INTRODUCTION. xxi 



tlie other branches have a tendency to the north-west. 

 Whether, therefore, they unite, or not, the probability cer- 

 tiinly is in favour of all the streams, from Guinea to Biafra, 

 having their sources in the southern face of the Kong 

 mountains. It can scarcely be supposed that the same 

 mountains, whose northern sides give rise to the three 

 large rivers, the Niger, the Senegal, and the Gambia, 

 should have their southern faces destitute of streams. If 

 however, we refer these numerous branches to some grreat 

 stream crossing the continent, from the north-east, the 

 Houssa merchants, in their journey to Lagos, must neces- 

 sarily psas it ; but by their own account, though nume- 

 rous streams, and lakes, and marshes occur, they neither 

 cross anv hig-h mountain, or verv large river 



In this unsatisfactory state of doubt and conjecture, in 

 which a most important geographical problem was involved, 

 two expeditions were set on foot under the auspices of 

 Government; the one to follow up the discovery of Park 

 by descentling the stream of the Niger, the other to ex- 

 plore the Zaire upwards towards its source. Indepen- 

 dently of any relation which the lattei' might be supposed 

 to have to the former, the river itself, from all the descrip- 

 tions which had been given of it, from its first discovery 

 by Diego Cam down to the present time, was of sufficient 

 magnitude to entitle it to be better known. To accom- 

 plish this (-bject more of difficulty was apprehended in the 

 navigation, than of danger from the hostilit}^ of the 

 natives, or the unhealthiness of the climate, neither of 

 which had oj)posed any obstacle to the progress of the 

 Poituguese. It was well known both to them and the 

 slave dealers of Liverpool, who used to frequent this river. 



