Abstract
IT would seem that Dr. Oscar Lenz is only to leave Zanzibar this week. The Times Vienna Correspondent is mistaken in thinking that the Royal Geographical Society expects Dr. Lenz to come direct to London. He must, of course, first render his account to the Vienna Society, which sent him out; but after that, it is hoped, he will come to London and tell his story. It is possible that before leaving Zanzibar he may have an opportunity of giving Mr. Stanley the benefit of his experience. Mr. Joseph Thomson, in a letter to the Times, endeavours to show that Mr. Stanley is taking a too rosy view of the prospects of his expedition. Mr. Thomson naturally insists on the superiority of the Masai Land route over all others. Certainly Mr. Stanley exaggerated the difficulties of this route, and we are inclined to believe that, had it been selected, the expedition might have reached Emin Pasha sooner than by the Congo. It should be remembered that, even if all the vessels on the Middle and Upper Congo are available, they could not possibly convey a thousand people in one journeya—a good authority assures us that there must be at least three journeys; so that, unless Mr. Stanley starts on his land journey with only one-third of his caravan, instead of 35 days after leaving Stanley Pool it will take 100 days to reach the mouth of the Aruwimi. At the same time we must believe that Mr. Stanley knows what he is about, and is not likely to lay himself open to the reproach of being so far out in his calculations.
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Geographical Notes . Nature 35, 378–379 (1887). https://doi.org/10.1038/035378b0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/035378b0