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 shore. 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 _Wangara_, 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 circumstances 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