120 THE WORLD'S WONDERS. 



into the Nile in the same graceful way as the Geraffe, which in 

 breadth it surpassed, but in velocity of current was inferior. 

 The Nile by these additions was greatly increased ; still, it did 

 not assume that noble appearance which astonished us so much, 

 immediately after the rainy season, when we were navigating it 

 in canoes in Unyoro. 



"The Sobat has a third mouth farther down the Nile, which 

 unfortunately was passed without my knowing it ; but as it is so 

 well known to be unimportant, the loss was not great. 



"Next to be treated of is the famous Blue Nile, which we 

 found a miserable river, even when compared with the Geraffe 

 branch of the Sobat. It is very broad at the mouth, it is true, 

 but so shallow that our vessel with difficulty was able to come up 

 it. It had all the appearance of a mountain stream, subject to 

 great periodical fluctuations. I was never more disappointed 

 than with this river ; if the White river was cut off from it, its 

 waters would all be absorbed before they could reach Lower 

 Egypt. 



"The Atbara river, which is the last affluent, was more like 

 the Blue river than any of the other affluents, being decidedly a 

 mountain stream, which floods in the rains, but runs nearly dry 

 in the dry season. 



"I had now seen quite enough to satisfy myself that the White 

 river, which issues from the lake at the Ripon Falls, is the true 

 or parent Nile ; for in every instance of its branching, it carried 

 the palm with it in the distinctest manner, viewed, as all the 

 streams were by me, in the dry season, which is the best time 

 for estimating their relative perennial values." 



Of the original number of three hundred porters, guides and 

 interpreters, only eighteen remained faithful and returned with 

 Capt. Speke to Alexandria. These were well provided for, and 

 greatly lionized by the English residents of that city, who took 

 them to places of amusement, gave them liberal purses, and then 

 returned them to Zanzibar, to remain under the protection of the 

 English consul there. 



Speke proved himself to be a good traveler, in some respects 



