The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1886-08-18
SOURCES OF THE NILE.
The Mystery of the Niles Head-Water
Not Yet Entirely Dispelled.

Nj
Not Yet Entirely Dispelled.
The notion is quite prevalent that the
explorations of the past twenty-five
wears have completely solved the prob.
lem of the sources of the Nile. The
fact is, however, that the mystery OF the
Niles headwatcrs is not yet entirely dis
peeled. We have fuller knowledge
to-day of that later problem, the sources
of the Congo, than of the interesting
question that batied gcographers foi
ages until Spoke partially solved it.
Lakes Victoria and Albert Nyanzs
were discovered respectively by Spoke
and Sir Samuel Baker, and for years
these great sheets of water appeared on
the maps as the twin sources OF the Nile.
In 1876 Gessi Pasha, one of General
| Gordon's assistants. circumnavigated
Albert Nyanza in steam launch. The
dense aquatic vegetation at the southern
end prevented him from reaching the
shore, but from his masthead he could
see no river, and during his journey he
did not discover a single important
tributary From his voyage dated the
notion that Albert Nyanza is not a
source, but only backwater Of the
Nile, into which the river pours merely
to emerge again q little further north.
In the same year Stanley, travelling
due west from the north end of Victoria
Nvanza, reached large lake, which he
supposed to he Lake Albert, not know
inc that Gessi had fixed the southern
limit of that sheet of water. This lake
is believed from native information to
be about one hundred and forty miles
LONG and to cover about five thousand
square M les. Its north end, little
north of the equator, is supposed to be
sixty to eighty miles south of Albert
Nyanza. Its native name is Muts
, Nzge.
A year later Albert Nyanza was ex
pIored second time by Mason Bey
who, reaching the south shore, made ;
very important discovery that had es
capped Gessi Pasha. He found rive
, coming from the south about one thou
sand feet in width. reddish in color
which poured its sluggish stream int
Albert Nyanza. Neither this river no
Muta Nzige has yet been explored, ant
: ecographers are divided in opinion a
to whether the large lake feeds the Nil
9 or the Congo.
The question has some political a
,, well as geographical interest, for tn
Berlin conference last year agreed tina
the northeast limit of the Congo Ere
. State should be the water parting be
5 tween the Congo and the Nile systems
n If Muta Nzige feeds the Nile, theor
: that is supported by the best geograpt
: icaI authority on several eNcellen
t grounds, n large reg on tributary to tn
: lake can not, as at present. figure niue
0 longer on the map of the Congo State
e Stanley argues that Muta Nzige mus
e empty into the Congo, because, in h
: opinion, the Lira and Lulu, tributarie
e of that river, have not space enough
e without the help of this lake, to collet
c their large volume of water. It can t
IS said, however, that without the lax
It they have as much drainage area ;
: some other important African ritel
s possess Without enumerating hel
y the many reasons for believing tn;
O Muta Nzige is one of the sources OF IL
70 Nile, it may be mentioned that it is vel
7, difficult to explain how it is that tt
le Nile energies from Albert Nyanza wit
e nearly double the volume of water
d pours into it, unless that small lake
a connected with the far more importal
is source Of supply just little south OF
f. There can hardly fail to be an amp
l. supply of volunteers for African e
+, ploration service as long as there
lc light still to be shed upon SO interestll
t. a problem as the sources of the Nile.
id N. Y. San.