During My Journey In 1852-6, From Sea To Sea,
Across The South Intertropical Part Of The Continent, It Was
Found to
be a well-watered country, with large tracts of fine fertile soil
covered with forest, and beautiful grassy
Valleys, occupied by a
considerable population; and one of the most wonderful waterfalls in
the world was brought to light. The peculiar form of the continent
was then ascertained to be an elevated plateau, somewhat depressed in
the centre, and with fissures in the sides by which the rivers
escaped to the sea; and this great fact in physical geography can
never be referred to without calling to mind the remarkable
hypothesis by which the distinguished President of the Royal
Geographical Society (Sir Roderick I. Murchison) clearly indicated
this peculiarity, before it was verified by actual observation of the
altitudes of the country and by the courses of the rivers. New light
was thrown on other portions of the continent by the famous travels
of Dr. Barth, by the researches of the Church of England missionaries
Krapf, Erkhardt, and Rebman, by the persevering efforts of Dr.
Baikie, the last martyr to the climate and English enterprise, by the
journey of Francis Galton, and by the most interesting discoveries of
Lakes Tanganyika and Victoria Nyanza by Captain Burton, and by
Captain Speke, whose untimely end we all so deeply deplore. Then
followed the researches of Van der Decken, Thornton, and others; and
last of all the grand discovery of the main source of the Nile, which
every Englishman must feel an honest pride in knowing was
accomplished by our gallant countrymen, Speke and Grant.
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