chap, xii.] BETWEEN EAR UMA AND THE LAKE. 369 
and at Magungo, the Somerset running from east to 
west. The river was about 180 to 200 yards in width, 
but much obstructed with rocks and islands ; the stream 
ran at about four miles per hour, and the rapids and 
falls were so numerous that the roar of water had been 
continuous throughout our march from Murchison's 
Falls. By observations of Casellas thermometer I 
made the altitude of the river level at the island of 
Patooan 3,195 feet; thus from this point to the level 
of the Albert Lake at Magungo, there was a fall of 
475 feet—this difference being included between Pa¬ 
tooan and the foot of Murchison Falls : the latter, being 
at the lowest estimate 120 feet, left 355 feet to be 
accounted for between Patooan and the top of the falls. 
As the ledges of rock throughout the course of the 
river formed a series of steps, this was a natural dif¬ 
ference in altitude that suggested the correctness of 
the observations. 
At the river level below Karuma Falls I had mea¬ 
sured the altitude at 3,996 feet above the sea level. 
Thus, there was a fall from that point to Patooan of 
801 feet, and a total of 1,276 feet in the descent of the 
river from Karuma to the Albert Nyanza. These 
measurements, most carefully taken, corroborated the 
opinion suggested by the natural appearance of the 
river, which was a mere succession of cataracts through¬ 
out its westerly course from Karuma. 
To me these observations were more than usually 
interesting, as when I had met my friend Speke at 
Gondokoro, he was much perplexed concerning the 
extraordinary difference in his observation between the 
altitude of the river-level at Karuma Falls, lat. 2° 15', 
and at Gebel Kookoo in the Madi country, lat. 3° 34', 
the point at which he subsequently met the river. He 
knew that both rivers were the Nile, as he had been 
told this by the natives ; the one, before it had joined 
the Albert Lake—the other, after its exit; but he had 
been told that the river was navigable from Gebel 
Kookoo, lat. 3° 34', straight up to the junction of the 
B B 
