THEORIES RESPECTING THE NIGER. 417 
ct men reside, the sound of the loudest voice from 
" the northern shore is scarcely heard." These 
particulars, and, above all, the rapidity of the stream, 
make it scarcely possible that he could be mistaken 
as to the direction in which it flows ; nor does there 
appear any conceivable motive for mistatement. 
From these testimonies, it appeared to me as the 
most probable supposition, that the long line of river 
course to which Europeans have applied the Roman 
name of Niger, (a name not known in Africa,) con- 
sists, in fact, of two rivers, flowing, one from the 
east, and the other from the west, and falling into 
some common receptacle. It is objected, indeed, that 
no such receptacle has ever been reported to exist. 
But the tract between Cassina and Tombuctoo is so 
entirely unknown, that it might very well contain 
the feature in question, without such a report hav- 
ing reached Europeans. Moreover, it may be obser- 
ved, that the most recent travellers actually report 
the existence of a great lake, or inland sea, in this 
quarter. Jackson particularly describes an immense 
lake called the Sea of Soudan, situated about fif- 
teen days' journey to the east of Tombuctoo. Park 
also heard at Sansanding of a lake incomparably 
larger than the Dibbie, at about a month's dis- 
tance from that place ; which would nearly agree 
with the measure of Jackson. The late traveller, 
calling himself Ali Bey, saw an African prince and 
VOL. II. d & 
