INTO THE UNKNOWN

Hokitika Guardian, 11 February 1928, Page 4

INTO THE UNKNOWN

BAKER AT THE ALBERT NYAXZA. Sir Samuel AA liite Baker inherited his roving disposition and dauntless coinage, for some of his ancestors had been mariners of renown in Elizabeth days, and Ins many wanderings throughout Europe. Asia. Africa, and America, which extended over a period of fifty years, were all prompted by bis keen love of adventure. AYhcu his friend. J. 11. Speke, started on his famous African journey in 18(50, for the purpose of proving his theory that the A'ietoria Nyanza was the .source of the Nile, Baker decided to organise ail expedition to aid the explorer in the later stages of his trip. Baker’s expedition was unique in three ways, for he made no public announcement of his intentions, he hole the whole expense of the journey himself, and he was accompanied by bis wife. It was mainly owing to the courage and tact of this lady, who was a Hungarian by birth, that Baker was able to complete his memorable journey, for her j timely intervention saved the expedi-1 tion from disaster on several occasions. As Baker did not intend to sel out. to meet Speke until late in 18(52, lie determined to make a preliminary trip through Abyssinia, with the two-fold object of occupying his time and gaining some experience of African travel. This lie did in 18(51, when he explored tho many tributaries of the Nile, with the result that he made a most remarkable discovery, namely, the true cause of the periodical flooding of the Nile A’nlley. Up to that time it was supposed that the inundation was caused by an overllow from the great lakes in Central Africa, hut Baker was able to prove that it owed its origin to the tremendous masses of water which accumulated in the various tributaries during tho rainy seasons of the year. At the end of 18(52 Baker left Khartoum, with a force of nearly a hundred natives, and travelled up the Nile with the intention of joining Speke. At Gondoroko he heard of the approach of a caravan, with which two white men were said to he travelling, and he awaited its arrival. The travellers proved to he Speke and Grant, who had completed their task by the discovery that the Nile did really issue from the A’ietoria Nyanza. Speke’s success rob- I bed Baker of the main object of bis 1 journey, and lie at once made up bis ' mind to seek a second great lake, of which Speke bail learned the existence, hut had been unable to reach. J This change in his plans proved a fortunate, one. for it resulted in Baker making the discovery which placed him in the ranks of the most illustrious African explorers. His journey was a perilous and arduous one. and for several months he and his brave wife carried their lives in their hands. His progress was delayed by the hostility of the natives and the slave traders, to say nothing of the constant diminution of his company by death and desertion, but finally, on the March 14. 1864, hc reachcd the lake, which he named the Albert Nyanza. He arrived at his goal near the , native village of A’acovia, and had his ', firs view of the glistening waters of the inland sea from a granite cliff, 1500 ( feet in height, from which he was able < to gaze over a boundless horizon to the < south, a fact which gave him a some- , what exaggerated idea of the size of , lie lake. He travelled along the shore j until lie reached a spot where he found [ lie River Nile issuing on its northward , ournev to the sea, and thus solved the t inal problem of the historic river, j vhieh had baffled explorers for nearly ' v wo thousand years. s In 1860 Baker returned to Egypt at j, ho request of the Khedive, and was ( ntrusted with the task of attempting c . o suppress the slave trade in the n ’quatorial regions of the Nile, and pening up the country to commerce a nd civilisation. After four years of a; uecessful labour he was succeeded by a te gallant General Gordon, and ten T ears later Baker became one of the uernest critics of the British Govern- p ent, which decided to abandon the ot id an and left Gordon to perish at his S j : ISt. ■ of