THEORY OF TWO RIVERS^ 427 
son particularly describes an immense lake called 
the Sea of Soudan, situated about fifteen days' 
journey to the east of Tombuctoo. Park also 
heard at Sansanding of a lake, called the Ba Sea 
Feena, incomparably larger than the Dibbie, at 
about a month's distance from that place ^ which 
would nearly agree with the measure of Jackson.* 
The late traveller calling himself Ali Bey, saw 
an African prince and merchant, who had resided 
* His expressions are, One month's journey south of Bae- 
" doo, through the kingdom of Gotto, will bring the traveller 
" to the country of the Christians who have their houses on 
the banks of the Ba Sea Feena ; this water they describe as 
*' incomparably larger than the Dibbie, and that it flows some- 
times one way, and sometimes another." 
To conceal nothing, I cannot help entertaining some suspi- 
cion that this report may have referred to the sea in the Gulf 
of Guinea, though it certainly was not so understood by Park. 
The southern direction, the coast of the Christians, the decked 
vessels, and the motion one way and another (tides), all tend 
to suggest this idea. To this may be added the etymology of 
the word Ba Sea Feena, which was obligingly furnished to me 
by Mr Jackson, who states it to signify the " Sea of Ships." 
I even used the freedom to ask Mr Jackson, if he considered 
it certain, that his Bahar Soudan might not also be the Gulf of 
Guinea? Mr Jackson observed in reply, that the Gulf of 
Guinea was universally called by the Arabs El Bahar Ginatva ; 
that neither the distance nor direction agreed ; and that the 
Arabs, who pray daily with their faces turned towards the east, 
can scarcely blunder as to this last point. He is also of opi- 
nion, that Park's Ba Sea Feena must be the same with the Sea 
of Soudan. 
