m iles o f w ater-course from the head o f the N ig e r , ab ov e Manding, to the «astern ex trem ity o f W a n g a r a ! In addition to these authorities, I may state from L e o , that the people o f T om b u c to o co n v e y their merchandize in boats (or rather candes) to Ginea , by the N ig e r : and that at K a b ra they embark for- M e lli, also. B u t it.is proper t o be noticed, that he s a y s (p . 24 9 ), that this communication with G in e a takes p la c e in the rainy season only (J u ly , Augus t, September), which would imply a deficiency o f water fo r nav iga tion , at other seasons.* L e o , however, c e r ta in ly never Saw the Niger, although he Seems to report himself an eye-Witness o f man y particulars relating to it . H is intelligence is therefore often to be suspected} though it has prob ably happened, that being regarded as an original author, instead o f a compiler, he has giv en weight to the systems o f E d r is i and A b u lfed a , respecting the course o f the N ig e r . G a t te r e r , as I havehinted b e fo re , calls die N ig e r , G u in , as well as T o k ru r and/Ghana, as-at W a n g a r a .t N ow we learn from M r . Park, that the northern branch o f the N iger, a b o v e T om b u c to o , passes b y the town o f Jin b a la , and co lle c t also from L a b a t, that it is named the riv er o f G u in : and here we h a v e the same name ex ten ded e v en to W a n g a r a ; a presumptive, p ro o f o f the prolonga tion o f th e same r iv e r ! E d risi speaks of. the same N ig e r , o r N ile o f the Negroes, J also, at K a u g a , 10 jo u rn ie s to the east o f W a n g a r a ; from which we co lle c t that he must h av e supposed, that this emanation o f the E g yp tian N ile (as he supposed it to be) first ran to the north, and then turned to the west, through N ig r itia . A n d if. any consequenc e can b e deduced from his a c co u n t o f the con v e yan c e o f salt, a lon g the N ig e r to K a u g a , where the catalogue o f p la c e s supplied, ends, w e should conclude that he supposed the navigable part o f the r iv e r, ended at K a u g a . A lth o u gh there can be no question that a riv e r named N ile (or rather N e e l) , passes through the quarter o f K a u g a , A n g im i, & c . since E d r is i, * I f this report of Leo has any particular meaning, and as the river in question carries a great body of water at all seasons, one must suppose that there arefalls or rapids, in the river, when in its low state. Time may discover. f Hartmann, p. 32, 48, 51. J Edrisi, p .y and 13. A bu lfed a, and L e o , speak o f it, y e t it w ould be advancing to o far within the region o f conjecture, in this p la c e , to attempt to decide whether it has any communication with the western waters. I shall therefore reserve this discussion till the last; that it m a y not b e allowed to have any weight in the decision o f the great quesdon concerning the continuity and direction o f the N ig e r . H a v in g therefore, as I co n c e iv e , established the fact o f a continuation o f the waters from M a n d in g to W an g a ra , I shall n ext p ro c e ed to inquire into the authorities fo r the d ire c tion o f the stream. g . The D ir e c tio n o f the Course o f the N ig e r . O c u la r demonstration has shewn, that its course is to the eastward, as far as S illa : and no reasonable doubt can be entertained that it continues the same course to H ou ssa , 400 miles farther to th e eastward, ev en i f the information commun ica ted to M r . P a rk , could be doub ted. F o r the M o o r ish merchant b e fo re quo ted, to ld M r . B eau fo y , that he had him se lf descended the J o lib a , from K a b ra to Houssa, although he had fo rg o t the e x a c t number o f days employed in the n a v ig a tio n ; and whether it was 8 o r 10 days, (M r . P a rk was told 1 1 ) . , B u t one circumstance dwelt on his mind; which was, that “ b y the fa v o u r o f a brisk wind, they returned to K ab ra , against the stream, in as short an interval as they went down.” (T h is is n o new fac t to those who are accustomed to inland navigations, even o f the natural kind.) T h e same M o o r added, “ that from Hou ssa , g o in g s t ill with the stream, boats went to J in n e e * and G h in e a ; n ear the latter o f which was the sea, into which the N e e l (o r N ig e r ) discharged itself.” T h a t this G h in e a lies to the eastward o f Hou ssa and T om b u c to o , has b een already sh ew n ; and that at the distance o f 40 lan d journ ies . Edrisi says that th e navigation from G h an a to T i r k a (which latter is in the wa y to W ang arS , admitted b y the same authority to lie to the east o f G h an a t) * It is certain that one city o f Jinne or Jinnee stands above Tombuctoo and Houssa. f Edrisi, p . 9, 11, and ix. k
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