DR. LIVINGSTONE'S STORY.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume XXXI, Issue 84, 20 November 1872, Page 3

DR. LIVINGSTONE'S STORY.

[Continued from November 2.]

At Cazembe's he found an old white-bearded halfcaste named Mahornmed-ben-Salih, who was kept as a kind of prisoner ab large by the King, because of certain suspicious circumstances attending hia advent and Btay in the country. Through Livingstone's influence Mahommed-ben-Salih obtained his release. On the road to Ujiji he had bitter cause to regret having exerted himself in the half-caste's behalf. He turned out to be a most ungrateful wretch, who poisoned the minds of the Doctor's few followers, and ingratiated himself with them by selling the favours of his concubines to them, thus reducing them to a kind of bondage under him. From the day he had the vile old man in his company, manifold and bitter misfortunes followed the Doctor up to liis arrival at Ujiji in March, 1869. From the date of his arrival until the end of June, 1869, he remained in Ujiji, whence he dated those letters which, though the outside world still doubted his being alive, satisfied the minds of the Eoyal Geographical people and his intimate friends "that he was nlive, and that Musa's tale was an ingenious and false fabrication of a cowardly deserter. It was during this time that the thought occurred to him of sailing round the Lake Tanganyika; but the Arabs and natives were so bent upon fleecing him, that had he undertaken it the remainder of his goods would not have enabled him to explore the central line of drainage, the initial point of which he found far south of Cuzeinbe'B in about lat. 11 deg., in the ri?er called Chanibezi. In the days when tired Captain Burton was resting in Ujiji, after his march from the coast near Zanzibar, the land to which Livingstone, on his departure from Ujiji, bent his steps was unknown to the Arabs save by vague report. Messrs. Burton and Speke never heard of it, it seems. Speke, who was the geographer of Burton's expedition, heard of a place called Ururoa, which he placed on his map according to the general direction indicated by the Arabs ; but the most enterprising of the Arabs, in their search after ivory, only touched the frontiers of Eva, as the natives and Livingstone called it. For Rua is an immense country, with a length of six degrees of latitude, and as yet an undefined breadth from east to west. At the end of June, 1869, Livingstone quitted Ujiji, and crossed over to Ugupha on the western shore for his last and greatest series of explorations, the result of which was the discovery of a series of lakes ot great magnitude, connected together by a large river called by different names as it left one lake to flow into another. From the port of Ugupha he set oil" in company with a body ot traders in an almost direct westerly course through the lake country ot Ugupha. Filteen days' march brought them to Bambarre, the first important ivory doposit in Manyema, or, as the natives pronounce it, Alunuyema. For neurly cix months he waß detained at Bambarro from ulcers m the feet, which bled profusely from the sore as soon as he Bet his loot on the ground. When well, he set off in a northerly direction, and after several days, came to a broad lacustrine giver called the Lualaba, flowing northward and westward, and in some places southward in a confusing way. The river was from one to three miles broad. By exceeding pertinacy ho contrived to lollow its erratic course until he saw the Luulaba enter the narrow, lengthy lake of Xamaloudo, in about latitude 6 deg. 30 mm. Retracing it south, he came to the point where he had seen the Lualaba enter Lake Moero. One feels quite enthusiastic when listening to Livingstone's description ol the beauties ol Moero scenery. Pint in on all sides by high mountains, clothed to tips with the rich vegetation of the tropics, Moero discharges its superfluous waters through a deep rent in the bosom ol the mountains. The impetuous and grand river roars through the chasm with the thunder of a cataract, but soon after leaving its confined and deep bed it expands into the calm and broad Lualaba, expanding aver miles of ground. After making great bends

west and south west, and then curving northward, it errors Kamalondo. By tho natives it is railed Luuliibiv ; but thti Doctor, in ordor to distinguish it from other rivers of the same nmao, has given it the niiiuu of • Webb's River, 1 after Mr. Webb, the weulthy proprietor of Newstead Abbey, whom tho Doctor distinguishes as one of his oldest and most consistent friends. Away to tho southw est from Kaintiloiulo is another largo lake, which discharges its waters by tho important Locke, or Lomami, into tho great Lualaba. To this lake, known as Chebungo by tho natives, Doctor Livingstone has given the name of Lincoln, to be hereafter distinguished on maps and in books as Luke Lincoln, in memory ol Abraham Lincoln, our murdered President. Tins was done from the vivid impression produced on his mind by hearing a portion of his inauguration «poech read from an Engl ah pulpit, which related to the causes that induced him to issue his Emancipation Proclamation, by which memorable deed 4,000,000 slaves wore for ever freed. To the memory of the man whoso labour on behalf of the negro race deserves tho commendation of all good men, Livingetone has contributed a monument more durable than brass or stone. Entering Webb's River from tho SS.W., a little north of Kumtilondo, is ft l.irgo river called the Lufera j but the streams which discharge themselves from the watershed into tho Lu.ilaba are so numerous, that the Doctor's map could not contain them, 80 lie has left all out except tho most important. Continuing his way north, tracing the Lualaba through its manifold and crooked curves as far as latitude -ideg. south, he came to another largo lake called the Unknown Lake; hut here you may come to a dead halt and read it thus. * * * Hero was the furthermost point; from hero he was compelled to return on tho weary road to Ujiji, a distance of 7uo miles. In this brief sketch of Dr. Livingstone's wonderful travels it is to bo hoped the most superficial reader, ns well as tho student of geography, comprehends this grand system of lakes connected together by Webb's River. To assist him, lot him procure a map of Africa, by Keith Johnston, ombiacing the latest discoveries. Two degrees south of Tanganyika, and two degrees west, lot him draw tho outlines of a like, its greatest length from east to wcit, and let hint call it Bangweolo ; ono degree or thereabouts to the north-west, let him sketch thf outlines of another but Binaller lake, and call it Moero ; v degree again north of Moero, another lake of a similar size, and call it Kamaloudo ; and still n degree north of Kamulondo, another lake, large, and as yet of undefined limits, which in tho absenco ol ftuy Bpecifio term wo will call tho Nameless Lake. Then let him connect these several lakes by a rivet called after three mimes: thus, the main feeder ol Bungweolo, tho Chambezi; tho river which runs out of Bangweolo and runs into Moero, the Luapula; tho river connecting Moero with Kamalondo, Webb's River j that which runs from Kamalondo into the nameless lake, northward, tho Lualabau ; and let him write in bold letters over tho River Ohambezi, Luapula, Webb's River, and Lualaba — tho Nile, for these are all one and the samo river. Again, west of Moero Lake, about one degreo 01 thereabouts, another large lake may bo placed on his map, with v, river running dingouully across to meet tho Luulaba, north of Lake Kamulondo. This new lake is Lake Lincoln, and the river is tho Lomani River, the confluence of which with the Lualuba ia between Kamalondo and tho nmneless lake Taken altogether, the reader nmy bo said to have a vevy i'aiv idea of wluit Dr. Livingstono has been doing these long years, and what addition he has made 10 the study of African geography. That this river, distinguished under eeveral titles, flowing from one lako into another in n northerly direction, with nil its crooked bends and sinuosities, is tho Nilo — tho truo Nile— tho Doctor has not tho least doubt. For a long time he did doubt, beeauso of its deep bends and curves west, and south-west even ; but, having traced it from its head waters, tho Chambizi, throu-h seven degrees of lati-tude—-that "is, from 11 deg. S. to lat. 4 dog. N. — he has been compelled to come to the condition that it can bo no other river than the Nile Ho hud thought it was tho Congo; hut has discovered the sources of the Congo to bo tlicKusiu and the Quango, two rivers which vise on the western side of Ihe Nile water-shed in übout the latitude of Bungweolo; and ho was told of another river, called Lubi ash, which rose from the north and ran west. But theLuuiabu, tho Docor thinks, cannot bo the Congo from its great size and body, and from its steady and continued ilow northward through a broad uud extensive valley bounded by enormous mountains westerly and easterly. Tho altitude of (lie most northerly point to which tho Doctor traced the wonderful river, was a little over 2,000 ft , to that though Baker inukos out his lake to be 2,700 ft. above the sen, yet tho Bhlt Gliuzml, through which Pell. crick's branch of the White Nile lushes into the Nile, is only a little over 2,000 ft., in which i-hso there is a po-sibi-lity thnt \\\* Lualnba mny bo none other than Petlierick's branch. It is well known that trading stations for ivory lntvc been established for about 500 miles up Petherick's branch. We must remember this fact when told that Goudokoro, in lut 4 deg. N., is 200 feet above the eon, and Int. 4 deg. S., is only a little over 2,000 ft. übovo the sea. That the two rivers said to be 2,000 ft. above the sea, separated from each other, have 8 deg. of latitude, mny among come men bo regarded as a startling statement. Unt wo must r.-btmin mcro oxpressi'ins of Fin-prise, and tako into consideration that this mighty and broud Lualaba is a lacustrine river, broader than the Mississippi, and think of our own rivers, which, though shallow, are exceedingly broad — for instance, our Plfitlo River iluwing across the prairirs of Colorado and Nebraska into tho Missouri. Wo must wuit until tho alitude of the two livers — the Luulaba, where the Doctor halted, and tho southern point on theßulir Ghnzal, where Pethoriok has beon— aro known with perfect accuiacy. Webb's River, or tho Lualaba, from Bangweolo, is n lacustrine river, expanding from ono to three miles in breudth. At intervuls it forms extensive lakes ; then, contracting into a broad river, it again forms a lake, uud so on to lat. 4 deg. N., and beyond (his point the Doctor hears of a largo lake ajxatit north. Now, for tho sake of argument, suppose we give this Nameless Luke a length of 4 deg of latitude, as it may bo the one discovered by Piuggia, the Italian traveller, from which Pethenck's branch of the White Nile issues out through reedy marshes, mid tlio Balir Ghuza), into Iho While Wile, soulli ol Gondokoro. By this method wo suppose the rivers one; for the lakes, extending over so many degrees J of latitude, would obviuto the necessity of explaining the (liilVrtM)t-es of altihido that must. imhmtlJy r-iist between two points of a river 8 degrees of lutitudo! apart. Also, Livingstone's instruments for observation and taking altitude may have beon in error; and this is very likely to havo been the case, subjected as they have been to rough handling during nearly six years of travel. Despite tho apparent difllciilty of tho altitude, there is another strong reuson for believing Webb's River, or tho Lualaba, to bo tho Nile. Tho watershed of this river, (>OO miles of which Livingstone lias travelled, is drained by a valley which lies north and south between the eastern and western ranges of tho watershed. This valley, or hue of draiuuge, •while it does not receive the Kasai and tho Quango, receives rivers flowing from a great distance west ; for instance, the important tributaries Lufera and Loinumi, and largo rivets from the cant, such as (ho Lindi and Luamo ; and while the most intelligent Portuguese travellers and traders state that the Kasai, (he Quango, and Lubibu&h aro (ho headwaters of tho Congo River, no ono has yet started tho supposition that tho grand rivor flowing north, and known by the natives as the Lualaba, was tho Congo. If this river is not the Nile, where, then, aro tho head-waters of tho Nile? Tho email river running out of tho Victoria Nyauzii, and the river flowing out of tho little Liiko Albert, have not suffloient wnt or to form the great rivor of E;;ipt. As you glide down tho Nile, and noto the A»ua, (he (JorullV, the Sobat, the Blue NiU?, uud the Atlmru, and follow the river down to Eg) pt, if cannot fail to impress you that it requires many more streams, or one largo river, lurgor than all yet discovered, to influence its inundations and replace the waste of its ilow through a thousand miles of desert. Per 1j tip* a moro critical survey of the Nile will prove, that it

ia influenced by the waters that pour through " the small piece of water resembling a duck-pond buried in the sea of rushes," as >Speke describes the Bahr G-hazal. Livingtone's discovery answers the question, and satilios the intelligent hundrods who, though Bruee and Spoke and JBikor eaoh in his turn had declared wo hail found the Nile, the only and true Nile sources, yet doubted and hesitated to aocopt the enthtiiiastiii assertions as a final solution of the Nile problem. Even yet, according to Livingstone, the Nile sources have not been found, though he has traced the Luilaba through seven degrees of latitude flowing north ; and though neither he nor I have a particle of doubt of its being the Nile, not yet can the Nile question be said to be resolved and ended. For throe reasons: — I. He lus heard of the existence of four fountains, two of which give birth to a river (lowing north — YVebb's river or the Luulaba, and to a river (lowing south — which is the Zambezi. He lias heard of these fountains repeatedly from the natives. Several times we have been within 100 and 20J miles from them, but something always interposed to prevent him going to see tlu-in. According to those who have seen them, they rise on either side of a mound or level, which contains no atones. Some have oven called it an anthill. One of these fountains is said to be so large, that a man standing on ono side cannot bo seen from the other. These fountains must be discovered, and their positions taken. The Doctor does not suppose them to be south of the feeders of Lake J3angweolo. 2. Webb's Itiver must be traced to its connection with some portion of the Old Nile. 3. Ihe connection between Tanganyika and Albert Nyanza must be ascertained. When theso three things have been accomplished, then, and not till then, can the mystery of the Nile be explained. [To be continued J\