ANOTHER GREAT AFRICAN LAKE.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3588, 11 January 1883, Page 4

ANOTHER GREAT AFRICAN LAKE.

The existence of another equatorial lake in Central Africa, far to the west of Albert Nyanza, rumors of which have reached Europe from time to time since Sir Samuel Baker's first journey, is again reported, this time in a much more definite form. Mr F. Lupton. Governor of the Province of Bahir el Ghazal. writes from his station, Dehm Siber, on July 27th, to the effect that Rafai Aga, an employee under his command, on his return from an expedition towards the Uellc, told him that he aud some of the members of the expedition had seen a great lake in the country of the Barboa, a powerful copper-colored tribe, clothed with a peculiar grass-cloth of -which Mr Lupton sends a specimen in his letter. Mr Lupton gathered that the position of the lake was'm about 3deg. lOmin. north hit., and 23deg east long., and that it was quite as large as Victoria Nyanza. When the weather permits, the Barboas cross tbelake in large open boats made out of a single tree, "the voyage taking three days, and they obtain from the people living on the western side (their own country being east of the lake) articlcsof European manufacture, such as blue beads and brass wire. Mr Lupton adds Rafai Aga's own account of his route to the lake: Started from Dehm Bekeer, marched six days south-west to Xeriba el Douleb, then four days south-south-west to Bengiev: four days south-west to Zeriba Warcndema : six days south-west by -west to the Bahr el Makwar, which he crossed after visiting several very large islands inhabited by a people who call themselves Bassango'.' The Makwar is called hy the Arabs Bahr el Warshal, and adjoins the Velle, but is a much larger stream; boih flow in west-south-west direction. After crossing the Makwar, Rafai marched ten days west-south-west, aud reached the residence of the "Sultan" of Barboa, by whom he was well received. The lake is situated four days" march to the south-west of the Sultan's residence. Mr Lupton concludes by saying : " I feel I should not be doing right 'in keeping dark the information, which, when looked into by competent persons, may throw some light on the famous Congo and Uellc Rivers. I believe that the Uellc flows into the lake discovered by Rafai Aga, and that the stream which is" said to flow out of the lake probably joins the Congo." Mr Lupton further informs us that he is en.gaged in preparing a map of his province, and that he was about to start in a few days on a journey to acountry called Unbungu,\somc fifteen days' march to the West of Dehm Siber.