—The nomenclature of the tributaries of the Nile is difficult to follow. In this book I shall call the river the Victoria Nile from Lake Victoria to Lake Albert; the Albert Nile from Lake Albert to the Sobat mouth (this reach is known generally as the Bahr el Gebel); the White Nile from the Sobat mouth to Khartoum; and the Nile from Khartoum to the sea. The Blue Nile stretches from Lake Tsana in Abyssinia to Khartoum.
3. Description of the course of the Nile.
—[Chapters II] and [III] contain detailed descriptions of the Nile and its main tributaries, and this paragraph is a short epitome of what is written there about the course of the Nile. The Nile drains nearly the whole of north-eastern Africa, an area comprising 3 million square kilometres. Its main tributary, the White Nile, has its furthest sources in south latitude 4°, near Lake Tanganyika. Known as the Kagera, it is one of the feeders of Lake Victoria, and has a course of 600 kilometres before it reaches the lake. Lake Victoria, covering 60,000 square kilometres, is the first reservoir of the Nile. The Victoria Nile leaves Lake Victoria by the Ripon Falls and after a course of 400 kilometres enters Lake Albert at its northern corner. At its southern end Lake Albert is fed by the Semliki river which has its sources in Lake Edward. Its own area is 4,500 square kilometres. The Albert Nile leaves Lake Albert at its northern end and has a course of 1280 kilometres to the mouth of the Sobat river. Of this length, the first 200 kilometres up to Dufile have scarcely any slope, the next 150 kilometres are down a series of severe cataracts. From the foot of these cataracts to its tail the Albert Nile has a gentle slope and traverses the Sudd region where the bed of the stream is often barred by blocks of living vegetation. In this latter region the stream divides into two, of which the right hand one is known as the Bahr Zeraf. After a course of 270 kilometres the Bahr Zeraf joins the Albert Nile again. In the interval the Albert Nile receives as a left-hand feeder the Bahr Gazelle. The Sobat river has its sources in Gallaland and joins the Albert Nile at the termination of the Sudd region. From the junction of the Albert Nile and the Sobat, the river is known as the White Nile, which, after a course of 840 kilometres, with an exceedingly gentle slope, joins the Blue Nile at Khartoum.
PLATE I.
Lith. Sur. Dep. Cairo.
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THE NILE
The Blue Nile is the true parent of the land of Egypt. The deposits of its muddy waters have made Egypt. The Atbara has added its quota, but the Blue Nile is incomparably the chief contributor; fed by the timely and plentiful rains of southern and south-eastern Abyssinia, it contributes 65 per cent of the waters which pass Assuân. The furthest sources are those of the Abai, which, after a course of 110 kilometres falls into Lake Tsana. This lake has an area of 3,000 square kilometres and lies about 1,760 metres above sea level. The Blue Nile leaves it at its south-eastern corner and hurries down to the Sudan, fed by numerous Abyssinian rivers. At Rosaires, after a course of 750 kilometres, it has fallen 1,260 metres; and below the Rosaires cataract enters the plain country south of Khartoum. For its remaining 615 kilometres on to Khartoum, where it meets the White Nile, it is navigable for the greater part of the year. North of Sennaar it is fed by the Dinder and Rahad rivers.
Between Khartoum and El Damer, on a length of 320 kilometres, the Nile has its even passage broken by the 6th cataract at Shabluka. At El Damer the Nile receives the Atbara as a right hand tributary.