JUNKER’S EXPLORATIONS. AS5 shore of the Welle, besides some isolated descendants of the A-Zandé princes. I turned my steps thence towards the north-west, and came upon the Welle again at the end of ten days. The whole district up to this point is inhabited by Banjia, who are akin to the A-Zandé. A great number of strange tribes people the farther bank of the Welle and its labyrinthine archipelago. Later on I crossed the Mbomu farther to the north; it is an important tributary of the Welle, which, rising in the eastern A-Zandé domain, near my route from Dem Bekir to Ndoruma, flows southwards, and enters the Welle still farther to the west than I penetrated. I made a circuit to the north through the territory of numerous tribes which are now broken up, and reached my headquarters again at this place.” | This is the most important part of Dr. Junker’s letter, and as he declares that his journey is ended, and that he is only waiting for “a favourable opportunity to return home,” he will, I hope, give you in person an account of his toils and struggles, his work and labour. I have written again both to him and to Lupton, and, considering the difficulties in the Bahr-el-Ghazal, where Lupton has to put forth all his energy to protect himself and his province, I have invited Junker to come to us, where greater quietness prevails (may it continue !), and where his departure will depend only on the arrival of the steamer. I hope he will consider my proposal, and act accordingly. I cannot conceive what the views of the people at Khartuim are concerning these districts, whether they imagine that our handful of men are a sufficient protection in themselves, and that all the Negroes together are no match for us. Lupton has been expecting a steamer for the last nine months. I had myself to wait eight months, and then after all I did not get the very things I wanted. Well, we will do our duty, and if circumstances become still more complicated and we are worsted, the Government will only have itself to blame.

Lupton Bey has sent me a great many very interesting notes about his southern territory, but I refrain from discussing them, as I am going to send them to Dr. Behm with the map. Lupton defends the connexion of the Welle with the Congo most warmly, which, however, seems no longer possible after