From the known caution and accuracy of Mr. Browne, this line
becomes an important acquisition : and in respect of the place of the
head of the White River, his information is corroborated generally,
by that collected by Ledyard and Maillet, at Cairo. In other parts of
his geography, he is corroborated by the recent information of Mr.
Horneman ; by the notices in Edrisi ; by Maillet ; and even by
Bruce himself.
It is unnecessary to enter into any details, respecting this geography,
which is already before the public, in his excellent book of
Travels, which furnishes an important part of the subject now
before the reader ; particularly what respects the head of the White
River, (that is, the Nile;) and, by implication, what concerns the
termination of the Niger also.
In the selection of materials from the map made by Mr. Browne,
from his own observations and inquiries, I have scrupulously adhered
to the map itself, (except in the single instance of the position of
the capital of Bornou ;) on a supposition that he had well compared
and weighed the authorities for the différent reports of bearings and
distances ; and thence formed a better'result than could be done by
any other person. But I have added from his Appendix, some intermediate
routes, and positions, which he judged proper to omit in
his map.
He informs us, that he determined by inquiries, that proved satisfactory,
the distance of the Nile from Selimé ; whence it appears,
that although the position of the great cataract, as well as those of
Moscho, and of Dongola, taken on the authority of Mr. Bruce,
ought to come somezvbat more to the south or south-west ; yet that,
in a general point of view, the agreement is closer than could have
been expected. The same may be said of Sennaar, in respect of
Darfoor; Mr. Browne being satisfied, that the interval of distance
between them, agreed to the observations; the one being determined
by Mr. Bruce, the other by himself. Mr. D’Anvilie had placed
Sennaar nearly four degrees of longitude too far to the west, in his
map of Africa, 1749.*
It may be observed, that between Egypt and Darfoor, no waters
whatsoever communicate with the Nile, from the west: and that
Mr. Browne was assured, that the same state of things existed to
the south, between Darfoor and the head of the White River. So far
indeed, from any water running to the east in that quarter, he was
told (and the fact is corroborated in part by others,) that the waters
to the west and south-west of Darfoor, all ran to the west or
north-west.
Mr. Browne relates, from the information of the people at Darfoor,
that the head of the White River consists of a number of
streams, issuing from certain lofty mountains named Kumri, or
Komri, situated in a country named Donga, distant a month’s journey
from Shilluk; which is itself 3 a days short of Sennaar: so
that the remotest spring of the White River may be 45 joumies
from Sennaar. Now, some of the slaves brought in the Darfoorian
.caravan to Cairo, told Mr. Ledyard that they came from a place xk
* Mr. Bruce describes a chain of mountains, extending westward from the Abys-
synian branch of the Nile, between the n th and 12th degree o f riorth latitude ; and
having to the north Dyre and Itgla. As these places are recognised in Browne's
routes,p. 463, under the names o f Deir and Tuggala, situated in a mountainous region,
I have described the ridge above-mentioned, to run to the W N W instead of west.
These places, as well as ffarraza and Lcbeit, (meant for Ibeit,) are placed very
much too far to the west of Sennaar, in the map of Mr. Bruce, Vol. V .
Y