Book Reviews. 



207 



the high places. The imprint of the Athenaeum Press of Ginn & 

 Company is a sufficient guarantee for the typographical excellence 

 of the book. The half-tones are remarkably clear and beautiful. 



The Journal of the Royal Geographical Society of London 

 (for February, 1907) gives the address delivered before the 

 Society by the Duke of the Abruzzi. It is the Duke's account 

 of his ascent of the peaks of the Ruwenzori Range in Africa. 

 Thus is finally solved the riddle of the Nile. Ptolemy located 

 these mountains on his map, but later geographers grew skeptical 

 about their existence and wiped them from their maps. In 1889 

 Sir Henry Stanley cHmbed one of the northwestern spurs to the 

 height of 10,677 feet, and gave to the range the name Ruwenzori 

 — i. e. "Rainmaker." The mystery that has hung over these 

 mountains so long is probably in part due to the fact that they 

 are so seldom seen, even by those dwelling in their vicinity, 

 because they are perpetually wrapped in clouds. The natives 

 are said never to ascend above six or seven thousand feet. The 

 Duke of the Abruzzi, who has many first ascents to his credit, 

 took with him some of the guides and scientists who accom- 

 panied him on previous mountain-climbing expeditions. The 

 impedimenta of the party, packed in fifty-pound cases, were 

 transported through many miles of wilderness on the heads of 

 native porters. Each case of provisions contained food for twelve 

 persons for one day, soldered in tin with a light wood covering. 

 The entire expedition, when it reached the foot of the highest 

 mountain, numbered about four hundred natives and ten Euro- 

 peans. The actual ascent of the highest peak was made on the 

 i6th of June, 1906, by the Duke and three guides. The twin 

 crests of the mountain were named Margharita and Alexandra, in 

 honor of the queens of Italy and of England. There are six peaks 

 in the Ruwenzori Range, connected by saddles having an altitude 

 ranging from 13,800 to 14,400 feet. The following are the alti- 

 tudes determined for the peaks, together with the names given 

 to them: Margharita Peak, 16,810 feet; Alexandra Peak, 16,744 

 feet; Mt. Speke, 16,080 feet; Mt. Baker, 15,988 feet; Mt. Emin, 

 15,807 feet; Mt. Gessi, 15,647 feet; and Mt. Thomson, 15,273 feet. 

 These names have been approved, and will doubtless remain, ex- 

 cept the last, which the President of the Royal Society took the 

 liberty of changing to Mt. Luigi di Savoia, in honor of the Duke 

 of the Abruzzi, who first ascended and mapped the range. 



