LIFE OF MUNGO PARK. 
xlv 
dispose of the beasts of burthen ; giving some away in 
presents, and with the others purchasing provisions. If 
the King of Bambarra's answer is favourable, he would 
proceed immediately to Sego, and having delivered the 
presents, solicit Mansong's protection as far as Jinnie. 
Here Mr. Park's personal knowledge of the course of the 
Niger ends. 
" Proceeding farther, Mr. Park proposes to survey the 
lake Dibbie, coasting along its southern shore. He would 
then proceed down the river by Jimbala and Kabra ( the 
port of Tombuctoo), through the kingdoms of Houssa, 
NyfFe,and Kashna, &c. to the kingdom oiWangara, being 
a direct distance of about one thousand four hundred miles 
from the place of embarkation. 
" If the river should unfortunately end here, Mr. Park 
would feel his situation extremely critical ; he would how- 
ever be guided by his distance from the coast, by the 
character of the surrounding nations, and by the existing 
circumstances of his situation. 
" To return by the Niger to the westward he apprehends 
would be impossible ; to proceed to the northward equally 
so ; and to travel through Abyssinia extremely dangerous. 
The fonly remaining route that holds out any hopes of 
success, is that towards the Bight of Guinea. If the river 
should take a southerly direction, Mr. Park would consider 
it as his duty to follow it to its termination ; and if it 
should happily prove to be the river Congo, would there 
embark with the troops and Negroes on board a slave 
vessel, and return to England from St. Helena, or by way 
of the West Indies. 
