TIw Sources of the Nile. 51 



tion rather tends to indicate a natural hill-boundary between 

 the tribes to the north and those to the south of the equator. 

 Captain Speke reports that, in this strange government, un- 

 cleanliness and ingratitude are regarded as capital crimes ; that 

 a female guard surround the king ; that this potentate must not 

 be approached in any other than the most lowly attitude, and 

 that not even the presents made to him must be exposed to 

 vulgar gaze. 



Since Captain Speke's return, a French traveller, M. Miani, 

 writing from Venice, has endeavoured to throw doubt on the 

 importance of these results, by a statement to the effect that 

 the principal branch of the White Nile is one of the streams 

 that proceed from the mountains to the east. That the extremely 

 lofty mountain chain, occupying this position, supplies very 

 large feeders, is by no means unlikely, and that during certain 

 seasons, when the summer sun dries up many streams, it may, 

 by melting the snow on the steep sides of Kilmanjoro, largely 

 increase some other sources of supply is not improbable, but 

 the general result of Captain Speke's investigations seems based 

 on observations too accurate to permit of this error. The re- 

 sults of M. Miani's visit to the other sources cannot fail to be 

 full of interest, especially if they introduce us to the upper 

 valleys of the snowy range, of which we at present only know 

 that it exists. 



Many are the expeditions' that have been made from the 

 Upper Nile in search of adventure and discovery in this remark- 

 able and mysterious river. Mr. Petherick, already alluded to, 

 believes that he reached the equator at a point distant only 

 sixty miles from that known to be crossed by the Nyanza, a fact 

 of great importance if true, but which requires confirmation, 

 owing to his not having had instruments to determine his posi- 

 tion with accuracy. The Egyptian expedition was, in like 

 manner, and for similar reasons, untrustworthy. In the early 

 part of this year a very remarkable enterprise was undertaken 

 by three Dutch ladies, Madame Tinne, her sister, and daughter, 

 who embarked at Khartoum on a small steamer, accompanied 

 by four other ships, carrying in all as many as 200 persons, and 

 proceeded up the Nile with a view to trace the westernmost 

 affluents. Among the companions of these ladies were two 

 travellers, M. de Heuglin and M. Steudner. The ladies had 

 previously visited Gondokoro (within 4$ degrees of the equator), 

 and had made excursions from thence. They have now passed 

 the Bahr-el-Ghazal, and having entered the river of that name, 

 are endeavouring to advance into the interior. As far as the 

 sheet of water called Lake Rek, about 600 miles south-west of 

 Khartoum, the country is known, but all beyond is still mystery. 

 The remarkable tribes of the Niam-niams, who inhabit this part 



