The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1849-06-10
Snowy Mountain In Africa,


The announcement of the discovery which the
Rev. Mr.. Rebmann, the Church Missionary So
ciety, has made OF a lofty mountain covered with
perpetual snow, in the parallel of Mombas in East
ern Afrlca-about four degrees south of the equa-
tor-induces me to trouble you with a few observa-
tons with reference to the subject
Several years ago, Mr.. Cooley wrote as follows
"The most famous mountain Of Eastern Africa is
Kirimanjara; which we suppose, from number of
circumstances, to be the highest ridge crossed by
the road to 1.-THE country of Monomoezi. "-Journ.
state that the mountain discovered by Mr. Reb-
mann is named by him Kilimandjaro; SO that it is
no other than the ''famous mountain" of which MIR.
Cooley had thus heard. Its elevation cannot we'll
be less than about 20, 600 feet-which is much high
er Than anything we yet know of in Eastern Africa;
the loftiest peak Of the mountains of Samen in Alb
essinia, Abba Yared, being only about $1,000 feet
above The ocean.
Kilimandjaro is evidently the "whte mountain
reported by M. d'Abbadie [Ath, No. l,lll] as hav-
ing been described to Baron Won Muler's boatman
on the Nile by Nikla the king, of the country on
the banks Of the Bahr Ell Abyad under four degrees
(said Nikla( l travelled great way towards the
south, and found there men white like Turks. |
saw there the origin OF the Bahr ell Abyad-so
named (said the boaman) from avery large noun
tain, whose peaks are completely white. The rlyer
threw itself from this mountain, which Is called
the White Mountain" II is added, that 'this
boatman, who had visited Nikla four times in or
der to purchase ivory, had never heard of snow,
and could not give an exact idea of the distance
from Nikla's country to the far distant White
Mountain" The interval between Nikla's coun-
try and the snow-capped mountain seen by MIR.
Rebmann-from four degrees north to four degrees
south latitude-is about 500 miles, which is not at
all an unreasonable distance. This accords, too,
with M. Werne's statement that the Bahr ell Alb
yad comes from distance OF thirty days journey
south of the extreme point reached by the second
Egyptian Expedition up the Nile, which he accom-
panied.
On comparison of these various particulars, it
seems to result that the Bahr ell Abyad the direct
stream of the Nile, has its origin in Mount Kiiman
dJaro, in or adjoining to the country OF Mono-Mo-
Ell. have on frequent occasions explained (see
especially Edinburgh Ner Phil. Jo,vs,., xiv. 22l,
natives of the Zangebar coast of Eastern Africa,
Mono means king, and Moez means moon; and
that it was from these people that Ptolemy derived
his name Of the mountains of the moon, (MoezD,
lakes of that river being fed by the SHOWS of those
mountains. II is now shown to be more than pro-
babe that the words of the Alexandrian geographer
will, after the lapse Of LOO years, be found to be
true to the letter.
This result IN no way initiates against the state
ment of Herodotus and other writers OF antiquity,
that the Nile rises in the west. Two different main
branches OF the river were known to the ancients
The one OF these is the Bahr ell Ghazal or KeIlah,
with which Herodotus and others anterior to- the
time OF Ptolemy were acquainted, and OF which
they heard from the natives of the coast OF the
Mediterranean; and Its sources must be looked tor
other is the Bahr el Abyad or White River; the
knowledge of whose sources and OF the snowy
mountains in which they are situate was acquired
by Ptolemy though the Greek merchants OF Alex
andria trading with the east coast OF Africa.
The Church Missionary Record for February last
(vol Xxx. p. 80, ct seq, contains brief but very
interesting account Of MIR. Robmanns excursion
to the mountainous country OF Tata, situate about
at Rabbay Empia New Rabbay), near Mombas.
He was accompanied by only eight persons, and
met with very friendly reception from the natives
in the interior lie states, that the character OF
the people Is free from that savageness which
would render il unadvisable for one or two indl-
ylduals only TO reside in their country-and rather
displays much composure, gravity, and quietness,
as is generally the case with people living in
mountainous countries"
Hence there is every rcasen to hope for favor
able issue to Dr. Bialloblotzkys expedition into
these regions. 1t may be permitted me to recall
to the remembrance of your readers the plan OF
his journey. as settled with myself before his de-
paitufe from England in June last. " Proceed:
d. to Mcmbas, on the east coast OF Africa, III
about deg. :. lat. At Mombas, or in It's vicinity,
make arrangements for travelling into the interior
with native caravan or otherwise. II IL antici-
pa,ed that journey Of about 300 or 400 miles from
the coast. in direction between west and north
west, will bring the traveller TO the edge OF the
table-land of Eastern Africa, at the water-plrting
the rivers Lufdii, OH, Pokomezi or Maro) and
Sabaki, flowing eastwards to the Indian Ocean
On reaching the tabe-land, determine the southern
limits Of the basin Of the Nile, or that extensive
tract Of Africa which drains towards Egypt; and
visit, if possible, the sources of the principal
streams which ursiie TO form that river" &c.
1t is great satisfaction 10 me 10 find myself so
much mistaken as to the distance ef the eastern
edge Of the table-land from the coast-which would
now appear TO be only about 100 miles, instead of
500 or 400, as / had been led by various circum-
stances TO conclude. And it is not less gratifying
TO know that DR.. Balloblotzky will find 30 much
Of his work prep red to his hand by these prcim-
naiy labors OF his worthy countryman, of whose
experience he will enjoy the inestimable benefit
] ain, &c, &. II. Bswg.
The Indian mail has just brought me news from
DIR. Bialoblotzky On the 4th OF January last he
WINS at Muscat; whittier he had gone on from Alden
and Macua, and where he was looking for wee
eel to tax. him 10 Mombas OF Zanzibar.