394 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. Chap. LXV. 
and thence concluded that it would have been im- 
possible for Caillie to have reached Kabara in his 
boat in the month of April. The navigation of this 
water became so difficult, that all my people were 
obliged to leave the boat, which, with great difficulty 
was dragged on by the boatmen, who themselves 
entered the water and lifted and pushed it along 
with their hands. But before we reached Kabara, 
which is situated on the slope of a sandy eminence, 
the narrow and shallow channel widened to a tolerably 
large basin of circular shape ; and here, in front of 
the town, seven good-sized boats were lying, giving 
to the whole place some little life. Later in the 
season, when the channel becomes navigable for 
larger boats, the intercourse becomes much more ani- 
mated. During the palmy days of the Songhay em- 
pire, an uninterrupted intercourse took place between 
Gagho and Timbuktu on the one side, and between 
Timbuktu and Jenni on the other, and a numerous 
fleet was always lying here under the orders of an 
admiral of great power and influence. The basin 
has such a regular shape, that it looks as if it were 
artificial; but, nevertheless, it may be the work of 
nature, as Kabara from the most ancient times has 
been the harbour of Timbuktu, and at times seems 
even to have been of greater importance than the 
latter place itself. 
A branch of the river turns off to the east, with- 
out however reaching the main trunk, so that in 
