[136]African Association, 1790; Q. p. 157, 167; and O. p. 236, 251.
CHAPTER VI.
The Subject continued — Course of the River Niger, at large — has no Communication with the Nile — Ptolemy’s Description of it consistent.
The course of the Niger (or Joliba) as we have seen, is established, by ocular demonstration, as far as Silla; and may, I conceive, be admitted, as far as Houssa, about 400 miles farther to the east, on the foundation of 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 of Mr. Magrah, obtained from Moorish merchants at Tunis; and of Major Houghton from Bambouk. Thus, the first 700 G. miles of its course are from West to East; or rather from WSW to ENE. There remains then, a space of more than double that distance, between Houssa and the nearest part of the Egyptian Nile, near Dongola: and yet more, to the known parts of the White river, or Abiad, the SW branch of the Nile.
I shall divide the matter respecting the course of this river, into three heads. 1. Respecting the continuity of its waters, from Houssa on the west, to Wangara on the east; without regard to the direction of the stream. 2. Respecting the positive direction of the stream. And, 3, concerning its termination.
1. Respecting the Continuity of its Waters.
Edrisi gives the most positive information concerning the course of the Niger, or Nile of 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 of Sala (that is, a little to the west of the position occupied by Tombuctoo); and near the supposed island of Ulil before mentioned.[137] He thus cuts off about 1000 miles of the breadth of Africa. This was an error common to all the ancient geographers, as well as to those of Arabia: for Ptolemy places the mouth of the Senegal river only two degrees more to the west, than Edrisi does that of the Niger.
Abulfeda believed, with Edrisi, that the Niger had a common source with the Nile, and ran westward.[138]
It is certain, that these opinions furnish no proofs of continuity of course: 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 of Ulil, and distributed to the people on its banks, from Sala to Wangara, and Kauga.[139]