IN CENTRAL AFRICA. 285 
sea of fresh water must appear excusable to every one, 
and his eagerness to take possession, in a manner, of 
the spot, on behalf of his country, by giving names 
to three islets situated in it, cannot but be generally ap- 
proved. Tvrenty three years earlier, Mungo Park had 
accomplished this same navigation, perhaps, had also 
given names to these little mediterranean isles. Who, 
either in France or in England would have blamed him 
for this national feeling, had the account of his discovery 
reached Europe ? 
The lake has two divisions, one eastern, the limits 
of which may be seen, the other western, extending 
beyond the reach of sight. M. Caillie is ignorant 
whence this mass of water proceeds ; is it from a tri- 
butary, or is it on the contrary an efflux from the inun- 
dations of the Dhioliba? This geographical question, 
on many accounts an important problem, remains then 
in obscurity ; further on I shall offer a rather probable 
opinion*. 
To the east of this lake are sands and sterile hills 5 
to the west, it is lost in vast marshes ; the navigation of 
the latter division must be extremely difficult. Passing 
from Djennd to Timbuctoo, the traveller navigates the 
eastern division of the lake, keeping close to the right 
bank. 
Below the lake (on the map) a winding of the river 
* See § V below. 
