Phyjfcal and Political Geography of North Africa, aj 5 



The fprings no doubt have produced the oafes themfelves, by enabling ufeful vegetables 

 to flourifli, and confequently population to be cftablifhed. That the Defert has a dip to- 

 wards the eaft as well as the fouth, feems to be proved by the courfe of the Niger alfo. 

 Moreover the higheft points of North Africa, that is to fay, the mountains of Mandinga and 

 Atlas, are fituated very far to the weft. 



The Defert for the moft part abounds with fait. But we hear of fait mines only in the 

 part contiguous to Nigritia, from whence fait is drawn for the ufe of thofe countries as well 

 as of the Moorifli ftates adjoining ; there being no fait in the Negro countries fouth of the 

 Niger *. There are fait lakes alfo in the eaftern part of the Defert. 



The great ridge of mountains and its branches arc very productive in gold; but more 

 particularly in the quarters oppofite to Manding and Bambouk on the weft, and Wano-ari 

 on the eaft. It may perhaps admit of a doubt, whether the gold is brought down at the 

 prefent time by the numerous fountains that form the heads of the Niger and Senegal rivers; 

 or whether it has been depofited in the lower parts of their beds at an earlier period of the 

 world ; and that the fearch, inftead of being facilitated by the periodical floods, is on the con- 

 trary only to be purfued with cfFe£t when the waters are low. 



Tombu£loo is reckoned the mart of the Mandinga gold, from whence it is diftributed over 

 the northern quarters of Africa by the merchants of Tunis, Tripoly, Fezzan, and Morocco j 

 all of VI hom refort to Tombucfloo. Moft of it no doubt afterwards finds its way into Europe. 

 It may be remarked alfo, thst the gold coaft of Guinea (fo called doubtlcfs from its being 

 the place of traffic for gold duft) is fituated nearly oppofite to Manding: but whether the 

 gold brought thither has been wafhed out of the mountains by the northern or fouthern 

 ftreams, I know not : it may be both \. Uegombah, another country faid to be very pro- 



duiSlivc 



faid by Pliny, concerning this quarter of Africa ; lib. v. c. 5. But farther to tli£ N. W. on the edge of th; 

 Defert, and in the country of Wadreag in particular, (Shaw, p. 135.) wells are dug to an amazing depth, and 

 water mixed with fine fanJ fprings up fuddcnly, and fomctimes fatally to the workmen. The Doitor tells us^ 

 ttiat the people call this abyfs of faud and water, " the fea below ground." Exaflly the lame ftate of things 

 ' cxifts in the country round London, where the fand has in fcveral cafes nearly filled up tlic wells. (See Phil. 

 Traiif. for 1797.) The famous well lately dug by Earl Spencer (at Wimbledon), of more than 560 feet in 

 depth, has fevcral hundred feet of fand in it. 



* This quality of the African Defert was familiarly known to Herodotus (Mclpom. c. iSi, et fcq.) He 

 knew alio that there was fait in abundance in the northern parts. But, as the inhabitants in that quarter can 

 furiiifli themfelves with fait of a better quality from the fea, the mines are not wrought. 



t Some writers have faid, that there arc gold mines in the neighbourhood of Mina, on tiie gold coaft ; others 

 that the gold is rolled down by the rivers to that neighbourliood. Both may be true. But, on the other hand, 

 it is faid that the gold of Wangara is alfo brought forfale to the fouthern coaft. 



It is difficult to coliccive any other adequate caufc, than the exchange of the gokl of the inland countries 

 for the introduftion of fo vaft a quantity of kowry (hells, which are carried from Europe to the coaft of 

 Guinea, and pafs for fmall money in the countries along the Niger from Bambara to Kalfina, both inclufive. 



I am informed from authority, that about 100 tans of kowrics are annually fljippcd from England alone to 

 Guinea. Thefe are originally imported from the Maldive iflands into Bengal ; and from Bengal into Eng- 

 land. In Bengal 1400 more or lefs are equal to a (hilling: and yet, notwithftanding the incredible fmailnefs of 

 the ^denomination, fomc article in the market may be purchafed for a fingle kowry. But in the inland parts of 

 Africa they arc about ten times as dear, varying from izo to 280. Mr. Beaufoy was told, that In KalTina 

 they were at the rate of about 250. And Mr, Park reports, that they are about the fame price at Sego : but 



cheaper 



