The Cataracts of King George 



native and European, were inaccurately assigned 

 by subsequent travellers, by errors of omission 

 or commission. 



At this point we may recall the remarks of 

 Stanley on map-makers in general, as given in 

 " Darkest Africa," vol. ii., p. 268 : 



" What the chartographers of Homer's time 

 illustrated of geographical knowledge, succeed- 

 ing chartographers effaced, and what they in 

 their turn sketched was expunged by those who 

 came after them. In vain explorers sweated 

 under the burning sun and endured the fatigues 

 and privations of arduous travel ; in vain did 

 they endeavour to give form to their discoveries ; 

 for in a few years the ruthless map-maker 

 obliterated all away. Cast your eyes over these 

 series of small maps, and witness for yourselves 

 what this tribe has done to destroy every dis- 

 covery and to render labour and knowledge 

 vain." 



The Diary of Discovery 



We shall now transcribe those glowing lines 

 taken from the diary of George Thompson which 



155 



