Denton and Haughton Examiner, etc. — 1883-05-05 (Denton, Greater Manchester, England)

GERMAN EXPLORATIONS IN AFRICA. In the Central Miters spacious conservatory at Berlin a hate pint haa been held in celebration of the lifty-fifth anniversary of the Berlin Geographical :-.:ociety's foundation. Lieutenant Wis,mann gave an account of his journey across Africa from wmt to east, gratefully acknowledging the hospitality bestowed on him by the English mission at Rounds, on the shore of Lake Tanganyika. There he was equipped with a tent and a bed, two articles he had managed to do without during his whole journey from Loanda. Mr. Stanley's description of the mighty volumes of water poured into the Congo by the Ikelempa and Sankuru is thoroughly borne out by Lieutenant Wissmann's narrative ; but it appears Clint these rivers in their upper courio bar the names Kassel and Lubilasi. On the other hand the acuounts which reached Dr. Livingstone concerning an immense Lake Lincoln turn out to be fables, for Lieutenant ‘. moon walked round Lake Mukarnba in five hours, and there all the stories about a huge lake further off came loon end. Doors are scarcely known in the marvellous country of Lubuka or Friendship, and the use of bars and bolts is scarcely forbidden. European Communists have evidently still a lesson to learn, and collectivism can be pushed fruitier still than our social philosophers have fancied. Friends of smoking will be glad to hear that to inhale the intoxicating vapours of hemp is a pleasure invested with the sanctity of a religious rite by this amiable tribe of savages, who indulge in the weed to an extent unknown in the rest of the Dark Continent. The natives adore speechifying to such a degree that each word passing aa meter'o lips is repeated by the whole audience. As niggers are not in the habit of lowering their voices the effect of a speech must, from an acoustic point of view, be vastly enhanced by this practice. Most of the tribes westward of Lake Tanganyika seem to practise cannibalism, but only in secrecy (and on state occasions, as that an ordinary traveller has no more chance of assisting —id eat, as a living witness—at a repast on human flesh than a London mendicant has of partaking of a mit, de foie gm or of tasting torte soup. Here, therefore, as elsewhere, is a new proof that cannibalism is in its essence a superstitions rite and nothing more. Lieu. tenant Wissmann states that horned cattle are quite unknown in the region near the Lebilasi, so th^t the buffalo Ile rode upon was an object of still greater awe and astonishment to thousands than himself or his gun, and mainly contributed to his naming unmolested. He and Dr. Pogge had to resort to various clever devices and stratagems in order to break through the belt which King Mwata Yamvo has drawn between Equatorial Africa and the Portuguese province of Angola, so that we do not know how far it may be feasible to keep up communications with amiable King Mukenge. The latter fought faithfully against the Basconge at Dr. Pogge's side on the way home from the Lualaba. This was the second serious attack on the travellers. In August Dr. Pogge is expected to be back in Berlin. He separated from Lieutenant Wiesmann at Nyangwe, retracing his steps westward. Another German explorer, Herr Pflegel, has just succeeded in tracing the river Benue up to its source, a feat which is not without importance for geography.  A maw named Samuel Richard Wood was lately charged at the Mansion House, London, with attempting to commit suicide from Loudon-bridge. In answer to Sir R. Carden, the prisoner alid he believed in Mr. Bradlaugh," and the magistrate, in remanding him for a surgeon to see him, said he must be "doubly insane" for entertaining such a belief and for attempting to take his own life." . _ .  THE arrivals of live stock and fresh meat at Liverpool during the week from the United States and Canada were unusually small, there being only one steamer with live stock on beard; and, although five steamers conveyed beef to Liverpool, the arrivals were nevertheless considerably below those of the previous week. The supply of mutton showed a slight increase. The steamer which landed live stock was the Lake Nepigon, with 196 cattle and no sheep, and those landing fresh meat were—the Helvetia, with 1490 quarters of beef and 900 carcases of mutton; the City of Chester, with 920 quarters of beef and 245 carcases of mutton; the Wisconsin, with 860 quarters of beef and 300 carcases of mutton ; the Celtic, with 820 quartem of beef and 200 carcases of mutton; and the Lake Nepigon, with 797 quarters of beef and 40 carcases of mutton; making a total of 196 cattle, 4887 quarters of beef, and 1899 carcases of mutton.