Senega, River

1694. The great historical, geographical and poetical dictionary by Louis Moreri.

Senega, a great River of Africa, has its Source in Aethiopia not far from the Nile. The Western Ocean runs up it sixty Leagues; it is pestered with Banks of Sand and Gravel, so that it cannot be sailed on about 150 Leagues from its Mouth; it has a Cataract or great Fall from the Rocks, so that a Man may walk dry under the Stream of it. On the South of this River the People are Black, and the Soil very Fruitful; on the North they are Brown and the Earth is Barren. From the fifteenth of June this and the Gamba overflow for forty days, as the Nile doth, and are the same time in decreasing, which makes the Land between them wonderfully Fruitful, even like to Egypt, yet it will not ripen Wheat, Rye or Barly, or Grapes, but wants not Pulse or Millet, and Guiny Wheat a wonderful Grain: Between the latter end of October and July, it Rains here every day at Noon, with frequent Thunder and Lightning. This River is the most Northern Bounds of the Negroes. Pory makes it the same with the Niger. Hackl. T. 2. part 2. p. 17.