A FAMOUS WOMAN EXPLORER

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2775, 19 May 1916, Page 3

A FAMOUS WOMAN EXPLORER

Lady Baker, widow of Sir Samuel White Baker, the distinguished African traveller and explorer, is dead. "Lady Baker accompanied her husband on all his travels, and she was his companion when in IBGI lie set out to explore tho valley of the Nile," says the "lloruing Post." "The discovery of the lake irliich is now known as the Albert Nyanza finally solved the problems in connection with tho geography of the Nile valley. Lady Baker was tho first white woman, as Sir Samuel Baker was the first whito man, to set foot in the region of the Albert Ny-anza. Tho expedition was started without any official aid or recognition, and Sir Samuel Baker hoped, in addition to discovering the source of the Kilo, to meet tho East African Expedition under Captains Speke and Grant. "As the Nile source had defied all previous explorers, he kept his intentions to himself, although ho had sufficient selfconfidence to forecast his future success. The first year he was in Egypt he was occupied in exploring all the Nile tributaries from Abyssinia, and then ho descended tho banks of the Blue Nile to Khartoum. He started from Khartoum with a . powerful force in three vessels, with 29 transport animals, including horses, camels, and asses. All went well as far as the Balir-el-Gazal junction, but here tho.-difficulties-of the White Nile began to bu apparent. The entire country was a deau n.u:, a world of interminable marsh, overgrown with high reeds and papyrus rii.ih. Through this desolate region the river wound; no wind was favourable owing to the frequent bends, and, the current being adverse, tho men had to tow the boats night and day. "His wifo suddenly fell, ajiparently dead, from sunstroke. I'or seven, days she had to be carricd in a state of insensibility. on a litter through, swamps and forest and grass jungle, tho rain falling pitilessly the whole time, while thero was no food to-be found along the iine of route, and provisions carricd by the party were insufficient. The men, feeling sure that Lady Baker's last moments had come, put a new handle' to the pickaxo with 11 view to digging her grave. Sir Samuel Baker" was exhausted with fever and watching, and after a long march he fell senseless by tho side of the litter. On the very next morning a miraculous change toolc place. After eighteen days' journey from M'rooli tho long-wished-for lake was announced by the guide. Suddenly, ion reaching some rising ground, Sir Samuel Baker saw the great reservoir of the Nile before him. Weak and exhausted with more than twelve months' anxiety, toil,' and sickness, lie tottered down' a steep and zigzag path, and in about, two hours he reached tho 6hore. The waves were rolling on a beach of sand, and as he drank the water and bathed his face he named this great basin 'of.tho Nile, subject to tho permission of Queen Victoria, the Albert Nyanza, in memory of the Prince Consort." A bazaar in aid of tfhe fundß of St. Augustine's Chnrch • was held last evening at St. Augustine's Hall, I'etone. - The following were ihe stall-holders: —Sweet stall, Miss Thompson and Sunday School assistants; handkerchief and d'oyley stall, Mesdames Brough, Heathcoto, Castle, and Miss' Castle; produce stall, Mesdames Aitcheson and Hall; Ladies' Guild stall, Mesdames Mockeridge, Cooper, Braddock, and Lusty; fancy stall, Mesdames Yates, Warner, and I'alder; miscellaneous stall, Bible Class girls; supper : rooms, Mesdames Jenkins, Avison, Bowles, Parker, Hagan. and Goddard. ; The bazaar will .be continued this. evening.

For some months past the relatives here of Miss ■ Susan. Patterson, sister-in-law of Mr. Ben Wells, have been, anxious as to. her ; whereabouts (states the naki News"). When .war broke out she was in Austria, where she had been living for a good, many years, and nothing could be heard of her. ;No communications 'were received from her, and although her friends wrote to her they could not ascertain whether their letters reached her or not. Inquiries were .set on foot through the High Commissioner, and , after long and unavoidable ■ delay, from accidents and other oauses, ! Sir Thomas Mackenzie has at last been able to trace her through the American Express Company and the American ConsulGeneral at Budapest. The -latter' official, writing on March G, says that .Miss Patterson is being well cared for in tho Sanatorium at Szombatliely, a city some three or four hours' journey from .Vienna, also that her furniture and effects have been properly stored and accounted for, also her money deposited in a savings bank. Miss Patterson is a native of Tarauaki, and spent her youth here. Her friends are naturally greatly relieved to learn that she is in good hands and has every • consideration paid to her.