318 A NATURALIST IN MID-AFRICA. 



has to see with one's own eyes before one can 

 rightly estimate it ; and their use also means the 

 perpetuation of slavery. 



Now there are at present three railway schemes. 

 These three are competitive, and probably mutually 

 destructive. 



The first is the Mombasa to Uganda railway. 

 The second is the German railway, which has 

 actually been commenced. The third is the 

 African Lakes Koute.* 



The map and elevations here given show pretty 

 clearly the position and leading physical features 

 of each. It is of course at once and immediately 

 obvious that the Mombasa railway cannot possibly 

 compete with the German line in any civilian 

 transport or trade. It is 181 miles longer, and 

 the physical difficulties are very much more pro- 

 nounced. Moreover, for military transport some 

 form of conveyance from the shore of the Victoria 

 Nyanza to the Albert Nyanza is absolutely 

 essential if it is to be of real importance. 



If it is simply a question of carrying a few 

 officers to the Albert Nyanza, we have in this 

 fortunate country so many anxious to go that it 

 is quite unnecessary to build a railway to convey 

 them. On the other hand, to place a British 



* The German line is derived from Dr. Baumann's " Durch 

 Masailand zur Nilquelle." The Mombasa railway, " Mom- 

 basa Survey Eeport." The African Lakes Eoute from my 

 table of altitudes. 



