Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1889-12-26
srASLEn,s pIsooYERY.
The Results of the Great Explorers
Fr,p Through Africa.

The Results of the Great E1piOrOr's
'Fr,p Through Africa.
New York Herald.
The expedition which Stanley has just
led through labyrinth of woes to o
triumphant end will take historic rank
with tho famous retreat of the ten thou
sand" under XenopLon. As the tale I'M
folds, of arduous tolls and dangers en-
countered in the vast African wilderness,
wonder at his SUCCESS increases. This
SUCCESS, as he freely avows, is inexplic-
able save on the theory of supernatural
aid.
Though 10 much has been done since
Livingstonu'a time TO fill up the blanks Of
Central Africa's physical geography, no
expedition has returned with richer
harvest OF discoveries than Stanley's last.
II exploring the valley OF the Aruwini
river he cut his way through the northern
section of what is probably the largest OF
African sts--extending over 400
miles in latitude and longitade-wit q
dense Jungle in nll stages of decay, re.
sounding with the murmurs of monkeys
and chinpan2ees, strange noises OF bids
and animals and the crashes of troops
Of elephants rushing through the dark
and tangled oopse. The rank exUbergnce
OF this vast compact Ammonium forest
suggests the question: Whencs comes its
water supply 10 the south lies n region
described by Livingstone "a "a great
sponge" and recently traversed by the
missionary Arnot, who found no dense
growth, but only tall, rsnk grass. Tho
rain which feeds tho Aruwimi forest can
not come FROM the still drier north, nor,
Is il likely, from the Atlantic Ocean on
the west, but most probably from the
''sleauing" waters Of tho Indian Ocean,
whose yspor laden munspons and trade
winds appear 10 penetrate Central Africa
As the Atlantic trade winds penetrate the
heart OF South America, browning the
upper valley Of the Amazon with stalWaTt
vaRstnticn.
Ia hing onward from the Aruwimi to
+, tlla Albert NySnza, the leader OF the relief
expedition discovers the connection of
TIE noble SHEET with the before unknown
inland waters 10 the southwest, and thus
becomes ths tii4coTsrer OF tho true source
OF the Mis-. Tins able explorer. Sir
Samuel BHaer, twice visited Albert
Nyanza, and mapped its contour partly
from observation, partly from hearsay.
| SANKEY'S detineRtion of the lakes shore
Z
aboyn the sea differ very widely from
BAKERS, In March. 1861, Baker found
4 its altitude 2 720 feet; Stanley, az dit
feftnt season Of the year, found il 1850
feet, indicating, apparently, that the lake
| mus undergo . most remarkable annua!
risa and fall, An attempt was not long
ago tnhde by The eminent oprapher,
Colonel Sir Ftnnois Do Winton, to ex plain
. thp iii s,aEr hyI{t r., 4,
served nv Baker and Stanley BY suppos-
ing thHt The rapid and enormous growth
of tropical Wstef plants loosened by the
rialng OF The waters in the rainy season,
and forming floating islands, choke nj
toe narrow outlet Of the lane and raise ia
surface until the pressure on the TEN,
porary dom becomes resistless, and thf
massed up Waler8, rushing to the sea
overflow the hanks OF the Nile and draw
the lake to lover level. IL thia theor,
proves 10 be correct Bakers figures ma,
not be so far cut out of the way as the,
seonl. nnd both no and Stanley may pt
approximately right
The Vein OF Stanley's discoveries OF
his grGnd tEans-AfficRp march does TO
stop htre. lie has made known til
hydtagraphy of the greatest lake eystsn
Of the globe and has added 20 the gian
mouutains Of geography the stately anC
snow-ciad kuwen2ori, whose rocky pea
towsrs eighteen or nineteen thousand Zee
above seg level. Btsidea this we hay
the discovery Of Albert Edward Nyanza
whence issues that mysterious streau
which feruiiz4s Egypt aad made tn
valley Of the Nile, the most marvellous, q
it was the earliest, seat VI human culture
art and science.
The browning discovery OF the late OK
pedition ia the extension OF the broa
Victoria Nyan2a, 'pix thousand squar
miles" in excess of tho area assigned
/ BY Rll previous explorations. This maEe
the Victorian Lake, perched Bs it is NOR
than 1000 toet above the sea, the mos
important, fn2t the largest, reservoir o
| the globe. Since civilization has Away
, developed most rapidly near larp
nayigable waters, this lake region NAV /
/ some not distant day become grel
/ commercial centre.
} To fully estimate the effects of theF
discoveries on the future of Csntrt
Atrica is now impossible. The repio
, between the upper ZlmbaBi and ID
: L9klngW watershed must first be explore
) 20 lind the best route to the equatoriI
. hikes. A railroad should also be m
! from the coast westward TO IL
I. Ianganyika, via Unyanyembe, wi,
. branches to the Victoria Kyan2a an
I southwark, as proposed by Cameron
Meantime, however, StGnley's rccui
work will stimulate exploration IN
{ greatly facilitate the conquest of this ne
/ world to civilization.