We Shall Next Direct Our Attention To The North Of Africa.
The hostility of the Mahometans, who possessed the north of Africa, to
Christians, presented as serious an obstacle to travels in that quarter as
the barbarism and ferocity of the native tribes on the west coast did to
discoveries into the interior in that direction.
In the sixteenth century,
Leo Africanus gave an ample description of the northern parts; and in the
same century, Alvarez, who visited Abyssinia, published an account of that
country. In the subsequent century, this part of Africa was illustrated by
Lobo, Tellea, and Poncet; the latter was a chemist and apothecary, sent by
Louis XIV to the reigning monarch of Abyssinia; the former were
missionaries. From their accounts, and those of the Portuguese, all our
information respecting this country was derived, previously to the travels
of Mr. Bruce.
Pocock and Norden are the most celebrated travellers in Egypt in the
beginning of the seventeenth century; but as their object was rather the
discovery and description of the antiquities of this country, what they
published did not much extend our geographical knowledge: the former spent
five years in his travels. The latter is the first writer who published a
picturesque description of Egypt; every subsequent traveller has borne
evidence to the accuracy and fidelity of his researches and descriptions.
He was the first European who ventured above the cataracts.
The great ambition and object of Mr. Bruce was to discover the source of
the Nile; for this purpose he left Britain in 1762, and after visiting
Algiers, Balbec, and Palmyra, he prepared for his journey into Abyssinia.
He sailed up the Nile a considerable way, and afterwards joined a caravan
to Cosseir on the Red Sea. After visiting part of the sea coast of Arabia,
he sailed for Massoucut, by which route alone an entrance into Abyssinia
was practicable. In this country he encountered many obstacles, and
difficulties, and after all, in consequence of wrong information he
received from the inhabitants, visited only the Blue River, one of the
inferior streams of the Nile, instead of the White River, its real source.
This, however, is of trifling moment, when contrasted with the accessions
to our geographical knowledge of Abyssinia, the coast of the Red Sea, &c.,
for which we are indebted to this most zealous and persevering traveller.
Since Mr. Bruce's time, Abyssinia has been visited by Mr. Salt, who has
likewise added considerably to our knowledge of this country, though on
many points he differs from Mr. Bruce.
The most important and interesting accession to our knowledge of the north
of Africa was made between the years 1792 and 1795, by Mr. Browne. This
gentleman seems to have equalled Mr. Bruce in his zeal and ardour, but to
have surpassed him in the soundness and utility of his views; for while the
former was principally ambitious of discovering the sources of the Nile, - a
point of little real moment in any point of view, - the latter wished to
penetrate into those parts of the north of Africa which were unknown to
Europeans, but which, from all accounts of them, promised to interest and
benefit, not only commerce, but science. His precise and immediate object
was Darfur, some of the natives of which resided in Egypt: from their
manners and account of their country, Mr. Browne concluded the inhabitants
were not so hostile to Christians and Europeans as Mahometans are in
general. He therefore resolved to go thither; as from it he could either
proceed into Abyssinia by Kordofan, or traverse Africa from east to west.
He therefore left Assiou in Egypt with the Soudan caravan in 1793, passed
through the greater Oasis, and arrived at Sircini in Darfur: here he
resided a considerable time, but he found insurmountable obstacles opposed
to his grand and ulterior plan. He ascertained, however, the source and
progress of the real Nile or White River. The geography of Darfur and
Kordofan is illustrated by him in a very superior and satisfactory manner.
The geography of Africa to the west of these countries is likewise
elucidated by him: he mentions and describes a large river which takes its
rise among the mountains of Kumri, and flows in a north-west course. This
river is supposed to be that described by Ptolemy under the name of Gir,
and by Edrisi as the Nile of the Negroes. The fate of Mr. Browne, who from
all the accounts of him seems to have been admirably fitted by nature and
habits for a traveller, was very melancholy. After his return to England
from Darfur he resolved to visit the central countries of Asia: he
accordingly set out, but on his way thither he was murdered in Persia.
At the commencement of this century, circumstances occurred Which rendered
Egypt and the countries adjacent more accessible to Europeans than they had
ever been before. In the first place, the French, who most unjustly invaded
it, took with their invading army a number of literary and scientific men,
by whom were published several splendid works, principally on the
antiquities of this ancient country. In the second place, the English, by
driving out the French, and by their whole conduct towards the ruling men
and the natives in general, not only weakened in a very considerable degree
the dislike to Europeans and Christians which the Mahomedans here, as
elsewhere, had ever entertained, but also created a grateful sense of
obligation and of favour towards themselves. Lastly, the pacha, who
obtained the power in Egypt, was a man of liberal and enlightened views,
far above those who had preceded him, and disposed to second and assist the
researches and journies of travellers.
In consequence of these favourable circumstances, and the additional
circumstance, that by the conquests and influence of Bonaparte English
travellers were shut out from a great part of Europe, they directed their
course towards Egypt. Their object was chiefly to investigate the numerous,
stupendous, and interesting antiquities.
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