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 published ‘Inner Africa laid open, in an attempt to trace the chief lines of communication across that continent south of the Equator.’ In this work, almost exclusively based upon Portuguese and native authorities, he maintained that there existed but one great lake in Central Africa, and that the snowy mountains alleged to have been seen by Krapf and Rehmann were myths. His protest against the existence of snowy mountains was repeated even after Von der Decken and Thornton's return from the Kilimanjaro in 1863, and as late as 1864 he insisted upon the Nyassa and Tanganyika forming one continuous lake. Although the progress of geographical discoveries in Africa upset many of his pet theories, he has the credit of being the first to deal in a scientific spirit with questions which have since been solved by actual observations (Athenæum, 10 March 1883, p. 315). In these discussions he distinguished himself by the vigour of his style of writing and his mastery of the literature of African geography. He was also a good linguist, and had perfected his acquaintance with Ki-Swahili, the lingua franca of Eastern Africa, by taking lessons from an intelligent native of Zanzibar, whom accident had brought to the port of London.

For many years he lived quite alone in humble lodgings in London, supported almost solely by the civil list pension of 100l., granted to him in 1859. He died on 1 March 1883.

Beside, the works already noticed and some treatises on geometry he published: 1. ‘The Negroland of the Arabs examined and explained; or, an Inquiry into the early History and Geography of Central Africa,’ Lond. 1841, 8vo. 2. An edition of ‘Larcher's Notes on Herodotus,’ 2 vols. 1844. 3. ‘The World surveyed in the XIX Century; or Recent Narratives of Scientific and Exploratory Expeditions translated, and, where necessary, abridged,’ 2 vols. Lond. 1845–8, 8vo. 4. ‘Sir Francis Drake, his Voyage, 1595, by Thomas Maynarde,’ edited from the original manuscripts for the Hakluyt Society, 1849. 5. ‘Claudius Ptolemy and the Nile; or an inquiry into that geographer's real merits and speculative errors, his knowledge of Eastern Africa, and the authenticity of the Mountains of the Moon,’ Lond. 1854, 8vo. 6. ‘Dr. Livingstone's Reise vom Fluss Liambey nach Loanda in 1853–4 kritisch und kommentarisch beleuchtet,’ 1855. 7. ‘The Memoir on the Lake Regions of East Africa reviewed,’ Lond. 1864, 8vo. In reply to Capt. R. Burton's letter in the ‘Athenæum,’ No. 1899. 8. ‘Dr. Livingstone and the Royal Geographical Society,’ Lond. 1874, 8vo. 9. ‘Physical Geography, or the Terraqueous Globe and its Phenomena,’ Lond. 1876, 8vo. A thoroughly original work.

He also contributed several memoirs to the ‘Journal of the Royal Geographical Society,’ and a series of controversial articles on African subjects to the ‘Athenæum’ (, Fifty Years' Work of the Royal Geogr. Soc. pp. 233).



COOLING or COLING, RICHARD (d. 1697), clerk of the privy council, became secretary to the Earl of Manchester on that nobleman's being appointed lord chamberlain in 1660, and, being with the earl at Oxford when he was incorporated M.A. (8 Sept. 1665), received the same degree from the university. He was apparently on intimate terms with Pepys, to whom when in liquor he was communicative on the subject of the relations of the king with Lady Castlemaine, and other court gossip. He also acted as secretary to the Earl of Arlington during his tenure of the office of lord chamberlain (1674–80). On 21 Feb. 1688–9 he was sworn clerk of the privy council in ordinary. He died on 19 June 1697. Wood says that he ‘was originally, as it seems, of All Souls' College.’ He is described as Dr. Richard Cooling in the ‘Cal. State Papers’ (Dom. 1667), p. 28.



COOMBES, ROBERT (1808–1860), champion sculler, was born at Vauxhall, Surrey, in 1808, and as a waterman at an early age commenced life on the Thames. In height he was about 5 feet 7 inches, and his rowing weight was generally under 9 stone. Constantly matched against men his superiors in strength and size, he by his superior skill, tact, and attentive training almost always proved victorious in the long run. His first public race was for the Duke of Northumberland's purse of sovereigns on 4 July 1836. His principal sculling matches were against Kipping, Kelly, Jack Phelps, Campbell, Tom Mackinning, Henry Clasper, and Tom Cole, and his most important oars' race was rowed with his brother as partner against the two Claspers. In sculling he beat J. Phelps, F. Godfrey, George Campbell, and the majority of the best men. On 3 Oct. 1838 he beat J. Kelly from Westminster to Putney, but the latter meeting with a slight accident, and doubts being expressed as to the nature of the victory, the two men raced again on the following day, when Kelly was beaten easily. This was the first right-