At That Time Our Path Led Along
The Rocky Bank Of The River, And Was Both Difficult And Dangerous.
Eight miles from the Asua river now brought us to the top of the pass,
and having stopped for a few moments to take compass bearings, we began
the somewhat steep descent.
Walking was preferable to riding, and after a distance of a couple of
miles had been accomplished, we rounded the rocky hill by crossing a
ravine upon our right, and the view of the promised land burst upon us.
The grand White Nile lay like a broad streak of silver on our right as
it flowed in a calm, deep stream direct from the Albert N'yanza; at this
spot above all cataracts. No water had as yet been broken by a fall; the
troubles of river-life lay in the future; the journey to the sea might
be said to have only just commenced. Here the entire volume flowed from
the Albert N'yanza, distant hardly one degree; and here had I always
hoped to bring my steamers, as the starting-point for the opening of the
heart of Africa to navigation. (This has since been proved correct by
the efforts of my successor, Colonel Gordon, who carried the 38-ton
steamer which I had left at Gondokoro to this point above the cataracts,
and constructed her at Duffle on the opposite bank. This vessel steamed
into the Albert N'yanza without any difficulty, and corroborated my
assertion that the river was navigable.
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