PREHISTORIC AFRICA. 493 



River in the west ; while other rents made in the eastern 

 ridge, as the Victoria Falls and those to the east of Tan- 

 ganyenka, allowed the central waters to drain eastward. 

 All the African lakes hitherto discovered are shallow, 

 in consequence of being the mere residua of very much 

 larger ancient bodies of water. There can be no doubt 

 that this continent was, in former times, very much more 

 copiously supplied with water than at present, but a 

 natural process of drainage has been going on for ages. 

 Deep fissures are made, probably by the elevation of the 

 land, proofs of which are seen in modern shells embedded 

 in marly tufa, all round the coast-line. Whether this 

 process of desiccation is as rapid throughout the continent, 

 as in a letter to the late Dean Buckland, in 1843, 1 showed 

 to have been the case in the Bechuana country, it is not 

 for me to say ; but though there is a slight tradition of 

 the waters having burst through the low hills south of the 

 Barotse, there is none of a sudden upheaval accompanied 

 by an earthquake. The formation of the crack of Mo- 

 sioatunya is perhaps too ancient for that ; yet, although 

 information of any remarkable event is often transmitted 

 in the native names, and they even retain a tradition 

 which looks like the story of Solomon and the harlots, 

 there is not a name like Tom Earthquake, or Sam Shake- 

 the-ground, in the whole country. They have a tradition 

 which may refer to the building of the Tower of Babel, 

 but it ends in the bold builders getting their crowns 

 cracked by the fall of the scaffolding ; and that they came 

 out of a cave called " Loey " (Noe ?), in company 

 with the beasts, and all point to it in one direction, 

 viz. the N.N.K. Loey, too, is an exception in the 

 language, as they use masculine instead of neuter pro- 

 nouns to it. 



If we take a glance back at the great valley, the form 

 the rivers have taken imparts the idea of a lake slowly 

 drained out, for they have cut out for themselves beds 

 exactly like what we may see in the soft mud of a shallow 

 ^pool of rain-water, when that is let off by a furrow. This 

 dea would probably not strike a person on coming first into 

 the country, but more extensive acquaintance with the 

 river-system, certainly would convey the impression. 

 None of the rivers in the valley of the Leeambye have 

 slopes down to their beds. Indeed, many parts are much 

 like the Thames at the Isle of Dogs, only the Leeambye 



