298 
AFRICA AND ITS EXPLORATION . 
we observe that the land has lost its surface of pasture 
grass, and its gently undulating character, and heaves 
itself upwards into many-headed hills of rugged, abrupt 
forms, and as we penetrate farther, these hills become 
mountains of a stupendous type, with summits which, 
except on a fine clear day, the naked eye cannot define. 
Deep, deep valleys, from whose depths we hear the roar 
of resounding cataracts and falls, sunder these lofty 
mountains. Upon their lengthy slopes great masses of 
glistening white rock are seen half imbedded in debris, 
where they have remained since they were severed from 
the parent mountain which raises its head so proudly 
into the sky above. 
Beyond this scene again we come to where the land 
appears to have concentrated itself, and fused all lesser 
mountains and hills into one grand enormous mass, the 
height and size of which dwarfs all hitherto seen, and 
which, disdaining vulgar observation, shrouds its head 
with snow and grey clouds. 
Indeed, so gradual is the transition and change in the 
aspect of the land from Lake Victoria to Beatrice Gulf 
that one may draw this one-liundred-miles-wide belt 
into five divisions of equal breadth, and class them 
according to the limits given above. Let us imagine a 
railway constructed to run from one lake to the other — 
what scenes unrivalled for soft beauty, luxuriance, 
fertility, and sublimity would be traversed ! 
Starting from the sea-like expanse of the Victoria 
Lake, the traveller would be ushered into the depths of 
a tall forest, whose meeting tops create eternal night, 
into leafy abysms, where the gigantic sycamore, tower- 
ing rnvule, and branchy gum strive with one another for 
room, under whose shade wrestle with equal ardour for 
mastery the less ambitious trees, bushes, plants, llianes, 
creepers, and palms. Out of this he would emerge into 
broad day, with its dazzling sunshine, and view an open 
rolling country, smooth rounded hills, truncated cones, 
and bits of square-browed plateaus, intersected by broad 
grassy meads and valleys thickly dotted with ant-hills 
overgrown with brushwood. Few trees are visible, and 
