APPENDIX. 
lxxvii 
Ben Ali reported to Mr. Beaufoy, that " it was believed, that the Tom- 
buctoo river terminated in a lake in the Desert." 
On the whole, it can scarcely be doubted that the Joliba or Niger termi- 
nates in lakes, in the eastern quarter of Africa ; and those lakes seem to be 
situated in Wangara and Ghana. That it does not form the upper part of 
the Egyptian Nile, may be collected from two circumstances : first, the great 
difference of level that must necessarily exist, between the Niger and the 
Nile, admitting that the Niger reached the country of Abyssinia. For by 
that time, it would have run at least 2300 G. miles, in a direct line; and 
near 2000, after it had descended to the level of Sahara, or Great Desert. 
And the Nile, at the point where the White river (which, alone can be taken 
for the Niger, if the idea of a junction be admitted) falls in, has more than 
a thousand such miles to run, before it reaches the sea ; and has moreover 
two or more cataracts to descend, in its way. Besides, Abyssinia is posi- 
tively a very elevated tract. Mr. Bruce, (Vol. iii. p. 642.) inferred from 
his barometer, that the level of the source of the Nile, in Gojam, was more 
than two miles above the level of the sea : and this is repeated in pages 652, 
and 712 ; where he says " fully" two miles. 
Again, in p. 719, he says, that the fiat country of Sennar is more than a 
mile lower than the high country of Abyssinia, from whence (says he) the 
Nile runs with " little descent" into Egypt. Hence, the country of Sennar, 
and the mouth of the White river, of course, may be reckoned about a mile t 
above the level of the sea. Ittrnay however be asked, how this agrees with 
the idea of an easy descent?* oj 
The second circumstance is, that the Niger throughout the tract of Nigri- 
tia, in common with all the rivers of that region, swells with the periodical 
rains, and is at its highest pitch, when the Nile is under the like circum- 
stances in Egypt. Now, considering how long a time it would require, for 
the waters of Nigritia to reach Egypt, the effect ought surely to be, that in- 
* Mr. Bruce mentions eight cataracts of the Nile ; of which, two only are below Sen- 
nar. (Vol. iii.' p. 644, et seq.) M. D'Anville marks three within the same space, 
principal cataracts are those formed by the abrupt descent from the upper love! or C 
to the intermediate one of Sennar; one of thein being 280 feet. (See page 647.; 
