GEOGRAPHICAL DISCOVERIES _EN ROUTE_.
Finds that Baker has Made an Error -- Altitudes of Lake Albert and the
Blue Mountains -- Vacovia -- Discovers the Lofty Ruevenzori -- The
Nile or the Congo? -- The Semliki River -- The Plains of Noongora --
The Salt Lakes of Kative -- New Peoples -- Wakonyu of the Great
Mountains -- The Awamba -- Wasonyora -- Wanyora Bandits -- Lake Albert
Edward -- The Tribes and Shepherd Races of the Eastern Uplands --
Wamyau Kori -- Wanyaruwamba -- Wazinya -- A Harvest of New Facts --
The Importance of Stanley’s Addition to the Victoria Nyanza.
Stanley first sighted the Albert Nyanza on December 13th, 1887. Its
southern part lay at the feet of the explorer almost like an immense
map. He glanced rapidly over the grosser details, the lofty plateau, the
wall of Unyoro to the east and that of Baregga to the west, rising
nearly three thousand feet above the silver water, and between the hills
the stretched-out plain, seemingly very flat and grassy, with here and
there a dark clump of brushwood, which, as the plain trended
southwesterly, became a thin forest. The southwest edge of the lake he
fixed at nine miles in a direct southeasterly line from this place. This
will make the terminus of the southwest corner 1° 17´ N. latitude, by
prismatic compass, magnetic bearing; of the southeast corner, just south
of a number of falls, 1° 37´. This will make it about 1° 11´ 30` N.
latitude, magnetic bearing of 1° 48´.
Taken from N. latitude 1° 25´ 30`, this about exactly describes the line
of shore running from the southwest corner of the lake to the southeast
corner of Albert. Baker fixed his position latitude 1° 15´ N., if we
recollect rightly. The centre of Mbakovia Terrace bears 1° 21´ 30`
magnetic from Stanley’s first point of observation. This will make
Baker’s Vacovia about 1° 15´ 45`x, allowing 10° west variation. In
trying to solve the problem of the infinity of Lake Albert, as sketched
by Baker, and finding that the lake terminus is only four miles south of
where he stood to view it “from a little hill” and on “a beautifully
clear day,” one would almost feel justified in saying he had never seen
the lake.
But Baker’s position of Vacovia proves that he actually was there, and
the general correctness of his outline of the east coast from Vacovia to
Magungo also proves that he navigated the lake.
Stanley says: “When we turn our faces northeast we say that Baker has
done exceedingly well; but when we turn them southward our senses in
vain try to penetrate the mystery, because our eyes see not what Baker
saw. With Lieutenant Stairs, Mounteney, Jephson, Surgeon Parke, Emin
Pasha, Captain Casati, I look with my own eyes upon the scene. I find
Baker has made an error. I am somewhat surprised also at Baker’s
altitudes of Lake Albert and the Blue Mountains and at the breadth
attributed by him to the lake. The shore opposite Vacovia is ten and a
quarter miles distant, not forty or fifty miles. The Blue Mountains are
nothing else but a west upland, the highest cone or hill being not above
six thousand feet above the level of the sea. The altitude of Lake
Albert by the aneroid and the boiling point will not exceed two
thousand three hundred and fifty feet.”
Last of all, away to the southwest, while Baker has sketched his
infinite stretch of lake, there rises, about forty miles from Vacovia,
an immense snowy mountain, a solid, square-browed mass, with an almost
level summit between two lofty ridges. If it were a beautifully clear
day he should have seen this, being nearer to it by thirteen
geographical miles than Stanley was.
“About the lake discovered by me in 1876 I can learn very little from
the natives,” says Stanley. “At the Chief of Kavallis I saw two natives
who came from that region. One of them hailed from Unyampaka and the
other from Usongora. The first said that the Albert Lake is much larger
than that near Unyampaka. The other said that the southern lake is the
larger, as it takes two days to cross it. He describes it as being a
month’s march from Kavallis. Their accounts differ so much that one is
almost tempted to believe that there are two lakes, the smaller one near
Unyampaka and connected by a river or channel with that of Usongora.
“My interest is greatly excited, as you may imagine, by the discovery of
Ruevenzori, the snowy mountain, and a possible rival of Kilimanjaro.
Remember that we are in north latitude, and that this mountain must be
near or on the Equator itself; that it is summer now, and that we saw it
in the latter part of May; that the snow-line was about estimated at
only one thousand feet below the summit.
“Hence I conclude that it is not Mount Gordon-Bennett seen in December,
1876--though it may be so--which the natives said had only snow
occasionally.
“At the time I saw the latter there was no snow visible. It is a little
further east, according to the position I gave it, than Ruevenzori. All
questions which this mountain naturally give rise to will be settled, I
hope, by this expedition before it returns to the sea.
“If at all near my line of march, its length, height and local history
will be ascertained. Many rivers will be found to issue from this
curious land between the two Muta Nziges. What rivers are they? Do they
belong to the Nile or the Congo? There is no river going east or
southeast from this section except the Katonga and Kafur, and both must
receive, if any, but a very small supply from Mount Gordon-Bennett and
the Ruevenzori. The new mountain must therefore be drained principally
south and west--if the south streams have connection with the lake,
south; if west, Semiliki, a tributary of Lake Albert, and some river
flowing to the Congo must receive the rest of its waters. Then, if the
lake south receives any considerable supply, the interest deepens.
“Does the lake discharge its surplus to the Nile or the Congo? If to the
former, then it will be of great interest to you, and you will have to
admit that Lake Victoria is not the main source of the Nile. If to the
Congo, then the lake will be the source of the river Lowa or Loa, since
it is the largest tributary to the Congo from the east between the
Aruwimi and Luama.”
Of the many geographical discoveries that have resulted from the
expedition just completed, the following may be noted as among the most
prominent: The snowy ranges of Ruevenzori, the Cloud King, or
Rain-creator; the Semliki River, the plains of Noongora, the salt lakes
of Kative; new peoples, Wakonyu of the Great Mountains; dwellers of the
rich forest regions, the Awamba, the fine-featured Wasonyora, the
Wanyora bandits, and then Lake Albert Edward, the tribes and shepherd
races of the Eastern Uplands, then Wanyankori, besides Wanyaruwamba and
Wazinya.
Stanley found that Albert Nyanza does not extend as far south by
considerable as Baker represented, and as has generally been believed.
He discovered a new lake, which he named Albert Edward Nyanza, southwest
of Albert Nyanza, and connected with it by a considerable river, which
now bears the name Semliki. This new lake must thus be considered the
source of the White Nile. And he has found that Victoria Nyanza extends
much farther southwest than has been supposed, and approaches within one
hundred and fifty-five miles of Tanganyika.
In a letter, under a recent date, giving some details of his later
experiences, Stanley glowingly refers to his geographical discoveries:
“Over and above the happy ending of our appointed duties, we have not
been unfortunate in geographical discoveries. The Aruwimi is now known
from its source to its bourne. The great Congo forest, covering as large
an area as France and the Iberian peninsula, we can now certify to be an
absolute fact. The mountains of the Moon this time, beyond the least
doubt, have been located, and Ruevenzori, ‘the Cloud King,’ robed in
eternal snow, has been seen and its flanks explored, and some of its
shoulders ascended, Mounts Gordon-Bennett and Mackinnon cones being but
giant sentries, warding off the approach to the inner area of ‘the Cloud
King.’
“On the southwest of the range the connection between Albert Edward
Nyanza and Albert Nyanza has been discovered, and the extent of the
former lake is now known for the first time. Range after range of
mountains have been traversed, separated by such tracts or pasture land
as would make your cowboys out West mad with envy.
“And right under the burning Equator we have fed on blackberries and
bilberries, and quenched our thirst with crystal water fresh from
snow-beds. We have also been able to add nearly six thousand square
miles of water to Victoria Nyanza.
“Our naturalist will expatiate upon the new species of animals, birds
and plants he has discovered. Our surgeon will tell what he knows of the
climate and its amenities. It will take us all we know how to say what
new store of knowledge has been gathered from this unexpected field of
discoveries.
“I always suspected that in the central regions between the equatorial
lakes something worth seeing would be found, but I was not prepared for
such a harvest of new facts.”
Of the relative importance of Stanley’s discovery, made through his
survey of the Victoria Nyanza, the New York “Herald” says,
editorially:--
“Along the blood-stained line of his march from Albert Nyanza to the
ocean, Stanley has discovered a large addition to the great Victorian
sea. This most expansive of Africa’s inland waters, discovered thirty
years ago by the lamented and dashing explorer Speke, is the source of
the Nile, and drains the eastern plateau of Equatorial Africa bordering
the head waters of the mighty Congo. On this water-shed, within a radius
of two hundred miles, collects the rainfall which feeds and fertilizes
two enormous river basins rivalling that of the Amazon.
“According to our cable despatches Stanley now finds that the Victoria
Nyanza covers twenty-six thousand square miles. This extension, when
combined with its elevation (4100 feet) above the sea level, makes it
the most important, if not the largest, reservoir of fresh water on the
globe. Lake Superior overspreads more territory, but Victoria is
probably much deeper, and is perched up more than six times as high.
Though not quite rivalling tempestuous Lake Titicaca, which stands on
the Bolivian table-land over twelve thousand feet high, the Victorian
sea is vastly larger and more influential, both as a hydrographic and
meteorological agent.
“Mr. Stanley’s survey of this Mediterranean bears with very special
interest on the future of Central Africa. The most effective entrances
which the wedge of Civilization has ever made into the Dark Continent
have been on its southern and southeastern coast. If the routes from
Zanzibar and other points on the southeast coast to the lake region
centering in Victoria Nyanza can be opened up, the wave of Progress and
Illumination will enter the populous heart of Africa more rapidly by
these short cuts traversing a comparatively healthy region than by the
sickly, tortuous valley of the Congo.”