﻿9SS 



NIQEK. 



NIGER, 



»£6 ' 



Bays Leake, iB the paper already quoted, " that the distance laid by 

 Ptolemy between his source of the river and the western coast is the 

 same as that given by modern observations ; that Thamondocana, one 

 of the towns on the Nigeir, is exactly coincident with Timbuktu, as 

 recintly laid down by M. Joraaril from the itinerary of M. C'ailli^ ; 

 tliat the length of the course resui int^ Irom Ptolemy's posititina is 

 nearly equal to that of tht< Quorra as f t as the mountains of Konj;, 

 with the addition of the Tchadda or Sbary of Funda, and that his 

 position of Mount Thala, at the south-east extremity of the Nigeir, is 

 very near that in which we may suppose the Tchadda to have its 

 origin ; bo that it would seem as if Ptolemy, like Sultan Bello and 

 other modern Africans, had considered the Tchadda as a continuation 

 of the main river, though he knew the Egyptian Nile too well to fall 

 into the modem error of supposing the Nigeir to be a branch of the 

 Nile. The mountains of Kong, and the passage of the river through 

 th>-m at right angles to their direction, formed a natural termination 

 to the extent of the geographer's knowledge." 



Great light will be thrown on the geography of Central Africa 

 by the publication of the explorations made since 1850 by Drs. 

 Overweg, Barth, and Vogel. The detormin-ition by the latter of the 

 eluvatiou of Lake Tchad above the level of the sea — namely, S50 feet 

 — puts an end to the theory that this lake was connected with either 

 the Nile or the Quorra. In the account published by Mr. Petermann 

 of the discoveries of Dr. Barib, the country to the south-east of Lake 

 Tchad, comprising the basin of the Shary and others of its feeders for 

 some 200 or 300 miles, presents a level plain almost imperceptilily 

 incline<l towards the lake ; and the country west from the Sbary 

 to the Benueh, or Upper Tcbatlda, has in all probability a similar 

 character of flatness. Dr. Barth, who in 18ol surveyed Lake Tchad 

 and examined the countries forming its basin, mentions the Serbenel, 

 a feeder of the Sbary in the Mandara country south of Boruou, as a 

 very considerable nver. The Serbenel, which is called Loggene lower 

 down, joins the Shary at a village named Sheggua, below Kusseru or 

 Kussei'y. At Hase&a, the capital of Baghirmi, the Sbary, or Asu, runs 

 due north 3 miles an hour, with a width of 600 yards ; it subsequently 

 tills into Lake Tchad. Dr. Barth calls it a magnificent river, and 

 says that it extends to the basin of the Nile. The Serbenel and the 

 Shary run nearly paralLl above their junction, and are probably 

 branches of the same river. 



The Tchadtia in ita upper course is called the Benueh, and rivals if it 

 does not 8ur|ias4 the Quorra in magnificence; and from the level nature 

 of the country it is presumed that it presents no such obstacles to 

 navigation as rapids or (alls. The Bi^nueh was oroased by Dr. Barth 

 in hu journey to Adamaua, a very beautiful pastoral and agricultural 

 country on the Upper Tchadda, at a part where it wits half a mile wide 

 and ten feet deep. Tola, the capital of Adamaua, is placed by Dr. 

 Barlh in 8° 2' N. lat, 13" S' K long. A notion has lately gained 

 ground that the Tchadda presents the most important and the rea>liest 

 opeuiuj; for the extension of European influence and civilisation into 

 the interior of Africa. A flat-bottomed steamer, fitted up at the 

 expense of Mr. M'Gregor Laird for the exploration of the river, left 

 Birkenhead in 1854 so as to reach the mouth oi the Niger by the 1st 

 of July, from which time it was calculated that seventy- five days 

 (daring which its waters risL-) would be sufiicieut to reach the head 

 of the navigation of the Tchadda. This expedition returned to Fer- 

 nando Po on Nov. 7, having spent 113 days on the Niger and the 

 Tchadda without losing a single life. The Tchadda was ascended 

 3S0 miles, or 250 miles above Dagbeh, which had been reached in the 

 expedition of 18S2. 



The Quorra rises in Mount Loma, a pirt of the Kong Mountains, 

 which extend eastward from the coast of Siemv Leone, near 9" 25' 

 N. lat, 9° 45' W. long. The French traveller Mollien says that the 

 Quorra rises in 8° 20' N. lat, 9° 10' W. long. This difiereuce may 

 easily be accounted for by observing that many streams rise in a 

 mountainous country which unite to form a great river, and that each 

 of them may be considered as the source of such a river. The most 

 western of these tributaries, that of which Major tiaing got information 

 as rising in Mount Loma, is properly considered the principal river. 

 It runs near its source due north for about 70 miles, and is there 

 called Timbic. It then turns to the north-east, and exchanges its 

 name (or that of Baba, and Juli-Ba (that is, large river), under which 

 name its course as far as Timbuctoo is known, the name of Quorra 

 being only applied to the lower portion of its course. Caillid crossed 

 the Joliba at Curuassa, about 100 miles from its source, and found 

 that it was navigated by large canoes. It flowed in a wide valley from 

 •outh-south-west to north-north-east, which was surrounded by hills 

 from ISO to 200 feet high. The soil of the valley was fertilised by 

 the inundations of the river. The mountains in the neighbourhood 

 are rich in iron-ore, and contain gold. 



From Curuassa to Bamnmkoo, a distance exceeding 200 miles, the 

 course of the river is unknown ; but that portion of it which lies 

 between Bammakoo (13' N. lat, 6° 20' W. long.) and Timbuctoo (18° 

 N. lat, 3° 40' W. long.) has been laid down by Mungo Park and Caillid. 

 Mungo Park, who was the first European tmveller who reached the 

 banks of that rivrr, in bis first journey travelled along the banks of 

 the river from Bummakoo to Silla, a distance of about 160 miles. 

 Between Bammakoo and Tabbec the river runs in a north-east direc- 

 tion, in a wide valley which produces good crops of rice, maize, and 



vegetables, and has good pastures ; it is pretty well inhabited, and there 

 are several towns on the banks of the river. At Tabbec the Quorra 

 enters the plain of Stidan, and it runs to the east as far as the town 

 of Jenuee. From Tabbec to Silla, the end of his travels, Mungo Park 

 found the country on both sides of the river extremely fertile, well 

 cultivated, and studded with towns of considerable size aud many 

 villages. In the rainy season the country to a considerable distance 

 from the river is inundated. The current of the river is moderate, 

 and offers no impediments to navigation; large river-boats are fre- 

 quently seen both ascending and descending. In his second journey 

 Mungo Park embarked at Sego, and <iesc.-uded the river more than 

 1000 miles to the town of Boussa (10° N. lat., 4° 40' E. long.), where 

 his boat was wrecked and he was killed. Thus the information which 

 he had obtained respecting this part of the coui'se of the river and 

 the countries adjacent to it was lost to the world. But Cailli^ has 

 partly supplied the loss. He descended the river from Junuee to 

 Timbuctoo, and found the banks in some places well cultivated and 

 rather populous. The general course of the river was norih as far 

 as the Lake of Debo, and even to some distance farther ; but after- 

 wards it turned to the uorth-uorth-east, and continued so to the town 

 of Timbuctoo, or rather to its port, Cabra. The river-barges which 

 navigate this part of the river are from 60 to 80 tons burden, and 

 take the produce of the country— rice, millet, corn, honey, butter of 

 the shea-tree, 4c — to Timbuctoo and other large places. The crews 

 consist of about 20 men : the boats use no sails. The Lake of Debo, 

 through which the Quorra flows, south of 16° N. lat., is of considerable 

 extent; it is perhaps 10 miles from south to north, but it occupies a 

 much greater space from east to west North of the lake, whei e the 

 river flows to the north-east, cultivation is more general, and the 

 number of villages is greater. Some of them carry on a considerable 

 tmffic with Timbuctoo. The winter at Timbuctoo, according to Dr. 

 Barth, who visited it in 1853, is severely felt, coughs aud colds being 

 very prevalent, aud the air relaxing, owing to the inundations of tho 

 river. In approaching Timbuctoo the Quorra separates into two 

 branches, which appe.ir to unite at no great distance farther down. 

 On the smaller and more northern of these branches is Cabra, the 

 port of Timbuctoo. From Timbuctoo the river seems to run in a 

 general south-east direction to Yauri. It seems that the Quorra leaves 

 the great plain of S&dau before it reaches the neighbourhood of Yauri. 

 Above Yauri it flows through the interesting country of Dindiua, a 

 long narrow strip of laud ou both banks inhabited by a tribe of 

 Tuaricks, who are distinguished for their industry and civilisation 

 above the neighbouring tribes. The Riuia or Sakatu River, also called 

 Zirmi, joins the Quorra from the east to the south of the Diudina 

 country ; it flows past Sakatu, the best provided market and largest 

 town in the Fellata country. This town is built in the form of a 

 square ; has 8 gates, according to Dr. Barth, and about 22,000 iuhabit- 

 ants. Sakiitu is no longer the Fellata capital ; Warno, a town of 

 13,000 inhahitunts, founded in 1831, and situated also on the Rima, 

 17 miles N.K from Sakatu, now enjoying that distinction. Dr. Barth, 

 the illustrious explorer of Central Africa, died at Menade on his return 

 from Timbuctoo to Kuka, July 18th, 1854. Kashna, or Kat-ena, and 

 Kauo, are two very important places in the interior, between the 

 Quorra and Lake Tchad. At Kano considerable quantities of British 

 and Americ in manufactures are sold : the former fire sent across the 

 desert from Tripoli aud the Mediterranean coast ; the latter, according 

 to Dr. Barth, are sent up the Quorra in Bteamers by the Americans, 

 who are extending their influence widely in these regions. A Fellaia 

 province near the Quorra called Kebbu (capital, Qando) is described 

 by Dr. Barth as a most fertile, well-watered, and populous region, 

 with "innumerable" large towns and villages. 



From Yauri to its mouth, tho river Niger has been navigated by 

 the Landers. Between Yauri and Kabba (9° N. lat) the river runs 

 nearly south, and then it makes a great bend to the east ; but before 

 it arrives at 8° N. lat, near which it is joined on the left bank by the 

 Tchadda, it agaiu runs south. That portion uf its course which lies 

 between Yauri aud 7° N. lat is only navigable during aud after the 

 rainy season ; at the end of the dry season the bed of the river is full 

 of rocks, sandbanks, and shoals. In these parts the river runs thiousjh 

 a mountiunous country, but the valley is low, and annually inundated ; 

 it is however very fertile, and villages and cultivation are common. 

 The mountains by which this valley is inclosed rise to a considerable 

 elevation, and with a gentle declivity. Between 8° and 7° N. lat. the 

 lower offsets of tho mountains on both banks of the river come close 

 up to the water, and where they recede from it the interval is not 

 very wide. The declivities of the mountains are covered with woods. 

 This narrow valley does not contain so large a population as the wider 

 one farther north. Near Abbazacca (about 6° N. lat.) the river leaves 

 the mountain region, and enters a low alluvial plain, or delta, in which 

 it divides into a great number of branches. The delti is mostly 

 covered with swamps or jnngle. Some parts of it are covered with 

 high forests. Tne more elevated tracts of the delta are cultivated, 

 aud villages occur at distwces of two or three miles, but most of them 

 are surrounded by jungle, and not visible from the river. The river 

 is frequently more than two miles wide, but in several places it con- 

 tracts to a mile and oven less, especially towards its mouth. The tide 

 is perceptible to about 100 miles from iu mouth. The principal arm 

 or mouth of the river is that called the Nun. 



