We must consider the interior of Africa as a vast plateau traversed by mountain chains. The only lowland known to lie within the interior is the section about Lake Tchad.
If we look upon the map of Africa, we shall find that the principal mountain systems are known as the Atlas, the reputed Mountains of the Moon, the Snow, Kong, Crystal, Cameroon, and Lupata.
The Atlas Mountains give character to the Barbary States of Morocco and Algeria. The Mountains of the Moon are supposed to run from south to north, parallel to the eastern coast, and to form the southern continuation of the Abyssinian table-land. The Snow Mountains are found in the southern part of the continent, stretching through Cape Colony. The Kong Mountains, though outlined upon the map, according to the celebrated English geographer, Keith Johnston, of the Royal Geographical Society, do not exist. We shall read his descriptions of mountain systems later on. It is well to take more than one view of any subject.
The Crystal and Cameroon Mountains stretch along the western border, though at some distance from the coast line, while the Lupata Mountains are found in the region of the Zambesi. But let us look more minutely at these mountain systems, as described by Mr. Johnston.
Beginning at the extreme northeastern corner of Africa, the land suddenly rises west of Suez, at the southern end of the ship canal, to a height of twenty-six hundred feet. Following this, an abrupt chain of heights extends along the western shores of the Red Sea, till the high edge of the Abyssinian highland is reached, seven thousand to eight thousand feet above sea level.
Farther to the south, on the margin of the plateau, rise snow-capped Kenia, eighteen thousand feet, and Kilimanjaro, eighteen thousand seven hundred feet, between the Indian Ocean and the Great Lake region.
Still farther south rise the Livingstone Mountains, to the height of eleven thousand feet, walling in Lake Nyassa. Farther south still rise the steep and wall-like Drachenberg Mountains, to face the Indian Ocean and to round to the terraces which form Cape Colony.
"Turning the high Cape of Good Hope to the Atlantic margin, the same terraced ascents from the sea coast to the borders of the interior present themselves, all along the western side of the continent, from Cape Colony to the head of the Bight of Biafra.
"Round the Guinea coast, beyond the low delta of the Niger, as far as Cape Verd, the plateau edge approaches the coast only at intervals, but the supposed Kong Mountains do not exist.
"In Morocco, the bordering maritime heights are taken up again by the Atlas range, and are continued along the Mediterranean by the plateau of Barbary, by the ranges called the Black Mountains of Tripoli, and by the heights of Barca, farther east, out again to the delta of the Nile."