Five centuries later a celebrated traveller called Hekatæus illustrates his ideas of Africa in a map given below. Though he had visited Egypt, it is quite clear that not many new discoveries had been made. According to him the great Egyptian river takes its rise at the southern extremity of Africa, where the pigmies live. [Illustration: AFRICA IN MAP OF HEKATÆUS. 500 B.C.] The next map of Africa that I wish to introduce for inspection is by the “greatest astronomer of antiquity,” Hipparchus, who lived 100 years B.C. His sketch contains three distinct lakes, but situate far north of the equator. Here follows the great Ptolemy, the Ravenstein or Justas Perthes of his period. Some new light has been thrown by his predecessors, and he has revised and embellished what was known. He has removed the sources of the Nile, with scientific confidence, far south of the equator, and given to the easternmost lake the name of Coloe Palus. [Illustration: HIPPARCHUS. 100 B.C.] A thousand years elapse, and bring us to Edrisi, an Arab geographer, 1154 A.D. Some little information has been gained in the meanwhile of the Dark Interior. The Mountains of the Moon are prominent now, but several degrees south of the equator. Two of the lakes discharge their surplus waters to a third lake, which is north, whence the Nile issues, flowing northward towards Egypt. We see in it the results of geographical conferences, and many inquiries from ivory traders. [Illustration: PTOLEMY’S MAP. A.D. 150.] Four centuries later we see, by the following map, that the lakes have changed their position. Ambitious chartographers have been eliciting information from the latest traveller. They do not seem to be so well acquainted with the distant region around the Nile sources as those ancients preceding Edrisi. Nevertheless, the latest travellers must know best. [Illustration: CENTRAL AFRICA _according to_ EDRISI. 1154 A.D.] But in the short space of five years new light has been thrown again, or is it the mere vagary of a chartographer? Lo! the “Mountains of the Moon” are restored many degrees below the equator, but there are only two lakes south of the equator, while the third has travelled to an immense distance north of the line. [Illustration: MAP OF THE MARGARITA PHILOSOPHICA A.D. 1503] Within three years Africa seems to have been battered out of shape somewhat. The three lakes have been attracted to one another; between two of the lakes the Mountains of the Moon begin to take form and rank. The Mons Lunæ are evidently increasing in height and length. As Topsy might have said, “specs they have grown some.” [Illustration: JOHN RUYSCH A.D. 1508.] [Illustration: SYLVANNUS’ MAP A.D. 1511] [Illustration: HIERONIMUS DE VERRAZANO 1529] [Illustration: SEBASTIAN CABOT’S MAP OF THE WORLD 16th Century]