'Transactions of the Bombay Geographical Society, from September 1850 to June 1852. Edited by the Secretary. Volume X.' [‎97] (118/458)

i
to. Smith’s sources oe the Kile.
icvii
immense pealcs, towering majestically over the general mass to a height of at least*
'2*2,000 feet. At Ketui Dr. Krapf became acquainted with a merchant from Uembu, a country
about six or seven days journey to the North-ward, and from this man, who had travelled in
these countries a good deal, Dr, Krapf acquired the following information
“ He told me” writes Dr. Krapf “ that the Ndurkenia (i. e. Mount Kenia) was five days
journey distant from Uembu. The white matter (snow) which lies upon the Mountain they
called Kirira in the Kikuafi language. From the Ndurkenia the water runs down into a Lake on
the North eastern side of the Snow Mountain Kenia. From this Lake the Dana, the Tumbiri
and the Nsaraddi take their origin. The last mentioned River goes to the North-east into a
much larger Lake called Baringo. This Lake, according to my informant, has no end, although
one should travel for a hundred days to see the end. Nor can the opposite shore be seen. The
Tumbiri River, he said, goes through the Wakuafi of Kibia into the Sea, and must be identical
with either the Osi River or the Jub. This information leaves no doubt about the sources of the
Nile. They are in the Lake of Ndurkenia, or the White Mountain, which therefore supplies the
greatest East African Rivers ,the Dana, the Jub, and the Nile, with water.”
The account given by the Native Merchant to Dr. Krapf of the existence of this Lake, and its
gYeat extent, is almost exactly the same as that recorded by Pliny to have been given to the
Military Officers of the Emperor Nero by the Natives of the country eighteen hundred years
ago. Nero, he informs us, despatched two Centurians, well equipped, and furnished with every
convenience, to ascertain the rise of this mysterious stream, and adds that on their return home,
he expressly heard them assert c we at length reached some immense Lakes, whose termination
the bordering inhabitants were unacquainted with, and which had baffled every possible en-
quiry”—*(“ adulteriora quidem pervenmus, ad immensas paludes, quarum exitum nec incolae
noverant, nec superare quisquam potest.’O
Itis possible that this may have reference to the Lake Dambea of the Blue River, but not
probable, inasmuch as the term ‘ Nilus’ was applied exclusively by the ancients to the Bahr-ei
* Dr. Krapf says-“ The Kiiimandjaro is higher than all the surrounding mountains —
being like a giant among children. Its top is vaulted like a dome. It has a great plateau
Covered with snow which descends sewraJ thousand feet from the top. (Bombay Church
Missionary Record Volume III. 88.) ^
The line of perpetual congelation at the equator being nearly 18,000 feet, this would give
, lfc Ovation of say 20,000 ft; and as Mount Kenia is described as being “ much higher”
than Kiiimandjaro—its altitude probably exceeds the estimate given above. The foliow?ng is
Dr. Krapf s account of the mountain when he first saw it in November 1849 : —
Fr0111 Kivoi an d other people who went in and out of his house, I learned that the Dana
(the native name of the river Kalimansey) rises from the Kenia by the melting of the snow with
winch it is covered. A number of smaller rivers and rivulei s coming from the same mountain
aiterwards joins the Dana, which subsequently is said to divide into two branches. This either
refers to the river Osi which may be a branch of the Dana, or it may refer to the river Jab, or
Ooshob, which may descend from this mountain, as the Zavo issues from the Kilimandjaro.
J-hey also mentioned to me a river which flows north of the Kenia, but its volume was described
to me to be of such a size as almost surpasses my belief. They all added, that people by the
Tr.ncf r S ° t0 Usun guni, i. e. Europe. Now, if we consider that this snow.mountain
frn fif y sends some of waters to the North, that they are probably joined by tributaries
nabh! 0t u 1 ?> 0 ' 7 lnt ^ ins ’ Perhaps, likewise snow mountains, the idea gains ground that what the
auvescall Baheri, which signifies both sea and large river, as both the Nile and Euphrates
? onored witli thafc appellative—may be formed. If we further take into account the
nursi p 1StanCe t0 wllicl1 Wakamba people travel on their elephant chases and commercial
P suns, we come to the conclusion that their assertions deserve some credit, although they
Ke . redU \ r ? t( J be confirmed by intelligent and truthful European travellers. I myself saw the
• V days a ^ ter this? when leaving Kivoi, on a fine afternoon, and it was indeed a very
irnmpn It extends ver .y far from East to West by North. From the general mass two
whelmhf F are seen towering towards the sky like mighty pillars. The sight was over-
be thp rr/’’ r. ^ i? ,lluc h higher than the Kiiimandjaro, and I do believe that it will prove to
a inii^ U ? ain k ha t birth to the principal branch of the Nilei Ptolemy and the assertions
Utive fa iven by D. Abbadie, agree with the supposition. *