902 LIFE OF DA VID LIVINGSTONE, LL.D. 



the floating grass and enormous rushes. The river, the Lukuga, is about 

 twenty five miles south of the group of islands Captain Speke explored.' 



" It is not fair to criticise such a brief letter as this, evidently written 

 hastily after the discoverer's arrival in Ujiji, nor have I any such intention ; 

 but the observations serve as a preface to what I am about to say, and in a 

 measure mark the boundaries of difference between Lieutenant Cameron and 

 myself. I send you a chart of the Lukuga Creek, to enable your readers to 

 understand clearly one of Nature's secrets in Central Africa. I shall now 

 briefly remark upon the above statements. 



" Lieutenant Cameron says he has been ' fortunate enough to discover 

 the outlet of Lake Tanganyika.' He certainly has discovered Lukuga Creek, 

 and, entertaining the friendliest feelings towards the gallant gentleman, I am 

 happy to admit that, though he has found what has never been and is not the 

 outlet, yet he has none the less pointed out what will be within a few years 

 the outlet of the Tanganyika, for at present there is none, as we understand 

 the term ; no outflowing river or effluent. '. The current is small (1*2 knots), 

 as might be expected from the levels.' Having differed with the first I must 

 oppose this second statement, though reluctantly; but I impute the error to 

 the traveller's over-hurry and imperfect levels. The chief who accompanied 

 Cameron says that he stayed but a short time, and such a current as he men- 

 tions might well be caused by the monsoon wind blowing up the creek, but 

 for further details and experiments testing this current I must refer you below. 



"'It is believed to flow into the Lualaba, between Lakes Moero and 

 Kamarondo.' More about the flow below, but Moero is pronounced 'Merwu' 

 by all men, natives or Arabs, and of Kamarondo ' Lake ' I can hear nothing, 

 except a distinct and emphatic denial of there being such a lake ; but all who 

 know anything of it say there is a river called the Kamalondo, or Kamarondo, 

 a large tributary of the Lualaba or Ugarowa. ' I went four or five miles 

 down it, when my further progress was stopped by the floating grass and 

 enormous rushes.' Lieutentant Cameron proceeded about three miles, I think, 

 and made his experiments at Luruba. His progress was stopped by the pa- 

 pyrus, which perhaps may come under his description ; but all specimens of 

 ordinary grass seen in the Lukuga Creek at present may be eaten by a 

 healthy ass in fifteen minutes. ' The river, the Lukuga, is about twenty-five 

 miles south of the group of islands Captain Speke explored.' The entrance 

 of the Lukuga Creek is situate in S. lat. 5° 49' 30", while Kasenge Island is in 

 S. lat 5° 35' 30" — making the Lukuga just fourteen geographical miles south 

 of Kasenge, discovered by Speke. 



" Beyond these few points I have no cause to differ with Lieutentant Came- 

 ron. To him alone belongs the credit and honour of the discovery of the 

 Lukuga Creek, the future outlet of Lake Tanganika. I followed his course 

 inch by inch, marked each of his camps, and employed the same guides. 



