I
Had Made Every Effort To Execute My Mission In Its Fullest Extent, Which
Prudence Could Justify.
Had there been the most distant prospect of a
successful termination, neither the unavoidable hardships of the journey,
nor
The dangers of a second captivity, should have forced me to desist.
This, however, necessity compelled me to do; and whatever may be the
opinion of my general readers on this point, it affords me inexpressible
satisfaction, that my honourable employers have been pleased, since my
return, to express their full approbation of my conduct.
Having thus brought my mind, after much doubt and perplexity, to a
determination to return westward, I thought it incumbent on me, before I
left Silla, to collect from the Moorish and Negro traders all the
information I could, concerning the further course of the Niger eastward,
and the situation and extent of the kingdoms in its vicinage; and the
following few notices I received from such various quarters, as induce me
to think they are authentic.
Two short days journey to the eastward of Silla is the town of Jenne,
which is situated on a small island in the river, and is said to contain
a greater number of inhabitants than Sego itself, or any other town in
Bambarra. At the distance of two days more, the river spreads into a
considerable lake, called _Dibbe_ (or the dark lake), concerning the
extent of which all the information I could obtain was, that in crossing
it, from west to east, the canoes lose sight of land one whole day. From
this lake the water issues in many different streams, which terminate in
two large branches, one whereof flows towards the north-east, and the
other to the east; but these branches join at Kabra, which is one day's
journey to the southward of Tombuctoo, and is the port or shipping-place
of that city. The tract of land which the two streams encircle is called
Jinbala, and is inhabited by Negroes; and the whole distance, by land,
from Jenne to Tombuctoo, is twelve days journey.
From Kabra, at the distance of eleven days' journey, down the stream, the
river passes to the southward of Houssa, which is two days journey
distant from the river. Of the further progress of this great river and
its final exit, all the natives with whom I conversed seemed to be
entirely ignorant. Their commercial pursuits seldom induce them to travel
further than the cities of Tombuctoo and Houssa; and as the sole object
of those journeys is the acquirement of wealth, they pay but little
attention to the course of rivers, or the geography of countries. It is,
however, highly probable that the Niger affords a safe and easy
communication between very remote nations. All my informants agreed, that
many of the Negro merchants who arrive at Tombuctoo and Houssa, from the
eastward, speak a different language from that of Bambarra, or any other
kingdom with which they are acquainted. But even these merchants, it
would seem, are ignorant of the termination of the river, for such of
them as can speak Arabic, describe the amazing length of its course in
very general terms, saying only that they believe it _runs to the world's
end_.
The names of many kingdoms to the eastward of Houssa are familiar to the
inhabitants of Bambarra.
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