The Article in the Daily Telegraph.--War between the Scientific Journals.-- Mr. Petermann backs his Friend Dr. Ferguson.--Reply of the Savant Koner. --Bets made.--Sundry Propositions offered to the Doctor.

On the next day, in its number of January 15th, the Daily Telegraph published an article couched in the following terms:

"Africa is, at length, about to surrender the secret of her vast solitudes¹; a modern OEdipus is to give us the key to that enigma² which the learned men of sixty centuries have not been able to decipher. In other days, to seek the sources of the Nile--fontes Nili quoerere--was regarded as a mad endeavor, a chimera³ that could not be realized.

"Dr. Barth, in following out to Soudan the track traced by Denham and Clapperton; Dr. Livingstone, in multiplying his fearless explorations from the Cape⁴ of Good Hope to the basin of the Zambesi; Captains Burton and Speke, in the discovery of the great interior lakes, have opened three highways to modern civilization. THEIR POINT OF INTERSECTION⁵, which no traveller has yet been able to reach, is the very heart of Africa, and it is thither⁶ that all efforts should now be directed.

"The labors⁷ of these hardy⁸ pioneers of science are now about to be knit together by the daring project of Dr. Samuel Ferguson, whose fine explorations our readers have frequently had the opportunity of appreciating.

"This intrepid⁹ discoverer proposes to traverse all Africa from east to west IN A BALLOON. If we are well informed, the point of departure for this surprising journey is to be the island of Zanzibar, upon the eastern coast. As for the point of arrival, it is reserved for

点击收听单词发音  

1 solitudes
n.独居( solitude的名词复数 )；孤独；荒僻的地方；人迹罕至的地方
参考例句：
Africa is going at last to give up the secret of its vast solitudes. 非洲无边无际的荒野的秘密就要被揭穿了。 来自辞典例句 The scientist has spent six months in the solitudes of the Antarctic. 这位科学家已经在人迹罕至的南极待了六个月了。 来自互联网

2 enigma
n.谜，谜一样的人或事
参考例句：
I've known him for many years,but he remains something of an enigma to me.我与他相识多年，他仍然难以捉摸。 Even after all the testimonies,the murder remained a enigma.即使听完了所有的证词，这件谋杀案仍然是一个谜。

3 chimera
n.神话怪物；梦幻
参考例句：
Religious unity remained as much a chimera as ever.宗教统一仍然和从前一样，不过是个妄想。 I am fighting against my chimera.我在与狂想抗争。

4 cape
n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风
参考例句：
I long for a trip to the Cape of Good Hope.我渴望到好望角去旅行。 She was wearing a cape over her dress.她在外套上披着一件披肩。

5 intersection
n.交集，十字路口，交叉点；[计算机] 交集
参考例句：
There is a stop sign at an intersection.在交叉路口处有停车标志。 Bridges are used to avoid the intersection of a railway and a highway.桥用来避免铁路和公路直接交叉。

6 thither
adv.向那里；adj.在那边的，对岸的
参考例句：
He wandered hither and thither looking for a playmate.他逛来逛去找玩伴。 He tramped hither and thither.他到处流浪。

7 labors
v.努力争取(for)( labor的第三人称单数 )；苦干；详细分析；（指引擎）缓慢而困难地运转
参考例句：
He was tiresome in contending for the value of his own labors. 他老为他自己劳动的价值而争强斗胜，令人生厌。 来自辞典例句 Farm labors used to hire themselves out for the summer. 农业劳动者夏季常去当雇工。 来自辞典例句

8 hardy
adj.勇敢的，果断的，吃苦的；耐寒的
参考例句：
The kind of plant is a hardy annual.这种植物是耐寒的一年生植物。 He is a hardy person.他是一个能吃苦耐劳的人。

9 intrepid
adj.无畏的，刚毅的
参考例句：
He is not really satisfied with his intrepid action.他没有真正满意他的无畏行动。 John's intrepid personality made him a good choice for team leader.约翰勇敢的个性适合作领导工作。

10 providence
n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝
参考例句：
It is tempting Providence to go in that old boat.乘那艘旧船前往是冒大险。 To act as you have done is to fly in the face of Providence.照你的所作所为那样去行事，是违背上帝的意志的。

11 undertaking
n.保证，许诺，事业
参考例句：
He gave her an undertaking that he would pay the money back with in a year.他向她做了一年内还钱的保证。 He is too timid to venture upon an undertaking.他太胆小，不敢从事任何事业。

12 geographical
adj.地理的；地区(性)的
参考例句：
The current survey will have a wider geographical spread.当前的调查将在更广泛的地域范围內进行。 These birds have a wide geographical distribution.这些鸟的地理分布很广。

13 precedent
n.先例，前例；惯例；adj.在前的，在先的
参考例句：
Is there a precedent for what you want me to do?你要我做的事有前例可援吗？ This is a wonderful achievement without precedent in Chinese history.这是中国历史上亘古未有的奇绩。

14 purely
adv.纯粹地，完全地
参考例句：
I helped him purely and simply out of friendship.我帮他纯粹是出于友情。 This disproves the theory that children are purely imitative.这证明认为儿童只会单纯地模仿的理论是站不住脚的。

15 chimerical
adj.荒诞不经的，梦幻的
参考例句：
His Utopia is not a chimerical commonwealth but a practical improvement on what already exists.他的乌托邦不是空想的联邦，而是对那些已经存在的联邦事实上的改进。 Most interpret the information from the victims as chimerical thinking.大多数来自于受害者的解释是被当作空想。

16 isles
岛( isle的名词复数 )
参考例句：
the geology of the British Isles 不列颠群岛的地质 The boat left for the isles. 小船驶向那些小岛。

17 wittily
机智地，机敏地
参考例句：
They have just been pulling our legs very wittily. 他们不过是跟我们开个非常诙谐的玩笑罢了。 The tale wittily explores the interaction and tension between reality and imagination. 这篇故事机智地探讨了现实和想象之间的联系和对立。

18 intrepidity
n.大胆，刚勇；大胆的行为
参考例句：
I threw myself into class discussions, attempting to dazzle him with my intelligence and intrepidity. 我全身心投入班级讨论，试图用我的智慧和冒险精神去赢得他的钦佩。 来自互联网 Wolf totem is a novel about wolves intrepidity, initiation, strong sense of kindred and group spirit. 《狼图腾》是一部描写蒙古草原狼无畏、积极进取、强烈家族意识和团队精神的小说。 来自互联网

19 resolute
adj.坚决的，果敢的
参考例句：
He was resolute in carrying out his plan.他坚决地实行他的计划。 The Egyptians offered resolute resistance to the aggressors.埃及人对侵略者作出坚决的反抗。

20 remarkable
adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的
参考例句：
She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。 These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

21 archaeology
n.考古学
参考例句：
She teaches archaeology at the university.她在大学里教考古学。 He displayed interest in archaeology.他对考古学有兴趣。

22 triumphantly
ad.得意洋洋地；得胜地；成功地
参考例句：
The lion was roaring triumphantly. 狮子正在发出胜利的吼叫。 Robert was looking at me triumphantly. 罗伯特正得意扬扬地看着我。

23 locomotion
n.运动，移动
参考例句：
By land,air or sea,birds are masters of locomotion.无论是通过陆地，飞越空中还是穿过海洋，鸟应算是运动能手了。 Food sources also elicit oriented locomotion and recognition behavior patterns in most insects.食物源也引诱大多数昆虫定向迁移和识别行为。

24 admiration
n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕
参考例句：
He was lost in admiration of the beauty of the scene.他对风景之美赞不绝口。 We have a great admiration for the gold medalists.我们对金牌获得者极为敬佩。

25 panoplied
adj.全套披甲的，装饰漂亮的
参考例句：

26 contemplate
vt.盘算，计议；周密考虑；注视，凝视
参考例句：
The possibility of war is too horrifying to contemplate.战争的可能性太可怕了，真不堪细想。 The consequences would be too ghastly to contemplate.后果不堪设想。

27 monopolized
v.垄断( monopolize的过去式和过去分词 )；独占；专卖；专营
参考例句：
Men traditionally monopolized jobs in the printing industry. 在传统上，男人包揽了印刷行业中的所有工作。 The oil combine monopolized the fuel sales of the country. 这家石油联合企业垄断了这个国家的原油销售。 来自互联网

28 ridiculed
v.嘲笑，嘲弄，奚落( ridicule的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
Biosphere 2 was ultimately ridiculed as a research debade, as exfravagant pseudoscience. 生物圈2号最终被讥讽为科研上的大失败，代价是昂贵的伪科学。 来自《简明英汉词典》 She ridiculed his insatiable greed. 她嘲笑他的贪得无厌。 来自《简明英汉词典》

29 missionary
adj.教会的，传教(士)的；n.传教士
参考例句：
She taught in a missionary school for a couple of years.她在一所教会学校教了两年书。 I hope every member understands the value of missionary work. 我希望教友都了解传教工作的价值。

30 secondly
adv.第二，其次
参考例句：
Secondly,use your own head and present your point of view.第二，动脑筋提出自己的见解。 Secondly it is necessary to define the applied load.其次，需要确定所作用的载荷。

31 contemplated
adj. 预期的 动词contemplate的过去分词形式
参考例句：
The doctor contemplated the difficult operation he had to perform. 医生仔细地考虑他所要做的棘手的手术。 The government has contemplated reforming the entire tax system. 政府打算改革整个税收体制。

32 fixed
adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的
参考例句：
Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？ Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

33 touching
adj.动人的，使人感伤的
参考例句：
It was a touching sight.这是一幅动人的景象。 His letter was touching.他的信很感人。

34 mechanism
n.机械装置；机构，结构
参考例句：
The bones and muscles are parts of the mechanism of the body.骨骼和肌肉是人体的组成部件。 The mechanism of the machine is very complicated.这台机器的结构是非常复杂的。

35 actively
adv.积极地，勤奋地
参考例句：
During this period all the students were actively participating.在这节课中所有的学生都积极参加。 We are actively intervening to settle a quarrel.我们正在积极调解争执。