N ile (o f w hich, in our idea, there does not appear a shadow o f probability) they must either b e evaporated in lakes, or lost in sands. T h e la k e o f K a u g a offers itse lf in a position v e r y convenient fo r the purpose, and a riv er taken b y Edrisi fo r the N ig e r , is actually said to pass near it . I t has also been shewn, that in the idea o f Edrisi, the K a u g a la k e communicated with d ie western w a te r s : but whether this is true, o r otherwise, it is n o t possible to decide. I do not pretend to fo llow Ptolemy in his description o f the rivers in the interior o f A fr ic a , with that precision which M . D ’A n v ille has attempted : but tbis circumstance is clear enough, that he describes them to terminate as well as to begin, within the continent. T h e same is to be said o f A g a - themerus. I t is apparent, that P to lem y has carried the head o f the N ig e r seven degrees to o fa r to the north, and ab o u t four, o r more, to o far to the w e s t: as also that his inland positions in A fr ic a , as well along the N ig e r , as at a distance from it, are yet more to the west o f the truth. B u t notwithstanding this geographical error, he p ro v e s that he knew many facts relating to the descr iptive part o f the su b je c t. F o r instance, he places the so u rce o f the N ig e r , at the mountains o f Ma n d ru s , and amongst the nation o f the Man— dori. I t has been seen, that the J o lib a rises in the country adjacent to Manding. H e marks also a la rge adjunct to the N ig e r , from amongst the M a u ra liy in the south, answering to the r iv e r from M a le l (o r M e lli) in E d r is i. T o these may be added another particular o f agreement. T h e Capbas mountains o f P to lem y seem meant fo r those o f Ka ffa ba , a co u n try 9 o r 10 journies to the eastward o f K o n g ; 18 short o f A ssentai (o r A shantee) hear the C o as t o f G u in ea ,* B u t I have a doubt where to p lac e P to lem y ’s metropolis o f N ig r itia , in modern geo graph y . His ideas, howe v e r, corroborate in the strongest manner, the present system o f geography. Am o n g s t the eastern waters, the G ir o f P to lemy , seems to b e recognized in the riv er o f B o rn o u , and its adjuncts i the N ig e r , in that o f T om b u e to o and Wang ara . T h e P a n a g ra o f the same geographer answers to W a n - g a ra; and his L y bia P a lu s , which forms the termination o f the N ig e r , * Af. Assoc. 1790, ch-xii. eastward, seems to b e meant, either fo r the largest o f the lakes, or fo r the lakes o f that country (o f which there are several), collectively. I t is no impeachment o f this opin ion , that the L ib y a P a lu s is p laced so far to the west as the meridian o f Carthage, whilst the lakes o f W a n g a ra appear to be in that o f C y r e n e : for P tolemy carries the r iv e r G ir , and the capital o f the country which represents Bdrrio'u, in to the centre o f A f r i c a ; b y which he has shortened the course o f the N ig e r , in the same proportion as he had e x tended that o f the G ir , o r W ad-a l-G ^ ze l. M o d e rn geographers, to the time o f D ’ A p v ille , w ere guilty o f the same k in d p f e r ro r : G h an a is a b o u t 6° too fa r west, in D e lis le ’ s map, ; r • I t may b e best to omit any farther remarks on Ptolemy, at present, and to wait the result o f future discoveries. In the mean time, those who are curipus to read M . D 'A n y i l le ’s Memo ir on the s u b je c t ,o f “ th e ,R iy e rs in thednterit^ of, A f r ic a ,’ ’ w ilf find it in the Mem. A cad . Inscrip. V o l . x^cyi.
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