New-York tribune., 1901-01-06

the interior of the Dark Continent" only the
most suecinct account is possible For clear
ness OF statement explorations are treated under
i've general heads: First. Transsaharan, from
the Mediterranean; second, the Niger regions;
third, the lake regions near the Upper White
Nile; fourth the Zambesian region and fifth,
the Congo Basin.
Aceording 10 different definitions of a/desert,
the Sahara varies in area from 100000 TO
3500o00 square miles, of which the eastern
third is generally known as the Lybian Desert.
Hitherto this desert area, with scant water. in
tense heat and whirling duststorms, interposed
an inaccessible barrier between the Hamitic
nations OF the Mediterranean coast and the
negro tribes OF the Soudan
sAHARAs BARRIERS OVERCOME.
Explorations of the Sahara We're fruitless
until oudney, Denham and Clapperaon crossed
ns222D from Tripoli TO Lake Chad in
the soudan. Laing following. crossed from
TripoIi via Ghadames and Tuat to Timbuc-
too, the mysterious city of strangely ex-
Ssgerated Importance from previous centuries:
Panet. Vincent, Duveyrier and LenZ explored
the desert between Senegal and Southeastern
Algeria
II was Barth who gave the first definite
count of the Saharan region by a journey OF
great extent and Importance. Starting from
Tripoli, he crossed the Sahara to Lake Chad,
passed Northern Hausaland TO the Niger az say
and thence reached Timbuctoo.. Returning
northeast through SokotO TO Kukawa. he ex-
plored BGnu Barth's journeys were of great
value. Tor ne not only made knoNn 10 tue
world the existence and accessibility OF hun
dre6s of thousands OF square miles OF fertile
territory. but he also gave in five volumes an
enormous amount of geographical information,
in which he treated quite Thoroughly the eth-
nology Of the various tribes of the Central Sou
dan. His successor, ROhlfS after exploring
Southern Morocco, penetrated the Sahara 10 the
of Tuat and Ghadames. and those of the
districts OF Fezzen and Tibesti- He then crossed
from the Mediterranean TO the Guinea coast VIA
Bnanu and Lagos the Niger. the first Euro
pean TO make the journey. Later Gsf3-'fS he
explored the oases in the Lybian Desert.
The first Europeans to cross Africa from east
20 west north OF the equator were Matteucci and
AIassari, who travelled from Suakim via Kordo-
fan, Wadai and KanO TO the Niger. Nachtigal
ls69-'10l made journey from Tripoli via Fez-
zen 10 the Lybian Desert, where he explored
the remarkable mountainous region OF Tibesti.
Examining the Lake Chad district he reached
Egypt via Wadai and Durfur.
The Sahara, instead of being low desert of
marine origin is an elevated plateau, which
has been enormously denudated by the disin-
tegration of its rocks through temperature
changes and the distribution Of its dust by high
winds II is not entirely rainless. mas many
fertile oases and only needs abundant water TO
produce lu2uriant vegetation.
NIGER AND NILE AN OPEN BOOK.
The mystery of the Niger, long enormously
supposed to aow through the Soudan TO the
west, was partly solved by Mungo Park. who.
starting from Gambia. in his first journey
reached sella the Niger;o his second expedt-
zion Qs05) ended in failure. Clapperton. re-
newing the survey. perished, but his faithful
assistant. Richard Lander. definitely solved
lS30D the mystery of the Niger by descending
from Bussa to the mouth of the stream.
French energy has explored Senegal and Gam
hia by Rubault, Mollien.. De Beauford and
especially Caille. RIUqoq sIa
The great mystery sefotilesnsile sources after
twenty centuries OF speculation, has been solved
by the labors of various explorers. most largely
by Baker, Speke and Stanley Its largest lake
source. Victoria Nyanza, was discovered by
Speke. who missed Albert NyanZa Baker dis
covered the source Of the Blue (Abyssinian)
Nile and the Albert Nyanza Of the MAN, or
white, Mile To Stanley belongs the honor of
the discovery Of the remotest source. Albert
Edward Nyanza, which feeds the Albert Nyanza
through the Semliki River.
The tabled Mountains Of the Moon have given
place in Eastern Africa to a most remarkable
lacustrine system. The vast equatorial lakes
cover extensive regions feed some of the larg-
est rivers Of the world. and by their transporta-
fion facilities favor commerce. Their central
situation between the Cape and Cairo. con-
Nenienr the Indian Ocean and on the confines
Of the Congo Basin, caused them TO be recog-
nizeG the central key TO African domination
by Germany and Great Britain. who now con-
The largest lake Tanganyika. was discovered
by Burton, while Livingstone contributed
Thomson, exploring south from Tanganyika,
discovered Lake Rukwa and also traversed un-
known Masailand-
LIvINGsToNE's GREAT WORK.
The discovery of the equatorial lakes was Of
Subordinate import to that Of the Gorge Basin,
which grew out Of missionary labors in South
Africa. To the genius and energy of two men,
David Livingstone and Henry NJ Stanley,
primarily due the exploration and utilization Of
rhe vast unexplored regions between the Sou
Dan snG the Orange River.
UnquestionabIy the missionary Livingstone,
who settled in Bechuanaland in 1S41. was one
OF the greatest of African explorers. First dis
covering Lake Nygama, he turned his attention
10 the Zambesi Valley, and practically covered
This basin in 1s51-'5e. and LATER in 1s5s-64.
plored Lake Nyasa and the adjacent country.
Most important results flowed directly and in
directly from the last Journeys of his life in 1866
'73, when. crossing the watershed 70 the very
sources of the Congo, he discovered Lakes
Mwero and BangweolO. the Luapula and Lua-
lsba rivers, now recognized branches OF the
stanley, who found the long lost Livingstone.
completed the exploration OF the main Congo
basin in a journey Qslo-'ls) which In its discoV-
cries and results is uneQualled IN African eX-
rloration. His circumnavigation OF the great
lakes Victoria Nyanza and Tanganyika, was
Important but the crossing TO the watershed OF
bv following ft to the Atlantic Ocean, was
journey of unsurpassed courage, persistency and
resourcefulness. His return to found the Congo
State was followed by extensive discoveries,
Changi, Kasai and other aifiuents Of the mighty
Yiver Stanley's laurels were increased by his
search Cor Ennin Paeha. when he crossed Africa
from the junction OF the Congo and the Aruwini
over the Bantu bocderland He discovered not
only an extensive and almost impossible forest,
hui also the ultimate lake source OF the White
Nile, Albert Edward Nyanza-
HIGH PRAISE FOR STANLEY.
Staniey's exploration of the Congo basin was
a potential force. second only TO that OF Co
lumbus's discovery of America Each explorer
opened up a new continent, and gave rise 10