922 LIFE OF DA VID LIVINGSTONE, LL.D. 



from the section separating the Tanganyika and Albert, as the Albert is from 

 the Victoria. If any important affluents supply the Albert other than the 

 Victoria Nile, they must be searched for on the south-west and west side of 

 Lake Albert, by means of a vessel launched on its waters, or by a journey 

 overland. If a feeder be found on that side so large as to exercise an import- 

 ant influence on the lake, or such as would add greatly to the White Nile it- 

 self did not Lake Albert intercept its course, it is obvious that such a river 

 also should be taken into consideration when speaking of ' the sources of the 

 Nile.' 



" Lake Albert, receiving so grand an affluent as the Victoria Nile, has 

 been called by Baker a reservoir of the Nile ; but, in my opinion, this noble 

 lake deserves a yet higher title, as I shall presently show. It is proved by 

 my explorations that Lake Victoria is also a reservoir of the Nile, but I shall 

 demonstrate that Lake Victoria deserves a prouder name, distinct and sepa- 

 rate from that given to Lake Albert. Permit me to place in order a few ques- 

 tions and answers. What supplies the White Nile with water ? Lake Albert 

 of course principally. What supplies Lake Albert ? The Victoria Nile prin- 

 cipally (so far as is yet known). Whence proceeds the Victoria Nile ? From 

 the Victoria Lake. What supplies the Victoria Lake ? The ' Alexandra 

 Nile' principally. Whence proceeds the Alexandra Nile? From the Alex- 

 andra Lake. What supplies the Alexandra Lake ? The Upper Alexandra 

 Nile and other streams not yet known. It is clear, then, that the Egyptian 

 Nile is the issue of the united Blue and White Niles — that the White Nile is 

 the issue of Lake Albert — that the Victoria Nile is the issue of Lake Vic- 

 toria, and I have found that the Lower Alexandra Nile is the issue of Lake 

 Alexandra. 



" Thus it will be seen that I have given higher titles to these lakes than 

 mere reservoirs, for, without the source of supply, what would the reservoir 

 become ? Indeed, in strict and sober fact, these several lakes are accidents of 

 Nature, intercepting the course of the river from the Alexandra Nile down- 

 wards, disparting the river into several streams, the White Nile, Victoria Nile, 

 and Alexandra Nile. A parallel case is presented by the Lualaba, discovered 

 by Livingstone, which may be described in like manner as the above. The 

 Chambezi feeds Lake Bemba ; Lake Bemba creates the Luapula; the Luapula 

 supplies Lake Mweru; Mweru creates Webb's Lualaba; Webb's Lualaba, 

 supplied by other tributaries, supplies the Lower Lualaba. Or, in other 

 words, the Lower Lualaba is the issue of Webb's Lualaba ; Webb's Lualaba is 

 the issue of Lake Mweru ; the Luapula is the issue of Bemba. These lakes are 

 accidents of Nature, as also the Nile Nyanzas, and present so many intercep- 

 tions or basins in the course of the river. I send you a survey of the above, 

 and request its publication, not only to illustrate the course of the Alexandra 

 Nile, but because (if natives are to be believed) the Alexandra Lake serves a 



