It is first necessary to state, that M. D’Anville, in his map of Senegal, &c. (1751) has totally disregarded the scale of Labat’s map, as well as most of the bearings in it; having preferred to it some other authority; perhaps some tracing of the two rivers. M. D’Anville allows no more than thirty-seven geographical miles between the two passes Naye and Kayee on the Falemé and Senegal rivers; when Mr. Park allows sixty-two. Now Labat’s scale agrees with the latter: for he allows 28¾ French leagues for this interval, equal to 2,16 geographical miles per league, according to Mr. Park’s calculation. The leagues were therefore probably of road measure: as a league in direct distance appears to be equal to 2,64. Hence M. D’Anville, seems to have misconceived the matter; and has applied the same erroneous scale to the course of the Falemé river, upwards; which he has shortened by about twenty-six geographical miles; carrying that part no higher than to latitude 13°, which by the original (or rather the proportioned) scale, should be extended to 12° 34′.
This Map of Labat, then, gives the position of Ferbanna on the Falemé river;[85] as also the southern boundaries of Bondou and Bambouk, with other particulars. Mr. Park, when at the pass of the Falemé river, between Satadoo and Medina,[86] obtained some general notices concerning his position, in respect of the above points. For he learnt that Ferbanna (Tenda) lay at some distance lower down the river: that Bondou (by the account of a fellow-traveller who was on his way thither) lay six journies to the northward; and he learnt also the general position of Bambouk. To this may be added, that he kept on his right hand (to the N), and even touched the foot of it at Dindikoo, a ridge of mountains, answering to that which, in Labat’s map, crosses the Falemé above Ferbanna; and which is also found precisely at the corresponding point, with Dindikoo. Moreover, it preserves in Labat, the same distance from the southern boundary of Bambouk, as that seen by Park. And finally, it appears, by the description of the southern route pointed out by the King of Bambouk (see Mem. 1793, p. 11.), that Mr. Park passed to the southward of Ferbanna, and yet not far from it. For the king’s road from Ferbanna (Tenda) led eastward, through Concoudou (the Konkodoo of Park, a province) as also through Silloumana, Gangaran, Gadou, and Manding. Now there is every reasonable proof that (bating Ferbanna) this is the very route by which Mr. Park returned. His route went through Gangaran (Gankaran), on the one hand, Konkodoo on the other. Sillou-Mana is very probably intended for Kullo-Manna,[87] a famous pass over the Black River, or main stream of the Senegal, where a bridge of a very singular construction is thrown across occasionally, for the use of the caravans. It is unlikely that bridges should occur at two places in the southern route, and more particularly as the one at Manna is placed there, because the steep rocky banks, and narrow channel of the river, are peculiarly adapted to that kind of bridge.
It may therefore be concluded, that from Konkodoo, the king’s road, instead of turning to the SW to Satadoo, leads straight on to the westward to Ferbanna, and thence into the Woolli road, either at Baneserile or Kirwanny; being a branch, only, of the great southern road, leading directly across the mountains; whilst the other makes a bend to the south, to avoid them; which bend, according to Mr. Park’s description of his route, is so much like that in Labat’s map above Ferbanna, that I cannot help suspecting the Dambanna of Labat to be meant for the Dindikoo of Mr. Park. I return to the construction of the route.
Ferbanna, in Labat, is placed 33 leagues on a bearing of S 11° E from Cacullo, another pass on the same river Falemé, in latitude 13° 54′, by Major Houghton’s observation: and which is about 20 miles south of Naye, where Mr. Park crossed it in his way out. The 33 leagues according to the proportional scale furnished by Mr. Park’s route (2,16 each) give 71¼ G. miles for the distance of Ferbanna from Cacullo: or latitude 12° 46′. From this point, Labat describes the course of the river 24 miles higher up, in a SE by E direction. About this place, we may suppose that Mr. Park crossed the Falemé on his return; since it agrees with the circumstances of the mountains, the bend of the road above described, and the distance of Bambouk and Bondou; to which may be added, the general accordance of the bearing from Manding. Medina, a village, stood on the west bank of the Falemé, at the pass; and Satadoo, the capital of the province, at two miles to the eastward of it. It is certain that neither Satadoo, nor Konkodoo, appear in Labat’s map. In that, Macanna is the name of the country bordering on the south of Bambouk; but Mr. Park calls it Konkodoo, which means the country of mountains; and appears very characteristic. (These mountains extend through Bambouk and Kasson, and are productive in gold.) Again, Combregoudou in Labat, occupies the places of Satadoo and Dentila in Mr. Park’s descriptions: and we must therefore conclude, that either these countries have more than one name, or have changed their names in the course of the century.
On the whole, it cannot well be doubted that the adjustment of the southern route, to the northern, in this place, is tolerably exact; and it is indeed a matter of the first importance to the geography. One circumstance is very much in its favour: at Kirwanny on this route Mr. Park was told, that the course of the Gambia river lay three journies southward, or one journey within the boundary of Foota-Jallo: and Dr. Afzelius was informed, that the same river runs at the distance of four journies from the mountains which skirt the Rio Grande on the north-east. These notices accord perfectly with the relative positions of Kirwanny, and the course of the Rio Grande, which are about 112 G. miles asunder, on the construction.
This adjustment, moreover, goes as well to the proportioning of the longitudinal distance, on the line between Kamaliah and Woolli, by means of the course of the river Falemé, extended from a known point in the northern route.
On Mr. Park’s original map, I find 201 G. miles on that portion of the southern line, east of the Falemé river; 181 on the west: whilst the respective intervals on my construction, are 211, and 185. But Mr. Park observed, that there was a greater portion of distance to be travelled through, on his return, than he had expected. His reckoning was, according to the sea phrase, ahead of the ship: which was, no doubt, occasioned by his omitting to take the variation of the compass into the account, after he had lost his sextant at Jarra.
It appears on the examination of his journal, that between the river Falemé and Baraconda, in Woolli (a few miles short of Medina), they employed nine whole days, and part of a tenth; a great part of which journey lay through the wildernesses of Tenda and Simbani. Six of the days are remarked to be either long or very long: and one in particular was a very hard day’s work. Allowing six miles for the fraction of the day, the nine whole ones require 19 G. miles of direct distance, each: and as the road diverged considerably from the direct line (to the southward, falling in with the Gambia pretty high up) they may be taken somewhat higher. The five forced marches through the Jallonka wilderness are also calculated at 19 each, direct: and which may produce 25 road miles: I should conceive those through the Tenda and Simbani wildernesses to be equal to 26, at a medium; and some of them more than 30.[88]
Thus I have brought the grand outline of Mr. Park’s Geography to a conclusion; and cannot do otherwise than sympathize with him in his feelings, when he arrived at “the hospitable door of Dr. Laidley,” at Pisania, after an absence of eighteen months, unheard of, during the whole time; whether enjoying the triumphs of exploring new paths; whether pining in hopeless captivity, amongst the barbarous Moors of Jarra; or fostered by the kind hands of Mandinga Negroes.