Harley-street, London,
5th May, 1801.
My dear Sir,
I wrote you at considerable length on the 1st of June last, and
assure you that none of your letters, received prior to that date,
have remained unanswered. I have now to acknowledge the receipt of
your several favours, and beg you to accept my best thanks, for
your very curious and valuable present of the gold ring from
Wangara, which has been shown to several persons of great
distinction, and even to the king himself. _It is universally
considered as a great curiosity_; and I have taken care to make it
known that you are the person to whom I am indebted, for the first
_Wangarian_ jewel that has ever been seen in England. I have also
shown your letter, containing your judicious opinions upon the
course of the Niger[110], and other geographical points, to Sir
Joseph Banks and Major Rennell; and have invariably represented you
to them, and to others, as the person possessing eminently the best
information concerning the interior of Africa; an object which
draws at present the earnest attention, both of the learned and the
104 great, and which our late victories in Egypt, render more
peculiarly interesting.
[Footnote 110: See Jackson's account of Marocco, last chapter.]
I think, with you, it is probable there is a communication by water
between Jinnie and Egypt; but I should rather imagine there is some
large lake or Mediterranean sea, like the Caspian, for instance,
into which the Niger may discharge itself from the west, and a
branch of the Nile from the east. This idea seems to reconcile the
opinions of ancient geographers, with those resulting from modern
discoveries. If we should be able to effect the complete conquest
of Egypt, and to retain that kingdom, much light will probably soon
be acquired upon these interesting subjects.
105