GEOGRAPHY AND ANTIQUITIES. 



SOURCES OF THE NILE. 



AT the last meeting of the Bombay Geographical Society, a paper 

 was read by Mr. Smith, on the discoveries made by the East African 

 Missionaries, on what appear to be the sources of the Nile. This 

 mysterious river is said to arise from two lakes, one of which is of 

 great dimensions, nearly under the line, and they seem fed by the 

 melting snows of the gigantic range, which rises to the altitude of 

 22,000 feet at least, close by. The description of this long looked for 

 locality coincides exactly with that given of it by Ptolemy, two thou- 

 sand years ago. Bombay Times, 1852. 



A Mr. Rolle, who early in last winter had gained a point on the 

 White Nile within 4^ of the equator, has sent back an account of his 

 discoveries, with a map, which has reached the French Geographical 

 Society. It appears from his account that the upper part of the Nile 

 channel is surrounded by great mountains, which extend eastwardly 

 from the southern Abyssinian range far toward the centre of the con- 

 tinent, in a line curving to the south. In these mountains are nour- 

 ished the many streams whose reservoirs supply the inundations of 

 the Nile, continuing as they do for months. Mr. Rolle finds in that 

 country the tradition of a white people who formerly brought mer- 

 chandise from the South ; he supposes that these traders were 

 Portuguese, and that they crossed the mountains by some pass which 

 is yet to be discovered. 



At about the same date with this communication a missionarv, 



* 



named Don Angelo Vico, was at a place which he calls Bellenia, on 

 an eastern branch of the White Nile, between 4 and 5 north lati- 

 tude. What with these travellers, and with others who are scattered 

 over that continent, it must soon be thoroughly explored. Mr. Rolle 

 speaks of the practice of the Egyptian Turks, who kidnap and 

 enslave the natives of these remote regions, as hindering greatly the 

 progress of both scientific investigation and of commerce. 



