504 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. Chap. XXXYI. 
destined to become a province by itself. It is some- 
times designated by the special name of " Jemmara," 
a name certainly of general import, and meaning 
nothing but "the congregation" — a corruption, in 
short, of Jemmaa. 
The country is certainly one of the finest of 
Central Africa, irrigated as it is by numerous rivers, 
among which the Benuwe and the Faro are the most 
important, and being diversified with hill and dale. In 
general, however, it is flat, rising gradually towards the 
south, from an elevation* of about eight hundred feet, 
along the middle course of the Benuwe, to fifteen 
hundred feet or more, and broken by separate hills 
or more extensive groups of mountains; but, as 
far as I know, there is not here a single example 
of large mountain masses. Mount Alantika, of which 
I had a fine view from several points, though at a 
considerable distance, is considered as the most mas- 
sive and elevated mountain in the whole country; 
and this is an entirely detached mountain, at the ut- 
most fifty miles in circumference, and elevated cer- 
tainly not more than eight thousand five hundred 
or nine thousand feet above the plain from which 
it rises. No doubt the Benuwe may be presumed 
to have its sources in a mountainous tract of coun- 
* It is a great pity that the members of the Benuwe expedition 
were not able to measure the elevation of the river at the furthest 
point reached. My thermometer for measuring the boiling-point 
of water was so deranged, that my observation at the Tepe is with- 
out any value. Till further observations have been made, I think 
it may be assumed to be from 800 to 850 feet. 
