The names of the countries traversed by M. Caillié, in the first part of his travels, deserve a particular examination. According to the circumstantial description of the Baleya, it appears to me, that Major Laing has placed on his map a village of Beilia, where he ought to have marked and where in fact is, the country of Baleya. The Firia of the maps is the same with the Fryia or the Firya of M. Caillié; the Sangaran is nearly where it has been placed upon the recent maps, but on both sides of the river. With respect to the Couranco, if M. Caillié was rightly informed, it extends considerably towards the N. W., whereas Major Laing confines it to the interval between the rivers Rokelle and Camaranca, in the south. This country borders it should seem on the Baleya and the Soulimana. The true source of the Dhioliba is in the Kissi, to the south of Couranco, according to M. Caillié (or of the Soulimana, according to Major Laing). Thus the whole discrepancy between the two travellers is reduced to the lengthening of the country of Couranco; but, are the limits of these petty kingdoms well defined, and are the natives themselves fully agreed as to frontiers which violence is perpetually changing? On many maps the names of Sangala and Couronia are to be found not far from Couranco and Sangara. I suspect they are doing double duty here, as in so many other instances in geography, either through the difference of the orthography or the negligence of the transcriptions. Is not Couronia altered from Couronca (Couranco) and Sangala, by the frequent mutation of the r into l, from Sangara? The Wasselon, or Wassoulo, should be placed much nearer to the ocean, the incontestable consequence of M. Caillié’s march; and already this example affords a presentiment of the fact as relates to the course of the Dhioliba and all the districts which it traverses. This river having also been supposed too much to the east by three or four degrees, the result has been the necessity of lengthening all the distances in order to cover the space between it and Timbo, and the constructors of maps have scattered over this space the names of countries and places, made all the positions too remote from each other, and transformed hamlets into towns and towns into kingdoms. They have not sufficiently remarked the custom common to almost all travellers of lengthening distances by an exaggerated estimate, and have neglected to make allowance for the frequent curves and inflexions of the line of route: a double cause for throwing into the interior many countries much nearer to the sea than they are believed to be.
This want of exactness in the compiling of itineraries, or in laying down those itineraries upon maps, is no novelty in geography; the Ancients have furnished many examples of it, and the maps designed after the positions of Ptolemy are nearly all tainted with this defect; I shall mention Arabia alone as an example. But I must here terminate this short digression, the subject of which would almost furnish matter for a book equally useful and instructive. I also pass over many names of countries with which M. Caillié has made us acquainted, and which will figure for the first time upon the map of Africa, and many more which are already known, and the existence of which is now confirmed by authentic testimony.
SECOND PART OF THE TRAVELS.
The largest portion of the space between Kakondy and Timé may be regarded as an entirely new acquisition for geography; the same remark applies to that which we are about to run over with our traveller. We must not regret that he abandoned the banks of the Dhioliba, and that this circumstance deprived us of information concerning the banks of that river from Couroussa to Djenné; we are indemnified for this loss by his discoveries respecting countries of which we have hitherto been utterly ignorant. Moreover, had he passed through Bamacou, Sego, and Sansanding, he would not have had time to sojourn in them so long as Mungo Park did: he might, perhaps, even have been recognised at Sego, and like Dochard have been detained. Leaving the river far to the west, he became acquainted with the tributary streams which traverse the triangular space comprised between Couroussa, Timé, and Djenné, and with all the positions of this vast tract. He also acquired information concerning the positions situated near the rivers, and of all the towns of any importance, by the attention which he paid to inquire their distance and direction at different points of his route.
I have already observed that, the route from Timé to Djenné having been performed under the same circumstances as the preceding, the estimate of three English miles an hour applies to this line of road; I have therefore admitted this with M. Caillié, and I have had the satisfaction to see that, in forming this line, without any alteration, upon the distances and bearings as he has given them, the latitude of Sego would remain very nearly the same as that which results from the observations of Mungo Park, made in this vicinity.[57] But this point remains for future examination, when I shall discuss the situation of Timbuctoo. Thus the delineation of this portion of the itinerary has not presented any great difficulties. Some topographical circumstances relating to this extent of country merit observation.
Beyond Timé the traveller proceeds for two days more towards the east; he then turns to the (magnetic) north, and continues afterwards in nearly the same direction, which ought to be borne in mind. There are high mountains of granite at Timé, and again at four days’ distance, after which the ground subsides and becomes level. The sand is succeeded by a fertile soil, furrowed by the frequent streams running westward towards the Dhioliba, amongst others the Bagoe, a navigable river, and the Couara-ba. Tangrera, near the commencement of this line, appears to be a large and very commercial town; this point is placed, according to the journal to the E. N. E. of Timé, (east by the compass), but not ten days to the east as appears by the journal.[58] At Tiara a part of the caravan directed their course upon Sansanding, and to the N. W., according to M. Caillié (the line traced on the map gives the true N. N. W.); agreeably to the information which he obtained at Badiarana. Caya is nine days to the north, and Sego nine days farther on; now Sego (as it is placed upon the map, as I have elsewhere said)[59] is situated due north by the compass, with respect to Badiarana; but the eighteen days’ journey, if they really exist, must be very short, occasioned probably by the stagnant waters, and other obstacles, which render a winding course necessary. The situation of Cayaye is determined by its bearing upon Couara, five days to the N. N. W., which places it, as it should be, half way upon the road between Badiarana and Sego. This spot, Couara, doubly merits our present attention. I have had occasion, in another work, to remark that this is a generic word, the sense of which is analogous to that of river. Here we see beside a village of this name a pretty considerable river called Couara-ba, that is to say river-river; we have some examples of a like denomination in Ba-ba, and other names of the same kind; an additional reason for not identifying rivers and currents on account of the similitude of their names, because it is above all things necessary to know whether these names are generic terms, or individual appellations.
In the second place, the Couaraba runs across a country through which, according to the map of Mungo Park, a river called Banimma passes, parallel with the Dhioliba; this would appear impossible since the Couaraba falls into the latter stream, if we may believe the report of the inhabitants.
This portion of the itinerary furnishes data for the site of a country and even of a town called Kong, placed at a considerable distance in all the maps. The bearing of a line directed thither from Douasso is between S. S. E. and E. ¼ S. E. by the compass, which is in fact due south; so much for its longitude: but a distance of forty-five days’ journey would carry it much too far to the south; doubtless the soil is very mountainous upon nearly the whole road, and the journeys very short. If we stop at the seventh parallel north, we shall make each day’s march but seven or eight geographical miles, including the windings of the route.
Still proceeding northward, the traveller crosses large open plains and rich countries, bounded on the left by swamps, lakes, or ponds, which indicate the neighbourhood of a large river. At length he reaches its banks at Galia, opposite to Djenné, at ten miles distance. Before we enter this capital, let us examine some important geographical positions. Nothing could be more obscure than the situation of Bouré; we were ignorant whether there existed a town of this name, and even what was the site of the country of Bouré: in the maps we shall find differences of several degrees. M. Caillié did not visit Bouré; but, in throwing together all the particulars which he collected, I find sufficient data to determine the situation of this town; for there is a town, and a very important one, on account of the vicinity of its rich gold mines, and the commerce of which it is the centre. Bouré stands upon the left bank of the Tankisso, a large tributary, as I have before said, of the Dhioliba, and at three quarters of a day’s journey from the latter in a direct line, or one day’s above the confluence. These particulars which agree well together, were furnished by various persons in various places. Moreover the position of Bouré is given by its distance from Kankan; and its bearing, namely, four or five days to the north, ¼ N. E., in descending Milo. Finally, as a fourth testimony, we learn that Bouré was five days’ march from Couroussa, descending the Dhioliba in a canoe, and afterwards ascending the Tankisso.
Bamakou is known to us from the second journey of Mungo Park; but its actual situation should be considerably further to the west: the information obtained by M. Caillié, and the construction of the map, place this town at about the tenth degree of longitude west of Paris, and in latitude eleven degrees forty-five minutes. The idea of forming an establishment there, is founded upon a real knowledge of the country; it was long ago suggested in memorials submitted to government, pointing out its advantages. The documents of M. Caillié confirm the possibility of the scheme at the present time. He thinks that from this point it is eight or ten days’ journey to the nearest point of the Senegal. Now, it appears, from the map, that, by ascending the Bâfing, as far as thirty leagues above the first cataract of Felou, we should be seventy leagues in a direct line from Bamakou, which agrees very well with what has gone before; this, however, is not the place for examining that question.