Mar. 5, 1874] 



NATURE 



341 



months' study for the only practical and reliable work of 

 a geographer or scientific traveller ? In the absence of 

 astronomical observations we can only regard his map 

 as the author's idea of his journey. We have no compass 

 bearings or any reference to such observations having 

 been taken. We must therefore accept his map as 

 simply a conscientious endeavour to introduce us to 

 his wanderings ; at the same time, geographically speaking, 

 we can only allow that he has been wandering about in the 

 " Heart of Africa." It is with regret, therefore, that we 

 cannot accept him in the first rank of geographers. A 

 future traveller over the same ground may contest every 

 position ; thus, instead of ojr author's journey having 

 added to our geographical knowledge, it may simply add 

 to those geographical strifes which are the inevitable 

 results of un-scientific journeys. 



Having, as a matter of duty, expressed this opinion 

 upon a work otherwise most valuable, it is a pleasure to 

 be able to grasp one geographical fact that is well esta- 

 bhshed, and is independent of astronomical observations. 

 This is the watershed towards the West which forms the 

 boundary of the Nile Basm. The large flow of water 

 discovered by Dr. Schweinfurth is passing towards the 

 Atlantic. This at once disproves the theories laid down 

 by Livingstone, but never accepted by geographers, that 

 he rivers to the west of the Tanganika Lake flowed north- 

 ward to the Nile. As Schweinfurth passed out of the 

 Nile Basin in about 28° E. long., so also Livingstone 

 arrived in a western watershed south of the equator in 

 about the same meridian. 



The botanical information collected by Dr. Schwein- 

 furth is invaluable, and can only be estimated by a pro- 

 fessional botanist. We envy the traveller in many of his 

 floral rambles, which are described with the energy and 

 vividness of an enthusiast. Nothing new has been 

 added to the known list of African fauna. We conclude 

 from the description of the habits of the so-called 

 " rock rabbit," that our author means the " hyrax," 

 which, although resembling a rabbit in appearance, is 

 not a rodent. 



Dr. Schweinfurth having been properly supported by 

 an introduction from the Berlin Academy was saved 

 many difficulties to which other travellers have been sub- 

 jected ; he was well received by Djiaffer Pacha, the 

 Governor-General of Soudan, at Khartoum, who handed 

 him over to the care of one Ghattas, a Coptic slave trader 

 and ivory merchant. Ghattas entrusted him to the 

 guidance of his own people, who appear to have behaved 

 extremely well. Dr. Schweinfurth had every opportunity of 

 examining the mysteries of the slave trade, and he is per- 

 fectly right in his description of the immense importance of 

 the Darfur and Kordofan route, by which vast multitudes 

 are conveyed who can thus elude the cruisers on the White 

 Nile. At the same time the author is in error and has been 

 purposely deceived by his informants (themselves slave 

 traders) when (p. 429, vol. ii.), speaking of the upper dis- 

 trict of the White Nile, inclusive of the Albert and 

 Victoria Lakes, as one of the territories that form the 

 sources of the slave trade in north-eastern Africa, he 

 says, " The expedition of Sir Samuel Baker has stopped 

 this source. The annual produce in the most favourable 

 years did not exceed 1,000." There were no less than ten | 

 slave stations situated in the territory under Sir Samuel 



Baker's command. In each of these stations were at least 



1,000 slaves. 



The last act of Sir Samuel Baker, on his homeward 

 route, was to overtake three vessels from the Bohr, lat. 

 S°'2o N., with 700 slaves on board, which were openly on 

 their route to pass the Government station of Fashoda ! 

 thus proving what Dr. Schweinfurth himself states re- 

 specting the connivance of the Egyptian officials, p. 442, 

 vol. ii. — " In Kordofan, where there is a resident Egyptian 

 Governor, the trade is truly enormous, and there is now 

 as well the slave-trade from Darfur." In a cursory review 

 of the slave-trade Dr. Schweinfurth makes a remark that 

 few Enghshmen would sanction, p. 433, vol. ii.— " Two 

 great nations have speeded on the work, England in 

 theory, North America in practice." If the payment of 

 twenty millions sterling for emancipation was not the 

 most practical, and not only theoretical, work, we really 

 do not understand what practice means. 



It would have been interesting had Dr. Schweinfurth 

 given us more details of the ivor>' trade carried on by the 

 people who acted as his chaperons in Africa. These 

 were avowedly slave traders, and we should be gratified 

 to learn that they formed some exception to the rule, and 

 actually traded with merchandise instead of bartering 

 slaves and stolen cattle for ivory. 



The reward of ignorant ages to the returned traveller 

 was general incredulity. Even in the present day there 

 are ignorant persons who question the existence of canni- 

 balism. Dr. Schweinfurth has arrived fresh from the 

 cannibals of Monbuttoo with human skulls and bones 

 almost warm from the saucepans of the savages. He 

 can even describe the sauces which these gounnands use 

 in their dainty dishes. Mushrooms and capsicums for a 

 " sauce piquante aux champignons " are the hteral civi- 

 lised adjuncts for a dish off' a stewed baby, only two days 

 old. whose mother had deserted it ! The baby was dyino- 

 while the preparations for cooking it were already com- 

 menced. This is the real truth and no traveller's joke, as 

 the babies and fond mothers would quickly discover 

 should they visit the tribe of Monbuttoo. It may be 

 asked, " How did Dr. Schweinfurth escape .?" but it must 

 be remembered that the Monbuttoo do not eat men of 

 science, who are generally very lean. A fat missionary, 

 with a family fresh from Exeter Hall, may meet with 

 immediate attention, with the warm but brief Monbuttoo 

 invitation, "walk in." 



It would be useless for us to closely criticise this book 

 Few books are perfect. There may be a little excess of 

 detail of the dull routine of African daily life that if 

 omitted would have reduced two bulky volumes to a more 

 convenient size. But on the other hand, some people like 

 bulky volumes and enjoy as many pounds avoirdupois 

 as they can obtain for their money ; just as some people, 

 especially the rural population, enjoy long sermons. 



We cordially recommend all interested in exploration 

 to read the book, at the same time reminding them that 

 they may safely rely upon the high character and status 

 of the author ; for although Dr. Schweinfurth fails as a 

 scientific geographer, he in no way fails as a scientific 

 explorer devoted to the particular object of his studies — 

 botany. In this branch of science he is better qualified 

 than any fonner African traveller. 



Such men as Dr. Schweinfurth will always have the 



