The Journal of a Mission to the Interior of Africa, in the Year 1805 Part 2

"3dly. To make as accurate a survey of the river as his situation and circ.u.mstances will admit of.

"4thly. To give a description of the different kingdoms on or near the hanks of the river, with an account of the manners and customs of the inhabitants.

"Means necessary for accomplis.h.i.+ng the journey.

30 European soldiers.

6 European carpenters.

15 or 20 Goree Negroes, most of them artificers.

50 a.s.ses, to be purchased at St. Jago 6 Horses or mules, to be purchased at St. Jago.

"Articles of dress, &c. for the soldiers and Negros, exclusive of their common clothing.

"Each Man, 1 Musquito veil.

1 Hat with a broad brim.

2 Flannel under vests with sleeves.

2 Pair of Mosquito trowsers.

1 Pair of long leather gaiters.

1 Additional pair of shoes.

1 Great coat for sleeping, similar to what is worn by the cavalry.

Knapsack and canteen for travelling.

"Arms and Ammunition.

6 Rifle pieces.

8 or ten blunderbusses.

"Each Man, 1 Gun and bayonet.

1 Pair of pistols, and belt.

1 Cartridge box and belt.

Ball cartridges.

Pistol ditto.

Flints.

Gunpowder.

Small shot of different sizes.

"Articles necessary for equipping the a.s.ses.

"100 Strong sacking bags.

50 Canva.s.s saddles.

Girths, buckles, halters.

6 Saddles and bridles for horses.

"Articles necessary for building and rigging two boats on the Niger of the following dimensions, viz.

"40 Feet keel--8 feet beam, to draw 2-1/2 feet water.

Carpenters tools, including hatchets and long saws.

Iron work and nails.

Pitch and oak.u.m.

Cordage rigging, and sails.

2 Boat compa.s.ses.

2 Spying-gla.s.ses for day or night.

2 Small union flags.

6 Dark lanterns.

2 Tons of Carolina rice.

Cooking utensils.

Medicines and instruments.

"List of Merchandize for purchasing provisions and making the necessary presents to the Kings of Woolli, Bondou, Kajaaga, Fooladoo, Bambarra, and the Kings of the Interior.

"Best blue India bafts, 150 yards White ditto, 50 yards Scarlet cloth, 200 yards Blue ditto, 30 yards Green ditto, 20 yards Yellow ditto, 10 yards Scarlet Salisbury flannel, red night caps, &c.

Amber, 150 Coral, 50 Mock coral, 50 White garnets, 50 Red garnets Red beads Black points, 50 Piccadoes Gold beads Small black beads, 50 White ditto Yellow ditto 5 Double-barrelled guns.

5 Pairs of ditto pistols.

5 Swords with belts.

Small mirrors.

Knives.

Scissors.

Spectacles, Dollars.

"_A brief account of the manner in which Mr. Park proposes to carry the plans of Government into execution._

"Mr. Park would touch at St. Jago, in order to purchase the a.s.ses and mules, and a sufficient quant.i.ty of corn to maintain them during the voyage to Goree and up the Gambia. At Goree he proposes receiving on board the soldiers and Negroes formerly mentioned, and would then proceed to Fattatenda, five hundred miles up the Gambia; where, having first obtained permission from the King of Woolli, he would disembark with the troops, a.s.ses, &c. After having allowed time for refreshment, and the necessary arrangements being made, he would then proceed on his journey to the Niger. The route he intends pursuing would lead him through the kingdoms of Bondou, Kajaaga, Fooladoo, and Bambarra.

"In conducting an expedition of this nature through such an extent of country, Mr. Park is sensible that difficulties will unavoidably occur; but he will be careful to use conciliatory measures on every occasion.

He will state to the native princes the good understanding that has always subsisted between them and the English, and will invariably declare that his present journey is undertaken solely for the extension of commerce and promotion of their mutual interests.

"On his arrival at the Niger his attention will be first directed to gain the friends.h.i.+p of the King of Bambarra. For this purpose he will send one of the Bambarra Dooties forward to Sego with a small present.

This man will inform Mansong of our arrival in his kingdom, and that it is our intention to come down to Sego with presents to him, as soon as he has given us permission, and we have provided the necessary means of conveying ourselves thither.

"In the mean time we must use every possible exertion to construct the two boats before mentioned with the utmost possible despatch. When the boats are completed, and every thing is ready for embarking, Mr. Park would dispose of the beasts of burthen; giving some away in presents, and with the others purchasing provisions. If the King of Bambarra's answer is favourable, he would proceed immediately to Sego, and having delivered the presents, solicit Mansong's protection as far as _Jinnie_.

Here Mr. Park's personal knowledge of the course of the Niger ends.

"Proceeding farther, Mr. Park proposes to survey the lake Dibbie, coasting along its southern sh.o.r.e. He would then proceed down the river by Jimbala and Kabra (the port of Tombuctoo), through the kingdoms of Houssa, Nyffe, and Kashna, &c. to the kingdom of _w.a.n.gara_, being a direct distance of about one thousand four hundred miles from the place of embarkation.

"If the river should unfortunately end here, Mr. Park would feel his situation extremely critical; he would however be guided by his distance from the coast, by the character of the surrounding nations, and by the existing circ.u.mstances of his situation.

"To return by the Niger to the westward he apprehends would be impossible; to proceed to the northward equally so; and to travel through Abyssinia extremely dangerous. The only remaining route that holds out any hopes of success, is that towards the _Bight of Guinea_.

If the river should take a southerly direction, Mr. Park would consider it as his duty to follow it to its termination; and if it should happily prove to be the river Congo, would there embark with the troops and Negroes on board a slave vessel, and return to England from St. Helena, or by way of the West Indies.

"The following considerations have induced Mr. Park to think that the Congo will be found to be the termination of the Niger.

"1st. The total ignorance of all the inhabitants of North Africa respecting the termination of that river. If the Niger ended any where in North Africa, it is difficult to conceive how the inhabitants should be so totally ignorant of it; and why they should so generally describe it as running to the Nile, to the end of the world, and in fact to a country with which they are unacquainted.

"2dly. In Mr. Horneman's Journal the Niger is described as flowing eastwards into Bornou, where it takes the name of _Zad_. The breadth of the Zad was given him for one mile, and he was told that it flowed towards the Egyptian Nile, through the land of the _Heathens_.

[Footnote: Proceedings of African a.s.sociation. Vol. II. p. 201.] The course here given is directly towards the Congo. _Zad_ is the name of the Congo at its mouth, and it is the name of the Congo for at least six hundred and fifty miles inland.

"3dly. The river of _Dar Kulla_ mentioned by Mr. Browne [Footnote: Browne's Travels. 2d edit. 4to. p. 354.] is generally supposed to be the Niger; or at least to have a communication with that river. Now this is exactly the course the Niger ought to take in order to join the Congo.

"4thly. The quant.i.ty of water discharged into the Atlantic by the Congo cannot be accounted for on any other known principle, but that it is the termination of the Niger. If the Congo derived its waters entirely from the south side of the mountains which are supposed to form the Belt of Africa, one would naturally suppose that when the rains were confined to the north side of the mountains, the Congo, like the other rivers of Africa, would be greatly diminished in size; and that its waters would become _pure_. On the contrary, the waters of the Congo are at all seasons thick and muddy. The breadth of the river when at its _lowest_ is _one mile_, its depth is _fifty fathoms_, and its velocity _six miles per hour_.

"5thly. The annual flood of the Congo commences before any rains have fallen south of the equator, and agree correctly with the floods of the Niger, calculating the water to have flowed from Bambarra at the rate of three miles per hour.