418 THEORIES RESPECTING THE NIGER. 
merchant, who had resided at Tombuctoo, by whom 
he was assured, that the Nile Abid, in flowing east- 
ward from that city, spread into an inland sea of 
great extent. A great lake, therefore, in this si- 
tuation, capable of forming a receptacle for both 
the streams, which have been supposed to flow from 
the opposite sides of Africa, appeared not only pos- 
sible, but supported by very strong and positive 
testimonies. 
Since the above hypothesis was formed, some very 
striking and unexpected notices have been received 
from this part of Africa. Adams, as mentioned in 
our analysis of his narrative, states, that a large ri- 
ver, called the Mar Zahr or Zarah, flows close by 
Tombuctoo, and, as he apprehends, to the south- 
west. Nothing, indeed, can be less positive than 
this last averment. M. Dupuis, who saw him first 
at Mogadore, did not recollect any such assertion ; 
on the contrary, Adams stated to him, " that he 
" had not taken any particular notice, and that the 
" river was steady, without any appearance of a 
" strong current. 5 ' In London, however, on be- 
ing strictly interrogated, he stated a preponderat- 
ing belief " that it did flow south-west. He 
" spoke, however, with apparently less confidence 
66 of this than of any other point of his narrative." 
Yet there is, however, a pretty strong concurrence 
of testimonies in his favour of the river of Tom- 
