100 National Geographic Magazine. 



its situation under the equator, for South America in the torrid 

 zone has long been known. There the explorer easily penetrates 

 its recesses on its great rivers, — the Orinoco, Amazon, and La 

 Plata, — for they are navigable from the ocean far into the interior. 

 The Amazon, 3,000 miles from its mouth, is only 210 feet above 

 the ocean-level, and, with its branches, is navigable for 10,000 

 miles. Africa also has three great rivers, — one on each side of 

 this peninsula. On the north, the Nile, the river of the past, 

 empties into the Mediterranean Sea, but its navigation is soon 

 interrupted by five cataracts ; so that the camel, the ship of the 

 desert, bears the wares of Europe from the foot of the first 

 cataract far up the river, 800 miles, to Berber, whence they are 

 again shipped by boat 2,000 miles to Gondokoro, close to the 

 lakes Albert and Victoria Nyanza, 4,000 feet above the sea-level, 

 4,200 miles by water from the Mediterranean. 



On the west, the Kongo, the river of the future, empties into 

 the Atlantic Ocean under the equatorial sun ; but its navigation 

 is also impeded by successive falls extending from its mouth to 

 Stanlev Pool. Then there is almost uninterrupted navigation on 

 the river and its tributaries for 10,000 miles. Far inland the 

 head waters of its north-eastern branches interlace with the 

 waters of the Nile. Another branch i-ises in Lake Tanganyika 

 in eastern Africa, while the main river finds its source higher up 

 in the mountains, north of Lake Nyassa, 5,000 feet above the 

 sea-level. On the east the Zambezi, the great river of southern 

 Afx'ica, empties into the Indian Ocean opposite Madagascar. 

 The navigation of its main branch, the Shire, is interrupted not 

 far from the ocean. The Zambezi itself is navigable to the 

 rapids near Tete, 260 miles from its mouth ; while one or two 

 hundred miles higher up are the mighty falls of Victoria, only 

 exceeded in volume of water by the Niagara, and nearly equal 

 in height. 



In whatever direction Europeans attempted to penetrate Africa, 

 they were met by insurmountable obstacles. Communication by 

 water was prevented by falls near the mouths of great rivers. 

 The greater part of the coast was very unhealthy, and, where not 

 unhealthy, a desert was behind it ; but these obstacles, which 

 formerly prevented exploration, now stimulate the traveler. 

 The modern explorations of Africa commenced one hundred 

 years ago, when Mungo Park crossed the Desert of Sahara, and 

 lost his life in descending the Niger. From that time to the 



