At The Distance Of Two Days More, The River Spreads Into A
Considerable Lake, Called _Dibbe_ (Or The Dark Lake), Concerning The
Extent Of Which All The Information I Could Obtain Was, That In Crossing
It, From West To East, The Canoes Lose 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 these branches join at Kabra, which is one day's
journey to the southward of Tombuctoo, and is the port or shipping-place
of that city. The tract of land which the two streams encircle is called
Jinbala, and is inhabited by Negroes; and the whole distance, by land,
from Jenne to Tombuctoo, 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 I conversed seemed to be
entirely ignorant. Their commercial pursuits seldom induce them to travel
further than the cities of Tombuctoo 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.
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