XIU 
CHAPTER II. 
Concerning the Geographical Discoveries of Mr. Park. 
Since the scope and design of Mr. Park's routes have been already set 
forth in the beginning of the present work, it would be useless to say 
more on that head ; and as the particular map of his progress will explain 
the relative circumstances of the Geography, nothing more will be neces- 
sary, than to call the attention of the reader to such particulars as may not 
readily occur to him on inspection of the Map ; or which, from their 
nature, cannot well be inserted in it. 
The discoveries of this gendeman (as has been said before), ^ive a new 
face to the physical geography of Western Africa. They prove, by the 
courses of the great rivers, and from other notices, that a belt of mountains, 
which extends from west to east, occupies the parallels between lo and 1 1 
degrees of north latitude, and at least between the 2d and 10th degrees 
of west longitude (from Greenwich). This belt, moreover, other autho- 
rities extend some degrees still farther to the west and south, in different 
branches, and apparently of less height. One of these, follows the upper 
part of the Gambia river ; another the Rio Grande, to a low point of its 
course; and a third .appears to shut up the western coast of Guinea.* Ac- 
cordingly, this chain approaches much nearer to the equatorial parts of 
Africa, than was before supposed ; and thus we are enabled to understand 
fully what Abulfeda t meant, when he said, that after the continent of 
Africa has extended southward + from the Strait of Gibraltar^ to the neigh- 
• Meaning Serra Leona, &c. &c. 
'■f Prolegomena. 
J Abulfeda in effect, literally meant southward; for, like Ptolemy, and Strabo, he 
had no idea that the coast of Africa projected to the -wtstward, beyond the Straits, but 
.rather supposed it to trend to t\iQ eastward of south. 
