244 TRAVELS IN 
men and geographers, at leaft for what regards 
the place where it pours itfelf into the fea. I 
fliall only remark, that, In a country fo irregular 
as Africa, it is very difficult to know a river 
which runs any confiderable way. At one 
time, piercing through fteep mountains or 
lofing iticlf under rocks at another, falling 
down from them in cafcades, frequently per- 
haps in diverging branches, which, when they 
meet, take a contrary direcfiion, and return 
back towards its fource ; it is by no means 
eafy to trace it amid fo many obftacles. To 
fucceed in this, I know but one method, which 
would be to fet out from the fource of the river, 
and thence to travel conflantly along its banks, 
without once lofing fight of it. But who 
would attempt fuch an enterprife ? And, were 
it attempted, would it alvvays be prad:icable ? 
At my third encampment by this river, my 
Nimiquas recolleclcd a chain of very lofty 
m( untain?, the pafturage of which they highly 
extolled; and added, that on this account there 
was almcfl always a horde of their country- 
men Rationed there. Thefe praifes were not 
V it! oi t dtfign, and this defign it was eafy to 
gr.efs I but, as it accorded with my own, I 
made 
