SOURCE OF THE SHARY. 233 



in twelve days without changing the canoe. The 

 latter expression struck me forcibly, and I cross- 

 questioned the man closely ; but he adhered to 

 his statement, and enumerated a long list of 

 towns on the banks of the river. This evidence, 

 though strong, is by no means conclusive ; the 

 natives are such inveterate liars, that no depend- 

 ance can be placed on any accounts they may 

 give ; and from the experience which I have had 

 of their mendacious propensities, I do not allow 

 their accounts to weigh for a moment against 

 the following reasons, which induce me to think 

 that it has its rise in another and very different 

 quarter. 



The water of the Shary is colder than that of 

 the Niger. 



The rise of the river commences sooner and 

 more suddenly than the Niger. 



There is little trade upon the Shary in com- 

 parison with the Niger, which, if it communicat- 

 ed with the sea of Soudan, would naturally be 

 immense. 



From the three first reasons, I should think 

 that its rise is in a mountainous country, and 

 that that country lies very near the equator. 

 Probably the same range of hills that gives birth 



