12 MACQUEEN. [Dec. 10, 1855. 



3. Notes on the Geography of Central Africa from the researches of 

 Livingston, Monteiro, Garcia, and other authorities. By James 

 Macqueen, Esq., f.r.g.s. 



Mr. Macqueen called in question the conclusions of Mr. Erhardt. 



In Mr. Macqueen's paper, of which only a small portion was read, 

 he contended that there were two lakes, and not a single large one ; 

 that there was a general slope of Africa from the interior towards the 

 coast of Zanzibar; that the river crossed by Dr. Livingstoti, and called 

 by him the Casai or Cassabe, was not, as he had heard, an affluent of the 

 Congo, but that it was identical with the Cassabe River, which joined 

 witli the Lualaba River and ran into the northernmost lake. That a 

 river issued on the opposite side of this lake, and reached the sea under 

 the name of the Lufia, or the Lufigi ; that the Luapula River, passing 

 near to Luenda, ran between the two lakes without touching either, 

 and then joined the Lufia ; and, finally, that the northernmost Jake and 

 the southernmost were distinguished by the names of the Greater and 

 the Lesser Niandja. 



Mr. Erhardt premised that, during his residence of six years on the 

 coast, he had become familiarly acquainted with three of the native 

 languages, and had derived his information from a vast number of 

 persons, and from independent sources. He then recapitulated the con- 

 clusions he had arrived at, based on the evidence mentioned in his 

 paper read at the last Meeting: — 



That a ridge of considerable elevation, but not quite continuous, 

 runs from N. to S., at no great distance from the coast, and forms the 

 watershed of that part of Africa. 



That the region to the E. of this ridge is drained by several short 

 streams, e. g. the Rufu, rising in the Faga country ; the Mufuma, 

 and others. 



That he himself had ascended the Lvfigi river for a few miles, and 

 found it to be a small and insignificant stream. Mr. Macqueen's de- 

 scription of its length and breadth corresponded to no river at all in 

 East Africa. 



That the country W. of this ridge consists of extensive plains with 

 isolated hills, the plains being for the most part level, and presenting 

 from the heights the appearance of a vast sea. 



That beyond these there is an immense lake or inland sea, of 

 which only the approximate size can be given, since the measurements 

 are determined exclusively by the journeys made by natives along parts 

 of its shores and across it. Only the E. and part of the S. coasts can 

 be laid down with anything like an approach to accuracy. 



He then mentioned the reports of natives and traders which connected 



