72 .BEDINGFELD ON THE CONGO. [Feb. 27, 1860. 



Mr. Macqueen, f.r.g.s., shortly observed that the river Okovango, men- 

 tioned by Mr. Andersson, is the river named by the Portuguese the Cubango, 

 and is the parent stream of the Chobe, which passes Linyanti to the Leambaye. 

 Mr. Andersson must have struck tlie Okuvango in about 17° 30 s. lat. and 

 19° 20' E. long., from which point will be, as he says, twenty days' journey 

 north-west to its source in the high lands south-west of Bihe. The watershed 

 between the Atlantic and the Northern Ocean is in about 18° 40' e. long 

 The country to the south of the middle Cubango is very woody ; and during the 

 wet season a great volume of water runs eastward to the Tioghe, which river 

 communicates with the Cubango or Chobe in Libebe. There is no river in those 

 parts called Embarah. This name is a corruption of the word Aunbire, the 

 name of a chief who resides on the Upper Cubango. With regard to the Congo, 

 it is for a very considerable part of its lower course impracticable for naviga- 

 tion by reason of cataracts and fearful rapids that no vessel could venture to 

 stand. These commence at about 110 geog. miles from its mouth, and over a 

 distance of about 120 miles up the river, which in this instance rushes through 

 a rocky ridge of no great height, everywhere consisting of very barren land. 

 Where Tuckey left the river, in 3° 40' s. lat,, and 15° 30' e. long., the river 

 was 3 miles broad, 3^ fathoms deep, with a current of 3 miles an hour, on the 

 4th of September, just at the very time when the river was beginning slowly 

 to swell from the rains, a proof, be it observed, that its extreme source lies at 

 a considerable distance on the northern Torrid Zone, in about 9° 30' n. lat., 

 and where we find from some authorities it really is, and not far from Nunga. 

 The mighty stream above mentioned is at one place, nearly in the centre of 

 the rapids, confined within 25 yards in breadth, between towering rocks which 

 form its i)orders. Here it is evident the current must be, as it really is, 

 terrific. How far the river is smooth and navigable above the point where 

 Tuckey left it is doubtful ; but it is almost certain that in its more distant 

 parts, towards its source, the stream, like all other African rivers in those 

 parts, runs over rapids and cataracts. Branches of the Upper Congo descend 

 westward and south-westward of the high lands which give birth to the 

 western affluents of the White Nile, especially one large branch flowing near 

 the Equator. An abstract of a remarkable journey, or rather of repeated 

 journeys, by an American gentleman, from the missionary station near the 

 mouth of the Gaboon to a great distance into the interior, has lately come in 

 my way. He explored the country lying between 4P s. lat. and 4P to 5° n. 

 lat., and to a great distance into the interior. It is all very woody, but in 

 many places level plains ; and to the north, he says, it is bounded by the 

 range of the Crystal Mountains, a continuation of the very high land extending 

 eastwards from the high peak of the Cameroons. When the full accounts 

 of these journeys arrive, they will be found to be exceedingly interesting. 

 The travels extended over several thousand miles. The river Oggawai, marked 

 on my map of Africa, has a long course from the interior, above 350 miles. 

 It enters the sea at Cape Lopez by several mouths. A French traveller had 

 penetrated above 300 miles into the interior in this quarter of Africa. A 

 French ship had been up the river just mentioned 180 miles. From this 

 quarter of Africa is probably the best course to take to reach the Upper Congo. 

 The interior could be reached by land on the south side of the Congo, and 

 through a fine healthy country ; but this for the present may be considered 

 impracticable, because a formidable rebellion has lately broken out against the 

 Portuguese authority at St. Salvador, the capital of the kingdom of Congo. 

 Against this place all the Portuguese forces in Angola, naval and military, 

 were, at the date of the latest accounts, collecting and marching. Till strife 

 is settled, travelling in those parts of Africa will be unsafe and dangerous. 



