xlviii 
ACCOUNT OF THE 
Rennell expressly on the discoveries of Park, that distin- 
tinguished geographer, on comparing the various accounts 
of the progress of the Niger beyond Houssa, had given a dis- 
tinct opinion that its waters had no communication either 
With the river Nile or the Sea ; but were spread out into a 
great lake in Wangara and Ghana, and were evaporated by 
the heat of the sun.* Park's attention had of course been 
much directed to the same subject ; and he had omitted 
no opportunity of collecting information which might 
throw light on this obscure and difficult question. During 
his residence in Scotland he had become acquainted with 
a Mr. George Maxwell, formerly an African trader, who 
had a great knowledge of the whole western coast of 
Africa, especially so^ith of the equator, and had published 
a chart of the river Congo. Before Mr. Maxwell had 
heard any particulars of the Niger, many circumstances 
had induced him to conjecture that the source of the Congo 
lay considerably inland, and very far to the north. The 
publication of Park's Travels confirmed him in his opinion, 
and led him to conclude that the Congo and the Niger were 
one and the same stream. Mr. Maxwell's reasonings 
appear to have produced a great impression upon Park, 
who adopted his sentiments relative to the termination of 
the Niger in their utmost extent, and persevered in that 
opinion to the end of his life. 
The sources of great rivers have often been the object of 
popular and even of scientific curiosity ; but it is peculiar 
to the Niger to be interesting on account of its termination, 
Those who recollect the emotions which Park describes 
* Proceedings of African Association, vol. i. p. 533. 
