situation between two such ranges of mountains, it may be
presumed, that the plain is of great elevation; and from
the report of the' Arabic interpreter, supported by Mr;
Park’s account of Kaniaba or Kancaba, there is reason to
believe, that the Niger is navigable through it, to a considerable
distance westward. The information received by
Mr. Park at Kamalia may still have been correct: one of
the principal streams, forming the Niger, may have its
source at the place described to him; another may flow
down this plain from the westward, collecting in its course
all the streams that run from the south side of the mountains
which give birth to the Senegal, and from the northern
declivity of the Kong mountains. In this way we have no
difficulty in accounting for the magnitude of the Niger at
Bammakoo; which we have already observed that it is
impossible to do, by the course hitherto assigned to i t ;
especially when it is considered that that course is nearly
at a right angle with the Kong mountains, and consequently
a great part of it through the plain, where it is not likely to
receive much additional supply.
I f these conjectures be well founded, it would seem that
our pursuit should be, instead of endeavouring to. perform
the difficult, dangerous, and expensive operation of transporting
a caravan to the remote station of Bammakoo; to
search for the nearest point to the westward, at which the
Niger is navigable; that we may commence our discoveries
ahd trade by navigation as near as possible to the Western
Ocean. With this view, the Gambia should be immediately
occupied by this country; and indeed this, under any
circumstances, would seem to be a wise measure, that we
may not, at the moment that our discoveries begin to lead
to results of value, find,that the right of navigating that river
is disputed with us by the prior establishment of some
rival and more active European nation.
An establishment should then be formed as high up that
river as its navigation, and the state of the country will
permit; and from this point, there could be no great difficulty
or expense in sending a mission into the interior, to
the south-east, to seek for the sources of the Niger, and the
extent of its navigation to the westward. Nor can there be
any question upon the possibility of establishing a settlement
high up in the Gambia, from whence to commence
our discoveries, after the example of the French Fort of St.
Joseph at Galam on the Senegal. Galam is 150 leagues in
a direct line from the mouth of the Senegal, or by the
course of the river 350 leagues.* The fort was many years
in the possession of the French; and at the time its garrison
was removed after the capture of Senegal by this country
in the year 1763, the officer in charge of it had been
stationed there twenty-four years, the next in command
sixteen, and others-very long periods: the natives were
so far from from shewing any hostile disposition to the
French trade upon the river, that they gave to it every
*- T h e se distances are given according to a most b eautiful an d correct C h a rt
o f th e R iv e r Senegal, drawn from an actual survey, which was in th e possession
o f the gentleman here alluded to as h aving been in the government o f Senegal,
an d was ta k en from him by th e F ren ch , b y whom h e was cap tu red on a voyage
to Eng lan d .