XVI 
PREFACE. 
Another inducement to this route was, that part 
of it was reprefented to lie along the banks of the 
Bahr-el-abiady which he had always conceived to 
be the true Nile, and which apparently no Eu- 
ropean had ever feen. To have traced it to its 
fource was rather to be wifhed than expelled ; but 
he promifed himfelf to reach a part of it near 
enough to that fource, to enable him to determine 
in what latitude and direction it was likely to exift. 
It is unneceffary to obferve, that, had either of thefe 
objects been realized, much interefling matter muft 
have occurred in the courfe of the route. He could 
not in the fequel difcover that the armed expedi- 
tions of the Furians extend to any high reaches of 
the Bahr-el-abiad. 
Another object, perhaps in the eyes of fome the 
moft important of the three, was to pafs to one or 
more of the extended and populous empires to the 
Weftward. Africa, to the North of the Niger, as 
i« certified from the late difcoveries, is almoft uni- 
verfally Mohammedan ; and to have been well re- 
ceived among one of the nations of that defcription, 
would 
