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: CHAPTER VI. The Subject continued— Course of the River Niger, at large—has no Communication with the Nile— Ptolemy's Description of it consistent. T h e coursé o f the Niger (or Joliba) as we have seen, is established, by ocular demonstration, as far as Silla; and may, T conceive, b& admitted, as far as Houssa, about 400 miles.farther to the east, on the foundation o f the information collected by Mr. Park; since it agrees with the ideas communicated to Mr. Beaufoy, by an intelligent Moorish merchant, who had navigated the river: and as it agrees no less with the report o f.M r . Magrah, obtained from Moorish merchants at T u n is ; and o f Major Houghton from 'Bambouk. Thus, the first 700 G. miles o f its course are froni W e s t to E a s t ; o r rather from W SW to E N E . There remains then, a space o f more than double that distance, between Houssa and the nearest part o f the Egyptian Nile, near Dongola : and yet more, to the known parts o f the White river, o r Abiad, the SW branch o f the Nile. I shall divide the matter respecting the course o f this river, into three heads. 1. Respecting the continuity o f its waters, from Houssa on the west, to Wangara on the east; without regard to the direction o f the stream. 2. Respecting the positive direction o f the stream. And, 3, concerning its termination. 1. Respecting the Continuity of its Waters. Edrisi gives the most positive information concerning the course o f the Niger, or Nile o f the Negroes, from east to west; deriving it from the same lake through which the Egyptian Nile passes; and describing it to terminate at 16 journies west o f Sala (that is, a little to the west o f the position occupied by Tombuctoo); and near the supposed island o f Ulil before mentioned.* He thus cuts o ff about 1000 miles o f the breadth o f Africa. This * Page 7 of Edrisi. was an,error common to all tbe ancient geographers, as well as to those o f Arab ia : for Ptolemy places the mouth o f the Senegal river only two degrees more to the west, than Edrisi doe’s that o f the.Niger.. ■ Abiilfeda.believed, with Edrisi,! that the Niger had a,common source with the Nile, and ran westward.* rir®wf • It is certain, that these opinions furnish no proofs o f continuity o f cou rse : but it may be supposed that there was some foundation for them; especially as Edrisi says, that salt was carried upon the Niger in boats from the island o f GUI, and distributed to the people on its banks, from Sala to Wangara, and Kauga.t Mr. Matra was told J that from Kabra, the port o f Tombuctoo, “ people sometimes travelled along tbe river the space o f 40 days, to Ginny (Ghana) a large city,” &c. Th e Moorish merchant, with whom Mr. Beaufoy conversed, and whom he speaks o f as a clear and intelligent man, says, “ That the country o f Guinea o r Ginny, is on the same river with Houssa.” ' (Mr. Beaufoy’s .MSS.) -Edrisi, besides mentioning the cities o f Sala, Tokrur, Berissa, Ghana, and Ghanara, all o f which he says are situated on the Niger, remarks that the country of Wangara, to which-Ghanara belongs,, i& surrounded by that river, j as it would appear by means o f a subdivision o f its waters; for Gatterer says, that Ghanara, one o f its cities, stands on the western arm o f the Guin,.j| by. which name he mentions the.Niger; o f which more presently. N ow , as Wangara extends, according to Edrisi, 300 Arabic miles along the river,** this extent, together with, the distance of, ^Vangara from Ghana, eight journies,ft, or 132 miles, makes up 436. G. miles o f the course o f this river, eastward from Ghana; which being itself 500 miles east o f Houssa, there will be 969 miles in direct distance, traced eastward o f Houssa: or on the whole, as Houssa is 700 miles below the source, about 1670 G . * Article Soudan. f Edrisi, p. 7. j Mr. Beaufoy’s MSS. § Edrisi, p. 7, x i, and 12. || Hartmann’s Edrisi, p. 48. notes. *» Edrisi, p. xi. : t t IE P- 11.


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