164 Mr Murray on the Course of the River Niger. 
square mile, we should then have seventy millions, in a space 
which does not perhaps exceed a tenth part of the continent. 
This is one of the largest masses of connected population to be 
found in the globe ; and one which presents such peculiar fea- 
tures, as to deserve well to be studied and known. Its compa- 
rative civilization is indeed alloyed by features of deep barbarism f 
-—the continual and furious wars, — the absolute power of the 
chiefs, and entire slavery of the body of the people ; — ^in parti- 
cular, the frightful extent of human sacrifices. There appears, 
however, to exist in Ashantee at least, an anxious wish to emerge 
out of this condition, and to assume a higher place in the scale of 
nations ; so that this region appears to offer an advantageous field 
for the exercise of that highly laudable zeal which has long 
shown itself in this country, for the improvement of Africa. 
Interesting as these considerations are, it is not my intention 
at present to pursue them farther, but to confine this essay to il- 
lustrate the information collected by Mr Bowdich, respecting 
the great geographical problem of the course and termination of 
the Niger. He found the capital of Ashantee crowded with 
Moorish merchants, many of whom had repeatedly crossed and 
re-crossed this river, and visited the different countries situated 
on its banks. He collected thus a large mass of intelligence, 
and arranged it with knowledge and industry, though not al- 
ways, perhaps, with that skill, which only experience in such 
operations can teach. I am of opinion, that Mr Bowdich’s ma- 
terials afford a fair promise of the solution of this great ques- 
tion,— but not exactly in the manner that he himself supposes. 
After the obliging manner in which he has repeatedly alluded 
to my History of African Discoveries,” he will not, I trust, 
suspect me of any intention to underrate his very valuable work, 
when I shall frankly state the points in which my opinion on 
this subject either agrees with or differs from his. 
The intelligence of Mr Bowdich, respecting the course of the 
Niger, as inferred from the reports of the natives and caravan 
merchants, may be thus briefly stated. The Niger, after pass- 
ing through the lake Dibbie, separates, near Tombuctoo, into 
three branches. One, called the Gambaroo, flows northward of 
east, through the countries of Houssa and Kassina, till it termi- 
nates in the great lake of Caudee or Chadee. Another, bearing 
the name of Joliba, flows northward to a country called Ya- 
lioodee, which carries on a great trade with Tombuctoo, The 
