SO DISCOVERIES OF THE ANCIENT&. 
that the farther progress of the expedition was 
arrested by the want of provisions. 
Such are the leading features of this celebrated 
voyage, than which none has afforded, in modern 
times, more ample room for the speculations of the 
learned. Many of the circumstances, which wore 
at first a marvellous aspect, have been found to 
correspond with the observations of modern tra- 
vellers. The fires and nocturnal symphonies re- 
present the habits prevalent in all the negro states ; 
repose during the day, music and dancing pro- 
longed through the night. The flames, which 
seemed to sweep over an expanse of territory, 
might be occasioned by the practice, equally gene- 
ral, of setting fire, at a certain season of the year, 
to the grass and shrubs ; and the Gorillce were 
. evidently that remarkable species of ape to which 
we give the name of oran-outang. Extreme dif- 
ference of opinion prevails, however, as to the ex- 
tent of the coast traversed, and the objects to 
which the different respective parts of the descrip- 
tion apply. According to Major Rennell, the island 
of Cerne is Arguin, the great river is the Sene- 
gal, the islands are the archipelago of the Bissagos, 
and the whole voyage reached a little beyond 
Sierra Leone.* M. Gosselin, on the contrary, 
contends, that the whole course was along the 
* Geography of Herodotus, Sect. 16-26. 
