1868.] INTERESTING DETAILS. 341 



Of all theoretical discoverers, the man who ran in 200 

 miles of Lake and placed them on a height of some 

 •1000 feet at the north-west end of Lake Nyassa, deserves 

 the highest place. Dr. Beke, in his guess, came nearer 

 the sources than most others, but after all he pointed 

 out where they would not be found. Old Nile played the 

 theorists a pretty prank by having his springs 500 miles 

 south of them all ! I call mine a contribution, because it is 

 just a hundred years (1769) since Bruce, a greater traveller 

 than any of us, visited Abyssinia, and having discovered 

 the sources of the Blue Nile, he thought that he had then 

 solved the ancient problem. Am I to be cut out by some 

 one discovering southern fountains of the river of Egypt, of 

 which I have now no conception ? 



David Livingstone. 



[The tiresome procrastination of Mohamad and his horde 

 was not altogether an unmixed evil. With so many new 

 discoveries in hand Livingstone had an opportunity for 

 working out several problems, and instituting comparisons 

 between the phenomena of Inner Africa and the well-marked 

 changes which go on in other parts of the world. We find 

 him at this time summing them up as follows : — J 



The subject of change of climate from alteration of level 

 has not received the investigation it deserves. Mr. Darwin 

 saw reason to believe that very great alterations of altitude, 

 and of course of climate, had taken place in South America 

 and the islands of the Pacific ; the level of a country above 

 the sea I believe he thought to be as variable as the winds. 

 A very great alteration of altitude has also taken place in 

 Africa ; this is apparent on the sea-coast of Angola, and all 

 through the centre of the country, where large rivers which 

 once flowed southwards and westwards are no longer able to 

 run in these directions : the general desiccation of the country, 



