The Sources of the Nile

Abstract

FROM Mr. Keith Johnston's communication to NATURE of the 14th April, it appears that he agrees with me in opinion—though quite independently of me and by a different process of reasoning--that the great river Kassabi, Kassavi, or Kasai, of South-western Africa, instead of flowing to the north and north-west, as it has hitherto been shown to do in all maps, has its course north-eastward as far as about the meridian of 27°30′ east of Greenwich, where it is joined by the river system of the Chambeze. Such being the case, the only material question between us is with respect to the lower course of the united stream of the two rivers, which Mr. Johnston carries round by a sharp curve to the north-west and west, so as to join the Zairé or Congo river, whereas I regard it as continuing northwards, and uniting with the Albert Nyanza, so as to form the upper course of the Nile.