"The dream was to have steamships navigating up & down the Nile. Egyptian-sponsored expeditions were launched to find the source of the Nile, first travelling through Sudan and reaching the cataract at Juba around 1842."
"Knowledge of East Africa's lakes had long been in the possession of Arab traders coming from the south, particularly Zanzibar. These traders had penetrated deep into the interior in search of new sources of slaves."
"There remained speculation that the lakes might all be part of a single inland sea called Unyamwezi. If navigable waterways could be found and mapped, this would greatly help the Europeans to establish new trade relations."
In the early 19th century, the source of the Nile River remained unknown to Europeans due to diseases like malaria. The introduction of quinine allowed explorers to venture further into Africa. Egyptian-sponsored expeditions aimed to locate the Nile's source, particularly the White Nile, which led to East Africa's lakes. Arab traders had long known about these lakes, and Europeans were eager to map navigable waterways to establish trade relations and exploit Africa's resources.
Read at World History Encyclopedia
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]