338 W. H. HUDLESTON, ESQ., M.A., T.R.S., ON THE ORIGIN 



Note. — It should be observed that the title of this paper is rather 

 unfortunate since it starts by begging the question of a marine origin. 

 I consented to write a paper for the Victoria Instiiiite on the "Tanganyika 

 Problem," and this I liave endeavoured to do, so far as available infor- 

 mation will allow me, but I admit at the outset that many years of 

 observation must elapse ere the Tanganyika Problem is fully solved. 



Part I. 

 General Considerations, Zoology and Paleontology. 



Introdvxtory. — Fifty years ago Central Africa itself presented 

 a problem, which as far as geographical exploration extends, 

 was ripening for solution at the hands of the bold explorers of 

 tlie latter half of the nineteenth century. By degrees the 

 wonders of the Dark Continent were revealed to the geo- 

 grapher and the naturalist, and even tlie geology of those 

 regions has received some share of attention, rather by way 

 of comparison with the already known features of more acces- 

 sible districts, such as the Cape, than for any detailed and 

 systematic description of the rocks which constitute their 

 surface. Although missionaries of German origin contributed 

 materially to our early knowledge of East Central Africa, still 

 the larger share of exploration has fallen to the lot of our own 

 fellow-countrymen.* 



When the geographical features became better known, it 

 was ascertained that this once mysterious region contained 

 numerous lakes of immense size, some of them situated in deep 

 chasms of the earth's crust. And, more unexpected still, it 

 was found that there were volcanoes both extinct and active, 

 constituting lofty mountains ; and furthermore that on some of 

 these mountains glaciation had been developed on a consider- 

 able scale, and that glaciers even now exist on the higher 

 peaks, actually under the equator. 



What wonder, then, that Equatorial Africa, and particularly 

 the eastern portion of it, should present problems, both in 

 geology and zoology, which are difficult of solution ? As for 

 ourselves we must admit at the outset that we are entirely 

 dependent on the descriptive portion of those numerous and 

 excellent w^orks, which tell us of this country ; and if we 

 venture in any case to hesitate at accepting all the inferences 



* One of the greatest of whom, Sir H. M. Stanley, has just passed 

 away ; to the general regret of all from the King downwards. Sir 

 Henry Stanley was a Hon. Corresponding Member of the Institute. — 

 E. H.' (Ed.) 



