250 Dr Beke on the Sources of the Nile 



without any particular difficulty, establish a school among 

 the neighbouring Wakamba tribes, which appear to be more 

 accessible to instruction than the Wonika. This people is of 

 the utmost consequence to East Africa, as I have frequently 

 mentioned in my letters. They are the commercial go-betweens 

 of the coast and the interior. By their instrumentality you 

 may reach the very centre of Africa ; for their main tribe lives 

 within 400 or 600 miles from the coast, and is connected rvith 

 western tribes to a long distance." 



It is by means of these people, the Wakimbas, that Dr 

 Bialloblotzky hopes to be able to penetrate with safety into 

 the interior. And on the assumption of the general correct- 

 ness of my hypothesis, it is anticipated that a journey of about 

 300 or 400 miles from the coast, in a direction between "W. 

 and NW., will bring the traveller to the edge of the table- 

 land of Eastern Africa, at the water-parting between the 

 basin of the Upper Nile and those of the rivers Lufidji, Ozi, 

 and Sabaki, flowing eastwards into the Indian Ocean — to the 

 locality, in fact, where Ptolemy has placed the chief source of 

 the Nile. 



On reaching the table-land, it will be Dr Bialloblotzky's 

 object to determine the southei'n limits of the basin of the 

 Nile, or that extensive tract of Africa which drains towards 

 Egypt ; and he will endeavour to visit the sources of the prin- 

 cipal streams which unite to form that river. By obtaining, 

 at the same time, information respecting N'yassi, the great 

 inland lake of which mention has been made, it is expected 

 that he will have it in his power to clear up the various ques- 

 tions connected with this very curious and interesting sub- 

 ject. 



Having explored the head streams of the Nile^ it is the 

 intention of the traveller to proceed further westwards across 

 the continent, should facilities present themselves for his so 

 doing. But should he be prevented from penetrating in that 

 direction, he then pui'poses tuiming northwards and tracing 

 the course of the river downwards to Sennar and Egypt. On 

 his way he will ascertain the existence of any branches join- 

 ing the main stream ; and, by his informing himself of their 

 length and direction, it may be hoped that some satisfactory 



