304 COURSE OF THE NIGER—SEGO AND TOMBUCTOU. 
declared that this great river takes its rise between Kouranko 
and Soliman ; that in the season when the water is low they 
could not descend it further than Marabout, where a ridge 
of rocks obstructs the navigation ; they added, that after 
passing through Sego, it forms at a great distance from that 
city, an immense lake, communicating with the Nile, which 
they called the great river of Egypt. The magnificent de- 
scription which they gave me of Tombuctou and Sego did 
not deceive me, as to the population or extent of these two 
cities. Very brilliant accounts had also been given me of 
Timbo, the inhabitants of which were rated at forty thousand, 
while in reality there are only about nine thousand ; the 
palaces which were spoken of in such high terms, are merely 
straw cottages. 
Sego and Tombuctoo are but the marts for the commerce 
of the people of northern Africa with Kankan and Ouasselon, 
the richest countries of the interior of this continent, in 
slaves and gold. 
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