What Led to the Discovery of the Source of the NileSpeke, John Hanning
History
What Led to the Discovery of the Source of the Nile
Speke, John Hanning
Horn of Africa -- Description and travel; Nile River; Tanganyika, Lake
Here we see how singularly all the different informers' statements
blend together in substantiating my opinion that the N'yanza is the
great reservoir or fountainhead of that mighty stream that floated
Father Moses on his first adventurous sail--the Nile. It must appear
marvellous to the English reader how it happened that these traders
obtained so much and such good information to the northward of the
equator, and especially of the White Nile traders. The reasons are
these:--For several years these Arabs have not only traded with
Karagué, Uganda, and Usoga, but they have had trading-stations in
Uddu-Uganda and in Karagué. The Uganda station has since been broken
up by order of the king, as the Arabs were interfering too much with
his subjects. In Karagué, on the contrary, they still have
establishments; and as they cannot go into Unyoro themselves, they
have induced the Wahaiya and Waziwa to bring them ivory from that
country and from Kidi, in exchange for which they give beads. These
Zanzibar merchants are very inquiring men, and have learnt a great
deal from this source. Far more, however, they have learned from the
King of Karagué, who is much respected by all the surrounding kings,
and is continually exchanging presents and news with them. The King of
Unyoro, for instance, whose territory extends to Madi, once sent him a
present of beads and coral ornaments which must have come up the Nile,
for at the same time the sailing-vessels on the Nile were heard of,
and ornaments of that nature were never brought into the country from
the Zanzibar side. Omitted in these accounts was a statement of Musa's
I did not believe at first concerning the rise of the Nile, which was
this: The natives had told him when the N'yanza (Nile) rose, it tore
up and floated away islands. Further, Abdullah told me of a
wonderfully high and steep mountain beyond Karagué--doubtless the
Mfumbiro--being constantly covered with clouds; and I heard from him
of a salt lake--doubtless the Little Luta Nzigé--which had some
connection with the N'yanza. These details were, however, so obscurely
given, I feared to place them on my map at that time.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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