and Mr Maxwell respecting the Congo and the Niger. lOS 
end of the dry season, when it may be supposed to be at the 
lowest, and ip a direct line between the Capes, which is a rude 
way sometimes adopted to describe the size of rivers, the Congo 
is about miles wide. The current, or outset of the river, is 
never less, even during the dry season, than 5 and 6 miles an 
hour, and the general course of the stream, after it enters the 
ocean, is to the N.W. keeping at the distance of about 60 miles 
from the shore, until it falls into the Gulf of Guinea, between 
Cape Lopez and Anna Bona, six degrees to the northward of the 
Congo, rendering the transparent salt-water there of a dark co- 
lour ; and, when the stream happens to set to the S.W. and W. 
which Mr Maxwell has sometimes seen, the ocean has been 
quite turbid with the fresh water SOO miles from shore ; for the 
Congo has always the appearance of being in flood, or of a red 
clay colour. In short, according to Mr Maxwell, the Congo is 
not the inconsiderable river which even Major Bennelfs improv- 
ed map of Africa that accompanies Park’s Travels would lead us 
to suppose, but one of the third or fourth magnitude. For, 
according to geographers, the Nile and Missisippi occupy these 
stations, and are both of them said to run a course of 3000 
miles ; yet what are either of them when compared with the 
Congo? The Missisippi has only 17 feet water over the bar or 
entrance; while the Congo has no bar, and has never less than 600 
feet depth of water in the stream, with salt-water soundings on 
either side, from 3 feet close in with the beach, to 100 feet, 30 
miles out in the offing, having scooped out for itself a channel 
in the bed of the ocean. Even the Nile (according to Volney) 
becomes green, fetid, and full of worms, while the Congo rolls 
along, seemingly in full flood, until we examine the water-marks 
which appear on the perpendicular rocks on either side, at the 
height of 9 or 10 feet above its ordinary surface, and to which 
it annually rises in December and January. 
Such was the substance of the information which Mr Keir 
had received from Mr Maxwell ; and ivhen reading Mr 
Park’s Travels, it occurred to him, to be a more natural 
way of disposing of the Niger, by making it communicate with 
the Congo, than by evaporation from the Lake of Mangara. 
And, in looking into the Map, he was confirmed in his conjee- 
