48 The Sources of the Nile. 



advanced almost to the equator from the Bakr-el-Ghazal, a 

 remarkable lake or expanded ai*m of the Nile. Mr. Petherick 

 describes a countiy without great undulations of the surface, 

 traversed by a westernmost branch of the Nile, which he 

 believes to meet the White Nile in this expanded swamp. 



When, then, in 1857, Captain Burton and his enterprising 

 companion, starting from the east coast at Zanzibar, between 6* 

 and 7° south of the equator, decided to go so far into the in- 

 terior of Africa towards the west as to cross the direction of 

 any north and south water-course, or mountain chain, and lay 

 bare the geography of that part of the continent, they really 

 had to make discoveries at every step. There was a certain 

 idea, prevalent already in the minds of geographers, that the 

 east as well as the west coast of Africa contained much 

 elevated land, but that there were no great mountain chains in 

 the far interior. The lofty mountain chain reaching south- 

 wards from Abyssinia, broken, perhaps, here and there, but 

 culminating in the snow-covered peaks of Kilmanjoro, descends 

 to form a range of mountains from 6000 to 8000 feet in 

 height, connected with a plateau of inferior but considerable 

 elevation, commencing about 150 miles from the coast, and of 

 great width. Beyond this and further to the west the ground 

 descends considerably, and there is no evidence of any moun- 

 tain chain in this direction. Within the plateau, which is hero 

 120 miles wide and 4000 feet above the sea, is the large and re- 

 markable lake visited by Captain Spoke in 1858, and described 

 as the Victoria Nyanza. Beyond it to the west is another great 

 lake (Tanganyika) at a very much lower level, connected 

 apparently with other lakes to the south, and having no com- 

 munication with Nyanza. 



After Captain Speke had reached this lake in 1858, and 

 had compared notes with Captain Burton, who had by that 

 time visited and explored the more westerly lake of Tanganyika, 

 he was convinced that by continuing northwards from the 

 soul 1 it mi i shore of the higher lake, he should find that its waters 

 communicated with the Nile. Unable then to decide the point, 

 he was obliged to return to England; but shortly afterwards, 

 expeditions were organized on the one hand to enable Captain 

 Speke to continue his investigation as suggested, and on the 

 other to secure assistance, should he be able to cross the equator, 

 and fall in, as was nmsl likely, with troublesome native tribes 

 inhabiting the country already partly described by Mr. l^thcrick. 

 Jt was not till the end of 1<^<>1 that Captain Speke, accompanied 



by Captain Grant and a Long train of native attendants, readied 

 once more the southern extremity of the lake, on whose ex- 

 ploration so much depended. He then passed round the lake 

 to the west, and found there a network of ponds and lakes, all 



