Nov. 23, 1857.] 
THE EAST AFRICAN EXPEDITION. 
57 
snow. But it is my decided opinion that all the rivers of Central Africa, 
which take their course in various directions from the equatorial region, are 
fed exclusively by the enormous quantity of rain which falls during the rainy 
season, and not by snow which might he preserved on high peaks of mountains. 
If Captain Burton should succeed in penetrating farther into the interior, we 
shall certainly soon hear whether there are mountains of such great elevation 
as to reach the height of 15,000 or 16,000 feet. At present I think we may 
suppose that Mr. Rebmann was in error when he believed he saw before him 
mountains covered with snow, which might have been a crust of white rock 
such as Dr. Livingstone saw farther to the south. 
Dr. Livingstone, f.k.g.s. — I know very little about that part of the 
country, and that little was obtained in the same way that Captain Burton got 
his. It may, however, be of some importance that I derived my information 
from a point opposite to that where the missionaries on the coast and Captain 
Burton had theirs. I met some Arabs from Zanzibar, in the middle of the 
continent, and about 15 south latitude. They pointed out a large lake to the 
north-east, and volunteered to take me with them on their way back to Zan- 
zibar. They stated that when they went to Zanzibar they could either cross 
the southern end of that lake, or go round it. When they could .get canoes 
it took them three days to get across, and they punted their canoes the whole 
way. They slept upon islands. If we take 15 or 20 miles as a good day’s 
journey, the lake might be 50 or 60 miles across. It appears to be quite 
shallow. One of the Arabs used an expression which I never could under- 
stand ; it was “ we have 1 maero ’ ” on that lake.* This is probably an Arab 
word, and perhaps some of those who understand Arabic can tell what it 
means. There can be little doubt but that there is, as stated, a large shallow 
collection of water in the interior. Now the nature of the country seems to 
give an explanation of the mode in which this lake is formed. We have an 
elevated level partition in the oblong valley, in the middle of the country, so 
level in many parts I crossed that the water stands upon it for months together. 
We found the lotus plant growing in the water. When you look at these 
plains they seem extensive prairie land covered with grass, and amongst the 
grass we have the lotus flower. We saw likewise fishes that have come out 
of the river, and the runs of others. From this elevated partition the water, 
in part, flows away to the north and forms the Congo, and some goes to the 
south and fosms the Zambesi. All the country to the east of that where I was, 
is of the same character— an elevated level plateau. We have two rainy 
seasons in the course of each year. An immense amount of water falls, and 
That water stands for a long time. It seems to me that nearly all the rivers 
in that part arise, not from fountains, but from bogs fed by percolation from 
the plains. A great many that I crossed had a bog on each side of them. 
The water seems to soak into these level plains and then ooze out through the 
bogs into the rivers. Probably a branch of the Zambesi rises in the vicinity of 
that lake. It would seem to be simply a shallow collection of water, dependent 
very much upon the rains, which fall in great abundance in that region. If 
Captain Burton gets in, as I hope he may, through the coast tribes, there can 
be little doubt but that he will find his way to the lake. I scarcely apprehend 
that it is so large as represented in the map. I went as far to the east as the 
22nd degree of longitude, and it begins in the 25th. I think I must have 
heard of it. I was in 24° in the south, and in the north in 20° and 21°, and I 
got information of the country to the east of where I was travelling, but no 
information about this immense sea. I may state that the people in the 
middle of the country have all heard of the sea. They call it ‘ metse a hula,’ 
* The Arabic word was stated by Sir H. Rawlinson to mean, the water stands, 
or does not flow, i. e. is stagnant. 
VOL. -II. 
F 
