The Rmvenzori Range. 



that is, from west to east. But at the same time, either owing to our 

 knowledge of the existence of snowy peaks in that part of east eqiuitorial 

 Africa, or else because of the generally admitted principle that the lai-ger 

 rivers rise in the highest mountains, (-'■) those moderate undulations of the land 

 were without more ado transformed to a gi'oup of gigantic highlands. We thus 

 see how, despite their trend, quite different from the equatorial, the two groups 

 of Kilimanjaro-Kenia and Kuwenzori, thanks to their great elevation, came to 

 form part of the Mountains of the Moon. (-'•) To which of the two should the 

 preference l)e given ? 



Respecting Kilimanjaro-Kenia, wo have to consider a fact of vast 

 geological and hydrographic imjwrtance. The narrow strip of seaboard along 

 the Indian Ocean, where prevail the Jurassic limestones and argillaceous schists, 

 is followed westwards by a chain of isolated crystalline heights commonly 

 designated by the name of the East African Schistose Mountains. West of 

 this system we enter a zone highly remarkable for its great geological 

 disturbances. It is distinguished alwve all by the great East African Kift 

 Valley, a vast line of fissure nuuiing in the direction of the meridian, and 

 extending for 40° of latitude from the Asphaltitea Lake (Dead Sea) all the May 

 to Ugogo. The trough (in the east side is to lie regarded as a secondarv rift, 

 above which rise Mounts Meru, Kilimanjaro, and pi-oliably also Kcni.i. The 

 whole of this district west of the East African Schistose system sends none of 

 its running waters either directly or indirectly tn tlic Indian Ocean. In other 

 words, it is e.ssentially a landlocked continental region. (-") Thus, while the 

 east slope of the Schistose Moiuitains is traversed liy streams tributary to the 

 Indian Ocean, the few rivers of the west slope find no other outlet but the 

 chain of lakelets which follow in the direction from noith to south .dong the 

 meridian rift. The aforesaid Kilimanjaro-Kenia group stands therefore 

 alisolutely outside the Lake Victoria and Somerset Nile basins. (-") 



It is otherwise with Kuwenzori, which, liy its east watershed not only 

 l)elongs to the liasin of the Somerset Nile and of the regi(jn north-east of Lake 

 AUiert Edward, liut also, by its south and west slopes, to the liasin of the same 

 Lake Albert Edward, the Semliki and Lake Albert. Hence, if, as is jjrobable, 

 there exists any orographic, if not geological, link between Kuwenzori and the 

 group of Viruuga Mountains, which rise to the south and south-west of Lake 

 Albert Edward to an altitude of 1.3,000 feet, the identification of this highland 

 system with the Mount;iins of tlie Moon would be ail the more confii'med. 

 This system is, in fact, the only one in the whole of eijuatorial Africa that 

 completely satisfies all the conditions specified in Ptolemy's Geography, not 

 even altogether excepting that of the general trend, wliich is precisely 



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