File:A naturalist in Mid-Africa- being an account of a journey to the Mountains of the Moon and Tanganyika (1890) (14596256687).jpg

Identifier: naturalistinmida00elli (find matches)
Title: A naturalist in Mid-Africa: being an account of a journey to the Mountains of the Moon and Tanganyika
Year: 1890 (1890s)
Authors: Elliot, G. F. Scott (George Francis Scott), 1862-1934
Subjects: Natural history
Publisher: London A.D. Innes & Co.
Contributing Library: Field Museum of Natural History Library
Digitizing Sponsor: The Field Museum's Africa Council

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t at from 6,000 to 7,000 feet, according towhether the particular spot is a narrow shelteredvalley or exposed ridge. It completely fills suchvalleys as the Wimi, but blows over exposed bluffslike the Yeria. It then begins slowly to crawl upthe mountain, reaching the level of the bamboosabout midday ; and at about 5.30 p.m. it beginsto dissolve away (asa rule), allowing one to seeduring perhaps a quarter to half an hour thebeautiful snow-clad peaks, the highest summits ofthe range. Even on the best days it is not aclear view that one obtains, but very tantalisingglimpses ; now one snow-peak, now another, ap-pearing, and then being again enshrouded in a pallof mist. This, in part, explains why Kuwenzori was notseen until Mr. Stanley approached it from thenorth. The history of the discovery of Buwenzoriis a most curious one. Emin Pasha, so far as hisletters enable one to judge, never saw the snow,but was well aware of what lie called the moun-tains of Qsongora. Mr. Stanley, when speaking
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Fig. 29.—Forest of Wimi Valley, METEOROLOGY AND CLIMATE. 193 of the discovery of Kuwenzori, makes the follow-ing extraordinary remark ( In Darkest Africa,vol. ii. p. 290) : It is quite a mysterious factthat from the localities reached by Sir S. Baker, itought to have been as visible as St. Pauls domefrom Westminster Bridge. It is almost impossible to believe that Mr.Stanley could have permitted himself to speakthus of Sir S. Baker in view of his own ex-perience. In Through the Dark Continent, vol. i.p. 438 (1878), he says: The opposite coast wasthe high ridge of Usongora, which I should judgeto be about 15 miles distant. At the place ofwhich he is here speaking, Mr. Stanley must havebeen within 25 miles of Kuwenzori; yet it isquite obvious that in Stanleys own map, the sitewhere the mountain ought to be is covered witha lake. Mr. Stanley then was himself within 25 mile?of the mountain, without suspecting the presenceof anything but a ridge ; yet he quarrels with SirS. Baker for not

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