The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-04-02 00:00:00

to east, to the knot of the principal chain, which appears
placed under tl.e 22d meridian, and the Bth northern
parallel.
The same philosopher has judiciously placed Tiro
tinetop
ci degrees farther to the west than Major Rennet! had,
done, following the observations of Mungo Park.° But the
position of Sills from the Niger is fixed upon the chart;
still too much to the east; and it is possible that the for-
mer city has likewise a more western longitude, singe
Mel and Fort St Joseph, according to the must recent
observations of French officers, transmitted by the Go-
vernor of Senegal, Baron Roger, should be carried about
two degreea,more to the west than Mungo Park imagined.
Every thing &incurs to show that the towns of Central
Africa are too near the Atlantic, which is by no means of
trifling moment, in respect to the intercourse we hope to
establish. One hundred leagues less to traverse, in so
difficult a country; is:a species of conquest for geography.
If we had not prescribed to ourselves the rule of exclud-
ing the reports of natives of Africa, we might cite those of
two of them who were sepsirately interrogatei by M. Roger,
and who concurred in stating that njetin6 is on the rig-hi
hank of the Joliba (or Niger), that it is the same in respect
to Sego, and that thii royal residence is composed of four
distinct and isolated towns. Mungo Park was acquainted
with these four towns ; but it atheists that he arrived on
the left hank of the river, and did not enter them. It is
very near the Joliba (itay these same men) that the great
city of Timbuctoo is built, at only two leagues distance from
its left bank, and even much nearer, according to M. Adricn
Parterrieu. Habra is its port, as Boulac is that of Grand
Cairo ; and the carriers of inerehandize perform the voyage
twice, and even thrice a day. Finally, mention is made of
a single river, the Joliba, and none of the Gambarou, ex-
cept that there flows a river of this name far to the N.N.E.
Other observations of M. Parterrieu coincide with those
of the French officers, and of Mr. Beaufort, no far as to
induce us to believe that the longitudes of Park are too
much to the eastward : and it is even probable that there
is a serious error of latitude in his place of departure on
the Gambia.

Such is the latest state of the discoveries of Eutopeans
in Interior Africa—that is of ocular witnesses. What an
immense void is found on a map bounded by these dis-
coveries ! What solution is there of the continuity of the
Itwenty, or fire and twenty, principal lines which the tra-
vellers have followed? We have computed the total ex-
tent of these lines, traversed during forty years, and have
estimated it at 22,000 geographical miles, comprehending
therein even the excursions of Poncet in 1698 ; and those
of Bruce in 1768 and 1773. Admitting that each observer
has constantly surveyed with his eye an horizon of three
leagues diameter (and this is a good deal), we have then
hut a surface of 29,000 square leagues: what is this super-
flcies compared with that of Africa, estimated at 1,400,000
square leagues? Thus Europe scarcely knows a fiftieth
part of Interior Africa. Beyond that, all is confusion and
doubt, as every candid geographer will admit. It is in the
south of the continent that these lines approximate nearest;
and it is to the eastward of the central meridian (la degrees
E. from Paris) to 10 degrees on each side of the equator,
that they are farthest apart. From the point where Mungo
Park perished, to that where Dr. Oudney died, there is but
an interval of 12 degrees to get over ; but from Bornou to
the nearest shore of the Indian ocean, we reckon more than
30. It is probable that, in this vast space, a lofty chain may
be discovered, forming a continuation of those which Mr.
Burchell saw in the 26th degree of south latitude—moun-
tains which contain the sources of streams flowing in con-
trary directions, and which appear more distant from this
ocean than has till now been supposed.
In concluding this rapid sketch, we must regret our in-
ability to conceal the dryness of the subject, by painting
the moral and physical condition of Interior Africa—a
vast and interesting subject. It is thither that the efforts
of Christian, scientific, and commercial Europe chiefly
tend; at well as the discoveries of geography. But we
are still farther remote from that object than from the
knowledge of the geometrical description of this vaat con-
tinent.

• Accordir,g to Major ftennell. 1113. E. from Greenwich ; and
according to M: Welekenaer, 2.38.50. W. of Paris. Many con-
jectures of the learned naturalist, M. Larreille, are likewise con-
firmed by the later obaervat ions.

AGRICULTURE, Sic.

MONTHiN REPORT FOR MARCH.
We have had latterly seasonable dry weather, and have
fortunately gathered a peck of March dust, which, we
trust, sill ransom our .crops. This change has had a
visibly good effect on the strong and low lands. With
respect to the crops on the ground, and the spring culture,
little at present can be added to fonrer reports. A con-
siderable breadth of wheat was sown in February ; too
great a portion of the seed of inferior quality, as are also
the grass seeds. The difficulties of the season considered,
the lands for the spring crops have been well worked ;
high prices and growing prosperity acting as a stimulus and
encouragement to the farmers. Bean-sowing has been
completed, excepting in the distant northern counties, and
with extensive improvement, since the abomination of
broad-casting this pulse has been relinquished, in all dis-
tricts where the common sense of husbandry prevails, and
in some others, where that sense is at length nascent.
Beans, however, have been very generally dibbled ; few
bean-lands, in this moist season, being sufficiently friable
for the drill. The pea and oat-sowing will soon be finished,
and indeed all the spring crops, should the present favour-
able weather continue. The stock of wheat on hand is
now found to be greater than hitherto stated ; and the
Barley, beyond expectation, will be fully equal to the de-
mand. Oats, Peas, and Beans, are in great plenty. The
hopgrowers are on the alert, and the culture extending. A
moist and variable winter is not the most advantageous for
grazing ; but the high prices obtained for fat stock, more
particularly sheep, have compensated for all difficulties.