1872.] PTOLEMY'S GEOGRAPHY. 177 



This morning they have taken everything out to see if any- 

 thing is spoilt. They have hundreds of packages. 



One of the Baganda told me yesterday that the name of 

 the Deity is Dubale in his tongue. 



15th April — Hung up the sounding-line on poles 1 fathom 

 apart and tarred it. 375 fathoms of 5 strands. 



Ptolemy's geography of Central Africa seems to say that 

 the science was then (second century a.d.) in a state of de- 

 cadence from what was known to the ancient Egyptian 

 priests as revealed to Herodotus 600 years before his day 

 (or say B.C. 440). They seem to have been well aware by 

 the accounts of travellers or traders that a great number of 

 springs contributed to the origin of the Nile, but none could 

 be pointed at distinctly as the " Fountains," except those I 

 long to discover, or rather rediscover. Ptolemy seems to 

 have gathered up the threads of ancient explorations, and 

 made many springs (six) flow into two Lakes situated East 

 and West of each other — the space above them being un- 

 known. If the Victoria Lake were large, then it and the 

 Albert would probably be the Lakes which Ptolemy meant, 

 and it Avould be pleasant to call them Ptolemy's sources, 

 rediscovered by the toil and enterprise of our countrymen 

 Speke, Grant, and Baker — but unfortunately Ptolemy has 

 inserted the small Lake " Coloe," nearly where the Victoria 

 Lake stands, and one cannot say where his two Lakes are. 

 Of Lakes Victoria, Bangweolo, Moero, Kamolondo — Lake 

 Lincoln and Lake Albert, which two did he mean ? The 

 science in his time was in a state of decadence. Were two 

 Lakes not the relics of a greater number previously known ? 

 What says the most ancient map known of Sethos II.'s time ? 



Wtli April. — Went over to visit Sultan bin Ali near 

 Tabora — country open, plains sloping very gently down 

 from low rounded granite hills covered with trees. Bounded 

 masses of the light grey granite crop out all over them, but 

 many are hidden by the trees : Tabora slopes down from 



VOL. II. N 



