204 THE LAKE REGIONS OF CENTRAL AFRICA. 



event alluded to in a former page, and the place had 

 become dull as a mess- dinner. Said bin Salim, who 

 was ill, who coughed and expectorated, and sincerely 

 pitied himself because he had a cold, became more 

 than usually unsociable : he could enjoy nothing but 

 the society of Brahim, the bawling Baghdadi, and the 

 crowd of ill-flavoured slavery that flocked into the ves- 

 tibule. My Goanese servant, who connected my aspect 

 with hard labour, avoided it like a pestilence. Already I 

 was preparing to organise a little expedition to K'hokoro 

 and the southern provinces, when unexpectedly, — in 

 these lands a few cries and gun-shots are the only 

 credible precursors of a caravan, — on the morning of 

 the 25th August reappeared my companion. 



At length my companion had been successful, his 

 a flying trip " had led him to the northern water, and 

 he had found its dimensions surpassing our most san- 

 guine expectations. We had scarcely, however, break- 

 fasted, before he announced to me the startling fact, 

 that he had discovered the sources of the White Nile. 

 It was an inspiration perhaps : the moment he sighted 

 the Nyanza, he felt at once no doubt but that the " Lake 

 at his feet gave birth to that interesting river which 

 has been the subject of so much speculation, and the 

 object of so many explorers." The fortunate dis- 

 coverer's conviction was strong ; his reasons were weak 

 • — were of the category alluded to by the damsel 

 Lucetta, when justifying her penchant in favour of the 

 u lovely gentleman," Sir Proteus : — 



" I have no other but a woman's reason. 

 I think him so because I think him so ;" * 



* The following extract from the Proceedings of the R. Geographical 

 Society, May 9, 1859, will best illustrate what I mean : — 



Mr. Macqueen, f.k.g.s., said the question of the sources of the Nile had 

 cost him much trouble and research, and he was sure there was no material 



