelnbo. Dr. iiol,lb, It viii be rcl,Iesii.
herctl IL y Relseral why, nude lils ex1llOra-
tlona III tlIo lever Or southern portion hf the
Atrleall G0i,tiug!lt i io wGnt 70 further north
Madagascar: Even Un lie i,laps nf forty
years A;o tllls section Of tie Country Is do
llilented with sons!derablu accuracy, sl'ow-
Maj. Pluto entered Africa from tho west
c0nst at point several degrees further north
tl1nn Dr. llolub ultimately renol,etl, .alut,
1ourney!ng to tic sontli ot rust, reached tie
south, reaohcd tho coast, ut DurbaI, 0r Port
Natal. This region WIS nut whit was called
" Mtlle lnoxrlorcu rcglo,ls ,nf Africa, Alr.
Thomson, however, entered boldly Into tha
@sSpstSHy @ II ss asSrl9s a sftH satsnp IF pss's ;;s
the continent to tile South Atlantlc Ocenlt,
mud within this territory l,o pursued Ills N
yesttEatiuns Alld explorations. as Dr. llolnb
M9'o Sfa stsat isosa, t' a"j asIjfts"1 T!nte anu ', ta
adventures, NO Mr.. Thomson writes
for tls esooElst. and the general reader. lle