Tableau Indiquant la Longueur des Principaux Fleuves et la Hauteur de Quelques Chutes

Decorative mid-19th century comparison chart of the world’s longest rivers and waterfalls.

This elaborate diagram was prepared by Jean Denis Barbie du Bocage for inclusion in Maison Basset’s Atlas Illustre. The copperplate engraving was designed to be a comparative illustration of the longest rivers and largest waterfalls of each continent.

The source and relative length of each river is presented in the center table, flanked by waterfalls presented once again at relative heights to one another. Note the question mark for the Nile’s source – it wouldn’t be until 1858 that John Speke would find Lake Victoria, the origin of the White Nile. The table covering the lower third of the image provides the height and location of the tallest waterfalls, as well as the countries through which each river travels, its length and the location of its mouth.

The length of the three longest rivers, the Nile, Amazon and Yangtze, are underestimated by nearly 2,000 kilometres each!