1860-61 PRINCE CONSORT ON MOUNTAIN RANGES 117 



Another African traveller whom Professor 

 Owen met at this time was Mr. Petherick. In a 

 letter to his sister Maria, March 19, 1861, he 

 says : — 



1 Last Thursday I took Consul Petherick to 

 the Palace at five minutes before eleven, and Lord 

 Caithness looked into the waiting-room to have a 

 chat before we were called into the Prince Con- 

 sort's Library. H.R.H. ordered his last map of 

 Africa down, and we drew out much curious and 

 minute information from the traveller. H.R.H. 

 said, that when he saw a chain of mountains 

 stretching along a desert part of a map he 4 al- 

 ways suspected them to be put in for the appear- 

 ance, and it is curious what masses of mountains 

 do get destroyed, especially in Africa, as soon as 

 travellers reach their whereabouts. The Prince 

 then sent for his album of photographs. They 

 include people of all countries. One was of a Thug, 

 100 years old, who had committed thrice as many 

 murders, and the most extraordinary example of 

 living- skeleton humanity I ever beheld. Sir C. 

 B. Phipps and Dr. Ruland, the new librarian, were 

 of the party, which lasted an hour. The problem 

 of the source of the Nile, and the cause of its 

 annual overflow, has been almost solved by Mr. 

 Petherick, and if he is spared he will discover the 

 remaining facts in his ensuing expedition. I had a 

 rare audience on Friday — Jermyn Street blocked 

 up with carriages. Jenny Lind laughed when I 



