346 
MIANl's TREE. 
had been merely scratched in the wood. They ap- 
peared like — A I A A ; the centre letters were I and A, 
and the outer ones either A without the stroke, or part 
of W. Nails seem to have been extracted, and to read 
it properly, I had to stand upon some lower branches." 
I at once concluded that the traveller was not English, 
because his letters were not deeply cut into the tree as 
an Englishman would have done it, and also because the 
letters were curiously formed. The illegible letters with- 
out strokes were scored in thus — AA, — as a foreigner 
writes the capital letter M. Not until we reached 
Khartoom did we find out for certain who this traveller 
must have been. His name was AAIANI (Miani), a 
native of Venice, who has protested against our Nile 
being the proper Nile, because we have placed his tree 
in a position of latitude and longitude (obtained by 
daily observations) different to what he made it, with- 
out scientific instruments. His assertion is bold, con- 
sidering the above evidence ; but as M. Miani is trying 
to organise another expedition, I have no doubt he will 
discover, and perhaps ultimately acknowledge, his error. 
In the mean time, Mr S. Baker will in all likelihood 
have passed the spot, and taken the exact position of 
the tree and river. The Nile at 3^° N. lat., had quite 
changed the wild character it possessed at Karuma 
Falls. Its banks were tame and flat, with but few 
trees. The opposite, or left bank, rose into three 
blocks of lofty bare hills, almost mountains, called 
" Jubl Kookoo." Eound their north-east bluff end the 
majestic Nile made a sweeping turn from the west to 
the north ; and looking down the stream from this 
point, the scene appeared wild and romantic like the 
Highland Pass of Grlencoe. 
