442 General Notes. 
this point the country was unexplored, forming part of the States. 
of Tidiani, the chief of Macina. 
Bandiagara, Tidiani’s capital, is a most important centre of the 
Mohammedan religion, the town resembling a huge convent. Far- 
ther down the river it became difficult to get provisions, since the 
natives had all retired into the interior. On July 9th, Lake Dhe- 
boë was entered, and was found to receive the river Koli-Koli, 
which waters the province of Formagha. Below Lake Dheboé 
the Niger takes the name of Bara Issa, and its banks are thickly 
lined with populous villages. Tidiani had issued strict orders to 
the Puls and Bambaras to have no communication with the French. 
The waters are shallow near Timbuktu, so that the gunboat could 
not proceed to the town. The djemaa or associations of merchants 
have been expelled two years before, and a chief named Rhiaia had 
been installed by the assistance of the Tuaregs. Knowing the per- 
fidious character of the Tuaregs, the party slept on board every 
night, and made no excursions into the interior. All negotiations 
with the chiefs failed, and the Niger returned via the Diaka, or 
western branch of the river, hitherto unexplored. A vast amount 
of ethnographical and other valuable information was obtained,. 
and a detailed survey of this part of the Niger’s course was 
executed. 
Bakongo means “a man with a lance,” and thus the river name 
may be interpreted to mean “ quick as a lance.” 
J. MENGES JOURNEY SOUTHWARD FROM KassaLa.—J- 
Menges publishes an account (Petermann’s Mitt.) of his journey 
between Kassala and the Setit. The very existence of Kassala 
depends upon the commerce with the countries to the south of it. 
Two caravan routes conduct sout . One of these follows 
the Atbara as far as Tomat, and then crosses the steppe to Kedar . 
The second goes directly from Kassala to the Setit, passing by 
the imposing granite mountain of Kassala. 
The people of these regions, belonging to the tribes aaa 
Dabaina, and Schukpieh, dwell in the dry season on the borders 0 
