THE NARROWEST LIMIT. 803 



July, August, and September. In his latest work, " Ismailia," 

 he gives an account of yet more thorough exploration of the 

 main stream, in which he carried a steamer as high up as Gon- 

 dokoro. As the result of this expedition he says : " I have not 

 changed my opinions that have already been expressed in the 

 'Albert N'Yanza,' except that, from the native testimony, I 

 presume there must be a channel which connects the Tangan- 

 yika with the Albert N'Yanza." This channel he thinks may 

 easily have escaped the notice of Dr. Livingstone and Mr. 

 Stanley when skirting the reedy northern shores of Tanganyika 

 lake. The Victoria N'Yanza is understood to be connected with 

 the Albert N'Yanza by Speke's " White Nile." And around 

 these two lakes, possibly including the Tanganyika, Sir Samuel 

 draws his line, circumscribing the Nile basin. Dr. Living- 

 stone held his theory, concerning the Lualaba, more modestly, 

 and perhaps justly so. Dr. Schweinfurth, who, as well as Baker, 

 was a cotemporary of Dr. Livingstone during those years in 

 which he was engaged about this problem, agrees with Baker in 

 declaring the very decided improbability of the Lualaba being 

 at all connected with the Nile. The search has however been 

 brought within the narrowest limit, and the glory of the great 

 discovery lies, without a doubt, between these few men, to be 

 borne off in part by the man who may come in between them 

 and settle the dispute. 



This wonderful river, the patron of Egypt in her days of 

 power and splendor, may yet become the channel along which 

 the civilization long since departed from its famous delta may 

 penetrate the very heart of the continent. The Niger, the Nile, 

 and the Zambesi, barred as they may be by cataracts, present no 

 insuperable obstacles ; and the interior presents a lake and river 

 system which, with some imperfections, still offers the greatest 

 encouragement to commerce. 



But there is a question of greater importance than all else. 

 The noblest of all the travellers, while he was journeying toward 

 Bangweolo the last time, wrote, " The discovery of the true 

 source of the Nile is nothing to me, except as it may be turned 

 to the advantage of Christian missions." In all his travels he 

 retained the spirit, the habits and aims, with which he entered 

 his work among the Bakwains. The missionary spirit has con- 



