446 ACROSS AFRICA. [Chai-. 



The mighty Kongo, king of all African rivers, and second 

 only to the Amazon (and perhaps to the Yang-tse-Kiang) in the 

 volume of its waters, occupies a belt of tlie continent lying on 

 both sides of the equator, but most probably the larger area be- 

 longs to the southern hemisphere. Many of its affluents fork 

 into those of the Zambesi on a level table-land, where the water- 

 shed is so tortuous that it is hard to trace it, and where, during 

 the rainy season, floods extend right across between the head- 

 waters of the two streams. 



The " Uelle," discovered by Dr. Schweinfurth, may possibly 

 prove to be the Lowa, reported to me as a large affluent of the 

 Lualaba, to the west of Nyangwe ; or, if not an affluent of the 

 Lualaba, it most probably flows either to the Ogowai or the 

 Tchadda, an affluent of the Niger. 



In the above sketch of the water-sheds, I but simply give my 

 own opinion, liable to alteration, as every day may bring more 

 accui'ate knowledge of the interior of Africa. 



I will now endeavor to give an idea of the physical geography 

 of the different regions on my route from coast to coast, and 

 also to point out to what system the streams passed may be con- 

 sidered to belong. 



On leaving Bagamoyo, the first portion of the journey was 

 across the littoral region lying between the Useghara Mount- 

 ains, the dividing range between the lowlands and the interior ; 

 but, before reaching them, I passed a range of hills, which are 

 offshoots of their soutliern part. 



The hills are drained principally by the Kingani and its afflu 

 ents, the chief of which is the Lugerengeri, wliich falls into the 

 sea close to Bagamoyo. 



Between these and the main range is the Makata plain or 

 swamp, drained by the Makata Eiver — known higher on its 

 course as the Mukondokwa, and as the Wami where it falls into 

 the sea. 



The first portion of this section of the route was composed 

 principally of rolling grassy plains, with occasional small hills 

 and strips and patches of jungle. It was but sparsely inhabited, 

 and the villages lay concealed in the jungle on the summits of 

 the hills. 



The soil was composed of reddish sand and water-worn peb- 



