THE NILE BASIN. 33 



Nyanza, would appear to be the true " Nile of tlie Moon," at least in tlio lenf^th of 

 its course. But if the barometric altitudes taken by Pearson can be trusted, this 

 stream cannot possibly reach the lacustrine basin, for it flows at a lower level. On 

 the other hand, it cannot trend westwards in the direction of Lake Tanganyka, from 

 which it is separated by ridges some 500 feet high.* Hence it probably runs out 

 in some landlocked basin. 



Speke was informed by the natives that this region, comprised between the great 

 lake and the lofty coast ranges, is studded with lakes and salines, like those heard 

 of by Denhardt, Erhard, and Wakefield as lying farther north. Till recently 

 copious streams might still be supposed to flow from the western slope of Kilima- 

 Njaro, the giant of African mountains, whose two snowy peaks rise some 240 

 miles to the east of Nyanza. But the waters escaping from the gorges of this 

 volcano flow mainly east and south to the Indian Ocean, while the rivulets descend- 

 ing from its west side lose themselves in the depressions of the plateau. None of 

 the watercourses observed by Stanley and other travellers on the east side of Nyanza 

 are'of considerable size, and all of them rise at some distance from Kilima-Njaro. 



The water-parting between the Indian Ocean and the Nile is lower than the 

 eastern ranges, and has rather the appearance of an elevated cliff terminating 

 abruptly eastwards, and sloping gently towards the west. Above it at intervals 

 rise volcanic cones, and the statement of the Arabs, that several of them still show 

 signs of activity, has been recently confirmed by the evidence of the traveller 

 Fischer. Erruptions are even said to occur, and two of the cones take the name of 

 Dunye-M'buro, or " Smoky Mountain." Another is known as the Dunye-Ngai, 

 or " Heavenly Mountain," and copious thermal streams flow from the fissures. The 

 foot of the eastern escarpments, some 4,320 feet high, is skirted by a thermal lake, 

 which is continued by swampy tracts where soda is deposited. In this district the 

 chain of volcanoes is separated by a deep depression from Kilima-Njaro, and the 

 lake itself is little over 2,000 feet above sea-level. 



Of all the afl[luents of Lake Nyanza, the Kagera (Tangure or river of Kitangule), 

 which joins it from the west, has the best claim to be considered as the main head- 

 stream of the basin, at least so far as regards its volume. This river, which by its 

 first explorers was named the Alexandra Nile, rises in a highland region some 60 

 miles south of the equator, and nearly 2,340 miles in a straight line from the Medi- 

 terranean. After collecting the torrents from Mount Mfumbiro it takes a normal 

 north-easterly course towards Nyanza. Stanley penetrated into the valley of this 

 Upper Nile below its confluence with the emissary of Lake Akanyaru, which had 

 also received the name of Lake Alexandra even before it had been actually visited 

 by any European. In the district explored by Stanley the Kagera traverses several 

 lakes and receives the overflow from other lacustrine basins, flooding the surround- 

 ing depressions. It has a mean depth of fifty feet, and the horizon is completely 

 shut out by the tall masses of papyrus fringing its banks. Speke and Grant, who 

 were the first to visit this Upper Nile, crossed it much lower down, below the 

 Morongo Fall, one or two days' march from its confluence with Nysmza. 



* E. G. Ravenstein, " Map of Eastern Equatorial Africa." 

 3— AF. 



