It appears certain then, that the ground declines, from the quarter of Darfoor, towards the interior of Africa, to the north-west and west: and the descriptions of Edrisi, (page 13,) go equally to prove that the ground also declines from the NE to SW, towards the lake of Fittré; because he describes the river of Kuku to run southward.[56]
The same must be understood of the river of the Antelopes, or Wad-el-Gazel, which is marked by Mr. Browne, (p. 465,) at two journies to the NW of the lake Fittré; and by Mr. Beaufoy at the distance of one journey from the capital of Bournu. Mr. Horneman indeed was told, that the Wad-el-Gazel was not a river, but a fruitful and well inhabited valley. It is probably both: that is, a fertile valley, with a river running through it. Hence we must suppose the Wad-el-Gazel to be another river that falls into the lake Fittré, from the north; and consequently, the lake itself, to be the receptacle of the eastern waters of the interior of North Africa.
Edrisi places Semegonda at ten journies to the westward or SW of Kauga, (our Fittré,) and within the country of Wangara, which is entirely surrounded by the branches of the Niger, and periodically inundated by its waters: and it is clear that he believed, that there was a water communication between Wangara and Kauga; because he says, (p. 7.) that salt was conveyed all along the Niger, eastward to that point. It may be remarked, that Horneman says, that the people of Fittré (Kauga) have no salt, but what they obtain from vegetable substances.[57]
If there be, as Edrisi says, (page 7,) a water communication between Kauga and Wangara, (no matter which way the water runs), the fact of a common level, would, of course, be proved; and then it must be admitted to be highly improbable, that any part of the course of the White River, southward of Darfoor, should be on a lower level, than the lake of Fittré. But, perhaps, some may doubt the authority of Edrisi, in this point; and possibly, the more so, since he says, that the Niger runs to the west.
But placing this circumstance out of the question, and leaving the facts set forth by Mr. Browne and Mr. Horneman, to speak for themselves, it may be asked,
1. Whether it is probable that the Niger, after running about 2250 British miles in direct distance from its source, should not have arrived at a lower level, than that of the countries adjacent to the heads of the Nile?[58]
2. Whether the course of the Misselâd river, from the south of Darfoor, is not almost directly contrary to that which the Niger should take from Wangara, in order to join the White River?
3. Whether the course of the waters, to the west of Darfoor, and of the head of the White River, are not also reported to run towards the quarter that contains the Niger, instead of coming from it? and are they not said to run through a wet marshy country; whilst that to the east, in the line between Fittré and the White River, is high and mountainous?[59]
4. Has not the country of Wangara, &c. like that of Fittré, the character of an alluvial tract, inundated by the periodical floods of the Niger, to the extent of more than 350 British miles in length, by more than 170 in breadth: and has not both that and Gana, large fresh water lakes in the dry season?[60] May not so great an extent of surface, suffice for the evaporation of the waters of the Niger; as we have already an instance of the kind in Persia, in which the Heermend, a river of more than 400 miles length of course, is evaporated in less than ¹⁄₂₀ part of the surface of the inundation formed in Wangara?[61] I now return to the general geography.
Mr. Horneman, in describing the position of the southern states, speaks of Wadey, bordering on the west of Darfoor; then Metko, west, (or rather NW) of Wadey; both of which are watered by the river which flows from Darfoor to the lake Fittré, (i. e. the Misselâd); and, finally, Fittré itself, to the NW of Metko. Continuing the description—Begarmé[62] is said to lie N of Wadey; Bournu, N of Fittré. Bergoo seems not to have been known to Horneman; or, perhaps, he may have confounded it with the Burgu towards Augila (the Berdoa of Delisle and D’Anville). Bergoo, according to Mr. Browne, is an independent country: Metko and Wadey, the same: so that the empire of Bournu ends with Fittré (or Cooka) Margi, and Wangara, southward.[63]