Mr. Matra was told[140] that from Kabra, the port of Tombuctoo, “people sometimes travelled along the river the space of 40 days, to Ginny (Ghana) a large city;” &c.
The Moorish merchant, with whom Mr. Beaufoy conversed, and whom he speaks of as a clear and intelligent man, says, “That the country of Guinea or Ginny, is on the same river with Houssa.” (Mr. Beaufoy’s MSS.)
Edrisi, besides mentioning the cities of Sala, Tokrur, Berissa, Ghana, and Ghanara, all of which he says are situated on the Niger, remarks that the country of Wangara, to which Ghanara belongs, is surrounded by that river,[141] as it would appear by means of a subdivision of its waters; for Gatterer says, that Ghanara, one of its cities, stands on the western arm of the Guin,[142] by which name he mentions the Niger; of which more presently. Now, as Wangara extends, according to Edrisi, 300 Arabic miles along the river,[143] this extent, together with the distance of Wangara from Ghana, eight journies,[144] or 152 miles, makes up 496 G. miles of the course of this river, eastward from Ghana; which being itself 500 miles east of Houssa, there will be 969 miles in direct distance, traced eastward of Houssa: or on the whole, as Houssa is 700 miles below the source, about 1670 G. miles of water-course from the head of the Niger, above Manding, to the eastern extremity of Wangara!
In addition to these authorities, I may state from Leo, that the people of Tombuctoo convey their merchandize in boats (or rather canoes) to Ginea, by the Niger: and that at Kabra they embark for Melli, also. But it is proper to be noticed, that he says (p. 249), that this communication with Ginea takes place in the rainy season only (July, August, September), which would imply a deficiency of water for navigation, at other seasons.[145] Leo, however, certainly never saw the Niger, although he seems to report himself an eye-witness of many particulars relating to it. His intelligence is therefore often to be suspected; though it has probably happened, that being regarded as an original author, instead of a compiler, he has given weight to the systems of Edrisi and Abulfeda, respecting the course of the Niger.
Gatterer, as I have hinted before, calls the Niger, Guin, as well at Tokrur and Ghana, as at Wangara.[146] Now we learn from Mr. Park, that the northern branch of the Niger, above Tombuctoo, passes by the town of Jinbala, and collect also from Labat, that it is named the river of Guin: and here we have the same name extended even to Wangara; a presumptive proof of the prolongation of the same river!
Edrisi speaks of the same Niger, or Nile of the Negroes,[147] also, at Kauga, 10 journies to the east of Wangara; from which we collect that he must have supposed, that this emanation of the Egyptian Nile (as he supposed it to be) first ran to the north, and then turned to the west, through Nigritia. And if any consequence can be deduced from his account of the conveyance of salt, along the Niger to Kauga, where the catalogue of places supplied, ends, we should conclude that he supposed the navigable part of the river, ended at Kauga.
Although there can be no question that a river named Nile (or rather Neel), passes through the quarter of Kauga, Angimi, &c. since Edrisi, Abulfeda, and Leo, speak of it, yet it would be advancing too far within the region of conjecture, in this place, to attempt to decide whether it has any communication with the western waters. I shall therefore reserve this discussion till the last; that it may not be allowed to have any weight in the decision of the great question concerning the continuity and direction of the Niger. Having therefore, as I conceive, established the fact of a continuation of the waters from Manding to Wangara, I shall next proceed to inquire into the authorities for the direction of the stream.
2. The Direction of the Course of the Niger.
Ocular demonstration has shewn, that its course is to the eastward, as far as Silla: and no reasonable doubt can be entertained that it continues the same course to Houssa, 400 miles farther to the eastward, even if the information communicated to Mr. Park, could be doubted. For the Moorish merchant before quoted, told Mr. Beaufoy, that he had himself descended the Joliba, from Kabra to Houssa, although he had forgot the exact number of days employed in the navigation; and whether it was 8 or 10 days, (Mr. Park was told 11). But one circumstance dwelt on his mind; which was, that “by the favour of a brisk wind, they returned to Kabra, against the stream, in as short an interval as they went down.” (This is no new fact to those who are accustomed to inland navigations, even of the natural kind.)
The same Moor added, “that from Houssa, going still with the stream, boats went to Jinnee[148] and Ghinea; near the latter of which was the sea, into which the Neel (or Niger) discharged itself.” That this Ghinea lies to the eastward of Houssa and Tombuctoo, has been already shewn; and that at the distance of 40 land journies.