第 129 节
作者:
巴乔的中场 更新:2021-02-20 18:13 字数:9310
at least 300 yards。
From my personal experience I must strenuously uphold the Victoria Nile
as a source of enormous volume; and should it ever be proved that the
distant affluents of the M'wootan N'zige are the most remote; and
therefore the nominal sources of the Nile; the great Victoria N'yanza
must ever be connected with the names of Speke and Grant as one of the
majestic parents of the Nile Basin。
Latterly; when speaking of the Lualaba; Livingstone writes to Sir Henry
Rawlinson:〃The drainage clearly did not go into Tanganyika; and that
lake; though it probably has an outlet; lost all its interest to me as a
source of the river of Egypt。〃
We are; therefore completely in the dark concerning the flow of water
from the Lualaba south of the equator; and of Schweinfurth's Welle north
of the equator; but both these large rivers were tending to the same
direction; north…west。 The discovery of these two rivers in about the
same meridian is a satisfactory proof of the western watershed; which
completely excludes them from the Nile Basin。 If the Tanganyika lake has
no communication with the Albert N'yanza; the old Nile is the simple
offspring of the two parentsthe Victoria and the Albert lakes。
(This is now proved to be the case。)
When the steamer that I left at Gondokoro in sections shall be launched
upon the Albert N'yanza; this interesting question will be quickly
solved。
Early in November; 1871; when I was on the Nile south of Regiaf; I
noticed the peculiar change that suddenly took place in the river。 We
were then in N。 lat。 4 degrees 38〃; below the last cataracts; where the
water was perfectly clear and free from vegetation; with a stream of
about three and a half or four miles per hour。
Suddenly the river became discoloured by an immense quantity of the
Pistia Stratiotes; of which not one plant was entire。
This aquatic plant invariably grows in either dead water or in the most
sluggish stream; and none existed in the part of the river at N。 lat。 4
degrees 38〃。
I examined many of the broken plants; which; instead of floating as
usual on the surface; were mingled in enormous quantities with the
rushing waters。 None were rotten; but they had evidently been carried
down the numerous rocky waterfalls which occupy the interval between N。
lat。 3 degrees 34〃 and 4 degrees 38〃; and were thus bruised and torn
asunder。
The extraordinary influx of damaged aquatic plants continued for many
days; and unmistakably denoted the rise in the level of the Albert
N'yanza at that season (say 1st Nov。)。 Above the falls; in N。 lat。 3
degrees 32〃; there is very little current in the broad deep Nile; and in
about N。 lat。 3 degrees this river is several miles in width; with no
perceptible stream。 In those propitious calms the Pistia Stratiotes
grows in vast masses along the shores; and the annual rise of the lake
creates a current which carries the plants towards the cataracts; and
consequent destruction。
By this sign I conclude that the maximum of the Albert N'yanza would be
during the month of November。
LANGUAGES。
The following list of words will afford a fair example of the
differences in language of the various tribes between Gondokoro
and the equator:
Lobore。 Bari。 Shooli。 Unyoro。
A fowl 。。。 。。。 A…oo。 Chokore。 Gweno。 Unkoko。
A mat 。。。 。。。 Gallaca。 Tero。 Kaboone。
Flour 。。。 。。。 Arafoo。 Bolo。 Mocha。 Obsano。
Fire 。。。 。。。 Arsi。 Kemang。 Mai。 Moora。
Water 。。。 。。。 Yee。 Feeum。 Pee。 Maizi。
Milk 。。。 。。。 Leh。 Leh。 Chak。 Amattai。
A cow 。。。 。。。 Tee。 Kitang。 Deaug。 Inte。
A bull 。。。 。。。 Moniko。 Moni。 Tu…an。
A dog 。。。 。。。 Orke。 Diong。 Gunoah。
Rain 。。。 。。。 Yee。 Koodoo。 Kort。 Injoore。
The sun 。。。 。。。 Yetakali。 Narlong。 Tschen。 Musanne
A chief 。。。 。。。 rpi。 Mattat。 Ruort。 Matongali
A sheep 。。。 。。。 abeelo。 Kabisho。 Ramo。 Imbuzi。
A goat 。。。 。。。 ndree。 Keene。 Deall。 Imbuzi。
The moon 。。 。。。 mbah。 Yarfah。 Dooe。 Quezi。
The stars 。 。。。 eebi。 Katchikoo。 Lakori。 Nynerzi。
Flesh 。。。 。。。 sah。 Lokore。 Reugo。
Dhurra (corn) 。 sih。 Keemak。 Gyah。
A basket 。。 。。。 voch。 Soodah。 Adooku。
Beads 。。。 。。。 ecoh。 Sooksook。 Teko。 Unguanze。
Coracan Elcusine Loque。 Kaal。 Burroi。
Unyoro Unyoro
A tree 。。。 。。。 Bisale。 Halt 。。。 。。。 。。。 Indeenda。
Far off 。。 。。。 Arrace。 Go away 。。。 。。。 Taisa Genda。
Near 。。。 。。。 Aiee。 Come here 。 。。。 Igghia。
Not far 。。 。。。 Ampi。 Sit down 。。。 。。。 Iu…karra…hanze。
A house 。。 。。。 Engooi。 Get up 。。。 。。。 Im…mookka。
Plantains 。。。 Bitoki。 A man 。。。 。。。 Moosogga。
Beans 。。。 。。。 Koli。 A woman 。。。 。。。 Mookazze。
Butter 。。。 。。。 Maggita。 A girl 。。。 。。。 Miss…sooki。
A canoe 。。 。。。 Obwato。 A boy 。。。 。。。 Um…wana。
A paddle 。 。。。 Engaiee。 A thief 。。。 。。。 Moosuma。
A mountain 。。。 Orsozi。 (Lubari or
The earth 。。。 Intaka。 Fish 。。。 。。。 (Enchoa。
The sky 。。 。。。 Iggohr。 Wood 。。。 。。。 Bitl。
A road or path Muhanda。 Eggs 。。。 。。。 Yooli。
Go on 。。。 。。。 Togendi。
DOMESTIC ANIMALS。
It is a singular fact that; although the domestic ox; sheep; and fowls
are found everywhere among the negroes of Central Africa; there is no
trace of the original stock among the wild animals of the country。 The
question ariseswhere did they come from?
Dogs are domesticated; and are used by the natives in their hunts。
Those of Central Africa are miserable pariahs; but they are nevertheless
much prized by their owners。
After the attack at Fatiko by the slave…hunters; which resulted in the
dispersion of their party; upwards of 170 dogs became houseless。 The
natives asked my permission to capture them; and; having spread their
hunting…nets; they drove the dogs as they would wild animals; and daily
secured a great number; which they trained to hunt the calves of
antelopes and the great grass…rat (Anlacodus Swindernianus)。
Negroes have no sympathy with the young of wild animals; and I have
never seen a pet animal or bird in their villages。 Although I offered
two cows for every young elephant they might catch; I never could
prevail upon them to spare the little ones。 Five were speared ruthlessly
in one day; within two or three hours' march of Fatiko。 A negro is never
seen without his spear; and he finds the greatest pleasure in sticking
it into either something or somebody。
DISEASES。
Small…pox is prevalent; Cholera rarely attacks the country; but it is
known。 Dysentery is very common in the White Nile districts; but it is
rare in the highlands。 This complaint is generally fatal at Gondokoro。
Great caution should be used; and impure water avoided。 Marsh fever is
the general complaint of the low ground; but is rare in the highlands of
Fatiko and Unyoro。
I have never met with typhoid fevers in Central Africa; although they
are common at Khartoum。
Measles; whooping…cough; scarlatina; croup; diphtheria; are quite
unknown。
Blindness is only the result of extreme age; and is very rare。 I never
saw a case of mania; nor have I ever met more than one idiot in Central
Africa。 The brain appears to be exercised as a simple muscle of the
body; and is never overstrained by deep thought or by excessive study。
There are no great commercial or parliamentary anxieties; no struggles
to keep up appearances and position in society against the common enemy;
〃small means;〃 no hearts to break with overwhelming love; but the human
beings of Central Africa live as animals; simply using the brain as a
director of their daily wants。 Thus in their simple state they never
commit suicide and never go mad。 Their women never give birth to
cripples or monsters; as the sympathetic uterus continues in harmony
with the healthy brain。
I have seen only two dwarfs。 These were in Unyoro; one of whom was
described by Speke (Kimenya): he is since dead。 The other was at the
court of Kabba Rega; named Rakoomba。 We measured this little fellow; who
was exactly three feet and half…an inch in height; at the age of about
eighteen years。
The teeth are remarkable throughout Central Africa。 I have examined
great numbers of skulls; and I never found a decayed tooth。 Many tribes
extract the four front teeth of the lower jaw。 The bone then closes; and
forms a sharp edge like the jaw of a turtle。
MAMMALIA*
(*Mr。 Sclater; of the Zoological Society of London; has furnished me
with the scientific names of the antelopes and other mammals。)
The principal animals and birds in the Shooli country are:
Native name。
Gezella dama。