Chapter I. 



After a lapse of twenty-four centuries the verse of Aeschylus — 

 " Egypt nurtured by the snow " — once more receives its literal 

 signification. The "Mountain of Silver" {apyvpow opos), the 

 source of the Nile, according to Aristotle, is at last revealed. 

 Strange indeed are the vicissitudes of human knowledge. 



This classical tradition of the Nile issuing from vast lakes 

 fed by snowv mountains was tenaciously preserved through 

 subsequent history. We find it repeated in the description 

 of the " Mountains of the Moon " taken by Ptolemy, with 

 modifications of his own, from the writings of Marinus of Tyre. 

 The same story recurs in the w^ritings and maps of Arab 

 geographers in the Middle Ages ; and again in the works of 

 Western European compilators, such as the Prior of Neuville 

 les Dames and Alphonse de Saintorge. In fact, notwith- 

 standing the absolute lack of any confirmation of their 

 existence, these mountains and lakes, indicated witli imcertain 

 forms and doul)tful and varying geographical situation, never 

 wholly disappeared from our maps of Africa up to tlie time 

 of their actual discovery. 



The belief in snow-clad mountains at the sources of the Nile 

 had persisted with peculiar tenacity among the natives of the 

 East Coast. Possibly it received fresh confirmation from time 

 to time through news gathered from the caravans which brought 

 ivory and slaves from the interior. Burton, Speke and Baker 

 heard it again and again, and with positive affirmation, botli 

 from the Arabs and from the natives of Zanzibar. 



The discovery of Mt. Kenya and Mt. Kilimandjaro by tlie 

 German missionaries Krapf ;uid Ivebmann in 1848-49 seemed 

 for the time to settle the question. These mountains, how- 

 ever, are connected neither with the lakes nor with the Nile. 

 In 1861 Speke believed that he had discovered the " Mountains 



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