LIFE OF MUNGO PARK. 
xix 
must unquestionably be regarded as the greatest accession 
to the general stock of geographical knowledge, which was 
ever yet made by any single traveller. The claim of Park 
to this distinction will be apparent from a short view of 
his principal discoveries. 
Among the great variety of facts concerning the Interior 
of Africa not before known, or at least not ascertained, 
which the labours of Park have placed beyond all doubt, 
the most interesting unquestionably are, those which relate 
to the existence of the great inland river, the Niger, as a 
distinct and separate stream, and its course from West to 
East; affording a remarkable confirmation of what had 
been stated concerning this river by Herodotus and the 
ancient writers ; but which was afterwards controverted 
by the geographers of the middle ages, who asserted (what, 
independently of direct evidence, seemed more probable) 
that the course of the river was from East to West. This 
latter opinion had accordingly been followed by the greater 
part of the moderns ; with the exception indeed of some of 
the most distinguished geographers of later times, particu- 
larly, D'Anville and Major Rennell, who had called in 
question the doctrine then prevalent, and given strong 
reasons for adhering to the ancient opinion. This how- 
ever at the time of Park's journey, could be considered in 
no other light than as a reasonable conjecture, till the fact 
was ascertained by the unexceptionable testimony of an 
eye-witness.* 
Another important circumstance respecting the Niger, 
previously unknown, but which was fully established by 
* See Appendix, No. II. 
