478 THE WORLD'S WONDERS. 



1875 to again extend its waters into the dry bed of the Luktiga 

 river, and Stanley estimated that in a very short time this ancient 

 outlet would once more resume its function, and become arapidly 

 flowing affluent of the Livingstone, or Congo. These facts are 

 interesting, as settling beyond dispute the sources of the Nile. 

 Stanley circumnavigated the lake, closely examining every stream 

 connected with it, and while he found a number that flowed into 

 it from various directions, there were none flowing out, though, as 

 just stated, if the lake continued to rise, it would soon find an 

 outlet through the Lukuga and the Livingstone, thus pouring its 

 waters into the Atlantic Ocean instead of the Nile and the Med- 

 iterranean Sea, as Livingstone and others had supposed. The 

 question, therefore, of the Nile's sources is definitely settled in 

 favor of Speke and Sir Samuel Baker, the discoverers, respect- 

 ively, of Lakes Victoria and Albert. 



INTO THE COUNTRY OF THE CANNIBALS. 



ON returning to Ujiji Stanley found Frank Pocock, who had 

 been left in charge of the expedition during his absence, pale 

 and haggard from a long spell of fever, five of the Wagwara 

 soldiers had died of small-pox, and six others were down with 

 the dreadful scourge, which was also decimating the population 

 of the town. Stanley was stricken with fever the day after his 

 arrival, but was again on his feet at the end of five days. He 

 now decided to cross the lake, and push westward as quickly as 

 possible, and so announced to his men. This created a panic 

 among them, for they fully believed that if they went among 

 the cannibals they would be roasted and eaten. Thirty-eight 

 had already deserted during his absence, and many of the others 

 now threatened to do likewise. As a precaution against further 

 desertions, he had those whom he suspected of being untrust- 

 worthy arrested and put into a large hut, where they were guarded 

 until he was ready to depart. 



Everything at last being ready, they crossed the lake on the 

 25th of August, and after a necessary halt of a few days to rest 

 and organize, the expedition pushed westward through the wilder- 

 ness toward the Mauyuema country, for the purpose of exploring 



