THE NIGER, THE RIVER OF THE WEST.
The Niger is the great river of Western Africa. Its name, according to
one of the early explorers, is but a contraction from one of the many
names given to it by native tribes. The translation of any one of these
would be simply "The River."
It was not until the close of the first quarter of this century that the
mystery of the Niger was revealed.
Many conflicting reports had been made with regard to the river. In
every instance it was found that tributaries of the river had been
traced instead of the main stream.
Some explorers had reported it as flowing westward; others had reported
it as flowing eastward. In each case a tributary of the river had been
followed in its course, and thus the exploring parties had been misled.
Richard Lander and his brother John, in their search for the Niger,
found one river, the Joliba, which ran towards the east.
This they resolved to follow to its mouth, wherever that might prove to
be. Floating downstream, they came to another large stream flowing into
it from the opposite direction. Thus they solved the mystery of the
conflicting accounts.
As the Lander brothers floated down the stream formed by the union of
these two, they soon found themselves in the Bight of Benin. No one had
ever dreamed that a great river, like the Niger, could empty itself
into it.
The Niger, it was discovered, after it reaches the low alluvial region
of the coast, spreads out through a broad delta. It then enters the
ocean by several mouths. These mouths are several leagues apart, but
none of them are of any great size.
The great headwater of the Niger takes its rise in Mount Loma. This peak
is in the elevated section designated as the Kong Mountains upon the
map. It stands sixteen hundred feet above sea level, in a barren,
desolate region, without a tree or a shrub to break the monotony of the
scene.
The stream flows northeast to Timbuctoo. There it takes a bend to the
east and flows for a distance of two hundred and fifty miles in this
direction. From here on to the delta it takes first a southerly, then a
southeasterly course, till it separates into the many streams at its
mouth. Accurately speaking, the river enters the Gulf of Guinea between
the Bight of Benin and the Bight of Biafra.
Along its course, like the other great rivers of Africa, it is known by
various names, given to it by different tribes of natives.
The accounts of the character of the river vary somewhat. It has,
however, been pretty thoroughly explored throughout the last three
hundred and fifty miles of its course.
If we could follow the river through this section to Timbuctoo, we
should find that it traversed a tract of very fertile country. The soil
is productive. Rice, maize, and various vegetables are found in
abundance for the use of man, while fine pasturage is afforded for
cattle.
Southwest of Timbuctoo the river divides itself into many creeks and
branches. Here its banks are low and marshy at all times. During the
rainy season they are generally overflowed.
In this section of country rice, tobacco, wheat, and barley are raised.
The river now flows on past the town of Burrum. Here it curves to the
southeast and makes what is called the Knee of Burrum.
Just below Burrum the Niger does not present much the appearance of the
great stream that the natives have, by various names, designated as The
River.
Indeed, it presents far from an imposing sight, as it moves slowly,
sluggishly along its broad, marshy valley bed. This valley bed is
inclosed either by rocky ridges or by high dunes. These dunes are very
probably mounds of mud and sand, brought down by the river in the course
of ages, and heaped up along its banks.
The broad, marshy valley is thickly studded with water reeds and sedges.
Its whole surface is, in fact, cut up into innumerable small creeks and
streams.
At the ferry of Burri the Niger attains a breadth of eight or nine
hundred yards. At this point the valley is about two miles broad. The
land is fertile, carefully cultivated, and well populated.
Somewhat farther south the river passes through two towns. At this
point in its course its bed becomes rocky, and navigation is, in
consequence, dangerous.
At the town of Say the bed of the Niger becomes very much narrowed from
its previous breadth of from twenty-five hundred to three thousand
paces. At this point the bed of the stream is inclosed by rocky banks,
and the current flows on at the rate of three miles an hour, with an
average width of but one thousand paces.
The most beautiful and picturesque scenery on the Niger is in the
section where it flows around the eastern shoulder of the so-called Kong
Mountains. In solemn majesty these mighty peaks look from a height of
from two thousand to three thousand feet upon the waters at their base.
The delta of the Niger may be described as a dense mangrove forest. This
is cut up into beautiful islands by means of the many streams. It is
said that there are upwards of twenty of these streams into which the
river divides.
The existence of the Niger was known in ancient times. Accounts had been
brought by travelers, who, coming from the southern shores of the
Mediterranean, crossed the Great Desert, and discovered the course of a
great river flowing towards the rising sun.
Herodotus, a famous Greek historian, born nearly five hundred years
before Christ, supposed it to be a branch of the Egyptian Nile. Pliny, a
famous ancient writer, born early in the first century after Christ,
speaks of the Nigris of Ethiopia. He, also, believed that the river
flowed into the river Nile.
Many were the attempts to gain definite knowledge of the river. Just
before the middle of the present century the English government sent out
an expedition. The result of the expedition proved that the river was
navigable from Boussa to the sea.
This was costly information, for which an enormous price was paid; for
many human lives were the forfeit. The enervating character and
unhealthfulness of the climate of the region explored proved most
disastrous to the members of the expedition. Many subsequent expeditions
ended with similar results.
About the middle of the present century Dr. Barth followed the river
from Timbuctoo to Say.
Much of what is now known to the world with regard to the Niger is due
to the explorations he made.
He has estimated the entire length of the river to be upwards of
twenty-five hundred miles.