A. D. 1763. 375 



chants trading to Africa, they appointed a governor to take charge of 

 it, whofe duty it was to affifl: every Britifli trader within the extent of 

 liis influence to the utmoft of his power, it being the intention of the 

 legiflature, that all BritiOi fubjeds fliould have a free trade upon that 

 coafl:, according to certain regulations. 



The committee of African merchants complained, that the funds al- 

 lowed by parliament were not near fufficient to repair the various forts, 

 which were all left in ruinous condition by the late royal African company. 



If the great advantages that commerce, and mod probably Britiih 

 commerce, will, in fome future day, derive from a knowlege of the in- 

 terior regions of Africa, are coniidered, no apology will be required for 

 inferting the following 



Abridgement of the account of the River Senegal and the adjacent count ly, from 

 a letter written by Mr. Barnes, governor of Fort-Louis y to the committee 

 of merchants trading to Africa. 



The River Senegal has fufficient depth of water for vefTels drawing 

 nine feet, for 86 leagues from its mouth. The befl: time for going up 

 is the beginning of July, and the voyage takes up from five to eight 

 weeks. The end of Odober is the bed time for the downward pallage, 

 which is generally performed in three or four weeks. 



At the head of the River Senegal there is a ridge of mountains, be- 

 yond which, according to the natives, there is a great river, like the 

 Senegal, called the Black river *, which runs eaflward into a great lake, 

 around which there are fettlements of white people f, who have a num- 



• Ned il Abctd (the river of the black, peo- ' [or Dambar.'na], hns no affinity with the Ara- 

 ple), and Ncel il Kibccr (ttie great river), are the ■ ' bic or Turkifh.' Surely their language liavlng 



indigenous names of this river, the courfe of which no affinity with the Arabic is no reafon for fup- 



has fo long puzzled geotrraphcrs. Nccl or Nil poling them to be .\rabs. 



fignifies fir;:ply river-, and is a very proper name for Tiiougli Mr. Park's travels in the interior part 



the oi;c river of Egypt. of Africa did not extend to the great lake, nicn- 



\ It would be too romantic to hope, that this tinned by Mr. Barnes, nor do any of the conver- 



civilized white nation may be found to be the off- fations lie had with the negroes on tlic banks of 



fpring of a remainder of the Carthaginians, If the Niger, Neel-ill-Al)eed, or Joliba, fcem to en- 



they (hould be really Carthaginians, and AiU re- courage us to hope for any knowlege of fuch a 



tain the literature and fcience of their ancellors, white nation on the banks of the great lake ; yet 



what a bright ilream of illumination might an ac- the agreement of Mr\ Barnes's information with 



<liiaintance with ihcm throw upon an intercl'irg that obtained by Captain Blankett's friend gives 



portion of anticnt hiftory, which is fo mifcrably us fome reafon to hope to be made acquainted 



<lefeftive, from oirr having heard only one frde of with fuch a eommnriity of white people. Mr. 



the (lory. It is worthy of obfervatjon, that (ac- Barnes, wlien examined by the committee of privy 



cording to the informatioir received from a negro council, faid, that he had been told, that tliofe 



trader in the upper parts of the Gambia, by a wliite people had a fort mounted with girns rrpon 



gentleman of veracity and irrformation, formerly the lake ; and p<.o])le, who had feen them, laid 



imployed by the African company, and commn- that they do not fpeak Arabic. Though the 



nicatcd by Captain Blankctt of lire navy to the language of the Arabs was antiently akin to that 



ommittce of the privy council, when enijagcd in of the I'hixnicians and Cart" 



he coiiflderatloir of the Have trade,) ' The Ian- wtll fiippofc, that they are vc 



guage fpoken by the white meir (who arc fup- the later be really anywhere ii 

 pofcd to be Arabs] of Tombuto and Banbaia 3 



