The Hawaiian star., 1912-06-29


expert on geology and Probate Regls;.
er of Nottingham, who was sent to
British East Africa by the British
Museum, reports that he he's found
conclusive evidence that the great lake
of Victoria Nyanza has been in exist
ence since the Miocene Age-a matter
of 100000 years or so. The lake is
of vest extent and lies at an altitude
of 1000 feet, in a mountainous region
of the equator. In places it is of vast
depth, the bottom probably being be-
low sea level
DR.. Oswald found buried on the east
ern shore of the lake parts of num-
Der of preh'storic mammals, including
the iawbone and teeth of a dinothe-
rum of the Tertiary Era, and some
bones of aceratherium and anthrathe-
rum, the ancient types of rhinoceros,
They were all found close to the
mouth of the Kuji or Kuya River
Other traces of fossils we're uneartheG
at points five and fifteen miles distant,
in what appeared to be the same gully.
The investigs atoms were started
close to Karungu in what is apparent
ly the delta of an old river which
formerly ran into the lake at that
point At the top of a ! was a cliff
of basalt, and below that was the slop-
ing bed of the delta. The top of this
bed was the ordinary black cotton
soil of the district, and Immediately
below that were the ordinary eocust-
rum beds-the top one of gray clay,
the secon0 one of red clay and white
sandstone and the third one of buff
sandstone and gravel.
In each bed were fresh water cells,
but there were very few fossils in the
top bed. There we're fair number
in the second bed but the rich finds
were in the third bed.
our trip" says DR.. Oswald "estGb-
,ishes the great age of the high lake,
the Victoria Nyanza for it is evident
from the position of the old delta that
the river of which it is the relic, most
probably the old course of the present
day Kuji, was running there into the
lake at least as far, back as the Lower
Miocene period.' 'Fs
According to the British Museum
experts the discovery of the vast age
of Victoria Nyanza throws an entirely
new light on the problem of human
antiquity. One consequence is that
civilization in Egypt may have to be
essumed as probably having existed
from $4,000 to 100000 years ago or
even longer. For, they say, if Victoria
Nyanza is 100000 years old, the river
Nile, of which it is the source, is
not only of practically equal age but
has in all that almost inconceivably
long period flowed in it's present course
of over 34OO miles from the equator
to the Mediterranean.
That means, according to the mus
cum scientists, that the Valley oil the
Nile in Egypt has remained for more
than 100000 years in virtually its
prescnt physical state, with conditions
as favorable to human occupation anc
human civilization a mil ion years age
as they we're 10000 years ago, at wha'
Is called the dawn" of Egyptian his
tory. And, inasmuch as the Egypti2n
culture of $4,000 years ago was as
pronounced as it is today, there is nc
way of limiting, by inference the ac
tual extent of it's antiquity
In the course of the ages the Lake
of Victoria Nyanza may have Taller
somewhat in level, with a correspond
ing fall in the level of the Nj II
Egypt, so that in prehistoric times the
peopIe lived further back inland; so 1
il further inland that their monuments
and other remains are to be sought
In the case of most of the great lakes
of the world--for example, Lake Michi
gan, in North America, and Lake bal
kaI. in Asia-marine forms OF lie o.
relics of such have been found prov
ing that these lakes once had connec
ton with the sea. Such connection
INN les a very great change from pres
ent phy.ical conditions. The Ice Age
too. is supposed to have broken I'M
continuity of life.
Therefore the discoveries Of DR.. Os
wald as to the everlasting condition
of Lake Victoria Nyanza are, 1t II
said at the museum, of the utmos
significance in indicating the peculia
conditions in the Nile Valley in Egyp
favorable to the development, IA
back in the dim past, of human civili7
alton. there to flourish unaffected b,