426 THEORIES RESPECTING THE NIGER. 
" tion are unknown, but its course is from east to 
west.'' He adds, that *' such is the rapidity 
" with which it traverses the empire of Cashna, 
that no vessel can ascend the stream j'* that it 
is crossed on an ill constructed raft ; that its 
depth is twenty-three or twenty-four feet j and 
its width such, that at the island of Gongoo, 
" where the ferrymen reside, the sound of the 
** loudest voice from the northern shore is scarce- 
" ly heard." These particulars, and, above all, 
the rapidity of the stream, make it scarcely possi- 
ble that he could be mistaken as to the direction 
in which it flows ; nor does there appear any con- 
ceivable motive for mistatement. 
From these testimonies, it appeared a proba- 
ble supposition, that the long line of river course 
to which Europeans have applied the Roman 
name of Niger, (a name not known in modern 
Africa), consists, 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 Cas- 
sina and Tombuctoo is so entirely unknown, that 
it might very well contain the feature in question, 
without such a report having reached Europeans. 
Moreover, it may be observed, that the most re- 
cent travellers actually report the existence of a 
great lake, or inland sea, in this quarter. Jack- 
