THE

YOUNG FOLKS' LIBRARY

FOR SCHOOL AND HOME.

EDITED BY

LARKIN DUNTON, LL.D.,

HEAD MASTER OF THE BOSTON NORMAL SCHOOL.

Volume XI.

THE

YOUNG FOLKS' LIBRARY,

Edited by LARKIN DUNTON, LL.D.,

HEAD MASTER OF THE BOSTON NORMAL SCHOOL.

Designed to supplement the ordinary school reading-books with valuable practice in reading, and at the same time to reënforce the instruction in special lines of school study with useful information and choice selections from the best literature.

Stories of Child Life.

Vol. 1. Book I.—AT HOME.
Vol. 2. Book II.—AT PLAY.
Vol. 3. Book III.—IN THE COUNTRY.
Vol. 4. Book IV.—AT SCHOOL.

The World and its People.

Vol. 5. Book I.—FIRST LESSONS.
Vol. 6. Book II.—GLIMPSES OF THE WORLD.
Vol. 7. Book III.—OUR OWN COUNTRY.
Vol. 8. Book IV.—OUR AMERICAN NEIGHBORS.
Vol. 9. Book V.—MODERN EUROPE.
Vol. 10. Book VI—LIFE IN ASIA.
Vol. 11. Book VII.—VIEWS IN AFRICA. Part One.
Book VII.—VIEWS IN AFRICA. Part Two.
Book VII.—VIEWS IN AFRICA. Complete.
Vol. 12. Book VIII.—AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA.
Vol. 13. Book IX.—HAWAII AND ITS PEOPLE.

THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE.

BOOK VII.

VIEWS IN AFRICA.

BY

ANNA B. BADLAM,

AUTHOR OF "STORIES OF CHILD LIFE."

EDITED BY
LARKIN DUNTON, LL.D.,
HEAD MASTER OF THE BOSTON NORMAL SCHOOL.

SILVER, BURDETT & COMPANY.
New York . . BOSTON . . Chicago.
1900
Copyright, 1895, 1896,
By SILVER, BURDETT & CO.

PUBLISHERS' ANNOUNCEMENT.

It is now conceded by all educators that school instruction should be supplemented by reading matter suitable for use by the pupil both in the school and in the home. Whoever looks for such reading, however, must be struck at first with the abundance of what is offered to schools and parents, and then with its lack of systematic arrangement, and its consequent ill adaptation to the needs of young people.

It is for the purpose of supplying this defect, that the publishers have decided to issue a series of volumes, under the general title of the Young Folks' Library for School and Home.

These books are intended to meet the needs of all children and youth of school age; from those who have just mastered their first primer, to those who are about to finish the high school course. Some of the volumes will supplement the ordinary school readers, as a means of teaching reading; some will reënforce the instruction in geography, history, biography, and natural science; while others will be specially designed to cultivate a taste for good literature. All will serve to develop power in the use of the mother tongue.

The matter for the various volumes will be so carefully selected and so judiciously graded, that the various volumes will be adapted to the needs and capacities of all for whom they are designed; while their literary merit, it is hoped, will be sufficient to make them deserve a place upon the shelves of any well selected collection of juvenile works.

Each volume of the Young Folks' Library will be prepared by some one of our ablest writers for young people, and all will be carefully edited by Larkin Dunton, LL.D., Head Master of the Boston Normal School.

The publishers intend to make this Library at once attractive and instructive; they therefore commend these volumes, with confidence, to teachers, parents, and all others who are charged with the duty of directing the education of the young.

SILVER, BURDETT & CO.

PREFACE.

Africa is a vast continent inhabited, for the most part, by people who have not felt the influence of Christianity and modern civilization, and who, consequently, differ from us in character and habits of life.

To become intelligent in regard to the continent, so as to know it, with its rich flora and strange fauna, as a part of the world in which we live, is an important part of a child's education. But a close acquaintance with the people who inhabit it, and with their occupations, interests, homes, and modes of thought and feeling, is an essential condition of that broad sympathy with humanity and that strong unselfish patriotism which should be characteristic of every true American citizen; for we know our blessings only by contrast.

The elevating influence of civilization, both old and new, is made still more apparent by studying its manifestations in the northern and southern sections of the continent, where its power is set off in contrast with the uncivilized interior. This is especially true of the study of ancient and modern Egypt.

It is the purpose of the present volume to furnish the young people of this country an opportunity for such study and knowledge. Many books have been written about Africa for older folks; but this is an attempt to unlock the treasures of this hitherto inaccessible field for the special benefit of the young, and thus to contribute something towards enlightening their heads and warming their hearts.

The book should be read with a good map of Africa, and, so far as possible, with maps of the various sections of the country, constantly open before the reader.

Acknowledgment is here made of indebtedness to the following excellent works, which are cordially recommended to the readers of this book: "The Countries of the World," Vol. VI; "The Story of Nations," Vol. II; "Africa Illustrated"; "Famous African Explorers," Vols. I and II; "A Journey to Ashango-Land"; "Livingstone's Researches in South Africa"; "Travellers in Africa"; "Home Life on an Ostrich Farm"; "Geography, Physical, Historical, and Descriptive"; and "Polar and Tropical World."

The Editor.

CONTENTS.

Part I.
GLIMPSES OF THE DARK CONTINENT.
CHAPTER PAGE
I. A Bird's-eye View [13]
II. Some Physical Features [16]
III. The Oases of the Desert [24]
IV. More Physical Features [30]
V. Features, Ancient and Modern [36]
VI. The Rivers of Africa [43]
VII. The Nile, the Most Ancient of Rivers [49]
VIII. The Niger, the River of the West [59]
IX. The Zambesi, the River of Southeast Africa [63]
X. A View of Victoria Falls [69]
XI. Another View of the Zambesi [74]
XII. The Deserts of South Africa [79]
XIII. Glimpses of Rivers [86]
XIV. The Congo River [93]
XV. The People of the Congo River Basin [98]
XVI. Views of the Congo Basin [102]
XVII. More Views of the Congo Region [108]
XVII. The Congo Free State [114]
XIX. The Lake Region of Africa [117]
XX. "The Land of the Moon" [121]
XXI. Views of Lake Tanganyika [124]
XXII. Some Views of the People [128]
XXIII. The March towards Victoria Nyanza [131]
XXIV. View of the Nile at Lake Victoria Nyanza [136]
XXV. The Approach To Lake Albert Nyanza [140]
XXVI. A View of Lake Albert Nyanza [146]
XXVII. From Lake Albert Nyanza To Murchison Falls [151]
XXVIII. Mountains of Africa [156]
XXIX. Some Peculiar Features of African Soil [162]
XXX. The Minerals of Africa [166]
XXXI. The Diamond Fields [171]
XXXII. Glimpses of South Africa [180]
XXXIII. Natives of South Africa [189]
XXXIV. A View of Cape Colony [197]
XXXV. Annexations To Cape Colony [208]
XXXVI. Another View of Cape Colony [210]
XXXVII. Natal [215]
XXXVIII. Kaffraria, or Kaffirland [220]
XXXIX. Kaffir Traits and Customs [225]
XL. Hottentot Customs [230]
XLI. Orange Free State [237]
XLII. The South African Republic [243]
XLIII. Over the Drachenberg Mountains [251]
XLIV. Views of the Boers [254]
XLV. Other Sections of South Africa [263]
XLVI. Retrospective Views [269]
Part II.
BROADER VIEWS OF THE CONTINENT.
CHAPTER PAGE
XLVII. Views of Western Africa [277]
XLVIII. Upper Guinea [283]
XLIX. Lower Guinea [298]
L. The Climate of Africa [306]
LI. The Vegetation of Africa [311]
LII. Varieties of Vegetation [317]
LIII. Views of Animal Life [322]
LIV. The Antelope Family [327]
LV. Some of the Ruminants [331]
LVI. Views of Elephants [336]
LVII. Views of the Hippopotamus [340]
LVIII. Views of the Rhinoceros [346]
LIX. Lion Hunting [351]
LX. Incidental Views of Animal Life [357]
LXI. Bird Life in Africa [360]
LXII. The Ostrich in a Wild State [366]
LXIII. Ostrich Farming at Cape Colony [376]
LXIV. Views of an Ostrich Farm [383]
LXV. Views in Equatorial Africa [388]
LXVI. Crocodiles [393]
LXVII. Ants of Africa [397]
LXVIII. The People of Africa [402]
LXIX. Pen Portraits [413]
LXX. Views from Livingstone [418]
LXXI. Views from Andersson [424]
LXXII. New Views of Natives [427]
LXXIII. More Views from Livingstone [437]
LXXIV. Curious Modes [443]
LXXV. The Empire of Morocco [451]
LXXVI. Into Algeria [470]
LXXVII. The State of Tunis [484]
LXXVIII. The Province of Tripoli [488]
LXXIX. Fezzan [496]
LXXX. The Port of Egypt [500]
LXXXI. The Nile Delta and the Suez Canal [506]
LXXXII. Cairo, the Greatest City in Africa [516]
LXXXIII. Education in Cairo [522]
LXXXIV. Gizeh and its Pyramids [531]
LXXXV. Heliopolis, Thebes, and Karnac [539]

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Part I.
Encampment of Bedouin Arabs [12]
Oasis in the Sahara [25]
Gathering Dates [33]
Papyrus on the Nile [41]
"Smoke-resounding" Falls of the Zambesi [67]
A Scene in the Drachenberg Mountains [88]
Victoria Nyanza [135]
Crocodiles on the Banks of the Nile [152]
Crossing the Desert [160]
Interior of a Diamond Mine [173]
Washing Sand for Diamonds [178]
Cape Town and Table Bay [184]
Zulus (Natives of South Africa) [271]
Part II.
Natives of Senegambia [279]
Guinea Coast Native [281]
Sierra Leone [284]
A Native of the Gaboon River [299]
Rhinoceros charging the Hunters [350]
Ostriches [370]
Dr. Livingstone near the Close of his Last Journey [446]
Stanley on the March [448]
Pyramid and Sphinx [450]
Tangier [456]
A Water Carrier at Fez [462]
Dinner Time in Morocco [466]
Street in Algiers [479]
Suez Canal [508]
A Street Scene in Cairo [520]

ENCAMPMENT OF BEDOUIN ARABS. Frontispiece.

PART ONE.

GLIMPSES OF THE DARK CONTINENT.

CHAPTER I.

A BIRD'S-EYE VIEW.

The name "Dark Continent" has been most aptly applied to Africa. Little was known of its geographical features until within the last twenty-five or thirty years. Some knowledge had been gained of its native tribes, but this was very indefinite, and in many ways unreliable.

Ignorance and superstition clouded the minds of those who heard accounts of the adventures of the early explorers. Stories of their encounters with wild beasts and cruel savages were eagerly listened to, but were regarded as marvelous tales, similar to those of the "Arabian Nights." Descriptions of dreary wastes of sand, tangled forests, wild jungles, and treacherous morasses were exciting topics, but evidently thought to be features of a country that existed only in the minds of those who related its wonders.

Boys and girls of fifty years ago, as they conned their geography lessons or pored over their maps, no doubt allowed their thoughts to stray beyond the little tract of country represented in bright colors upon the map of Africa. Upon such a map only those portions which represented partially explored territory were thus colored. The portion representing the vast regions unknown alike to the adventurer and to the explorer was colored black, and marked "unexplored territory."

This feature of the map must have been very suggestive to boys and girls in those old school days, when the only stories of adventures that they possessed were of the nature of "Robinson Crusoe" and "Swiss Family Robinson."

No doubt many an imaginative boy lost himself in scenes of wild adventures in these unexplored regions. His ready imagination pictured them as teeming with savage life and fraught with hidden danger.

His most vivid daydreams could never have depicted the real dangers, privations, and cost to life, as they have become known to us through the letters and journals of recent explorers.

These men must always live in the hearts and memories of the people. They must ever be regarded as dauntless heroes who ventured to cross the border land between the known and the unknown territories of Africa.

Through hardship and privation these explorers have gained a definite and accurate knowledge of many portions of Africa. Thus have they shed light upon a portion of the globe which, compared with other continents, we must still regard in many ways as the "Dark Continent."

Doubtless no part of the earth has been made the subject of so many books in so short a period as Africa. Their number is legion. We find them not only in the language of our own country, but in foreign languages. The recent books written upon Africa would form a library of themselves.

The origin of the name Africa has furnished a topic for wide discussion by students and historians. Some believe the name to have come from a Greek word meaning "south wind." Others believe it to have been formed from the Latin word signifying "sunny." Then there are others who are quite positive that the name came from a Greek word meaning "without cold."

Africa is the most tropical of all the continents. It will be well to look up its position upon the globe. We shall find it situated in the Eastern Hemisphere, south of Europe, and southwest of Asia. It lies very nearly between latitudes 37° N. and 35° S.

If we look at its general shape,—an irregular triangle,—we shall be able to trace quite a resemblance to South America. Wonderful and interesting, however, as we know the characteristics of that continent to be, we shall find that Africa has far more wonders to unfold.

Africa was originally a vast peninsula, attached to Asia by the Isthmus of Suez. The two continents were separated by the completion of the Suez Canal. In all respects, Africa is now an enormous island.

It is larger, by far, than either Europe or Australia, but somewhat smaller than either Asia or America.

It is indeed difficult to get a correct estimate of a country still shrouded to a great extent in darkness, so far as our actual knowledge of it is concerned. It has been roughly estimated to contain upwards of eleven and one-half millions of square miles.

Let us look at the map of Africa. We find that the continent is indented by no deep gulfs or bays. There are few capes or peninsulas along the coast, which, for the most part, is regular and unbroken.

The absence of deep gulfs and bays running into the interior is one of the principal reasons why the exploration of the continent has been so difficult, and why so little is known of its vast interior.

True, we find upon the Mediterranean coast the Gulf of Sidra, the Gulf of Arabia upon the coast of the Indian Ocean, and the Gulf of Guinea upon the Atlantic coast. The latter is the only important inlet upon the Atlantic coast, and divides into two branches,—the Bight of Biafra and the Bight of Benin.

The extreme points of land upon the several coasts are Cape Bon upon the north, Cape Verd upon the west, Cape of Good Hope upon the south, and Cape Guardafui upon the east.

CHAPTER II.

SOME PHYSICAL FEATURES.

Naturally, in looking upon the contour of a country, we wish to consider its general features, that we may call up a mental picture of it. You know how quickly you can recall an absent friend, if you are familiar enough with his form and features to make a clear mental photograph.

The best authors divide Africa, for convenience, into five different sections: first, the triangular-shaped region south of the Gulf of Guinea and Cape Guardafui; second, the great tract called Soudan, which lies north and northwest of this triangular plateau; third, the Sahara, or Great Desert, which stretches between the Soudan and the cultivated tract that borders the Mediterranean Sea; fourth, the Atlas region, which includes the mountainous countries of Morocco, Algeria, Tunis, and Tripoli; fifth, the region which borders on the Red Sea, and comprises Abyssinia, Nubia, and Egypt.

The first section is mostly a high table-land, with mountains fringing its edges. The Lupata range, which runs parallel with the coast, forms the eastern crest of this table-land. Two snow-clad mountains, Kilimanjaro and Kenia, rise to an elevation of about twenty thousand feet, and mark the greatest height of this table-land in any one section of it.

The table-land does not rise abruptly from the coast. A belt of lowlands lies between the coast and where the elevation begins. These lowlands range from fifty to three hundred miles in breadth.

The eastern extremity of the table-land stretches into the mountainous country of Abyssinia. Its most northern extremity, the summit of Abba Yared, is fifteen thousand feet high.

In the south, the hills of Cape Colony rise by gradual stages from Table Mount to the summits of the mountain ranges in the northern part of the Colony. These summits are estimated to be from seven thousand to ten thousand feet high.

The spaces between these ranges are either valleys covered with shrubs, or broad, elevated terraces. In Cape Colony, which was founded by the Dutch, these valleys have been named kloofs. The terraces have been named karroos. It will be well to remember these names, as we shall find them again in later descriptions of this region.

The second section, Soudan, has sometimes been called Central Nigritia. This tract includes the countries which are watered by the Senegal, Gambia, and Niger, together with the coast of Lower Guinea and the basin of Lake Tchad.

In the western part of this section there is a mountainous table-land. This table-land does not attain any great elevation, but the rivers Senegal, Gambia, and Niger have their rise here.

Many of the older geographers describe a chain of mountains, the Kong, running parallel with the coast of Guinea; but more modern authors, in their descriptions of the edge of the plateau, state that it approaches the coast only at intervals beyond the low delta of the Niger, as far as Cape Verd, and that the supposed Kong Mountains do not exist.

East of the Niger the country is merely hilly, interspersed here and there with very fertile, often swampy, plains. In the basin of Lake Tchad is a vast plain, formed of alluvial deposits. This plain is one of the largest upon the globe, and is noted for its great fertility.

The third section, or Great Desert, extends south nearly to the Senegal, the northern bend of the Niger, and Lake Tchad. Northward, it extends to the Atlas range in Morocco and Algeria. Towards Egypt it reaches nearly to the Mediterranean Sea.

The Sahara is not a vast plain of trackless sand, as we might suppose. The greater part of it, on the contrary, rises into great table-lands. Some of these table-lands contain groups of mountains, rising often to the height of more than six thousand feet. This height is almost equal to that of Mount Washington in New Hampshire, or Mount Katahdin in Maine. It is somewhat greater than that of Mount Marcy in New York, or Mount Mansfield in Vermont.

We must consider the Sahara, then, not a monotonous expanse of burning sand, but a region presenting great variety in its form and characteristics.

From south to north it has an average breadth of about one thousand miles. From the Atlantic Ocean to the western edge of the Nile valley its length is about two thousand miles.

Throughout the entire desert rain rarely falls. Indeed, over a great portion of it there is never a drop of rain. For this reason the land is dry and sterile.

In some portions of the desert there are vast tracts of shifting sand. Frequent and violent winds blow these sands high into the air, and travelers often find themselves suddenly overtaken by one of these sand-storms, to their great discomfort and danger.

Most of us have experienced the discomfort from a sudden cloud of dust and dirt, when the rude winds of March have full force. We can imagine, in a slight degree, the fury of one of these storms of blinding, burning sand.

We can picture the unfortunate bewildered traveler overtaken by one of these storms. Blinded, half-smothered, unable to battle with so unsuspected a foe, he sinks helplessly to the ground. The shifting sands heap themselves over his prostrate form. Alone, unknown, with naught to mark his resting place, he lies buried in the wastes of the Sahara.

Fortunately, all parts of the Great Desert are not so dangerous to life. A large portion, if not the greater portion of it, consists of barren but firm soil. This soil is composed of hardened sand, sandstone, and granite. Quartz rock is sometimes found in small quantities. This portion of the Sahara often rises into ridges, or small hills. These chains of hills are often fully as desolate and bare as the plain from which they rise.

Many of the plains of the Sahara vary from the uniform type. Sometimes on one of them the ground is covered with stones or loose boulders. These are fully as fatiguing to the traveler as the loose, drifting sand. Often these plains are rent by deep chasms. Frequently they are hollowed into great basins.

Into the plains which contain these chasms the rain descends from the gullies of the Atlas mountain system. This sometimes forms streams, which the thirsty sands swallow, or which are quickly evaporated by the burning rays of the sun.

The deeper basins of the Sahara are often of considerable extent. Some of them contain valuable salt deposits.

There are vast tracts, too, of sterile sand, where not even the smallest of plants will take root. In the absence of plant life, animals disappear, and for days the weary traveler may pursue his journey and meet neither beast, bird, nor insect to break the monotony of the dreary waste of sand.

The description of the Sahara by one author is most realistic. "Nowhere are the transitions of light and shade more abrupt than in the desert, for nowhere is the atmosphere more thoroughly free of all vapors. The sun pours a dazzling light on the ground, so that every object stands forth with wonderful clearness, while all that remains in the shade is sharply defined, and appears like a dark spot in the surrounding glare.

"The stillness of these wastes is sometimes awfully interrupted by the loud voice of the simoon. The crystal transparency of the sky is veiled with a hazy dimness. The wind rises, and blows in intermittent gusts, like the laborious breathing of a feverish patient.

"Gradually the convulsions of the storm grow more violent and frequent; and although the sun is unable to pierce the thick dust clouds, and the shadow of the traveler is scarcely visible on the ground, yet so suffocating is the heat, that it seems to him as if the fiercest rays of the sun were scorching his brain.

"The dun atmosphere gradually changes to a leaden blackness, the wind becomes constant, and even the camels stretch themselves upon the ground and turn their backs to the whirling sand storm.

"At night the darkness is complete; no light or fire burns in the tents, which are hardly able to resist the gusts of the simoon. Silence reigns throughout the whole caravan, yet no one sleeps; the bark of the jackal or the howl of the hyena alone sounds dismally, from time to time, through the loud roaring of the storm."

This same author tells us that the sultry breath of the desert is felt far beyond its bounds. It blows over Italy, and crosses even the Alps. Here it rapidly melts the snow of the higher valleys, causing dangerous inundations.

It is no uncommon thing for the dust of the desert to be whirled high into the air and fall upon the decks of vessels crossing the Atlantic far from the coast of Africa. Frequently it flies in clouds over the Red Sea; thus does Nubia greet Arabia.

Considering the scanty vegetation to be found in the Sahara, the scarcity of animal life is not to be wondered at.

The lion, which has been called the king of the desert, contents himself with the borders of his domain. He rarely leaves the wooded mountains of the Atlas region or the fertile plains of the Soudan to wander far into the Great Desert, where there is little water, and only snakes and scorpions are to be found for food in the dry season.

True, among the animals in those sections of the Sahara that are covered with prickly shrubs, may be found the hare and the rabbit, the hedgehog and the porcupine; but the hyena and the jackal, that also haunt these spots, claim these as their booty.

Several varieties of lizards are to be found in the desert. Among them is a large gray monitor and a small white skink. The latter has very short legs. Its movements are so rapid that it seems to swim on the surface, as a fish would in water. Just as its pursuer thinks he has captured it, it disappears, diving under the surface.

It can readily be traced in its retreat and easily taken from the sand. When provisions are scarce, the pursuit of the skink is not considered too much trouble, although its body is so insignificant for food.

There is a proverbial saying that the ostrich needs to drink water only every five days, and could exist much longer without it, if necessary. However this may be, it is certain that this enormous bird penetrates far into the interior of the desert.

The animal life of the Sahara fluctuates from north to south, according to the seasons.

In winter and spring the nomadic tribes wander, with their herds of camels, horses, sheep, and goats, farther into the interior. This is owing to the more favorable conditions; for the heavy rains, falling upon the northern borders of the desert, cover large districts, scorched by the heat of the previous summer, with abundant pasturage and furnish them with a goodly supply of water. As the season advances and the sun gains power, these tribes, with their flocks, retreat again to the borders.

At this favorable season the wild animals—the lion, the gazelle, and the antelope—wander to the sections in the south. Here nature provides the nourishment which the dry summer season could not afford them.

In the southern portions of the Sahara, and in some more northern sections, the tropical rains produce periodical changes in the character of the desert. Under the influence of these rains, the sandy plains soon become clothed with grasses and shrubs.

During the dry season this carpet of green disappears, and the country becomes again an arid tract. Stubbles and tufts of mimosas are the only signs of vegetable life.

The beneficial change from the dry to the rainy season does not always take place. The tropical rains frequently fail to make their appearance in these northern sections, and the hopes of the desert, thirsting for moisture, are doomed to disappointment.

CHAPTER III.

THE OASES OF THE DESERT.

This desolation of the Sahara would be of such a nature that nothing, either in the animal or vegetable world, could survive, were it not for the fertile tracts, or oases, found at intervals throughout its whole extent.

These oases, or roadies, as they are sometimes called, are caused by subterranean, or underground, springs. Oases are more common in the eastern part of the Sahara than in the other sections.

OASIS IN THE SAHARA.

Oases differ in character. Sometimes they are mere patches, covered with bushes and coarse grass, usually surrounding a spring. More often they are tracts of rare beauty and of great fertility, with a good supply of water.

In traveling through the Great Desert, the easiest route is from Tripoli, through the kingdoms of Fezzan, to Lake Tchad. The kingdom of Fezzan is favored as to climate. It has periodical rains, on account of the moist winds which blow from the Mediterranean Sea. These seem to extend farther inland here than in any other part of the continent.

East of this route across the Sahara there is a portion of the desert called the Libyan Desert. Oases are, in this section, very easily cultivated. In the western section of the Sahara the land of the oases is fit only for pasturing goats and sheep.

In some of these more fertile oases of the eastern sections, thousands of inhabitants may be found living in comfortable villages. There may be found the date palm in cultivation, together with other fruits and some grains. Gum arabic is also a product of this region. It is obtained from the sap which exudes from the trunk of the acacia tree.

Commerce across the Great Desert is not carried on without difficulty and danger. There are various routes over which caravans of from five hundred to two thousand camels and their drivers travel.

The distance between the springs, or wells, is frequently more than a ten-days' journey. Often such a spring is reached only to be found dry, and then both the men and the animals are in danger of perishing for lack of water.

We, who are so accustomed to an abundance of fresh water, can scarcely realize how it would seem to travel with one of these caravans, and to be able to quench our thirst only from the supply of water carried in leather bags slung from the sides of the patient camels. A glass of water that has stood over night does not seem very palatable to us; yet, doubtless, it would seem refreshing compared with water that had been carried in a leather bag for ten days, exposed to the burning heat of the desert's sands and sun.

A wise Providence has fitted the camel with a special paunch, or stomach, the cells of which it fills with water before starting out on one of these journeys. This supply has to suffice for its needs until more water can be obtained from some distant spring. It has been stated that the cells of the camel's stomach can absorb and hold upwards of a gallon of water when the animal is preparing to start out upon one of its long journeys across the desert.

Should a caravan, in crossing the desert, reach a spring or well, the waters of which had run dry, perhaps the life of one of the camels would have to be sacrificed, in the hope of getting a supply of water from its stomach. This water would be all that the drivers would have with which to sustain life until another spring could be reached.

Nature has fitted the camel most admirably for its desert home. In addition to its true stomach, with its peculiar cell-like lining, it has a second stomach, or honeycombed paunch. These are both capable of holding a large supply of water.

The hump of the camel is another wise provision to enable the animal to endure the hardships of its long journeys, often on a very short supply of food. A few beans, dates, or carob pods are all the camel receives after a long day's march, when there is no herbage on which it can browse.

Shrubby plants, such as the camel's thorn, of which the animal is very fond, are all that the sterile sands of the desert can produce for its needs.

The drivers and owners of the camels look very carefully to the condition of the hump of each animal before starting out on a march across the desert.

The hump is really a storehouse for fat. When plump and well rounded, it indicates that the animal is in perfect health. If, after a long march, this hump becomes wasted, whether because the animal has become exhausted, or because he has had insufficient food, it is often necessary to prescribe complete rest. Even with an abundance of food, and no work to do, it may take three or four months before the camel is restored to perfect health and full powers of endurance, as indicated by its firm, plump hump.

The foot of the camel is formed to keep it from sinking in the sand. It is furnished with an extended pad, or cushion. This pad is protected from the heat of the burning sands by means of a thick sole.

The skin on the chest and kneejoints is thickened into what are called callosities. It is upon these that the camel rests when it lies down, or when it kneels to receive a load.

The camel has been called the ship of the desert. It can carry twice the load of a mule. It travels slowly, yet it moves at a steady, uniform pace. It can thus travel for hundreds and hundreds of miles at the rate of two miles and a half an hour.

The motion of the camel is most peculiar. It is a swaying from side to side, not at all agreeable to one unaccustomed to riding upon its back.

This motion is caused by the camel moving both feet on a side at once. In this way, first one side of its body is thrown forward, then the other.

To protect the camel against the shifting sands and the burning heat of the sun, nature has further fitted it for its peculiar home and life. It has the power to close its nostrils at will to keep out the sand. Long lashes protect its eyes, not only from the storms of wind and sand, but also from the glare and the heat.

From time immemorial the camel has been known as the beast of burden in India, Arabia, and Africa. This species, the one-humped camel, or dromedary, differs somewhat from that having two humps. The latter has been found in Central Asia, Persia, and the south of Russia.

Recently a report has been received from St. Petersburg that wild camels have been discovered in large quantities in a district of Asia; but nowhere in history do we read of camels that are not domesticated.

The sculptures of Assyria depict both species. The patient animal is mentioned in the oldest books of the Bible. Many of our pleasantest associations in connection with our earliest Bible lessons center about this animal, in connection with "the wise men of the East," and other scenes connected with the birth and early life of our Saviour.

CHAPTER IV.

MORE PHYSICAL FEATURES.

The fourth division of Africa comprises what is sometimes called Barbary. It includes the mountainous countries of Morocco, Algeria, Tunis, and Tripoli.

In its general character this northern section bears a strong resemblance to the opposite coast of Europe, with respect to peculiarities of soil and climate and the variety of its products.

The southern slope of the Atlas region gradually merges into the Great Desert. Some parts of this range are above what is called the snow line. The summits of some of the peaks are thirteen thousand feet high.

The Barbary States extend from the borders of Egypt on the east to the Atlantic Ocean on the west. The Mediterranean Sea is the northern boundary; the Sahara is the southern.

Although the country of Morocco is generally mountainous, yet there are deviations from this characteristic feature of it.

The Atlas Mountains traverse the country in several parallel chains, running from southwest to northeast. Towards the coast country and the desert these chains send out spurs of hills and detached mountain groups.

At the western and eastern extremities of Morocco, and along the borders of the desert, there are many level tracts.

It is in Morocco that the central range of the Atlas Mountains forms a watershed. This watershed separates the rivers which flow into the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea from those which flow south towards the desert.

The rivers flowing south have a longer course and more volume of water than the rivers flowing towards the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. The latter rivers are, however, perennial, while those flowing south are apt to become dry in summer. Even after their currents are full, the waters lose themselves in the sands of the Sahara.

The climate of Morocco is temperate between the central range of the Atlas Mountains and the sea. There are no extremes of temperature, owing to the influence of the sea breeze and the shelter which the mountains afford from the scorching winds of the desert. In the southeast districts there are great extremes of heat and cold, and rain is an unknown blessing.

The even climate of the temperate regions is favorable to such productions as wheat, barley, rice, maize, and the sugar cane. Such fruits as the fig, pomegranate, lemon, orange, and date are common here, between the Atlas range and the sea. Cotton, tobacco, and hemp are produced in great quantities, not only for domestic use but for exportation.

Algeria really forms the northern boundary of the great plateau of North Africa. This plateau rises from the sea, at this point, in the form of three terraces. The Atlas Mountains run parallel to the coast line of Algeria.

Beyond this range of mountains is a vast tract of heath-covered plains. These are interspersed with salt lakes. The vast tract stretches southward till hemmed in by a chain of mountains of various heights.

Beyond this plain lies the Desert of Sahara, which extends to the banks of the Niger.

In the north of Algeria there are many plains and valleys which open out into the sea. Many of those around Oran, Bona, and Algiers are exceedingly fertile. They abound in wood and water, and, having a good soil, are well suited to agriculture. These tracts form what is known as the Tell. This was once one of the granaries of Italy.

In strong contrast to this fertile section are the lesser deserts, which lie back of the Atlas Mountains, where they follow the coast line.

These are covered with herbs and brushwood. They are almost destitute of fresh water. Occasionally an oasis is found, to break the monotony.

Beyond the Atlas Mountains, in the most southern section, the country partakes of the nature of the Sahara. There are, however, large oases, covered with date palms. These oases are well peopled. They form a part of what is called the date country.

Algeria has no rivers of any great importance. There are a few coast streams, which have their rise in the neighboring Atlas range.

The climate of Algeria has greater extremes of temperature than Morocco. In the district of the Tell the heat is often very intense. Along the coast of Algeria the heat is tempered by the sea breeze. Up among the high mountains, in the interior of the country, the temperature in the winter season is often cold.

GATHERING DATES.

Algeria is not unfrequently the victim of the simoon, or hot wind. This same wind the Italians call sirocco. The Spaniards term it the solano.

Large portions of Algeria are covered by extensive forests of oaks, cedars, pines, and pistachio trees. These supply an abundance of timber and resin.

In the Tell section the olive and the various cereals are cultivated.

Tunis, like the other Barbary States, is traversed by the mountains of the Atlas range, which finally terminate here.

The northern coast of Tunis is steep and rocky. It is indented by numerous bays. The largest of these is the Gulf of Tunis. Two promontories, Cape Blanco and Cape Bon, are the most northern points in Africa.

The eastern coast offers a strong contrast to the northern coast. It is flat, sandy, and unproductive. It bears a strong resemblance to Tripoli, as we shall see. The coast has two large gulfs, Hammamet and Gabes.

The southern portion of Tunis belongs to the desert steppe called Belud-el-Jerid.

Tunis has but one fresh-water lake of any extent. This is situated near the north coast.

The brooks and the torrents of Tunis do not make many wanderings. Their waters lose themselves in the sands, or seek a short course to the sea. None of the streams are navigable.

The longest river was well known to the ancients under the name Bagradas. It now bears the name Mejerdah, and flows in a general northeast direction, into the Gulf of Tunis.

Tunis has several fine mineral springs, though it has no rivers. Thus does Nature seem to compensate for the lack of one blessing by the bestowal of another.

Tunis enjoys a fine climate and an exceedingly fertile soil. The people have only an imperfect knowledge of agriculture, but the natural advantages of the soil and climate are so great that little labor is necessary. Hence, we find wheat, barley, maize, olives, oranges, figs, grapes, pomegranates, almonds, and dates produced in abundance. In the culture of olives for oil more care is expended than in other directions. The supply of oil is very abundant, and exceedingly profitable.

Great herds of cattle and flocks of sheep feed on the plains. The wool of the sheep of Tunis is far famed.

The horses and the dromedaries, or camels, are considered very fine, and command a good price.

Tripoli is the most easterly of the Barbary States. It is not so mountainous as the other countries comprising Barbary. The Atlas Mountains terminate here in two chains that run parallel with the coast. The summits of the mountains in this section never exceed four thousand feet in height.

Tripoli has no rivers. During the long hot summers rain rarely falls. In compensation, there is a copious supply of dew. So plentiful is this dewfall, in some favored sections, as really to support vegetation.

The coast region is about eleven hundred miles in extent. Some sections of it are very fertile and productive. All kinds of tropical fruits are found, together with grain, grapes, cotton, and madder.

Farther to the east, along the shores of the Gulf of Sidra, nothing but dreary wastes of sand prevail. Here desolation may be said to reign.

The interior sections of Tripoli yield senna, dates, and nutgalls. The carob and the lotus are also found.

Here, as in Tunis, much attention is paid to the rearing of sheep and cattle. The small, yet beautiful horses, and the strong, well-formed mules of Tripoli are highly prized and much sought after.

CHAPTER V.

FEATURES, ANCIENT AND MODERN.

The fifth division of Africa borders on the Red Sea. It includes the countries of Abyssinia, Nubia, and Egypt.

Between Abyssinia and the Mediterranean Sea is the low valley of the Nile. This is separated from the Red Sea on the east by a bold, mountainous region. A low ridge of limestone and sandstone hills separates it from the Libyan Desert on the west.

Abyssinia, or Habesh, as the Arabs call it, is a large highland tract in East Africa. It rises from the Red Sea, in a series of terraces, towards the southwest.

Between the highlands of Abyssinia and the Red Sea, lies a flat tract of country called Adal. This tract is very narrow at its northern extremity, but gradually widens towards its southern extremity.

The plains of Nubia and Kordofan form the northern and western boundaries of Abyssinia. There is comparatively little known of its southern boundaries.

The general characteristics of the country are high table-lands, intersected by deep ravines and steep terraces of sandstone.

These ravines have been formed by the action of the rivers upon the rocks. Sandstone, being a comparatively soft rock, would, in the course of ages, be gradually worn away as the waters flowed over it. No doubt the terraces have been formed from the exposure of these rocks to the elements for countless ages.

Above the table-lands rise numerous chains of mountains. These are mostly of volcanic origin. Some of the highest of these summits rise to a height of fifteen thousand feet above sea level. Many of the plains lie at an elevation of from seven to ten thousand feet.

Abyssinia gives rise to numerous rivers. The largest of these are the Blue Nile and the Takazzie, an affluent of the Nile. In the southern part of the country is the Hawash. It flows eastward through a section bearing the same name, and finally enters the salt lake, Assal.

The largest lake of Abyssinia is the Dembea. It is through this lake that the Blue Nile flows.

In the elevated sections of Abyssinia the climate is temperate and salubrious. Along the low coast sections, and in the sections at the north and northwest, the heat is not only excessive but the climate is most noxious.

Taken as a whole, Abyssinia is a very fertile country. It shows, however, as great diversities of products as of climate. This is due to the different degrees of elevation in the various sections.

Wheat and barley are cultivated to some extent, together with various leguminous, or pod-bearing, plants, cotton, coffee, sugar cane, and tobacco. The coffee plant grows wild to a great extent.

Nubia is the modern name of a country once subject to the Khedive of Egypt. It was probably known to the ancients under the name Ethiopia. The boundaries of Nubia are the Red Sea on the east, Egypt on the north, Abyssinia on the south, and the Sahara on the west.

The country is traversed by the Blue Nile and the White Nile.

Nubia has an arid soil. In many places cultivation is possible only along the banks of the Nile. Some portions of the soil consist only of granite and sandstone.

The products of the cultivated sections are numerous. They comprise maize, dates, tamarinds, gums, aloes, and senna. Among the various exports may be noted musk, wax, myrrh, frankincense, black wool, elephant and rhinoceros hides, and ivory. Ostrich feathers, ebony, gold dust, saltpetre, salt, tobacco, coffee, and cotton are also exported to Egypt.

Some curious customs prevail. Taxes are rated by the number of water wheels a man uses to irrigate his land. The more water wheels he uses, the more valuable his land, hence, the higher his taxes. There is no national currency, but the coins of Egypt and Europe are used. The Spanish dollar is also used to a great extent. Glass beads, coral, shirts, and cloth are used in barter, and take the place of currency. In Kordofan, the value of goods is reckoned by the number of cows they are worth.

The most primitive system of measurement prevails. Maize is sold by the handful; eighteen of these make what would correspond to one of our larger measures. In measuring cloth, the distance from the elbow to the fingers is employed as we would use a foot rule or a yardstick.

The costumes of the people are peculiar. They consist of turbans, and linen and woolen garments. The men arm themselves with lances, and shields made from the tough hide of the hippopotamus.

The customs of the people are somewhat singular. They are averse to eating meat, and practice the rites of the Mohammedan faith. They live in low huts built of mud or stone. They care little for strangers, and do not wish to engage much in commerce. They are fond of music, and in their leisure moments play upon a guitar of five strings. It is a simple instrument, having a sounding-board made of the skin of a gazelle.

There are few attractions in Nubia beyond the numerous temples and other ancient remains of the Egyptians.

Egypt occupies a position in Northeast Africa. It extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the first cataract of the Nile. The name "Egypt" was derived from the Greek. It is as old as the age of Homer. In the ancient languages Egypt was called by a name signifying "Black Land." This name was given to it, no doubt, from the color of the soil.

Egypt may be regarded as the bed of the Nile. The cultivated portions of it extend only to the limits of the yearly inundation.

In the days of antiquity the Nile had several mouths. Five of these mouths have, in the course of ages, become filled with silt. The whole alluvial district which these mouths enclosed formed the ancient Delta. The ancients believed that the whole of this alluvial deposit had been gained from the sea.

The basin of the Nile, or Egypt proper, is formed by the ranges of the Arabian hills on the east and the Libyan on the west. The eastern chain of these mountains is about one thousand feet above the level of the sea.

Egypt is separated from Nubia by a low hilly region. This region is about fifty miles broad from north to south. It is composed of granite rocks. The same formation of rocks extends up the shore of the Red Sea, nearly to the opening of the Gulf of Suez. It stretches inland over a tract of some thirty miles in extent.

In this section of Egypt the scenery is wild and picturesque. The course of the Nile is frequently interrupted here by cliffs or broken masses of granite rock. It is in this way that the magnificent, yet disastrous, cataracts of the Nile are formed. The granite section of Egypt terminates at Assouan. Much of the material used in building the great monuments of Egypt must have been brought from this section.

Upper Egypt is bounded by two ranges of hills. Both these ranges run northward. The Arabian range is on the right, the Libyan on the left, of the river. Sandstone prevails to a great extent in both these ranges. It is a durable rock, easily cut. It was used very extensively in the erection of ancient temples. The ancient city of Thebes was built of it.

The sandstone rocks in a large section of Egypt are covered with moving desert sands. In the lands which border the Nile they are covered with the alluvial deposit which the river brings down in its course.

PAPYRUS ON THE NILE.

All along the valley of the Nile the scenery is tame and monotonous. The sandstone is easily worn away by the action of the waters, and this in a measure accounts for the table-lands, which are of frequent occurrence. It would also account for the vast amount of alluvial deposit, most of it being worn-out rocks.

The fertile valley of the Nile differs widely from the desert regions which enclose it. This is true not only of the botanical life, but of the zoölogical life as well.

Many of the European trees and plants are found in Egypt. The date palm, sycamore, acacia, and tamarisk are some of the trees peculiar to its climate. The papyrus, which the ancients used largely in the manufacture of paper, and the lotus, or water lily of the Nile, are peculiar to Egypt.

Of late years the cultivation of the papyrus plant has been neglected. Specimens of it are now rather rare. Sugar cane, cotton, indigo, and tobacco are cultivated in its place.

Gourds and melons are found in abundance. Wheat and barley were extensively cultivated by the ancients. These are still cultivated, and maize and durra have been added. The latter is a coarse, strong grass. It grows to a height of from four to eight feet. It has thickly crowded panicles. The grain is round, and about the size of a mustard seed. Durra may be regarded as the principal corn plant of Africa. It yields an abundant product. It is even more productive than maize, but the meal from it does not make good bread. Used like rice, it makes an excellent pudding, or may be used in other forms for food. The stalks and husks are coarse, but make excellent fodder for horses and cattle. The grain, too, is often given to them.

Egypt is very deficient in timber land. Pharaoh obtained cedar from Lebanon and ebony from Ethiopia, as our Bible history tells us.

Space will not allow us to linger over either modern or ancient Egypt. The latter is more fascinating than the former. It will be interesting for us to take our Bibles and, looking over the Old Testament, acquaint ourselves with the stories of Moses, Joseph, Pharaoh, and other characters of the days of ancient history.

Did space permit, we might dwell upon the ancient occupations, as glass blowing and pottery, and upon the various implements connected with them. The bellows, siphons, chisels, presses, balances, levers, and harpoons would awaken our interest and curiosity, if we could but look into some museum of Egyptian relics.

The weapons of war, too,—the spears, clubs, maces, swords, daggers, bows, and hatchets,—would seem to us not only strange, but formidable. No less interesting would be the pictures of war boats, and the galleys used upon the Nile.

We might delight to run our fingers over the ancient harps, lyres, and guitars. The drums, flutes, cymbals, and tambourines would have fascinations for most of us, making us wish to test our musical ear.

There are many books, however, that can satisfy our curiosity over the lives of the ancient Egyptians, and we shall be fascinated by all we may find time to read.

CHAPTER VI.

THE RIVERS OF AFRICA.

For many years Africa was believed to be a land destitute of rivers in its interior sections. The explorations made by Dr. Livingstone proved to the world that what had been formerly termed the unexplored territory is not the barren, riverless region that imagination had pictured.

Still, the nature of the rivers was for a long time but imperfectly determined.

It is generally acknowledged that, of all the great rivers, there is scarcely one that has been successfully traced from source to mouth throughout its entire length. Even the tributaries of these rivers are but imperfectly known, owing to the many difficulties attending their exploration.

We have a right, then, to expect much from later investigation, as more and more of the country is opened to observation.

The journals of such men as Livingstone and Stanley open a vast storehouse of knowledge to those who read them. Fascinated, as by a romance, we lose ourselves in these pages, and in imagination follow their footsteps through "Darkest Africa."

The rivers of South Africa have their rise mostly in the neighboring highlands. Many of these rivers are, in fact, not much greater than mountain torrents, whose courses are as short as their currents are rapid.

Most of the rivers of Africa have obstructions, in the form of sand bars, at their mouths. The Orange River is a striking example, the water at its mouth being choked by a vast deposit of sand.

The chief great rivers of Africa are the Nile, the Niger, the Zambesi, the Orange, the Congo, the Senegal, and the Gambia.

Although all the great rivers have served as links to connect the journeys of the various explorers, yet the Nile, the Niger, the Zambesi, and the Congo have been chosen as the chief guides for the more recent explorations.

Each of these great rivers has distinct characteristics and striking peculiarities. The Nile, though a river of the greatest antiquity, was for many, many years a problem in the minds of those busied with the geography of Africa.

Many of the records kept by the early explorers were, unfortunately, lost. Among those that were preserved were many that were not reliable in their information. Many of the accounts were most conflicting in fact and detail. This led to much confusion and much discussion. Men naturally were slow to accept information which they could not prove to be authentic.

Wars among the natives of the interior were most disastrous to the explorer. At best, his life, interesting and exciting as we might suppose it to have been, could certainly not have been an enviable one. Only dauntless courage and boundless enthusiasm could have led him into regions where he must suffer not only fatigue, but privation; not only danger from wild beasts hungry for their prey, but from cruel, treacherous savages lurking on every side.

The countries watered by the Niger offered an immense field for exploration. Inviting as this region was to the explorer, it afforded many difficulties. Savage beasts and treacherous natives were foes that might be overcome, but who could withstand the attacks of fever and malaria, unsuspected foes to health and life, in this region of pestilence and disease?

Mungo Park, a Scotch explorer, relates that, out of a party of forty-four, but four survived the exploration, owing to the unhealthy character of the climate. He relates that he received various kinds of treatment at the hands of the natives. The women, however, were for the most part kindly disposed and benevolent.

At one time the king of the region of Bambarra, through which he was passing, forbade him to cross the Niger. He was obliged to remain over night in one of the villages. None of the natives would receive him into their huts. Finally, he took shelter in the branches of a tree. He was worn out from hunger and fatigue. A storm came up, from which he was wholly unprotected, but he was befriended by a woman, who was passing on her way from her daily work in the field. She took him home to her hut, kindly cared for him, and did all she could to make him comfortable.

It is the custom of the women to lighten their labor by singing songs as they work. On this occasion Park was made the subject of this song which was sung by one of the young women of the village. The melody was sweet and rather plaintive; the words simple.

"The winds roared and the rain fell.
The poor white man, faint and weary, came and sat under our tree.
He has no mother to bring him milk; no wife to grind his corn."

To this a refrain was added, in which all the women joined.

"Let us pity the white man;
No mother has he to bring him milk;
No wife has he to grind his corn."

It was to Richard Lander that the geographical students were indebted for much information about the Niger. He encountered many dangers, and, with his followers, was finally taken prisoner by the natives.

Only on the promise of a heavy ransom were they allowed their freedom. By the offer of heavy bribes, he made arrangements with the natives to convey him, with his party, to the sea. The journey was by way of the Niger, and proved to Lander that water communication could be opened into the interior of Africa. Thus he solved one of the greatest problems in the geography of the continent.

In the southern portion of Africa, the more recent explorations have been mostly in connection with the Zambesi River, its extensive basin, and its many affluents. Most of the results were due to the energy of Livingstone, whose footsteps we shall like to trace later. We must regard Livingstone not only as an explorer, but as a zealous missionary in the great field open to him. Only through his indomitable courage, boundless faith, and untiring devotion could he have accomplished his arduous labor.

Most of the difficulties that attended the exploration of the great rivers were due largely to the character of the countries through which they passed. Much of it was, of course, wholly unbroken territory. Tangled forests, treacherous morasses, and wild jungles were difficulties that constantly tried the courage and fortitude of the men who formed the exploring parties.

But these were not all they had to encounter in the way of obstacles. Wild animals, fierce for food, or angered at having their haunts invaded, lay ready to attack them. Hostile savages lurked in the depths of the forests, or pursued them to the water's edge, eager to shed their blood. Even on the rivers there was no safety; for the enraged natives pursued them in their canoes, and attacked them boldly, trusting to the poisoned arrows which they hurled fiercely at them.

As if these were not difficulties enough to be met and overcome, the hearts of the explorers often sank in dismay as they encountered fresh obstacles in the bed of the streams. Here were dangerous rapids, over which their canoes were liable to be hurled, only to be dashed to pieces on the rocks below. Barred by such obstacles, the canoes often had to be carried overland on the backs of the men, till the course of the river became navigable.

Much of the information received from such friendly natives as they found, living in villages along the course of the river, was unreliable. They were often misled, too, by the various names given to the same river in the different sections of the country.

Many of the rivers make such intricate wanderings as to lose themselves in one section to reappear again in other sections, but under different names. On this account, much time was lost in doubt and speculation.

As we read of the exploits of these explorers, we shall be able to comprehend more fully the extreme difficulty of the work they undertook, and, in many cases, carried out so successfully.

Through the light they shed we shall be able to read the story of Africa. We shall find it both fascinating and instructive.

CHAPTER VII.

THE NILE, THE MOST ANCIENT OF RIVERS.

The Nile is formed by the union of two rivers, the White Nile and the Blue Nile.

The White Nile has its rise in the great equatorial lakes, together with the Victoria and the Albert Nyanza Lakes. It skirts the eastern border of Kordofan and then passes into Nubia. The river flows on to Khartoom, where it is joined by the Blue Nile, which has been tortuously working a passage for itself through the highlands of Abyssinia.

The White and the Blue Nile, thus united in a single stream, sweep in a circuit through Nubia to form a succession of cataracts in the course of the current.

The stream then descends into Egypt under the general name of the Nile River, and flows on till it reaches the Mediterranean Sea through the far-famed Delta.

As we have seen, the mystery of the Nile had claimed the attention of mankind for ages. For centuries it had been a wonder not only to those who dwelt upon its banks, but to those who came into the country of the Egyptians to profit by their wisdom and learning.

Its mysterious waters flowed from unknown regions; for the last thousand miles in its course not a single drop of water was received from the land on either side of its bed. Only at rare intervals was the blessing of rain bestowed. For nine months in the year the stream flowed between its steep banks, a uniform and majestic flood.

Almost at a stated date each year, for countless centuries, had the river risen and overflowed its banks and spread its waters over the adjoining country. Each year saw the narrow valley of the Nile transformed temporarily into a vast lake.

After some few weeks the flood subsided, and left behind a vast deposit of rich mud which was to fertilize the whole of Egypt.