A description o f the caravan routes from T r ip o ly , to M o u r zo u k , E g yp t , and the N ig e r , will be found in the Proceedings o f the Association, published in 1 79 0 , and 1 7 9 1 (chapters x . and xii.) T h e point on which the central and eastern positions depend, is G h 1 n n y ; o r G h a n a , (as Edrisi and A b u lfed a call it) a city , and capital o f a kingdom situated nearly midway between the Indian sea and the A d a n tic , on the E and W ; and between the Mediterranean, and the Ethiopic seas, on the N and S. F o rtuna tely, this point, on which so many others depend, can be satisfactorily approximated: though by this, I do not mean to any degree o f nicety, where an extent o f 70 degrees, nearly, is in question. A c co rd in g to E d r is i, G h an a lie s 3 7 jo u rn ie s from Germa, through A g a d e z , or A g ad o s t, Germa, an ancient and ruined city o f F e z z a n , lies to the E S E o f M o u r zo u k , ab out four jo u rn ie s ,* T h e position o f Germa therefore will be about lat. 270 2 5 ': Ion. 160 20' E . A g a d e z in 25 o f Edri- si’ s jo u rn ie s from G e rm a ,t and is said to bear S b y W , or S SW from the capital o f F e z zan .+ A g a in , A g ad e z is giv en at 48 caravan journ ie s from Gadamis, which latter is 24 such journ ie s in a southerly direction from T u n is .} T h e road to A g a d e z makes a considerable angle, b y passing through T e g e rh y , situated 80 miles o n ly , to the SW or W S W o f M o u r z o u k : || and hence the dire c t distance o f 48 journies must undergo some diminution. T h e result p laces A g a d e z S b y W j W from M o u r z o u k , 4 7 9 G . miles d istant; which only e x ce ed s b y s ix miles the distance arising on the 2 5 jo u rn ie s from G e rm a : and its position will be at a few minutes ab ov e the parallel o f aa- degrees, and a little more than h a lf a degree o f longitude west o f T r ip o ly . T h e position receives some further check,, from the circumstance o f T egh e ry being midway between K a h e s and: A g a d e z .* * G h an a is 12 days o f Edrisi’s scale to the southward o f A g a d e z , o r about 229 G . m ile s .iT I t appears that: Ghana lies somewhat to the east o f the * Mr. Beaufoy’s MSS. f Edrisi, p. 39. J Mr. Beaufoy’s MSS. f Af. Assoc. 1793, p. 29. II Af. Assoc. 1790, Q^p. 88 s O. p. 133, •* A f . Assoc. 1793, page 29, et teq. 3-4 Edrisi, p. 39. line which passes through A g a d e z from G e rm a ; whence some little deduction should b e made from the aggregate distance o f 3 7 days, o r 705 m i l e s ; and I have therefore taken 700 as the general line o f distance from G e rm a to Ghana. M r . Matra was told, a t M o ro c co , that Ghinny (G h an a o f Edrisi) was 40 journies from K ab ra , the port o f T om b u c to o , along the bank o f the N ig e r . T h e s e , taken at the caravan rate between F e z z a n and E g yp t ; M o ro c c o and J a r r a ; See. that is a t 16,3 per day, produce 652 G . miles. T h e intersection o f this line With that from Germa, places G h an a in lat. 16 0 10', Ion. 1 30 2' E o f Greenwich ; in which position it stands at 760 miles from the city o f B en in , on the coast o f Guinea.* D e Barros says, that when the P o r tu g u e z e first explo red the Coast o f Guin ea (ab out 146 9 ) the king o f Benin held his kingdom o f the king o f Ogane, as his superior lord ; and that ambassadors were sent ac co rdin gly , to obtain a confirmation o f his author ity. T h e distance o f O g an e (doubtless meant fo r Ghana) from Benin, was stated to be 250 leagues o f Portugal ; which be in g o f 18 to a degree, are equal to ab out 833 G . miles. A n d i f from these we deduct ■£ fo r the inflections o f the road, there remain 740 fo r the direct line; which, as the reader will perceive, is v e ry near the former result. T h u s the determination o f this important point, appears satis facto ry.t Befo re I speak further concerning G h an a and M e lli, with a view to identify them with the same countries mentioned b y L e o , it will be proper to close the line o f distance eastward to Nubia . Between Ghana on the west, and D o n g o la on the east, J the interval on * By some oversight, Ghana is placed in the map, too far to the east, by 8 minutes o f longitude. f I cannot learn with any degree o f certainty, from whence the name-Gui«BA, applied to the SW coast o f Africa, is derived. Some have supposed it to be from the capital or country of the superior monarch, in the interior o f the continent; but it is certain that the same nameis applied by Sanuto (in 15 88) to the coast between the river Gambia and Cape Mesurada. But Sanuto may have taken the idea from Leo, who was in an error with respect to the matter o f Guinea, at large. I Placed as above on the authority o f Mr. Bruce. h 2
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