Year: 1875

has sustained the contrary view that Spoke
gave as the result Of his observations
namely, that the Victoria Niyanza was one
the view toward which facts and opinions
in geography seem equally to tend, that all
the great water system described in Living
stones last journals is discharged by the
Lomame into the Albert Niyanza, the
two Niyanzas would then stand as enormous
reservoirs in the Nile system.


Livingstone, it will be remembered,
constantly heard, as he followed down
the Lualaba and the Lomame, OF
great lake far to the north, into which
all that immense body Of water fell. lie
did not live to follow the flow of the river
down to that great lake that he might identify
it with water already known or announce
new discovery. Baker, on the other hand,
did not fully examine the Albert Niyanza,
but in his outline of it left hiatus ut the
southwestern extremity with note that the
natives told him he could follow there a
great body Of water far to the westward.
Baker, following far to the westward great
stream connected with the Albert Niyanza,
and Livingstone, following to the northeast
ward, weary months and years, a gigantic
river to connect it with great Lake to him
unknown, look singularly like two travellers
cropping blindly toward one another in the
maze Of the African wilderness-one follow
ing the river that the other wanted; the
other standing by the lake of which the first
was in search. If this connection shall be
eventually made, as is SO highly probable,
the world will then be in possession of the
whole Nile system, and the labor next in or
der will be to acquire more thorough and
satisfactory knowledge of the separate parts
and greater features Of that system. One
important part of that labor is now antici-
pated by Stanley's examination Of the Victoria
Niyanza.


In their geographical aspect strictly, there
fore, his recent letters are Of great value; but
the romantic interest of these two later de-
spatches will be their greatest attraction to
the general reader. The tragic fate of Colonel
Debelleford may well intensity the notion that
the correspondent himself bears a charmed
life He comes and goes through districts
where the fever poison rises from the whole
surface Of the earth almost like the smoke
from smouldering fire, and that silent
scourge which spares so few white men
leaves him untouched Through an ordeal
equal and even similar to that Of the upas tree
he passes with safety. In his first expe-
dition he went through certain Of those
malarious regions that were eventu-
ally the death of the veteran Living
stone; and the white men who then
went with him were buried in the country
| In his armed encounters with the natives he
has been equally fortunate-an event that, Of
course, it is not in any mans power to Sc
cure-but against the treachery Of the natives
he has been protected by his own vigilance
and resolute spirit. Debelleford, less Injured
to African travel and less acquainted with
the savage character, was, perhaps, less on
his guard against treachery, and thus fell
victim to soldierly faith in his enemy. 1t
may prove, however, that this gentleman fell
a victim to one of series Of revolts that
seem to have occurred in the White
| Nile country, in one Of which, as
recently reported, at least a hundred
of the Khedive's troops were killed
But through revolt and war and treacherous
assault and an atmosphere saturated with
the fever poison Stanley always goes safely.
| His welcome with all the barba-ic ceremony
and splendor of Mtesas court at his hunting
camp and his capital carries the fancy into
other ages. In the century of discovery,
when America, with its savage tribes and
the Mexican and Peruvian wonders, were
made known, such stories Of welcome by bar
barrie rulers became familiar in the civilized
/ world and have been little heard since.
But there was no ruler Of Northern Indians
who had two million subjects as Mtesa has,
and Montezuma himself did not ven-
ture upon the extravagance of three
hundred wives Altogether such q welcome
in such country and with such people,
though picturesque, quaint and strange by
its contrast with our everyday world, has
its oppressive aspect and if Stanley shall
escape from Mtesas hospitality as safely as
he has done from open foe and insidious
fever he will be more than trebly fortunate.


In 1871 Livingstone had not been seen by
any white man for six years. 1t was four
years since the report had reached England
that he had been killed by the natives. An
expedition was sent out from England to
find him, but its endeavors were anticipated
by letters from the traveller in 1868. Again
he was heard from in 1862 and then, as
silence Of two years followed, the impression
became very general that calamity had come
to him in some remote corner Of the mex
tricable wilderness sympathy and curios-
ity are strangely mingled in the interest
the world takes in such name as his,
but the curiosity to know what had become
of him was not more ardent than the wish to
assist him if there should yet be time.
Finally scraps Of reference found their way