Notes on the Congo River. 197 
took boat. He sounded the waters of the lake, and 
found a depth of from 25 to 35 feet; in clear wea¬ 
ther the opposite shore was visible, appearing “ to 
an unnautical eye” from 12 to 15 miles distant; nor 
could this estimate be greatly wrong. After much 
negotiation and opposition he obtained leave to 
return to Egyptian territory by water, and on the 
way, in north latitude i° 30', he discovered a 
second lake or “ large basin,” at least 20 to 25 
miles wide. The geography is somewhat hazy, 
but the assertions are not to be mistaken. 
Finally, I read with regret such statements as the 
following, made by so well-known a geographer 
as yourself: “ Speke’s views have been splendidly 
confirmed ; the attacks of his opponents, especially 
of Burton, who was most inimically inclined to 
him, collapse into nothing.” This unwarrantable 
style of assertion might be expected from the 
“ Mittheilungen,” but it is not honourable to a man 
of science. There are, you well know, three main 
points of difference between the late Captain 
Speke and myself. The first is the horse-shoe of 
mountains blocking up the northern end of the 
Tanganyika ; this, after a dozen years, I succeeded 
in abolishing. The second is the existence of the 
Victoria Nyanza, which I assert to be a lake region, 
not a lake ; it is far from being a “ point of detail,” 
and I hope presently to see it follow the way of 
the horse-shoe. Thirdly is the drainage of the 
