Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1890-09-24
THE NILE SOURCES.
They Were Not Discovered by Stanley, Rs
Many Suppose.

They Were Not Discovered by Stanley, Rs
MANY Suppose.
In the month of January, 1853 Cap
tain John Hanning Spoke, attached to
the expedition of the distinguished
Captain. now Sir Richard Burton, reached
the southern extremity of the great In
land sea situated south of the equator,
which he called the Victoria Nyanza"
Speke's discovery was, however, incom-
plete, many geographers claiming that
the river which flowed out of the lake
in the north was not nor could not be
the Nile. Spoke endeavored to trace
this river; but when a short distance
from the lake, he was driven from the
river, and was forced to abandon his
project, leaving the question still one
of geographical discussion and doubt.
Ismail Pasha, Khedive, imbued with
the am bition to emulate his illustriOus
grandsire discover the source of
Egypt's great river and extend his do
main to it's head waters-au authorized
Sir Samuel Baker to undertake voy-
age of discovery, which resulted in the
finding of a lake Tin 1864, which he
called the Albert Nyanza. situated be-
tween the first and second parallels
north Baker thus discovered the Sec
ond Nile source.
Sir Samuel subsequently was APP
pointed Governor-Generalo of the Equa-
torial Provinces of Egypt, and was re-
placed by General Gordon in February,
1874 The writer, then an officer in the
general staff of the Egyptian army, was
chosen as chief of staff to General Cor
don, and Immediately on his arrival at
Gondocoro, undertook to complete the
unfinished work of Captain Spoke at
the same time that he was urgently or
dered to reach the capital of the famous
M'Tesa, King of Uganda, with the view
of anticipating the STANLEY Herald
and London Telegraph Expedition"
then about to set out from England.
AS may be seen by the book published
on this subject, a treaty was made with
the King just nine months before Stan
ley's arrival, who found the ground
taken by the Khedives military sta
Mons, extending to the Lake Victoria
itself. It was sore dissappoin
to Stanley, for the even then covered
country of Uganda had become Egyp-
tian territory, as manifested in the fol-
lowing official note, communicated by
the Egyptian Minister for Foreign AT
fairs to the represe natives Of all the
great powers. It said:
There is accomplished the annexa-
ton to Egypt of all the territories situ-
ated in and around the great lakes,
Victoria and Albert and their afluents-
We are happy to have to announce the
result of that expedition, which has sue
ceeded. due to the energy and devotion
of those who have accomplished it un-
der the direction of Gordon Pasha, and
in the generous spirit of aiding in the
formulation of these countries by civil
cation, by agriculture and by COM
merce."
In addition to the diplomatic coup de
main which had been the first intention
and object of his mission, accomplished
under hardships almost unparalleled in
the history of travel the America
egyptian officer descended the river,
and after great suffering and endurance,
and accompanied only with two faith full
soldiers and two servants he traced the
stream to its connecting point with
Lake Albert, thus solving finally and
forever the problem of the Nile sources,
and at the same time adding another
lake to the system in the discovery of
Lake Ibrahim.
Mr.. Henry NJ SANKEY'S name has not
been mentioned here among those who
! may claim to be the discoverers of the
Nile sources. Mr. Stanley is not Nile
~
discover the Victoria or the Albert
Nyanzas, nor Lake Ibrahim, and these
lakes constitute the Nile sources, and
none others.-Col. ChailleLon in Har
per's Weekly.