Jan. 24, 1839.] v REPORTS ON THE DISCOVERY OF LAKE UJIJI. Ill 



greatly diminished? Since the discovery of the quicksilver mines of Cali- 

 fornia, I understand that the amount of silver produced every year depends 

 almost entirely upon the price of quicksilver. 



Mr. Sevin. — It is impossible to state what amount of silver is found in 

 Mexico, because the silver is exported in dollars, and also in bars, v^^hich are 

 smuggled out of the country in great quantities ; the exportation of silver in 

 bars is altogether prohibited by law — therefore no exact statistics can be drawn 

 up of the actual produce and exports of silver. In the republic of Mexico, in 

 the year 1856, when I was there, there were thirty-five millions of dollars 

 coined. By comparing statements, it appears that the silver coined in former 

 years did not amount to so much ; but whether it is larger this year than last, 

 I cannot tell. With respect to the price of quicksilver ten years back, it was 

 one dollar and a-half in California, and two dollars in Mexico. Now, the price 

 is about half a dollar in California : but at present the mines are involved in 

 a law-suit, and the price will rise if the American Government .should lay an 

 injunction upon the working of- the mines. 



The second Paper read was — • 



2. Extracts from Reports hy Captains Burton md Speke, of the East 



African Expedition, on thein discovery of .Lake Ujiji, ^c, in Central Africa. 

 ''Unyanyembe, Central Africa, 24th June, 1858. 



Sib, — I'have tire honour to transmit, for the information of the 

 Koyal Geographical Society, a copy of a field-book, with a map 

 by Captain Speke. The details contained in the map render all 

 remarks upon the country superfluous until we may be able to 

 communicate them in person. 



We left the Lake of IJjiji about amonth ago, and are now halted 

 at this main depot of Arab trade. Captain Speke has volunteered, 

 when he and the rest of the party are sufficiently recovered from 

 their present state of universal sickness, to visit the Ukerewe Lake, 

 of which the Arabs give grand accounts. It lies nearly due north of 

 Unyanyembe, at a distance of from 12 to 15 marches. Thus we 

 shall be enabled to bring home authentic details of the four great 

 waters -which drain Eastern and Central Africa, viz. the Nyassa, 

 the Ghama, the Ujiji lake, and. the Ukerewe. 0n Captain Speke's 

 return, we shall lose no time in repairing to the coast, which, if we 

 pass safely through perilous Ugogo, we may hope (CV.) to reach 

 about December of this year. 



We have both suffered severely from illness. We were com- 

 pelled to travel from Unyanyembe to Ujiji during the wet 

 monsoon, and in the same season to embark in- open canoes, exposed 

 to wind and rain, sun and dew, and, when on shore, sleeping in 

 mud to explore the lake — a labor of about a month. During this 

 time we endured great hardships and ran not a few risks. Our 

 limits of the lake were laid down by the accounts of the tribes. 



