cluded, that the gold fand has not been brought there by the Niger, but by finaller rivers that defcend immediately from these mountains. That a part of Wangara is bounded by mountains, we learn from Edrifi: for the lake on which Reghebil ftands has mountains hanging over its fouthern fhore *.

"It is fuppofed that most of the countries bordering on thefe mountains fhare in the riches contained within them, by means of the rivulets +. But confidering how amazingly productive in gold the streams of this region are, it is wonderful that Pliny fhould not mention the Niger, as one of the rivers that rolls down golden fands: for although he fpeaks of the Tagus and others in different quarters, no African river is mentioned t. And yet Herodotus knew that the Carthaginians bartered their goods for gold, with the Africans on the feacoaft beyond the pillars of Hercules: which was contrived without the parties feeing each other .

"The common boundary of the Moors and Negroes in Africa forms a ftriking feature, as well in the moral as the political and phyfical geography of this continent. The Moors defcendants of Arabs, intermixed with the various colonifts of Africa from the earlicft to the latest times, overspread the habitable parts of the Defert, and the oafes within it; and have pushed their conquefts and eftablishments fouthward;

"Edrif, page 12."

preffing on the Negro aborigines, who have in feveral inftances retired to the fouthward of the great rivers; but in others preferve their footing on the fide towards the Defert; according to the ftrength or openness of the fituation. It is probable, however, that the Negroes, who are an agricultural people, never poffeffed any confiderable por tion of the Defert, which is fo much better fuited to the paftoral life of the Moors. It appears as if matters had not undergone much change in this refpect fince the days of Herodotus, who fixes the boundary of the Libyans and Ethiopians, in other words, of the Moors and Negroes, near the borders of the Niger; and he apparently pointed to the quarter in which Kaffina or Ghana are now fituated §.

"The Negroes in the weftern quarter of the continent are of two diftinct races, of which the least numerous are named Foulahs or Foolahs. Thefe, although they par take much of the Negro form and complexion, have neither their jetty colour, thick lips, nor crifped hair. They have alfo a language diftinct from the Mandinga, which is the prevailing one in this quarter.

"The original country of the Foulahs is faid to be a tract of no great extent along the eastern branch of the Senegal river; fituated between Manding and Kaffon; Bambouk and Kaarta: and which bears the name of Foola-don, or the

"Pliny, lib. xxxiii. c. 4."

country of the Foulahs. But whether this be really the cafe, or whether they might not have come from the country within Sierra Leone (called alfo the Foulah country), may be a queftion; of which, more in the fequel. The Foulahs occupy at leaft as fovereigns feveral provinces or kingdoms, interfperfed throughout the tract comprehended between the mountainous border of the country of Sierra Leone on the weft, and that of Tombuctoo on the eaft; as alfo a large tract on the lower part of the Senegal river; and thefe provinces are infulated from each other in a very remarkable manner. Their religion is Mahomedaniím, but with a great mixture of paganifm; and with lefs intolerance than is practifed by the Moors.

"The principal of the Foulah ftates is that within Sierra Leone; and of which Teemboo is the capital. The next in order appears to be that bordering on the fouth of the Senegal river, and on the Jaloffs: this is properly named Siratik. Others of lefs note are Bondou, with Foota-Torra adjacent to it, lying between the rivers Gambia and Falemé; Foola-doo and Brooko along the upper part of the Senegal river; Waffela beyond the upper part of the Niger; and Maffina lower down on the fame river, and joining to Tombuctoo on the weft.

"The Moors have not in any inftance established themfelves on the fouth of the great rivers. They have advanced farthest to the fouth in the western quarter of Africa; fo that the common boundary of

the two races paffes, in respect of the parallels on the globe, with a confiderable degree of obliquity to the north, in its way from the river Senegal towards Nubia and the Nile. Mr. Park arranges the Moorifh ftates, which form the frontier towards Nigritia, together with the Negro ftates oppofed to them on the fouth, in the line of his pregrefs, in the following order:

"The fmall Moorish ftate of Gedumah, fituated on the north bank of the Senegal river, and the laft that touches on it, is oppofed to the fmali Negro kingdom of Kajaaga, on the fouth. This latter occupies the extremity of the navigable courfe of the Senegal, terminated in this place by the cataract of Flow.

"From this point the Negro and Foulah ftates occupy both banks of the Senegal river to its fource; and beyond that both banks of the Niger (or Joliba) likewife, to the lake Dibbie, fituated beyond the term of Mr. Park's expedition. This space is divided unequally between Kaffon, a hilly strong country, but of fmall extent; and which has the Moors of Jaffnoo on the north; Kaarta, a confiderable state, which has Ludamar for its opposite (a country held by Ali, a Moorish prince, who is loaded with infamy on the fcore of maltreatment of the only two Europeans who appear to have entered his country in latter times); Bambara, of ftill more confideration, having the Moorish kingdom of Beeroo to the north; and Maffina, a Foulah, state, bordering alfo on the fouth of Beeroo.

"Here

"Here Mr. Park's perfonal knowledge ends; but he learnt that Tombuctoo and Houffa, which fucceed in order to Maffina, and occupy both fides of the Niger, are Moorish ftates, though with greateft proportion of Negro fubjects; fo that the river may be confidered as the boundary of the two races in this quarter*.

"Of the countries between Houffa and Kaflina we are ignorant. The Defert feems to approach very near the river (Niger) in that quarter, whence a Moorish population may be inferred. South of the river we hear of Kaffaba, Gago, and other Negro countries; but without any diftinct notices of pofition; and beyond thefe Melli.

"Kaflina and Bornou, two great empires on the north of the river, appear to divide the largest portion of the remaining space to the borders of Nubia; and extend a great way to the north; this region being compofed of defert and habitable country intermixed; but perhaps containing the largest proportion of the latter. In both thefe empires, the fovereigns are Mahomedans, but the bulk of their fubjects are faid to adhere to their ancient worship; that is to fay, the lower orders are almoft univerfally Negroes +.

"From what has appeared, perhaps the boundary of Nigritia, as it refpects the Negro population,

may be expreffed generally, and with a few exceptions, as follows: beginning from the weft, the extent upwards of the navigable course of the Senegal river generally,-thence a line drawn to Silla; from Silla to Tombuctoo, Houffa, and Beriffa, along the river Niger; and thence through Afouda, Kanem, and Kuku, to Dongola on the Nile.

"Leo enumerates twelve ftates or kingdoms of Nigritia: but amongst thefe he includes Gualata, a tract only 300 miles fouth of the river Nun: as alfo Cano (Ganat), adjacent to Fezzan; and Nubia, Kaffina, Bornou, and Tombuctoo, are included of course ||.

"The kingdom of the Foulahs, before-mentioned, fituated between the upper part of the Gambia river and the coaft of Sierra Leone, and along the Rio Grande, has also a Mahomedan fovereign, but the bulk of the people appear to be of the ancient religion. It has been already faid, that although they are a black people, they are lefs black that the Negroes generally, and have neither crifped hair nor thick lips; as alfo that they have a language di ftinct from the Mandinga. From thefe circumftances, added to that of fituation, they appear clearly to be the Leucæthiopes of Ptolemy and Pliny. The former places them in the fituation occupied by the Foulahs; that is, in the parallel of nine degrees north; having to the

"African Affoc. Q. p. 126. O. p. 191."

"Page 4."

north the mountains of Ryffadius, which feparate the courses of the Stachir and Nia rivers (Gambia and Rio Grande), and which therefore anfwer to the continuation of the great belt of high land in our geography; in which there is moreover another point of agreement, the Caphas of Ptolemy being the Caffaba of the map *.

"Ptolemy by the name evidently meant to defcribe a people lefs black than the generality of the Ethiopians; and hence it may be gathered that this nation had been traded with, and that fome notices refpecting it had been communicated to him. It may also be remarked, that the navigation of Hanno terminated on this coaft; probably at Sherbro' river, or found. And as this was alfo the term of the knowledge of Ptolemy, it may be justly fufpected that this part of the coaft was defcribed from Carthaginian materials †.

"Those who have perused the journal of Meffrs. Watt and Winterbottom, through the Foulah country in 1794, and recolle& how flattering a picture they give of the urbanity and hofpitality of the

Foulahs, will be gratified on finding that this nation was known and diftinguished from the rest of the Ethiopians at a remote period of antiquity .

"The contrast between the Moorish and Negro characters is as great as that between the nature of their refpective countries; or between their form and complexion. The Moors appear to poffefs the vices of the Arabs without their virtues; and to avail themselves of an intolerant religion, to opprefs strangers: whilft the Negroes, and efpecially the Mandingas, unable to comprehend a doctrine that subftitutes opinion or belief for the focial duties, are content to remain in their humble ftate of ignorance. The hofpitality fhewn by these good people to Mr. Park, a destitute and forlorn ftranger, raises them very high in the fcale of humanity: and I know of no fitter title to confer on them than that of the Hindoos of Africa: at the fame time by no means intending to degrade the Mahomedans of India by a comparison with the Africa Moors."

A Short

"THE

HE mountain of Gibraltar is fituated in 36° 9' north latitude, and in 5° 17′ east longitude from Greenwich. It is the promontory which, with that of Ceuta upon the oppofite coaft of Barbary, forms the entrance of the Straits of Gibraltar from the Mediterranean; and Europa Point, which is the part of the mountain that advances moft towards Africa, is generally regarded as the moft fouthern promontory in Europe. The form of this mountain is oblong; its fummit a fharp craggy ridge; its direction is nearly from north to fouth; and its greatest length, in that direction, falls very little fhort of three miles. Its breadth varies with the indentations of the fhore, but it no where exceeds three quarters of a mile. The line of its ridge is undulated, and the two extremes are fomewhat higher than its

centre.

"The fummit of the Sugar Loaf, which is the point of its greatest elevation towards the fouth, is 1439 feet; the Rock Mortar, which is the highest point to the north, is 1350; and the Signal Houfe, which is nearly the central point between thefe two, is 1276 feet above the level of the fea. The western fide of the mountain is a feries of rugged flopes, interfperfed with abrupt precipices. Its northern extremity is perfectly perpendicular, except

towards the north-weft, where what are called the Lines intervene, and a narrow paffage of flat ground that leads to the ifthmus, and is entirely covered with fortification. The eaftern fide of the mountain moftly confits of a range of precipices; but a bank of fand, rifing from the Mediterrannean in a rapid acclivity, covers a third of its perpendicular height. Its fouthern extre mity falls, in a rapid flope, from the fummit of the Sugar Loaf, into a rocky flat, of confiderable extent, called Windmill Hill. This flat forms half an oval, and is bounded by a range of precipices, at the fouthern bafe of which a fecond rocky flat takes place, fimilar in form and extent to Windmili Hill; and alfo, like it, furrounded by a precipice, the fouthern extremity of which is washed by the fea, and forms Europa Point. Upon the western fide, this peninfular mountain is bounded by the bay of Gibraltar, which is in length nearly eight miles and a half, and in breadth upwards of five miles. In this bay the tide frequently rifes four feet. Upon the north the mountain is attached to Spain by a low fandy ifthimus, the greatest elevation of which, above the level of the fea, does not exceed 10 feet, and its breadth, at the base-of the rock, is not more than three quar ters of a mile. This ifthmus fe

13

parates