acquainted with. A comparison of the original Arabic in
which Leo wrote, with the translations, could alone enable
us to speak with perfect confidence on this subject; but we
trust that we shall be able, by a brief examination of the latter,
to shew that our opinion is not a gratuitous speculation.
There are two passages in which Leo speaks of the
relative situations of Tombuctoo and the Niger; the one in
his chapter on Tombuctoo, and the other in that on Kabra j
and our opinion of his meaning, on a joint consideration of
both these passages, and of the ambiguity or contradiction
of his translators, is this; that Tombuctoo is situated upon a
branch or arm of the Niger twelve miles distant from the principal
stream. We are aware that this construction is not
warranted by the English translation,* which (following
the Latin) states, that “ it is situate within twelve miles
“ of a certain branch of Niger ;” but there is a peculiarity
in the expression of the Latin translation, an ambiguity in
that of the Italian version, and an inconsistency in both,
between the passage in question and the context, which
are open to much observation. The Italian translation
(subject, always, to the explanation given in the Preface'}')
* “ A. Geographical Historie of Africa, written in Arabiche and' Italian byt
“ John Leo, a More. Translated and collected by John Poiy, lately ofGonville
“ and Cams College.” London 1G00.
f See Note, pp. 182-S.
must be considered as the best authority; its words are
these: “ vicina a un ramo del Niger circa a dodici miglia
the ambiguity of which has been faithfully preserved by the
French translator, who with a total disregard of idiom, and
apparently little solicitude about meaning, thus copies it,
word for word :* “ prochain d’un bras du Niger environ
“ douze mile.” The Latin Editor, however, takes more
pains to explain his conception of the passage, which he
conveys in the following words: “ in duodecimo miliario
“ a quodam fiuviolo situm fuit quod h Nigro flumine
“ effluebat.”
Conjointly with this passage, thus translated, we must
take into our consideration the other passage in the Chapter
on Kabra, to which we before alluded; wherein Leo states
(without any variation between his translators) that Tombuctoo
is distant twelve miles from the Niger.
Now, supposing, on the one hand, that the literal meaning
of the translations of the former passage implies, that
Tombuctoo is situated twelve-miles from a smaller river
communicating with the Niger; and being certain, on the
other, that the latter passage really means that Tombuctoo
lies exactly the same distance from the Niger itself; admitting,
we say, that there may be two distinct streams, each
Lyons Ed. folio 1556.