e sent out under Sir
Bartle's orders, to join you if possible in the vicinity of
Lake Tanganyika, and attend to your wishes in respect to his
further movements. We leave it entirely to your discretion
whether you like to keep Mr. Cameron with you or to send him
on to the Victoria Nyanza, or any other points that you are
unable to visit yourself. Of course the great point of
interest connected with your present exploration is the
determination of the lower course of the Lualaba. Mr. Stanley
still adheres to the view, which you formerly held, that it
drains into the Nile; but if the levels which you give are
correct, this is impossible. At any rate, the opinion of the
identity of the Congo and Lualaba is now becoming so
universal that Mr. Young has come forward with a donation of
L2000 to enable us to send another Expedition to your
assistance up that river, and Lieutenant Grandy, with a crew
of twenty Kroomen, will accordingly be pulling up the Congo
before many months are over. Whether he will really be able
to penetrate to your unvisited lake, or beyond it to Lake
Lincoln, is, of course, a matter of great doubt; but it will
at any rate be gratifying to you to know that support is
approaching you both from the west and east. We all highly
admire and appreciate your indomitable energy and
perseverance, and the Geographical Society will do everything
in its power to support you, so as to compensate in some
measure for the loss you have sustained in the death of your
old friend Sir Roderick Murchison. My own tenure of office
expires in May, and it is not yet decided who is to succeed
me, but whoever may be our President, our interest in your
proceedings will not slacken. Mr. Waller will, I daresay,
have told you that we have just sent a memorial to Mr.
Gladstone, praying that a pension may be at once conferred
upon your daughters, and I have every hope that our prayer
may be successful. You will see by the papers, now sent to
you, that there has been much acrimonious discussion of late
on African affairs. I have tried myself in every possible way
to throw oil on the troubled waters, and begin to hope now
for something like peace. I shall be very glad to hear from
you if you can spare time to send me a line, and will always
keep a