348 tENERAL OBSERVATIONS. 
these lakes of Ghana and Wangara, it does not there ter- 
minate, but that, in the season of the rains, it also flows out 
of them. In fact, Edrisi does not make the Niger to ter- 
minate in the swamps of Wangara or Vancara ; he merely 
describes them as being an island three hundred miles in 
length, and one hundred and fifty in breadth, surrounded 
by the Niger all the year, but that, in the month of August, 
the greater part is covered with water as long as the inun- 
dations of the Niger continue ; and that when the river has 
subsided into its proper channel, the negroes return to their 
habitations, and dig the earth for gold, «* every one finding 
more or less, as it pleases God.” - But not a word is men- 
tioned of their finding salt, which indeed is the great inter- 
changeable commodity for gold. 
On the assumption, then, of Wangara discharging its 
overflowing waters, the most probable direction of the 
channel is to the southward ; and as the evidence of the 
northern origin of the Zaire amounts almost to the establish- 
ment of the fact, the approximation of the two streams is 
in favour of their identity. If the account of Sidi Hamet’s 
visit to Wassenah, as related by Riley, could be depended 
on, a very few degrees only are wanting to bring the two 
streams together; but with all the strong testimonies in 
favour of Riley’s veracity, every page of his book betrays 
a looseness and inaccuracy, that very much diminish the 
value of this Arab’s narrative as it is given by him. The 
name of Zadi, given by this Arab merchant to the Niger at 
Wassenah ; that of Zad, which Horneman learned to be its 
name to the eastward of 'Tombuctoo, ‘* where it turned off to 
the southward ;” the Enzaddi, which Maxwell says is the 
name given to the cataracts of the Zaire ; and the Moienzi 
