Page:Works of Jules Verne - Parke - Vol 1.djvu/414

 hanging trees. The forests now gave place to jungles, in which sported the alligator, hippopotamus, and rhinoceros.

"It will not be long before we see the Niger," said the doctor, "the country usually alters in the neighborhood of large rivers. These moving roads, as they have been rightly termed, first brought vegetation, and subsequently civilization. Thus in its course of 2,500 miles, the Niger has sprinkled on its banks the largest cities in Africa.

"Ah!" said Joe, "that reminds me of the story of the great admirer of Providence, who extolled the great care which had sent rivers flowing through great cities!"

At mid-day, the "Victoria" passed over a small town of wretched-looking huts, called Gao, which had been formerly a celebrated capital.

"'Twas here," said the doctor, "that Barth crossed the Niger on his return to Timbuctoo. This was a famous stream in old days—the rival of the Nile, to which Pagan superstition gave celestial origin. Like the Nile, it has occupied the attention of travelers for ages, and like it, also, has claimed numerous victims."

The Niger, with a wide stream, ran with great rapidity southwards; but the travelers, carried along, as they were, could scarcely note its curious windings.

"I wish to speak about this river," said Ferguson; "it is already at some distance. Under the names of Dhiouleba, Mayo, Egghirreon, Quorra, and others, it flows through an enormous tract of country, and rivals the Nile in length. All its titles signify simply 'The River,' according to the language of the region through which it flows."

"Has Doctor Barth followed this route?" asked Kennedy.

"No, Dick; when he departed from Lake Tchad he visited the chief towns of Bornou, and crossed the Niger at Say, four degrees below Gao. He then penetrated into the midst of the unexplored region enclosed by the bend of the Niger, and after eight months of unheard-of suffering, he arrived at Timbuctoo, where we shall be in three days if the wind lasts like this."

"Has the source of the Niger been discovered?" asked Joe.

"Long ago," replied the doctor. "The discovery of the Niger and its affluents attracted numerous expeditions,