186 
MISSION TO ASHANTEE, 
Having reached the Niger it is time to observe^ that it is only 
known to the Moors by the name of Quo] la, pronounced rather as 
Quorra by the Negroes, who, from whatever countries they came, 
all spoke of this as the largest river they knew ; and it was the 
grand feature in all the routes (whether from Houssa, Bornoo, or 
the intermediate countries) to Ashantee. Mr. Horneman wrote 
that the Niger, in some parts of Houssa, was called Gaora, which 
must sound very like Quorra. The Niger, after leaving the lake 
and Mr. Hutchison"'s genius inclining more to the cultivation of the Ashantee and Arabic 
languages, which I had no doubt would yield to his great industry, I did not intrude 
less congenial pursuits on his attention, (the desiderata having been amply realized,) but 
merely requested he would let me know what any intelligent Moor, arriving after my 
departure, might say of the Interior, and, if possible, procure a chart from him, especially 
if he was not a native of Houssa or Bornoo, which two of the Moors who had drawn for 
me were. After I had finished my Geographical Report, Mr. Hutchison sent, with some 
other interesting particulars, added as notes with his initials, a chart drawn by a Jenne 
Moor just arrived, confirming all I had collected in the most satisfactory manner. The 
names of the countries from the source of the Niger to Egypt were written in Arabic, 
with Mr. Hutchison's expression of the pronunciation in English opposite. I particularly 
recollect that his ear differed somewhat from mine, which accounts for the trifling diffe- 
rences in our spelling. I shewed Mr. Hutchison my charts as curiosities, but he took 
no minutes of the names, uninteresting from his never having had an opportunity of 
reading Major Rennell's Dissertations, which would alone make them so to any one. He 
gives a better proof of this, than my own Impression, by the following extract from his 
letter to me, accompanying the chart: " The Bornoo you used to talk about, you will 
find the same as the lake Chaudi, or Al Bahare Noohoo, or else you know a country I 
I do not recollect hearing of;" but, in the postscript, he writes, " On looking over my 
memoranda, I find Bornoo is the principal monarchy the Arabs alone stand in awe of, 
and one of the fovir kingdoms best known on the Quolla." Mr. Hutchison unconsciously/ 
confirming what I had learned, is even more satisfactory than if I had left him any basis 
for his enquiries ; indeed, his own object, the acquirement of the language, was too im- 
portant to be interrupted unnecessarily. ^ Before I attach any quotation from this Gentle- 
man's letters, I must acknowledge the assistance I had previously derived from his 
spirited zeal as an officer, as well as that Avhicli has since resulted from his intere&t m 
intellectual pursuits^ 
