for the Arabs. At the close of the rainy season Captain Burton and myself left Zanzibar, with a caravan mustering about eighty men, having previously sent on some supplies in anticipation of our arrival. Unable to collect a sufficient caravan for the conveyance of our kit, we purchased a number of donkeys (about thirty). Thus completed, and with an escort of twelve Belooch soldiers, given us by Prince Majid, we commenced our journey westward, and arrived (by slow degrees travelling over a low alluvial plain, up the course of the Kingani river) at Zungomero, a village situated under the coast range, which struck us as bearing a good comparison with the western ghauts of India. We might call this range the Eastern Ghauts of Africa. There we were detained by severe illness a considerable time. Afterwards we crossed these eastern ghauts, the maximum altitude of which I ascertained to be about 6000 feet. On the western side of this longitudinal chain of hills we alighted on an elevated plateau, an almost dead flat, ranging in level from 3000 to 4000 feet above the sea. Here we had cold easterly winds, continuing through the entire year. Proceeding onwards, we arrived at the Tanganyika Lake, called by the Arabs Sea Ujiji, a local name taken from the country on the eastern margin of the lake, whither they go to traffic for ivory and slaves. This lake is in a singular synclinal depression; I found its elevation to be only 1800 feet; whereas the surrounding country (the plateau), as I said before, averaged from 3000 to 4000 feet. The lake is encircled at its northern extremity by a half-moon shaped range of hills, the height of which I estimated (for I could not reach its summit) to be at least 6000 feet. They may extend to a height much greater than that; however, we could not take any observations for determining it. After exploring this lake we returned by the former route to Unyanyembe, an Arab depôt, situated in latitude 5° south, and about 33° east longitude. My companion, Captain Burton, unable to proceed farther, remained here; whilst I, taking just sufficient provisions for a period of six weeks, made a rapid march due north, to latitude 2° 30′ south; and there discovered the southern extremity of the Nyanza, a lake, called by the Arabs Ukerewe, a local name for an island on it, to which the merchants go in quest of ivory. altitude of this lake is equal to the general plateau (4000 feet), even more than the average height of all the plateau land we traversed. In reverting to the question asked, why I consider the Lake Nyanza to be the great reservoir to the Nile, my answer is this: I find, by observation, that its southern extremity lies in east longitude 33°, and south latitude 2° 30'. By Arab information, in which I place implicit confidence, I have heard that the waters extend thence, in a northerly direction, certainly from five to six degrees. Notwithstanding they can account for

The

a continuous line of water to this extent, no one ever heard of any limit or boundary to the northern end of the lake. A respectable Sowahili merchant assured me that, when engaged in traffic some years previously to the northward of the line and the westward of this lake, he had heard it commonly reported that large vessels frequented the northern extremity of these waters, in which the officers engaged in navigating them used sextants and kept a log, precisely similar to what is found in vessels on the ocean. Query, Could this be in allusion to the expedition sent by Mahamad Ali up the Nile in former years? Concerning the rains which flood the Nile, the argument is simple, as I have said before: a group of mountains overhang the northern bed of the Tanganyika Lake. The Arabs assure us that from the north and northeastern slopes of these hills during the rainy season immense volumes of water pour down in a northeasterly direction, traversing a flat marshy land, intersected by some very large, and many (they say 180) smaller streams. Again, on the western side, we hear from Dr. Krapf, that the snow-clad mountain, Koenia, is drained by rivers on its western slopes in a direction tending to my lake.

During the rainy season, which I know, by inspection, commences in that region on the 15th of November, and ends on the 15th of May, the down-pour is pretty continuous. Supersaturation, I should imagine, takes place later on the northern than on the southern side of the aforesaid moon-shaped mountain, systematically in accordance to the ratio of seasonal progression; but this, in so mean a distance, could not be very great. Suffice it to say, that I saw the Malagarazi river, which emanates from near the axis of these hills, to be in a highly flooded state on the 5th of June. The Nile at Cairo regularly swells on the 18th of June.

"Farther, it would be highly erroneous to suppose that the Nile could have any great fluctuations from any other source than periodical rains. Were the Nile supplied by snow, as some theorists suppose, its perennial volume would ever be the same. There would be no material fluctuations observable in it, in consequence of its constant and near approximation to the path of the sun.

"By these discoveries, the old and erroneous hypothesis of a high latitudinal range of mountains extending across the continent of Africa from east to west, in the vicinity of the line, and known as the Mountains of the Moon, is therefore now annihilated. However, it is worthy of remark, that the crescentshaped mountain, which we visited to the northward of the Tanganyika, lies in the centre of the continent of Africa, immediately due west of the snowy peaks Kilimanjaro and Konia, and is west beyond the Unyamuezi, or Country of the Moon.

The Wanyamuezi tribe has from time immemorial been addicted to journeying, and at all periods has constantly visited the eastern coast of Africa. It would not be beyond legitimate and logical supposition, to imagine that these hills, lying beyond their Moon Country, should have given rise to the term Mountains of the Moon, and from misunderstanding their relative position with the snowy Konia and Kilimanjaro, should have been the means of misguiding all ancient inquirers about that myste

rious mountain.

"My positions were fixed by astronomical observations, certainly under painful and considerable difficulties, owing to my constantly impaired general state of health: weakness and blindness not being the least of these difficulties which I had to contend with. My latitudes were taken by the altitude of stars, at nearly every stage, on an average from ten to fifteen miles apart. I also fixed some crucial stations, the principal points for delineating the country by lunars, on which I place great reliance, as the means of the masses of them which I took show so little deviation. The intermediate distances I compassed very closely; the altitudes of the country I traversed I determined by boiling thermometer, on which I also place very great reliance. We had a thermometer and pedometer, and several chronometers. The performance of these instruments was anything but satisfactory; indeed, finally, I had to rig up a string and bullet pendulum to beat time whilst taking my lunars in the latter stage of the journey. There now can be no doubt that this great lake, the Nyanza (Captain Speke now pointing to the map) is the great reservoir of the Nile, and that its waters indubitably extend northwards from the position visited by me on its southern extremity to 31° north latitude, lying across the equator, and washes out that supposed line of mountains, called the Mountains of the Moon, which stands so conspicuously in all our atlases."

BAIKIE'S NIGER EXPEDITION.-The latest intelligence we have received from this important expedition is contained in the following extract from Sir R. I. Murchison's late anniversary address before the Roy. Geog. Soc. of London:

"The unfortunate shipwreck of the Pleiad on the rocks near Rabba, and the check given to the expedition under Dr. W. B. Baikie, which left England early in 1857, were alluded to in my last year's address. I now learn from Mr. D. T. May, R.N., who has returned to England, that less than twenty miles above Rabba the River Niger, or Quorra, divides into several rocky, intricate channels. Consul Beecroft in the Ethiope, in 1845, safely navigated the most available of these passages; but the voyagers of 1857 were not so fortunate, and the steamer was totally lost on the rocks. Most of the property was, however,

SECOND SERIES, VOL. XXIX, No. 85.-JAN., 1860.

saved, and the neighboring bank became the head-quarters of the expedition for a whole year. The rocks forming the banks of the river where the shipwreck took place are composed of highly-inclined strata of hard sandstone. All the specimens of this rock which I have examined, whether brought home by Mr. May or sent by the Admiralty, belong to the same lightcolored, hard, sub-crystalline, pinkish sandstone, with very fine flakes of white mica; the successive layers (which are much foliated) being strikingly covered by thin elongated crystals of black tourmaline. The rock has altogether the appearance of having undergone considerable metamorphosis, and much elevation and disturbance. Geodes of pure white quartz, with large micaceous coatings, also occur. As soon as the party had become somewhat settled, it was determined to make a direct overland communication by Yóruba with Lagos, and Mr. May offering himself for this service, accomplished it satisfactorily, as explained in a notice laid before the Society. In the mean time Lieut. Glover made journeys up the river, visiting Wawa and Busa, and definitely ascertained the impracticability of navigating the river for a few miles beyond the spot of the encampment, a waterfall at Waru being an impassable barrier even for canoes in any season.

"Mr. May having waited on the sea-coast, expecting another steamer from England, at last returned to the encampment through Yoruba, and then set out on a more extended journey, with a view to exploring the country, and of establishing postal communication in a line from Lagos to the confluence. Having first travelled to Hadan (the road between Lagos and Hadan being well known and used), he passed eastward, and journeyed for many weeks through the previously unvisited districts of Ife, Ijesha, Igbouma, Yagha, &c., being warmly received, and observing every where that the people were quiet, orderly, and industrious; though these good qualities are here and there broken in upon by marauding or slave-catching armies, sent into the Yoruban country by powerful neighbors. The details of this journey were communicated to the Foreign Office in January last, and will, I presume, soon reach the Society.

Approaching to within fifty or sixty miles of the confluences of the Quorra and Chadda Rivers, Mr. May was compelled to alter his route, and proceed northwards, visiting the ruined famous town Ladi, crossing the Quorra at Shaw, and journeying thence on the north side of the river through Núpe to Rabba.

"Lieutenant Glover had during this time also visited the coast by Mr. May's first route, and was now there waiting to pilot up the river the steamer which was at last coming to the relief of the party. Dr. Baikie and the other members of the expedition had been chiefly employed during the year in culti

vating a good understanding with their neighbors, reducing their language, &c., whilst the energies of Mr. Barton were amply occupied on the botany of this part of Africa. In October, 1858, just a twelvemonth after the settlement of the expedition at the spot in question, the Sunbeam steamer arrived, the whole party were then embarked, and proceeded down the river to Fernando Po, there to recruit the health of the officers and men, and make arrangements for farther exploration. During the twelvemonth's residence in Núpe the most friendly relations were maintained with the king, his brother, and chiefs, and the natives generally; supplies being often received overland from Lagos.

At Fernando Po (November, 1858), a re-organization having taken place, and the preparations being completed, the party again set out, now in the steamer Rainbow, built and sent for the purpose, and endeavored to re-ascend the river. But it was then found that this vessel, which draws four feet of water, could not ascend the Niger even in the month of January; the waters subsiding until June, when they increase. In consequence, the party was obliged again to return to the sea, and since have set out upon the land-journey from Lagos to Rabba (upon the route opened up by Mr. May), whence it is purposed to proceed with an expedition, the friendly objects of which must by this time have made a due impression on the native chiefs, and from which we may anticipate the gain of much knowledge when all the acquisitions of Dr. Baikie and his asso

ciates are unfolded."

KHANIKOFF'S EXPEDITION IN CENTRAL ASIA.-At a recent meeting of the American Oriental Society in New York, the Corresponding Secretary, Prof. Wm. D. Whitney of Yale College, presented a letter from the Chev. N. Khanikoff, dated Kerman, Persia, April 7-19th, 1859, in which he speaks as follows of the journey which he has just made.

"I have just completed, or nearly so, a very interesting journey through Khorassan, Western Afghanistan, and Northern Seistan. The whole region traversed by the scientific expedition which I have had the honor to conduct has been carefully surveyed, the situation of its principal points has been fixed astronomically, for more than thirty points ascertainment has been made of the magnetic coördinates, and of the intensity of magnetism corresponding therewith, and the profile of the territory has been determined by barometrical observations and trigonometrical measurements. The botanical researches have been made by Prof. Bunge, and the geological investigations by M. Göbel; the oriental literature, archæology, and numismatics have fallen to my share, and I hope soon to have the pleasure of communicating to the Society a succinct view of the results at which I have arrived."

D. C. G.