of Mr S coifs Routes in North Africa. 2,39 
but which did not differ mych in point of ‘parallel from that gi- 
ven by bearings pointed out to him during his route eastward. 
On the Map then, about 1000 geographical miles may be 
measured on the curvilinear route across the Desert, between the 
Encampment in El Ghiblah and the Lake Dibbie, whilst the 106 
days at ten, give 1060, or sixty more than the Map. It would be 
useless to reason on the ground of such data; for there seems, 
from the names and general positions of the Lakes respectively 
described by Mr Park and Mr Scott, no reason to doubt that 
they are one and the same. The D is often changed to T, and 
Tieh or Tee- eh differs little in root from Dih-hie. The 1000 
miles give only nine, and somewhat less than a half, instead of 
ten, for each day. 
The Lake, as described to Mr Park^ is much smaller than 
the one seen by Scott ; but no one will regard the two accounts 
as of equal authority. Mr Park says, (p. 213.) ‘‘ Concerning 
the extent of the Lake Dihhie (or the Dark Lake,) all the in- 
formation I could obtain was, that in crossing it from west to 
east, the canoes lose sight of land one whole day.” On the other 
hand, Scott reckons the passage across, twenty-nine hours, at two 
miles ‘per hour. However, it is difficult to conceive how a vessel, 
capable of conveying 200 persons across so wide an expanse of 
water, could be rowed or paddled by the same six persons, at the 
rate of two miles per hour ! Probably, instead of 58 miles, 43 may 
be a sufficient number. It may be concluded that they crossed 
it from the N. W. to S. E., as Mr Park’s informant told him, 
that in going towards Tombuctoo, they navigated it from west 
to east^ (in effect in the direction of the general course of the 
Niger,) and consequently in the line of its greatest length ; for 
rimr lakes occupying a portion of the valleys or hollows through 
which the courses of the rivers lie, have their greatest length in 
those directions. Scott, therefore, may be supposed to have 
crossed it in the line of its breadth ; and it must consequently be 
a large lake. 
He observed no current in the lake, whilst the vessel lay 
twice at anchor, but her prow pointed to the eastward, although 
during calm weather. In a lake of that extent, the current of 
* See the general map of Africa in Mr Parle’s Travels, 
