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Poverty Bay Standard, Volume X, Issue 1246, 13 January 1883, Page 2

“Notwithstanding the extensive field covered in recent years by African exploration, there are still,” the “St. James’s Gazette” says, “surprises in store in the Dark Continent. The latest of these is the discovery of a great lake west of the Albert Nyanza, in about 3 deg. 40 min. N. and 23 deg. E. According to Mr F. Lupton, governor of the Eyptian province of Bahr-el-Ghazal, the lake is as large as the Nictoria Nyanza; and on the eastern side live the Barboas, a powerful copper-colored tribe, whose dug-out canoes cross to the west side, taking three days, bringing back articles of European manufacture. The new lake, if its existence is confirmed, may solve an important problem in African hydrography, as Mr Lupton believes that Schweinfurth’s mysterious River Welle flows into it, while the great northwestern tributary of the Congo mentioned by Stanley probably flows out of it. ” The Mataura Ensign states that Mr Muihare, from Victoria, has purchased 900 acres freehold and 3000 acres leasehold on the New Zealand Agricultural Company’s property, in the valley from Josephville to Want wood. It further states :—“ If New Zealand and Victorian buyers pass it by, there seems every probability that a very large tract—some 5000 acres in close proximity to Lumsden—will shortly be sold to a Home Company for a dairy farm, a venture which should prove highly remunerative when the nature of the country is considered.” An anecdote is related by Mr Barnum in illustration of the axiom that drinking is a habit that grows :—“ Last winter two of my elephants began shaking with chills one morning; the keepers ran down into the village and got six gallons of whisky. Hastily returning, three gallons w’ere given to each elephant. Fortunately it cured them. They liked the artificial warmth it superinduced. Next morning when the keeper came to them he found both elephants shaking with might and main. ‘No you don’t,’ he shouted, ‘you are well enough to-day,’ and they stopped shaking.” Of course, only those are expected to believe this who want to.