Mar. 9, 1857.] CAMPBELL'S REMARKS ON SOUTH-WESTERN AFRICA. 311 



justly conclude that its source, or at least tlie parent stream — should 

 a confluent really exist to the north — is within a few degrees south 

 of the latitude of its mouth, but at a great distance inland. This 

 hypothesis is strengthened by the recent exploration and traverse 

 of Southern Africa by Dr. Livingston, who saw a large river in 

 lat. 11° 17' S., and between the 22° and 23° E. long. He has 

 mapped it under the names Casai, or Loke, and describes it as 

 about 120 yards broad at the above position. The stream was 

 forded at the same place, and was described by intelligent natives 

 to form the Zaire or Congo river. It was flowing to the N.E. lie 

 also forded another large stream called the Coango or Quango, " the 

 Tortuous," in the valley of Cassange, the width of which was about 

 150 yards, and flows nearly north. This river was forded in 

 9° 51' 28" S. lat., and about the 19° of E. long. The inhabitants 

 and Portuguese traders described it as flowing into the Congo. 



I apprehend this traveller's data will decide the geographical 

 position of the source of the River Congo. 



TTie hydrographical features of this river have been displa^'ed by 

 Captains Owen and Vidal in their survey of its entrance ; but they 

 and others appear to have omitted two peculiarities connected with 

 its seaboard and bed : — 



First. — That the crescentic portion of land extending from a little 

 to the southward of Point Padron to Shark Point, is evidently due 

 to the reproductive effects of marine and fluviatile action. On the 

 river-side, the large Bay of Diegos skirts the annexed land, and in 

 some places dips into it in the form of creeks. This portion is 

 densely covered with the trees and bushes usually seen at \he) 

 entiance of tropical tidal rivers, and has a black loam with fine sand 

 for a soil. It is very little elevated above the sea, and is flat. This 

 bay is of little depth, has a muddy bottom, and I believe will, at no 

 distant era, be reclaimed from the river by the silting up of this 

 part of its bed. The sea bordering portion, on the contrary, is more 

 sparingly covered with A^egetation ; there are none of the giant 

 mangroves to be seen, and its trees are of much less altitude. The 

 soil is composed of attrited shell, mixed with sand, and is con- 

 siderably elevated — about 1 5 feet — above the sea ; so that in 

 crossing the narrow belt from seaward it forms a miniature hill 

 before reaching the alluvial detritus on the river-bank. Having 

 had my attention called, whilst serving on the Newfoundland coast, 

 to the action of the sea in raising a sand}^ spit between and joining 

 the French island Miquelon, I feel confident that the ridge or ridges' 

 — for a succession of them can be detected — have been thrown up 

 by the heavy surf, which occasionally sets heavily on shore. The 



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