ii.] GEOGRAPHY. 63 



rise in this western ridge, run towards the centre of the conti- 

 nent. With reference to the opposite eastern ridge, in the 

 letter dated Hill Chanyune, 25 Jan. 1856, he says, " That the 

 same formation exists on the eastern side of the country appears 

 from the statements of Arabs, or Moors, from Zanzibar. They 

 assert that a large branch of the Leeambye flows from the 

 country of the Banyassa (Wun'yassa) to the sonth-west, and 

 passes near the town of Cagembe ; it is called Loapola." 



From the longitudes he estimates the distance from top to 

 top of these ridges to be about 600 geographical miles. 



In the letter last quoted he further says, "The eastern ridge 

 seems to bend in to the west at the part I crossed, and then 

 travels away to the north-east, thereby approaching the east 

 coast. If the space between the ridges is generally not broader 

 than 600 miles, instead of calling the continent basin-shaped, 

 it may be proper to say that it has a furrow in the middle, with 

 an elevated ridge on each side, each about 150 or 200 miles 

 broad, the land sloping on both sides thence to the sea." This 

 watery central plateau is elevated above the level of the sea, 

 at the same time that it is below the subtending eastern and 

 western ridges. 



These facts at once account for the apparent impossibility 

 of rivers running in opposite directions. A stream which has 

 its origin in one of the ridges may run down inland ; while 

 another main artery may be carrying off the water-shed of the 

 central plateau in a zigzag, and find an outlet through some 

 gorge into the ocean. For instance, the branch of the Leeam- 

 bye here mentioned runs south-west, while the Leeambye itself 

 flows due east, or south-east. The Coanzo and Quango flow 

 from west to east towards the centre of the continent ; while the 

 northern Lotembwa runs N.N.W. The one set runs from the 

 ridge to the plateau ; the other from the plateau to the ocean. 



Henceforth travellers in South Africa may at once probably 

 know where to look for the source of a river, by observing the 

 general direction of its current. 



The country about Lake Dilolo seems to form a partition 



