to T om b u c to o , when p laced in 16-1. N ow , as .Wa let ties ia th,e: shortest route from Benowm to T om b u c to o , one might infer, o f course, that it lies also the nearest to the line o f direction towards T om b u c to o , o f any o f the places pointed o u t : and, I confess, I am strongly inclined to adopt the highest parallel, o n this v e r y account. T h e s e alone, are the authorities fpr the position o f T om b u c to o , derived from M r . P a rk ’s observations and in qu ir ie s ; and which differ, as we have seen, no more than half a degree in the p a ra lle l: that is, from to 'i6 S f . T h e reader m ay re colle c t, that these are very fa r indeed tQ^the. southward o f those assigned to it, b y M . D ’A n v ille and myself, in former publications;: as we mistook its position so far, as to place it between 19° , and 20°. Be fo re I proceed to state the authorities fo r its position, deriv ed from the northern stations, it will be p roper to compare the calculation o f distance made b y M r . P a rk , with the reports o f merchants and tra v e lle r s ; in order finally to deduce the longitude- o f T om b u c to o from the w e s t; and afford a fair ground o f comparison, between the authorities from the opposite quarters. I t has appeared that Sego , according to Mr.. Park’s calculation, falls in latitude 14° 10', longitude 20 1 ' west o f G re enw ich : and accordingly, (he direct distance between it and Medina, the capital: o f W o p llj, will be. by this account 6 18 G . miles, N ow , the merchants reqk.on. 36 jo u rn ie s between them. T h e daily rate between F e z za n and E g yp t having come out b y construction 16 ,3 * p e r day, on 5 3 days, and ab out 1 6 J he tween M o ro c c o and Ja r ra , on 50 days, I may venture to assume the highest o f the two rates on 3 6 d a y s ; and this gives about 5 8 7 , o r on ly 31. short o f M r . P a rk ’s result. A g a in , between F o r t S t , Jqs.eph and Tombuctoo., M . D ’A n v ille (M em , In s c , V o l. x x v i . p. 7 3 .) allows .240 French leagues,:. T h e se are rated at 2,64 G . miles, o r z3rf to a degree, on his s c a le ; consequently there results, a distance o f 634 G . miles, M . La lande (Afrique,. p. 23,) allows 250 leagues, which g iv e about 660 miles. Ben A l i went from St. Joseph to T om b u c to o , by way o f Tisb eet and A ro a n , in forty-eight days. T h e detour * Strictly, 16,292. may be taken at eight days mòre than the direct road (For M r . Pa rk furnishes the positions o f T ish e e t and A ro an v e r y satisfactorily), whence 40 'remáiri, which at 16 ,3 , produce 652 miles. L a s tly , although the fo llow ing b e a v e ry vague kind o f computation, it máy riot altogether be üséfeás. M a jo r H ò iigh ton ’s guide undertook to carry him to Toítíbuctód* :fròm Ferbanna in Bamb óuk, and to return again id fiinëty days. Ferbanna is much abóiit the;'sarhe distancé, as St. Joseph, from T om b u c to o . Perhaps no more than ten days can well be allowed fo r rest and refreshment, and then forty days will be the length o f thé jo u rn e y . * T h e mean o f the three first report's* is ab ou t 649 : and on the Map, the space betweeri St. Jo seph and T om b u cto o , ac co rdin g to M r . P a rk ’ s result, is 6 6 o r 18 more. T h e rè is then, a difference o f 3 1 on ly , on the accounts between W ò ò l li and S e g ò : 18, between St. Joseph arid T om b u c to o ; both pointirfg ’to an éxcësS ôn thé paît- o f ou r traveller. I arri howev er far from offering these results, -on the ground o f inducing a b e lie f that such small differences can be ascertained b y süch câàrse materials ; bût rather to shew that in the ge neral scope o f the authorities, there wàs mòre o f co in c iden ce, than o f disagreement, i f thè circùihstànces are rightly appreciated. A s it appears, however, that M r . Pa rk and M a jo r Houghton formed different estimates o f thfè distance between Medina and the r iv e r F a lem é ; and that the fo rmer exeèeds b y ab ou t 36 tòiléis ; arid moreov er, that on M r. P a rk ’s return b y the southern route, he found b y the number arid scale o f his jo u r - •áíes, that he had allowed tob great an extent tò the space between thè rivers Fálerrié and G am b ia ; I say, it clearly appears that ari excess máy be admitted in this pàrt. I t may be added, that, ¿¿cording to thè report o f the A frican travéllèrs, at Pisariia, concerning the arrangement o f the jo u rn ie s , there is an excess on the west o f Kasson ; whilst the space on the east o f it, agrées pretty well. O r , strictly speaking, perhaps the space is a lit tle under-rated on the east, and much p ^ r -ra ted on the west, i f the mean o f the differences between Pisania and T om b u c to o , F o r t St. Joseph and T om b u c to o , 3 1 , and 18, that is , 24 miles be taken o ff, the result will be satisfactory; as it agrees pretty well \yith thé excess found in the southern route, ori M r. P a rk ’s return.
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