Page:Africa by Élisée Reclus, Volume 3.djvu/501





CONGO BASIN.

HE great river whose waters colour the sea far beyond the Cabinda coast, takes its rise thousands of miles from its mouth on the Atlantic, its farthest headstreams having their source much nearer the Indian than the Western Ocean. During its long course, describing a vast semicircle through the interior of the continent, it receives diverse names from the riverain populations, all, however, having probably the same meaning of "Moving Sea," or "Great Water." The first navigators hailed it as the Poderoso, or "Mighty Stream," but afterwards learnt from the natives the term Zaire (Nzadi), still current amongst the Portuguese.

After his memorable expedition across the continent, Stanley proposed the name of Livingstone in honour of his illustrious forerunner; but the proposition was not adopted, and the name of Congo, which was also that of the empire, which in the sixteenth century comprised a portion of the western basin, has finally prevailed in geographical nomenclature. The same name has also been taken by the recently founded State, whose frontiers have already been traced, partly in the presumed direction of the water-partings, or along the course of the river itself or of its affluents, partly according to the meridians and parallels of latitude. But a great part of the vast domain thus defined on the map of Africa still remains to be discovered, while the course of the great artery itself has been known only for a few years.

During the three centuries following their first discoveries on the African seaboard, the Portuguese acquired a detailed knowledge only of the immediate coastlands. Nevertheless numerous expeditions had been sent inland, both in search of gold and to bring the inhabitants under the sway of the king of Portugal and also to discover that mysterious "Prester John" who had been vainly sought in the heart of Asia. During these expeditions it was ascertained that the Zaire had its rise in the depths of Africa, and that great lakes existed about the region