230 Dr Beke on (he Sources of the Nile 



coast, and also from analogy, it may be concluded that the 

 same table-land extends to some distance beyond the equator, 

 its eastern or seaward edge trending to the SSW. or SW., in 

 a general direction parallel to the coast. The country of 

 Mono-Moezi in particular, which, as before stated, lies to the 

 south of 2° S. lat., appears to be, like Abessinia, " an elevated 

 plain, the ascent to which lies chiefly in the territories of the 

 M'sagara and Woliaha"* tribes, occupying the low lands to 

 the north-west of Zanzibar. 



This table-land of Eastern Africa may, in the most genei-al 

 way, be compared to the Indian Peninsula and to South 

 America ; with this difference, however, that, whereas in 

 those two portions of the globe, the western Ghauts and the 

 Cordillera of the Andes present their principal acclivities 

 towards the west, and thence slope gradually eastwards ; the 

 African plateau rises abruptly from the east, and has its 

 counter-slope westwards, towards the interior of the conti- 

 nent and the valley of the Nile. Another point of difference 

 is, that, while the rivers which rise near the western edge of 

 the Ghauts and of the Andes, take their courses eastwards 

 over the counter-slopes, at right angles with the water-part- 

 ing, or nearly so, and discharge themselves into the ocean ; 

 the streams which have their sources at the water-parting of 

 Eastern Africa, flow in a general north-westerly direction, 

 and fall into the main stream of the Nile ; which latter river 

 takes its sluggish course along the foot of the lengthened 

 western counter-slope, and in its upper course appears to con- 

 sist, during the dry season, of a series of swamps and lakes, 

 rather than to form a continuous running stream. 



Along the extreme eastern edge of the table-land of Abes- 

 sinia is a succession of swamps, whence issue the numerous 

 streams flowing, in opposite directions, towards the ocean and 

 towards the Nile ; which swamps are at intervals replaced 

 by lakes. Of these lakes, A'shangi in about 12° 30' N. lat., 

 Haik in about 11° 30' N. lat., and Zuwai in about 8° 30' N. 

 lat., are already known to us. Further to the south, we have 

 information of the existence of another lake in the country of 



* Journ. Roy. Geogr. Soc, vol. xv., p. 212. 



