[Illustration: DINKA VILLAGE.] THE HEART OF AFRICA. THREE YEARS’ TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES IN THE UNEXPLORED REGIONS OF CENTRAL AFRICA. FROM 1868 TO 1871. BY DR. GEORG SCHWEINFURTH. TRANSLATED BY ELLEN E. FREWER. WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY WINWOOD READE. _IN TWO VOLUMES._ VOL. I. WITH MAPS AND WOODCUT ILLUSTRATIONS. LONDON: SAMPSON LOW, MARSTON, LOW, AND SEARLE. CROWN BUILDINGS, 188, FLEET STREET. 1873. _All rights reserved._ LONDON: PRINTED BY WILLIAM CLOWES AND SONS. STAMFORD STREET AND CHARING CROSS. INTRODUCTION. [Illustration] Above Assouan, the terminus of tourists is the Nubian Desert, a yellow arm of the Sahara, thrust between Central Africa and Egypt. When this desert is crossed, you come to the ancient Ethiopia, which consists of lowlands watered by the Nile, while a little to the left is Abyssinia, the Switzerland of Africa. The White Nile, which comes from the Equator, is hereabouts joined by the Blue Nile, or Black Nile, from the Abyssinian Wells; and near their confluence is the town, Khartoom. In the glorious days of the Pharaohs Ethiopia was colonised by Egypt, and there was a famous city, Meroe by name, possessing pyramids and temples. In the days of Egyptian decline Ethiopia became independent, conquered the mother country for a time, and was never entered by the armies of the Persians. The Ptolemies who afterwards reigned at Alexandria did conquer Ethiopia, even to its Highlands, carrying their arms, as they boasted, where the Pharaohs themselves had never been; but the Romans did not occupy the country; they followed the advice of Augustus,[1] and the Nubian Desert was made their frontier. In the same manner the Arabs under the caliphs did not attempt the conquest of Ethiopia, and it was perhaps owing to Buonaparte that Turkish Egypt advanced so far to the south.