332 Mr. Park's Travels in the unexplored Parts of Africa. 



the fouthwarcl of Houfla, which is two days journey diftant from the river ; and fo far our 

 information feen« to be authentic. Gf the further progrefs of this great river and its final 

 exit — whether it be the fame which pafTes by Kafllna * — whether (as ancient charts fecm 

 to indicate) it fpreads into one or more inland laites ; or, at an immenfe diftance, intermixes 

 with the waters of the Egyptian Nile — thefe are qucftions which future dKcovery can alone 

 refolve. On each of thefe points enquiry of the natives was not negledted, but fatisfadlory 

 and certain information could not be obtained. 



Such is the intelligence that was coUeded by Mr. Park concerning the courfe of the Niger 

 from its leaving Sego, where he firft difcovered it. Of the chief towns of Jenne, Tombuc- 

 tco, and Houfla, fituated on its banks, the laft wSs faid to be the moft confiJerable, and the 

 leaft of them of far greater magnitude than Sego. But there is a place between Jenne 

 and Tombu£too deferving notice, as containing a very confiderable pottery : it is called 

 Downie ; and the earthen ware, which Mr. Park frequently met with, appeared to be of ex- 

 traordinary good confiftency, but not glazed. He was told that caravans frequently arrive 

 both at Tombudloo and Houfla, from the countries on the Mediterranean, travelling acrofs 

 the Defert, by the way of Fezzan, with European goods and other merchandize. Ey one of 

 thefe the news was conveyed to the centre of Africa of the capture, by the French, of the 

 Mediterranean convoy, in Oitober 1 795. Mr. Park received this information from a Moor 

 who had come from Fezzan. 



On his return back, Mr. Park learned that the fovereign of the country had given orders 

 to feize him, for which reafon he avoided the town of Sego. His courfe, in afcending the river, 

 was to the fouth-weft ; and his fubfiftence, in travelling through the territories of the benevo- 

 lent Negroes, was in a great meafure afforded him by the Dooty, or chief man of the towns 

 through which he pafTed, it being, highly to the credit of the African police, part of the 

 duty of this officer to provide food for the neceffitous traveller. On many occafions he 

 ■offered to pay for what he received out of the kowries, which had been prefented him by the 

 'king, and his offer was fometimes accepted and fometimes refufed. On other occafions 

 Tie rewarded his hoft in a manner which, from its fingularlty, deferves to be noticed. 

 Among the various impoflures pradlifed by the Moors towards the poor Negroes, they 

 frequently fell them fcraps of paper with an Arabic infcription (commonly a paffage from 

 the Koran) which are caWeAfaph'us or charms. With one of thefe about his perfon, the 

 fond poffeffor conceives himfelf invulnerable: neither the lurking ferpent nor the prowling 

 •tiger is any longer the obje6l of his dread. 



In the circumftances to which Mr. Park was reduced, he had the good fortune to difcover 

 that the negro natives afcribed to him the power of granting faphies of more than Arabic 

 virtue. ^' If a Moor's faphie is good (fays the Dooty of .^anfanJing), a white man's mull 

 needs be better ;" and Park, at his requeft, gave him one poffeflcd of .all the virtues he 

 could concentrate, for it contained the Lord's Prayer. The pen with which it was 

 written, was made of reed ; a little charcoal and-gum-water made very tolerable ink, and 

 a thin board anfwcred the purpofe of paper. In his journey we tward, this merchandize 

 turned to extraordinary good account ; and it is furely neediefs (fays Mr. Edwards) foi^ 

 Mr^ Park to frame any apology fot having availed himfelf of fuch a refource in his fituation. 



* Erroneoufly fpclt in the former memoirs, Caflina. 

 [Ti he continued.'] 



