4044 ANNWAL REGISTER, -1797. : 
paft. This may, perhaps, account 
for his filence; or, he may have 
left letters in the hands of feveral 
people that may not have reached 
me. I hope he has long ere this 
reached Tombuétoo ; and I flatter 
myfelf he will find great induce- 
ment to penetrate as far as Houfla. 
From every information I have re- 
ceived, fhips come there of about 
100 tons burthen {according to the 
defcription given of them) but from 
whence, and by whom navigated, 
cannot learn. 
‘I have written to Mr. Park fe- 
veral times ; but, from the rapidity 
ef his journey, I have little hope 
of any of my letters reaching him. 
Your letter will be forwarded the 
firft opportunity. 
‘I have alfo, fince the death of 
my friend, Mr. H. Beaufoy, written 
by different opportunities to Sir 
jofeph Banks, acquainting him 
of every particular refpecting Mr. 
Park, and the engagements I have 
entered into on hisaccount; fome 
of which may not have reached 
him, as feveral letters have been 
deftroyed, to prevent their falling 
into the hands of the French. 
‘ Having nothing farther to com- 
municate, I remain, with great de- 
ference, 
* Sir, your humble fervant, 
‘Joun Laiptey.’ 
J. Willis, Ef. 
WITH whatever hefitation fome 
of the tacts, ftated in the preceding 
letters, may be received, concern- 
ing the {pecies of boats which are 
faid to navigate the river leading 
eaftward from Tombu4too to Houf- 
fa, and the magnitude of the thips 
that come up to the latter city, it is, 
however, certain, that fimilar ac- 
counts have been tranfmitted to the 
Society from Very different quar- 
ters, and from perfons of the high- 
eft credit, wholly unconneéted with 
and at an immenfe diftance from 
each other. Teftimonies without 
number occur to prove, that the 
river running eaftward to Tombuc- 
too, and from thence to Houfla, 
widening as it runs, is the Niger, 
or a confiderable branch of it; and 
its termination in an extenfive lake, 
or mediterranean ocean, in the ve- 
ry centre of Africa, feems extreme- 
ly probable. Major Houghton (as 
we have feen) was informed at Me- 
dina, by the fhereef, whom he had 
known at Morocco, that he might 
embark at Genné, and proceed 
with the ftream to Tombuétoo; 
and, moreover, that decked veffels 
navigated. The fame information 
was given by the native who ferved 
the Major as a guide: and the So- 
ciety have received a letter from 
Mr. Matra, the conful at Tangiers, 
inclofing one from his brother at 
Tunis, wherein the latter expref- 
fes himfelf in thefe words: — “I 
have traced a mediterranean fea in 
the interior of Africa, from fuch a 
concurrence of teftimony as ob- 
viates all doubts of its exiftence ; 
and it muft be of a prodigious fur- 
face!’ —- Concerning the people 
mentioned by Mr. Park as white, 
the only conclufion to be drawn is, 
that they are of Moorifh origin. 
Some of thefe might appear, in the 
eyes of Mr. Park’s informant, the 
negro-prieft, a race of whites ; but 
it cannot eafily be fuppofed that a 
nation perfectly white, like the 
people of Europe, is to be found in 
ihe bofom of the African conti- 
nent. ; 
Since the foregoing fheets were 
printed, the fecretary of the Affoci- 
ation has been enabled to announce 
to 
~ 
