Manding j a state o f things perhaps, little expected, in a co u n try regarded here, as the most thirsty on the globe.* W e may conclude that similar circumstances take place, with respect to the J o lib a ; o n ly that as its course is such as to intercept all the streams that descend from the K o n g mountains on the south, whilst M r . P a rk ’s travels along^ it, were confined to the northern bank, he had no opportunity o f knowing it , any farther than b y seeing various openings on that s id e ; and b y being told that he could not possibly make h is way there. N o doubt, it receives some large streams also, when its course d iv erges far enough from the mountains as to allow the waters room to c o lle c t A t the lowest point to which M r . Pa rk traced it, and whrch (although ab out 420 British miles in dire c t distance from its source) co u ld only be re ck o n ed the ear ly part o f its course, it was a v e ry considerable body o f w a te r ; the largest, he says, that he had seen (in A fr ica ,) and i t abounded with crocodiles. T h e rainy season was but ju s t b egu n ; and the riv er might have been forded at Sego, where its bed expands to a vast breadth. Still, howe v e r, w e must not estimate the b u lk o f the N ig e r , that Niger which was in the contemplation o f P lin y and the Romans, b y the measure o f its b u lk at Sego , and S il la .t I f we suppose it to be the same r iv e r which passes b y Kassina (and we know o f no other), which place is 700 miles, o r more, to the eastward o f Silla, it would doubtless re c e iv e b y the w a y grea t additional supplies o f w ater, and be at least a much deeper r iv e r than where Mr. P a rk saw it. A n d here it may not b e amiss to remark, fo r the use o f those who • There is in Africa, a rainy season; and also a periodical change o f wind, as in the same latitudes in India: in effect, a M o n s o o n . f It may be conceived that the Romans, who, according to Pliny, (lib. v. 4.), held the dominion o f the countries as far as the Niger, penetrated to it by the route'of Gadamis, Fezzan, Taboo, and Kassina, as the most direct, and convenient one; from the Mediterranean. There are very clear proofs of the conquest o f the three former by Balbus. (Pliny, lib. v. 5.) It was known to Pliny that the NigeF swelled periodically like the Nile, and at the same season; which we have also in proof from Major Houghton’s Report; and from Mr. Park’s Observations. Pliny says, moreover, that its productions were the same with those of the Nile. (Lib. v. c. 8.) are not conversant with the subject, that rivers make the greatest display o f their waters, in proportion to their bu lk , at a moderate distance from their sources f and are often wider above, than belowi* T h e r e can be no doubt but that the Jolika^ Is a .noble stream; and the p rince o f the western rivers <of A frica ,: a s th e N i le o f the eastern:: but the A fr ican rivers, however, rank low e r than those-,of A s ja and Am e r ica . , Mr. Pa rk ju d g ed that the Senegal riv er below the falls o f F 'low , or F e lo u (as L a b a t writes it), was about the b u lk o f the Tweed, at Melrops, in summer. T h is was indeed, in th e dry season; but as the .river does n o t begin to swell p eriodica lly till many months after that, M r. P a rk , did not o f cpurse see it, at its ioWest-pitch. And, y e t this Was the assemblage o f alj the principal b ra n ch e so f the r iv e r, save the Faleme, which W9S itself about three fe e t deep at the same season. B u t the Senega l is ev en forcjable ln some places the co n flu x o f the Faleme,Recording<to f.ab,at: £ fo r the M o o p cross it in the d ry sdason^ and commit depredations o n some o f the lands to the south. H ow e v e r , almost the whole p£ the towns and villa ges are p laced on the south ride, w ith a v iew o f being in security fo r the longest possible term. T h e Senegal riv er then, is b y no means a v e r y capital stream, e x cep t in the * In the. F f oeepdings ,pf,{he African Association,. (Q^ pr 122; O. 183, et seq.) the .river o f Kassina is 'described to run to the westf and to pass on io Tombuctoo; where it is said to be named Gnewa; possibly intended for Johbh/for the n and' / are more commonly interchanged than the m and n. % It *will very probably turn out thatithere is ah -error in-the above statement, and. that it runs from, Wto_,E in ithepppntry of,Kassina as .well as atvTofobufifoQ/.v.I^Wpnld seem dlsp to be a larger riwer jn.tke fiajti than in the w,est; }i presui,nption in fayopr o f an easterly cpurse. But perhaps, the best argument is, that it certainly runs from Tombuctoo to the east. It must’tHen eitlier'lje one 'and the saipe river, or there must be a receptacle common to both, lying between Tombuctoo and Kassina! and we have not heard of any such. Much more will be said concerning this subject, in-the latter part of -the Memoir. 4 See Labat,^ol. ii. p. 172, where the impediments tothe navigation.^re described. They do not appear to arise from differences in the general level, but to a ledge o f rocks. J Abderachman Aga calls it Giilbij (pi* Julbge).. Hartmann’s Edrjsi, quarto ed. p. 22. It is incumbent on me to acknowledge, the obligation s i owe to M. Hartmann, for his arrangement of the matter pf Edrisi’ s Africa ; and for his irivaluabU' Elucidations, and Notes. C
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