THE 'DAUGHTER OF THE VICTORIA NILE.' 923 



double purpose. It is a basin for tbe reception of many tributaries, and has 

 three outlets, one north of Uguvu by the Ruvuvu into the lower Alexandra 

 Nile ; the second south of Uguvu into the same river by the Kagera ; the 

 third by means of a marsh or an ooze into the Kivu Lake, whence the Rusizi 

 takes its rise, which Rusizi empties into Lake Tanganyika. 



"Perhaps it will be asked by the curious why I have distinguished the 

 discoveries illustrated above by the name of Alexandra. I shall forestall this 

 question with the following candid explanation. Captain John Hanning 

 Speke and Captain James Grant, both British officers, while on their way to 

 Uganda to search for the outlet of the Victoria Lake, crossed this very river, 

 the Alexandra Nile. "What they thought about it I do not know. I have 

 not their books at hand; but it appears that, seeing this river flow in a con- 

 tracted channel (one hundred and fifty yards width of open, swift, deep 

 water), being perhaps ignorant of its depth, and holding another grand object 

 in view, their actions being governed at the time by the sole hope of discover- 

 ing the Victoria Nile, they did not pay that attention to it which they would 

 have devoted had their mission been of a more general character. It cannot 

 be disputed, then, that those two distinguished British officers were the first 

 who saw this river. 



"Had Speke lived I believe he would have returned to this interesting 

 region, for I hear from King Rumanika he had such an intention. Had he 

 been permitted to come back — to round off as it were and to unite the frag- 

 ments of discovery he had made — the natives and his amiable friend Ru- 

 manika would have pointed out to him the ' Daughter of the Victoria Nile.' 

 On casting his thoughts around for a name to dignify these new discoveries, 

 what one more graceful, more ennobled by gentle virtues, illustrious descent, 

 and proud position, could he have found to immortalise them than that of her 

 Royal Highness Alexandra, Princess of Wales ? British officers first saw the 

 river. ' The Daily Telegraph,' an English journal, contributed one-half of 

 the funds by means of which these latest discoveries have been made. I, 

 therefore, in the name of the English and American interests I represent 

 here, venture to request through your columns that the name of her Royal 

 Highness, the Princess of Wales, be allowed to designate my discoveries of 

 the new lake and river, which link what has preceded, and are, I trust, 

 worthy to stand with such honoured achievements as those which the names of 

 Albert and Victoria now commemorate for ever. 



"I have been very deliberate, you will admit, in making up and send- 

 ing you this letter, but I had strong reasons for it. I am too far from the 

 telegraphic wire to correct an error, and I have no ambition to be charged 

 with having made a rash statement, though I covered my offence with the 

 excuse that ' the natives told me.' I value native and Arab information 

 only as being a suggestive guide to the traveller, not to be understood, by 



