WESTWARD TO LAKE VICTORIA NYANZA 121 



far, at least, as the chief objects of geographical importance were 

 concerned. Let us now sum up the whole and see what it is worth. 

 Comparative information assured me that there was as much water 

 on the eastern side of the lake as there is on the western — if anything, 

 rather more. The most remote water, or top head of the Nile, is the 

 southern end of the lake, situated close on the third degree of south 

 latitude, which gives the Nile the surprising length, in direct meas- 

 urement, rolling over thirty-four degrees of latitude, of above two 

 thousand three hundred miles, or more than one-eleventh of the cir- 

 cumference of our globe." 



The cataract by which the Nile leaves its parent lake was named 

 by the discoverer, Ripon Falls, in honor of the President of the 

 Royal Geographical Society, and the area of water from which it 

 issued he named Napoleon Channel, out of respect to the French Geo- 

 graphical Society, which had presented him its gold medal in honor 

 of his discovery of the lake. 



Since this day the source of the Nile has been frequently visited 

 and Ripon Falls looked upon by hundreds of tourists, among them 

 the members of the Roosevelt expedition. Many descriptions of it 

 might be quoted, of which a brief and graphic one is the following 

 from the pen of Winston Spencer Churchill: 



"Although the cataract is on a moderate scale, both in height and , 

 volume, its aspect — and still more its situation — is impressive. The 

 exit or overflow of the Great Lake is closed by a natural rampart or 

 ridge of black rock, broken or worn away in two main gaps to release 

 the waters. Through these the Nile leaps at once into majestic being, 

 and enters upon its course as a perfect river three hundred yards 

 wide. Standing upon the reverse side of the wall of the rock, one's 

 eye may be almost on a plane with the shining levels of the lake. At< 

 your feet, literally a yard away, a vast green slope of w^ater races 

 downward. Below are foaming rapids, fringed by splendid trees, 

 and pools from which great fish leap continually in the sunlight." 



At the output, on the lake shore, has grown up a town with the 

 unmusical name of Jinja, of which Mr. Churchill writes : 



"Jinja is destined to become a very important place in the future 

 economy of Central Africa. Situated at the point where the Nile 



