•I792* discoveries in Africa. 19 



Such are the outlines of this interesting journal. 

 The elegant writer of this publication thus remarks 

 bn the information obtained from him : 



' The journey of major Houghton from the Gam- 

 bia to the kingdom of Bambouk, has enlarged the 

 limits of European discovery ; for the intermediate 

 kingdom of Bondou was undescribed by geographers : 

 and the information he has obtained from the king 

 of Bambouk, as well as from the native merchants 

 with whom he conversed, has not only determined 

 the course, and Ihewn, in a great degree, the origin 

 of the Niger ; but has furnifhed the names of the 

 principal cities erected on its banks ; fortunately, too, 

 the accounts which he has thus transmitted, are 

 strongly confirmed by the intelligence which his ma- 

 jesty's consul at Tunis has collected from the Bar- 

 bary merchants, who trade to the cities of Tombuc- 

 too and Houfsa, and whose commercial connections 

 extend to the highest navigable parts of the Niger. 

 Nor is this the only advantage for which the com- 

 mittee are indebted to the public spirit and indefati- 

 •gable zeal of consul Magra ; for the specimens of the 

 vegetable productions of the countries on the south 

 of the desert, which the acquaintance he has culti- 

 vated with the conductors of the caravans has en- 

 abled him to send to the committee, afford a satisfac- 

 tory proof that the account which their printed nar- 

 rative, on the authority of Shereef Imhammed, has 

 given of several of those productions, is faithful to 

 the objects it describes. And the relation he has 

 transmitted of the routes from Tunis to Ghcdesmes, 

 and from thence ta-Caihna and Tombuctoo, have fur- 



