MISCELLANIES. 
the centre of Africa into the At- 
lantic), would be considerably 
more than 4,000 miles. But the 
course of the Amazon, the great- 
est river in the old or new world 
with which we are acquainted, is 
only about 3,500 miles ; and, al- 
though the existence of a river 
considerably greater than any yet 
known, may be within the limits 
of physical possibility, yet, such 
a supposition ought not to be 
adopted upon slight or conjectur- 
al reasoning, or upon any thing 
much short of distinct and _posi- 
tive proof. To give such a vast 
extension to the Congo upon the 
grounds stated by Mr. Maxwell, 
might perhaps be considered as 
one of those exaggerations, to 
which, according, to a remark of 
D’Anville, geographical writers 
upon Africa have always been re- 
markably prone, ‘‘ en abusant, 
pour ainsi dire, du vast champ 
que l’intérieur de I’ Afrique y lais- 
soit prendre.” (Meém. del’ Aca- 
demie des Inscriptions, Tom, xxvi. 
p- 61.) [The following scale 
(taken from Major Rennel’s‘Me- 
moirs of a map of Hindostan, p. 
337), shewing the proportional 
length of some of the most con- 
siderable rivers already known, 
may be useful to the reader on 
the present occasion. 
EUROPE. 
SUVAINES) | 5'.'c 6 ec te secu 
Rhine eee eet eee neeeee 
Danube 
1 
5 
Pees er eeeesese 7 
Wolga........ a ere 
ASIA. 
Indus ®eaeeeetreeeeeeeee 
Euphrates ....scsecees 84 
Ganges ..caccerecoeee 9 
Burrampooterseceseeees IF 
583 
PAY eli cic > eis sels in bina bine min OS, 
MEMHISCA ec Siu ttc nesies; LO 
Oby..seeseesecccovesee 105 
READ sis kc» oe pie caiercyete wun ll 
Lena eeeeeoe @eee Peeve ie 
Hoanho (China) «-e+s- 134 
RGA IGO a cla cid 6 aie cetipiel LOS 
AFRICA. 
INTLGNareh eteiclbicinkiaS's si = a 123 
AMERICA. 
Mississipi ...... veasee & 
AMAZON cto) eiaiorsiavotcisl oxeye los. 
It must be observed, however, 
that the magnitude of a river de- 
pends much Jess upon the length 
of its course, than upon the 
number of auxiliary streams which 
fall into it. It is this latter cir- 
cumstance, which occasions the 
vast size of the Ganges, compared, 
for example, with the Nile; al- 
though the course of the latter is 
so much longer. Rivers not fed 
by auxiliary streams, may even 
become smaller in consequence of 
the length of their course. The 
editor is indebted for these obser- 
vations to Major Rennell.] 
Before the editor finally dis- 
misses the subject of the Congo, 
he may be allowed to express a 
hope that this distinguished river, 
which hitherto has been only 
known as one of the greatest 
marts of the Slave Trade, may 
at length berendered conducive to 
objects of civilization and science; 
and that some use will now be 
made of this great inlet into Africa 
for the purpose of exploring a 
part of that continent which is 
yet entirely unknown: or, at 
least, of obtaining more com- 
plete and authentic information 
relative to the Congo itself, which 
must unquestionably be consider-. 
