Survey and Exploration in the Ruwenzori and Lake Region, Central Africa Author(S): R

Survey and Exploration in the Ruwenzori and Lake Region, Central Africa Author(s): R. G. T. Bright Source: The Geographical Journal, Vol. 34, No. 2 (Aug., 1909), pp. 128-153 Published by: geographicalj Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1777817 Accessed: 26-06-2016 23:11 UTC Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at http://about.jstor.org/terms JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. The Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers), Wiley are collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to The Geographical Journal This content downloaded from 128.163.2.206 on Sun, 26 Jun 2016 23:11:13 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms 128 SURVEY AND EXPLORATION IN THE RUWENZORI been able to do down South, and I feel we always will remember this night, and your presence here, your Royal Highnesses, for it has been a happy occasion to us to come back and relate some of the stories of the South. We feel greatly honoured, sir, and I can't malke much of a speech about it. H.R.H. THE PRINCE OF WALES: Mr. Shackleton has spoken in the highest praise of his comrades. We know how loyally they served him, and thus greatly conduced to the success of this expedition. In recog- nition of their services, the Royal Geographical Society has conferred upon them replicas in silver of the special Gold Medal. The Prince of Wales then presented silver replicas to the following members of the expedition:- Lieut. J. B. Adams, R.N.R.; Mr. B. Armytage; Sir Philip Brockle- hurst; Mr. B. Day; Mr. E. Joyce; Mr. E. L. A. Mackintosh; Dr. Eric Marshall; Mr. G. E. Marston; Mr. James Murray; Mr. R. E. Priestley; Mr. W. Roberts; Mr. F. Wild. The following, not present, were also awarded the silver medal: - Prof. T. W. Edgeworth David; Captain F. P. Evans, R.N.R.; Dr. A. Forbes Mackay; Mr. Douglas Mawson. At the conclusion of the meeting the PRESIDENT said:- I am sure you will wish me to express in your name, before this meeting adjourns, our thanks to His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales for so kindly attending here to present these medals. This meeting is now adjourned. SURVEY AND EXPLORATION IN THE RUWENZORI AND LAKE REGION, CENTRAL AFRICA.* By Major R. G. T. BRIGHT, C.M.G., Rifle Brigade. THE country described in this paper is in the neighbourhood of the western border of the Uganda Protectorate and the Congo State. The Anglo-Congolese Boundary Commission was directed to survey and report on the country adjoining the 30th meridian east of Greenwich. The field of operations was bounded on the south by German East Africa, and work was commenced on the plateau to the south-east of Lake Edward. The British commissioners proceeded westward to the * With an appendix giving the co-ordinates of the trigonometrical stations, and the positions and heights of the peaks of Ruwenzori and Mufumbiro. A map by the British section of the Boundary Commission and a diagram of its triangulation accompany this raper. A summary report on the work of the expedition was published in the R.G.S. Journal, November, 1908. Read at the Royal Geographical Society, June 14, 1909. Map, p. 240. This content downloaded from 128.163.2.206 on Sun, 26 Jun 2016 23:11:13 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms AND LAKE REGION, CENTRAL AFRICA. 129 Ruchuro, an unfordable river, rising in Mufumbiro and flowing into the southern end of that lake. They then travelled northwards along the eastern shore and crossed the narrow channel which connects the two lakes, Edward and George. The name Albert Edward for the southern lake was a source of confusion between it and Lake Albert, and further there was no native name for its north-easterly arm. This arm has been called on some mlaps " Ruisamba," and on others " Dueru." Both of these designations were considered to be unsuitable, the former being an abandoned village on its shore, and which gave its name to a ferry long since disused, while the latter is a local word meaning "white" or "the shine of light," and is applicable to every sheet of water. His Majesty the King has approved of Lake Albert Edward being called Lake Edward, and its north-easterly extension being named George after HI.R.H. the Prince of Wales. It was found to be impracticable to continue the survey over the snow-covered heights of Ruwenzori, so it was carried round the eastern side of the range. In the vicinity of Fort Portal, it was possible to erect a signal on a spur of the mountains, at an altitude of 10,000 feet. Karangora is the name of the peak, and even at this altitude the cold was intense, and it was swept by a bitter wind, driving rain or hail. In the mean time Lake George had been surveyed. From Karangora an extensive view is obtained over the valley of the Semliki (Etuli), so it was decided to return to Lake Edward, and coming back down the river Semliki, on the west of Ruwenzori, to thus complete the circuit of the mountains. From Lake Edward the British officers crossed the western spurs of the mountains and passed through the dense forest which covers the Semliki valley, and after linking together the surveys on the east and west of Ruwenzori they proceeded northwards to the Congo-Nile watershed. The river Loia is shown on maps as an affluent of the Semliki, and thus belonging to the Nile basin. To decide the question as to whether we had actually reached the Congo-Nile watershed, Captain Iredell and Lieut. Weber of the Congolese section followed the Loia from its source to its mouth, covering a distance of 80 miles, and putting beyond doubt the fact that the Loia does not flow to the Simliki, but into a tributary of the Congo river. The watershed was then followed to the vicinity of the southern limits of the Lado Enclave. At a later date a party of the British section of the Boundary Commission passed along the eastern shore of Lake Albert and crossed the Victoria Nile at its mouth. The 30th meridian had been followed as closely as was found possible during the journey from the south to Lake Albert, and suitable points had been selected for stations in the geodetic triangulation for the measurement of the arc of the 30th meridian. On the completion of This content downloaded from 128.163.2.206 on Sun, 26 Jun 2016 23:11:13 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms 130 SURVEY AND EXPLORATION IN THE RUWVENZORI the actual survey of the boundary, a party of officers and non-com- missioned officers were detached, and have completed this measurement from Lake Albert to the country a little north of the frontier with German East Africa. A portion of the expenditure to be incurred was generously subscribed by the learned-societies of Great Britain, and two large theodolites were kindly placed at our disposal by the British South Africa Company. Captain E. M. Jack, Royal Engineers, was, since the commission left Africa, in charge of this work. It will be remembered that this scientific measurement was commenced some twelve years ago in South Africa under the direction of Sir David Gill, and has been completed to within 70 miles of Lake Tanganyika. But a small portion of the country passed through can be said to have been absolutely unknown. In 1864 Sir Samuel and Lady Baker discovered Lake Albert. They first reached the lake near its southern shore, and proceeded northwards in canoes along its eastern waters. To the west Baker saw the dim outlines of mountains partially obscured in the mist, which he named the "( Blue mountains," but he formed no conception that what lay southwards, hidden behind the veil, were the " Mountains of the Moon " with their snow-tipped peaks-in truth the most mlagnificent range of mountains in the whole vast continent of Africa. Ruwenzori is seldom visible during the dry seasons. It, in con- junction with the surrounding country, is usually enveloped in thick haze; thus Stanley himself, when he discovered Lake Edward in 1875, failed to pierce the mist, although the range is visible for many miles south of that lake, and it was not until he was with the Emin Relief Expedition, in 1888, that he was rewarded by being the first European whose eyes were gladdened by the glorious sight. Various explorers and travellers have passed through the greater portion of the country visited by the commissioners and collected much valuable geographical knowledge. Their maps, compiled together, formed a useful chart of these regions, though but two can be said to have done scientific surveys, and these are H.R.H. The DIuke of the Abruzzi on Ruwenzori, and Captain T. T. Behrens, Royal Engineers, along the eastern shore of Lake Edward. Our results agree closely with those obtained by both, though it should be noted that it was not considered necessary for the ommission to attempt cartographical work above the snow-line on Ruwenzori.

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