a large river in Africa, of which many erroneous accounts have been published, and among them that which we have given in the *Encyclopaedia Britannica*. By Herodotus, Pliny, Ptolemy, and other ancient authors, it is uniformly said to flow from east to west, dividing Africa as the Danube divides Europe; and from the report of the Africans, the first of these authors calls it a large river abounding with crocodiles.

In the twelfth century, however, Edrisi describes the Niger, which he calls the Nile of the negroes, as running from east to west, and falling into the Atlantic Ocean; and his account was universally adopted by subsequent writers, till its falsehood was discovered by the African Association. From a number of concurring reports, Major Houghton was led to believe that the course of the Niger is from east to west, according to the most ancient account; and the truth of these reports has been established beyond all controversy by Mr Park, who saw the Niger himself, and actually accompanied it for many miles in its majestic course, as laid down by Herodotus.

This river rises in or near the country of MANDING (which see in this Supplement), between the parallels of 10 and 11 degrees of north latitude, and between the 5th and 9th degree of west longitude, which comprehends a space the most elevated of all this portion of Africa. This is evident from the opposite courses of the three great rivers which rise in it. These are the Gambia, which runs to the west-north-west; the Senegal, which runs to the north-west; and the Joliba (A), or Niger, running to the east-north-east. The head of the principal branch of the Senegal river is about 80 geographical miles to the west of that of the Niger; and the head of the Gambia is again about 100 miles west of the Senegal.

Mr Park traced the Niger to Silla, a considerable town about 420 miles from its source; and it was there larger than the Thames at Westminster. But 420 miles are but a very small part of the course of the Niger, which doubtless receives many tributary streams before it reach Kassina, 700 miles farther eastward, where there is every reason to believe that it was viewed by the ancient Romans. Our traveller collected at Silla what information he could from the Moorish and Negro traders concerning the further course of this majestic stream, as well as of the kingdoms through which it runs; and the following notices he believes to be authentic:

Two short days journey to the eastward of Silla, is the town of Jenne, which is situated on a small island in the river; and is said to contain a greater number of inhabitants than Segu itself, or any other town in Bambarra. (See SUGO, Suppl.) At the distance of two days more, the river spreads into a considerable lake, called Dibbic (or the dark lake); concerning the extent of which, all the information which our author could obtain was, that in crossing it, from west to east, the canoe lost sight of land one whole day. From this lake, the water issues in many different streams, which terminate in two large branches, one whereof flows towards the north east, and the other to the east; but their branches join at Kabra, which is one day's journey to the southward of Tumbuctoo, and is the port or shipping-place of that city. The tract of land which the two streams encircle, is called Jinaba, and is inhabited by negroes; and the whole distance, by land, from Jenne to Tumbuctoo, is twelve days journey.

From Kabra, at the distance of eleven days journey, down the stream, the river passes to the southward of Houssa, which is two days journey distant from the river. Of the further progress of this great river, and its final exit, all the natives with whom Mr Park conversed seemed to be entirely ignorant. Their commercial pursuits seldom induce them to travel further than the cities of Tumbuctoo and Houssa; and as the sole object of those journeys is the acquirement of wealth, they pay but little attention to the course of rivers, or the geography of countries. It is, however, highly probable that the Niger affords a safe and easy communication between very remote nations. All our author's informants agreed, that many of the negro merchants who arrive at Tumbuctoo and Houssa, from the eastward, speak a different language from that of Bambarra, or any other kingdom with which they are acquainted. But even these merchants, it would seem, are ignorant of the termination of the river; for such of them as can speak Arabic, describe the amazing length of its course in very general terms, saying only, that they believe it runs to the world's end.

Major Rennel, by comparing a great many accounts of the progress of this river beyond Houssa, with the idea which prevails in that city of its termination, has shewn it to be in a very high degree probable, that the waters of the Niger have no direct communication with the sea, but that they are spread out into a great lake in Wangara and Ghana, and evaporated by the heat of the sun. See WANGARA in this Supplement.