MacQueen, James
"A geographical and commercial view of northern Central Africa" by James MacQueen is a geographical and economic treatise written in the early 19th century. It argues that the Niger and major eastern tributaries unite and empty into the Atlantic through the Bights of Benin and Biafra, and frames this claim within a plan for British-led inland commerce and gradual reform of slavery. Drawing on classical, Arabic, and recent travel sources, it surveys rivers, mountains, and trading states to support a practical program of exploration and trade.The opening of the work presents a map, a dedication, and a Preface that explains the author’s long research—from Grenada-based conversations with Mandingo and Houssa informants and Park’s reports—to his conclusion that the Niger reaches the Atlantic via the Benin–Biafra delta. He criticizes rival theories (linking the Niger to the Egyptian Nile, ending in an interior lake, dying in sands, or joining the Congo), urges exploration by navigating the great delta rivers, and sketches a British commercial strategy coupled with gradual abolition; he adds notes on rice trade potential and dismisses sensational claims of cannibalism. Citing Bowditch, he highlights new evidence that an eastern river is navigable to Lake Fittre and likely joins the Niger near Yaoora. The first chapter then surveys ancient and Arabic geography (Ptolemy, Edrisi, Ibn-al-Vardi, Macrisi, Batouta, Leo Africanus), matching their lakes, mountain chains, and cities to modern…
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