The Sun.
London, England, 1809-08-24 00:00:00

SINGA L

Is an Island of Africa, in the river so called, about
'one mile and a quarter in length, from North to
South, and almost half a mile in breadth, from East
to West. It is composed of a bed of loose sand, pro-
dative of nothing but what is forced by art, and
the richest manure 5 notwithstanding which, it con-
tains 3000 inhabitants, whose principal food is .fish
and maize; this sort of couregrowiug ingreat plenty
almost all over the whole country. It may seem
surprising, that a part of the world so very uehealthy
as this should yet be so populous, but the-wonder
will cease, when we come to understand, that the
greatest pride among the men consists in the number
of their wives, so that every one takes as many as
he is able to maintain, some six, others eight, and
others twelve at a time. The river which surroundS
it rises in the interior country,• and runs into the:
Atlantic. Some Geographers are of opinion that it
rises out of the great Lake of Mabeira, and passes
through a course of 1500 miles, before it discharges
itself into- the ocean; while others, no less.obsti-
, nately assert it to be a confirmation of the Niger,
though neither opinion can be otherwise -supported
than by conjecture. The river Senegal is doubt- -
less one of the largest rivers of Africa 5' tor, without
ascending higher titan the Lake Benin, (the farthest
that Europeans have penetrated, et least upon un-
questionable authority,) it is "800 leagues to the
Island of 'Senegal, near the mouth of the river.--
So cruel, so savage, and so barbarous are the io-
habitante, that few people's curiosity is sufficient ro
carry hem titioug,h the dangers and fatigues which
would necessarily attend such a pursuit.
Within two leagues of the sea, the river in its
cdorse takes a sudden turn to the South, and, for
the remainder of its passage, is divided from the sea
by only a natural ridge of laud ; sometimes not a
00 toises over. By this curve it prolongs its course
for 25 leagues farther, from North to South, till at
length it discharges itself into the ocean, in I's de-
grees, 50 minutes, north latitude. This great river
separates the country of the Negroes from the I.leors
of Sahara, or the asert, stretching, by a number
of windings, to a prodigious length, from east to
west. The extreme rapidity of this river is attri-
buted to the space passed through by so large a body
of water, cuelined within so narrow a channel, the
Mouth of it being eo wore than half a league over,
and that choaked Op with sand, called a bar, which
renders the passage extremely difficult and deueer-
ous. This `ear is doubly dangerous, on account not
only of the shallowness of the water at ad times, Out
the shifting of the bar, and the change ot ,its situa-
tion, after floods and heavy rains, by .which the
channels are lost, and new soundings requisite
discover them. Indeed the Senegal would be quiltl
shut up, but for One channel of ouo toises-in breadth,
and two fathoms depth, which has long kept
sitnatibn, immovable amidst the floods' and overe
flowiugs of the river. This bar prevents ships of
or 600 tons from entering the river, and mooring
under the fort---an inconvenience that obliged the
French Company to keep a vessel constantly at aue
cbor in the channel, for no other purpose than to
keep an account of the soundings.
- The most commodious time of the year for cross'
ing the bar is from the month of January tiil At
gust, the winds being less variable, the river smooth',
and the bar fixed, until the eusuing rainy seasoh,
when the prodigious Swell of the river, arid tkid
south-west winds opposed to its rapid course, ra;so,
waves to so great a height at the bar, that their
dashing resembles the shock of mountains, and so
furious as to dash in pieces the stoutest ship. After
crossing the bar, it ,becomes a beautiful; smooth,
and gently gliding river, at four fathoms depth.--
In advancing a league higher, the country, on 1114 e
south side, is clothed with beautiful verdure, the
trees in perpetual bloom ; than which nothing ea!'
form a inure agleeable Contrast to the dry, sandy,
and barren points of land, that first present thew-
selves to shipping. All around lie a ereat Dumber
of islands-, pleasantly stocked with trees, fruits,
herbage,- and birds ; out appropriated to no use, es-
cept the Island of Senegal. The mouth ut the river
is laid down-in latitude 15. 50. north.