Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1886-09-16

he reached the mIddle course OF inc
great Kassai river, which was believed
to flow almost directly north and empty
into the Congo near the equator. He
followed the great tributary to its
mouth, and found, much to his aston
ishment, that it made large curve to
the west, received the waters of the
Quango river and reached the Congo
about lS6 miles south of the equator at
Kwamouth, which was supposed to be
the mouth of the Kwa or Quango river
only. In his journey down the Kassai
he discovered great river coming
from the east, which emptied into the
Kassai by two mouths, $50 and 1,00O
feet in width. w AT
DIR. Wolf was one of the three Euro
peans who accompanied Wissmann on
this Journey After they reached
Stanley Pool DR.. Wolf was commits
stoned to reascend the Kassai in the
steamer En- Avant, to return to their
homes a large party Of Kassai natives
who had accompanied the expedition
to the Congo, and to explore the mys-
terious eastern tributary that Wiss-
mann had discovered, The fact, that
4 this river, known as the Sankuri, UNI
impeded by any rapids or cataracts, is
available for steam navigation to the
very heart of the continent, is the dis
covery that Dr. Wolf has made. i,
If the reader will take any map show
ing the great northern bend of the Con-
60, he can trace approximately the
course of this important river. The
Sankuru, flowing almost directly from
east to west practically subtends the
great arc formed by the Congo's north
ern bend Wolf entered the river at
its confluence with the Kassai. Until
the full details of his journey, in
cluding the astronomical determine
ton of this point are received, the
confluence may be said to be al
about degrees 30 minutes south lati'
tude and 20 degrees east longitude
During January, February and March
of this year he travelled leisurely uT
this river finding it a splendid water
way. fulfilling all the requirements o.
navigation. His course was east witt
a slight curve toward the north. g
| He finally entered a large tributary
coming from the south known as the
Lomami, already known in its upper
waters, ! he gcographers had selectet
a river emptying into the Congo at q
degrees 80 minutes east Longitude
as the probable mouth of the Lomami
but it, in point of fact reaches thu
great river through the Sankuru ant
Kassai. nearly 1000 miles from tn,
supposed point of confluence. Th'
Sankuru also was slightly known in it
upper course, and its supposed junction
with the Congo is also noted on tn,
maps, about 400 miles northeast of th,
place where its waters meet the grea
river.
Dr. Wolf turned the Prov of the FL
Avant southeast into the Lomami anC
ascended that river to 5 degrees 81
minutes south latitude. AT his fur
thest point he says the river i
still an open waterway, and h'
turned back only because SOM
of the steamers machinery Shove,
signs of giving out, and he therefor
thought it prudent to return. He hat
penetrated the continent on a Steam
boat for distance of 500 miles east o
the Kassai, and had reached with
in 100 to 100 miles of Nyangwe
the great native trading point OF
the upper Congo, with which the writ
ings of Livingston, Cameron and Stan
ley have made us so familiar 1t i
doubtful if Africa will yield another geo
graphical secret so unexpected and sur
prising as this great navigable wa
ter-way leading from the ocean to tn
heart of Central Africa, interrupte'
only by the cataracts of the lowe
Congo, around which the propose,
, railroad will sooner or later be built
The Congo valley, therefore, offer
, two great navigable highways leadini
to Central Africa. AS route to tn
far interior the Sankuru would seen
, to possess some advantages over th
! Congo, first because it strikes straigh
for Central Africa, while the Cong
! makes a long detour to the north, an
8 secondly, because it is not impeded b
|, : cataracts, as the Congo is in its uppe
: course at Stanley Falls Y San.