Here It Was, Fresh From Its Great Parent, The Albert Lake, In
All The Grandeur Of Africa's Mightiest River.
From our elevated point we
looked down upon a broad sheet of unbroken water, winding through marshy
ground, flowing
From W.S.W. The actual breadth of clear water,
independent of the marsh and reedy banks, was about 400 yards, but, as
usual in the deep and flat portions of the White Nile, the great extent
of reeds growing in deep water rendered any estimate of the positive
width extremely vague. We could discern the course of this great river
for about twenty miles, and distinctly, trace the line of mountains on
the west bank that we had seen at about sixty miles' distance when on
the route from Karuma to Shooa; the commencement of this chain we had
seen when at Magungo, forming the Koshi frontier of the Nile. The
country opposite to the point on which we now stood was Koshi, which,
forming the west bank of the Nile, extended the entire way to the Albert
lake. The country that we occupied was Madi, which extended as the east
bank of the Nile to the angle of the Victoria Nile (or Somerset river)
junction opposite Magungo. These two countries, Koshi and Madi, we had
seen from Magungo when we had viewed the exit of the Nile from the lake,
as though a tail-like continuation of the water, until lost in the
distance of the interminable valley of high reeds. Having, from Magungo,
in lat. 2 degrees l6 minutes, looked upon the course of the river far to
the north, and from the high pass, our present point, in lat. 3 degrees
34 min. N., we now comprised an extensive view of the river to the
south; the extremities of the limits of view from north and south would
almost meet, and leave a mere trifle of a few miles not actually
inspected.
Exactly opposite the summit of the pass from which we now scanned the
country, rose the precipitous mountain known as Gebel Kookoo, which rose
to a height of about 2,500 feet above the level of the Nile, and formed
the prominent feature of a chain which bordered the west bank of the
Nile with few breaks to the north, until within thirty miles of
Gondokoro. The pass upon which we stood was the southern extremity of a
range of high rocky hills that formed the east cliff of the Nile; thus
the broad and noble stream that arrived from the Albert lake in a sheet
of unbroken water received the Un-y-Ame river, and then suddenly entered
the pass between the two chains of hills, - Gebel Kookoo on the west,
and the ridge that we now occupied upon the east. The mouth of the
Un-y-Ame river was the limit of navigation from the Albert lake. As far
as the eye could reach to the southwest, the country was dead flat and
marshy throughout the course of the river; this appearance proving the
correctness of the information I had received from the natives of
Unyoro, and from Kamrasi himself, that the Nile was navigable for some
days' journey from the Albert lake. Precisely the same information had
been given to Speke, and the river level at this point showed by his
thermometer so great a difference between that of Karuma, that he had
concluded the fall of 1,000 feet must exist between the foot of Karuma
Falls and the Albert lake; this, as already described, I proved to be
1,275 feet.
It would be impossible to describe the calm enjoyment of the scene from
this elevated pass, from which we confirmed the results of our own
labours and of Speke's well-reflected suggestions. We were now on the
track by which he and Gant had returned; but I believe they had rounded
the foot of the hill that we had ascended; the two routes led to the
same point, as our course brought us at right angles with the Nile that
flowed beneath us. Descending the pass through a thorny jungle, we
arrived at the river, and turning suddenly to the north, we followed its
course for about a mile, and then bivouacked for the evening. The Nile,
having entered the valley between Gebel Kookoo and the western range,
was no longer the calm river that we had seen to the south: numerous
rocky islands blocked its course, and mud-banks covered with papyrus
rush so obstructed the stream that the river widened to about a
mile, - -this width was composed of numerous channels, varying in breadth
between the obstructing rock and island. Upon one of the rush-covered
islands a herd of elephants was discovered, almost concealed by the
height of the vegetation. As they approached the edge of the water and
became exposed, I tried about twenty shots at them with the Fletcher
rifle, sighted to 600 yards, but in no instance could I either touch or
disturb them by the bullets; - -this will afford some idea of the width
of the river, the island appearing to be in the middle of the stream.
A short distance below this spot, the Nile rapidly contracted, and at
length became a roaring torrent, passing through a narrow gorge between
perpendicular cliffs, with a tremendous current. In some places the
great river was pent up between rocks, which confined it to a width of
about 120 yards, through such channels the rush of water was terrific,
but to a casual observer approaching from the north, the volume of the
Nile would have been underrated, unless calculated by the velocity of
the stream.
From this point we followed the bank of the Nile over a difficult route,
down steep ravines and up precipitous crags, by a winding path along the
foot of the range of syenite hills that hemmed in the river on the west
bank. Several considerable waterfalls added to the grandeur of the pass,
through which for many miles the angry Nile chafed and roared like a
lion in its confined den.
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