1864. Geography. 469 
The reef acts as a natural breakwater, and keeps comparative still 
water within, the only disadvantage is the necessity of anchoring at 
night. 
"The subject of Nile discovery does not yet seem fully exhausted. 
Some of the reviewers of Captain Speke’s book are inclined to dispute 
the fact of his having cleared up the whole mystery. The work of 
Phaéthon still remains uncancelled. 
“Nilus in extremum fugit perterritus orbem, 
Occuluitque caput, quod adhue latet.” 
The captain is about to furnish further particulars in a pamphlet, 
entitled ‘ What led to the Discovery of the Source of the Nile” In 
the meantime My. Petherick, late British Consul at Khartim, has 
furnished the Society a paper on his journey with his wife and Dr. 
Muire up the Nile, from Khartim to Gondokoro, in order to meet and 
assist the explorers. They sailed for some time up the river by the 
help of the north winds that blow continuously, but these at length 
failing, they were reduced to the necessity of making fast a rope to 
reeds, &c., and then hauling themselves along by means of this, being 
unable to tow from the nature of the river, which was here wide and 
shallow, and bordered by swampy marshes extending far inland. 
After proceeding some way in this manner, Mr. Petherick despatched 
an Arab whom he trusted, named Abd-il-Maed, to Gondokoro, to 
obtain tidings of Speke and Grant. Why he did not himself proceed 
on this expedition does not at present appear; and Captain Speke, in 
a letter to‘ The Times,’ complains that, as far as Mr. Petherick was 
concerned, he afforded him no assistance whatever ; in fact, had it not 
been for his rival in trade, Mr. Debono, the East African expedition 
would have been considerably delayed, if not entirely frustrated. Mr. 
Petherick seems to have been deceived by Abd-il-Magd, who was 
carrying on a little secret traffic in slaves on his own account, and 
who returned without any news of the missing travellers. He reported 
indeed that obtaining no tidings at Gondokoro, he had gone thence 
westward to a place called Nyanbera, where the consul had a station, 
and from this place he had despatched some men southward, who 
were obliged to return in a few days, owing to the disturbed state of 
the country and their inability to procure better food than a few 
roots. These men report the existence of a large sheet of water 
flowing westward ; but how much reliance is to be placed upon this 
evidence, we as yet know not. The rascality of Abd-il-Magd was 
soon discovered and properly punished. Mr. Petherick pursued his 
journey to Gondokoro, though he was obliged to travel by land west- 
ward in order to obtain porters, the demands for whom were exorbi- 
tantly high. He offered copper bracelets, but cows were required, and 
these were to be obtained only by a forage on territories of some of 
the neighbouring tribes, which he refused to attack. At last he 
procured both men and donkeys, and arrived at his own station at 
Nyanbera, and thence he proceeded eastward again to Gondokoro. 
Here he found Captains Speke and Grant already arrived, but of 
course he was too late to afford any matcrial assistance ; nevertheless, 
