About fifteen (erhellat) journies east of Timbuctoo, is an immense lake, called (El Bahar Soudan) the Sea of Soudan; on which are decked vessels, and the borders of it are inhabited by the above people; they brought, in or about the year 1793, some of their decked vessels to Timbuctoo, and transported thence goods to Jinnie; but as they were ascertained to be neither Arabs, Moors, Negroes, Shelluhs, nor Berebbers, the boatmen of Timbuctoo complained to the Cadi, that if these people were permitted to go to and from Jinnie, they would lose their business, as their boats performed the passage at less expense, and in half the time. On this suggestion the Cadi ordered them out of the country: some report that they were all poisoned, and their boats broken to pieces, and that since then none of their vessels have been used westward of this lake: the boats are described to be about forty cubits[223] in length, and eight in breadth, having the planks fastened together by shreet, or bass rope, and carry one hundred and fifty or two hundred men, and forty tons of goods; they have no sails, but when the wind is favourable, two oars are set up perpendicularly on each side of the boat, to which is fastened a large hayk, or spreading garment, which serves as a substitute for a sail: these boats are rowed by sixteen oars: at night they come to anchor by throwing a large stone overboard tied to a rope or cable, as before mentioned, which serves as an anchor. With regard to the water communication between Timbuctoo and Cairo, there is no doubt but such a communication exists; it does not, however, facilitate the purposes of transport, the expense of land carriage by means of camels being more moderate than that by water, besides the advantages to a traveller of a continued succession of rich and fertile country, make the journey rather an excursion of pleasure when compared to the toils of a desert, where heat and thirst are so much dreaded by the weary traveller. In the interior of Africa; and among the rich traders who engage in this traffic across the Continent, _there is but one opinion with regard to the Nile of Egypt and the Nile of Timbuctoo, and that opinion is, that they are one and the same river, or rather that the latter is the western branch of the former_. It may be further observed, that the source of the Nile of Timbuctoo is at the foot of the western branch of the chain of mountains called Jibbel Kumra, or Mountains of the Moon, where it forms (merja) a swamp; and on the western side of the same mountain is another lake or swamp, which is the source of the Senegal river; hence the established African opinion, that the Senegal and Nile have the same source, although these two merjas are separated by the mountain: the copious springs, which throw the water up with great force, are very numerous, and are found on both sides of the mountain, that is on the eastern as well as on the western side.