THEORY OF TWO RIVERS. 
425 
the KuUa for instance, are so delineated, that they 
could scarcely continue to flow in that direction 
without meeting the Niger. That a junction 
therefore takes place, at some point, of rivers 
from opposite sides of the continent, can scarce- 
ly be doubted. Whether these rivers terminate 
there, or direct their united streams into the 
ocean, is a separate question. According to the 
general opinion, this union takes place in Wan- 
gara. There is, however, a considerable weight 
of testimony which goes to prove, that much far- 
ther west, and in passing through the kingdom 
of Cassina, the direction of the stream is still 
westward, Abulfeda, Edrisi, and all the Ara- 
bian writers, without a single exception, are 
well known to have described their Nile of the 
Negroes as flowing from east to west. Now, as 
Gana was the centre of their settlements, and the 
main channel of communication with Northern 
Africa, it appears very improbable that they 
should be misinformed as to how the matter stood 
there. Nor is it improbable that their knowledge 
might terminate with this westward-flowing river, 
and might never reach the stream visited by Park. 
The next testimony is that of the Shereef Im- 
hammed, an eminent native merchant, who cross- 
ed and recrossed the Niger at least twice. He 
stated to Mr Lucas,* that ** its rise and termina- 
* Proceedings of Association, 1790. 4to. 
