T h e position o f G hana (or Gin n y according to M r. Matra), at 40 jo u r - hies to the eastward o f T om b u c to o 1, has been already detailed in page lix . A n d this is, no doubt, the G in ea intended b y those, from whom L e o co lle c ted his information respecting the country itself, whose geography he has so much erred in. T h e kingdom o f M e lli had been reported to Cadamosta, when he made inquiries concerning the inter ior o f A fr ica , about the y ea r 1455.' H e was told that T om b u c to o , (whose general position was not ill described to him, at ab ou t 60 jo u rn ie s inland from A rgu in ,* ) was supplied with mineral salt from T e g a z z a , 40 journies to the westward. T h a t the same salt mine supplied M e lli, g o jo u rn ie s beyond T om b u c to o , the salt passing through the latter p la c e .t (W e must here suppose that the capital o f Melli, called b y the same name as the country, is meant as the term o f this journey). H e n c e we should naturally lo o k fo r M e lli on the eastward o f T om b u c to o , as will presently appear, and n o t on the SW , as is expressed in A stley . J N o doubt, S E was m e a n t : for Edrisi has a city o f the name o f M a le l, at 10 jo u rn ie s to the south o f B e r is sa ,§ and 12 from the city o f G h an a : and, this position actua lly falls at 30 jo u rn ie s to the E S E o f T om b u c to o ; ag reeing to the distance repor ted b y Cadamosta. B u t Edrisi does not call the country M e l l i , but Lamlem. However, it can be no other than the M e lli o f L e o , and Cadam o s ta : for E d r is i says (p. 8 and j 1 ) , that it is situated to the south o f G hana and Berissa, and has on the east the country o f Wang ara (Vancara ), which agrees to the tract in which Ma lel is situated. Hartmann supposes (p. 39,) with grea t appearance o f truth, that Lamlem is a transposition o f M e l l i ; and I have met with similar instances in the translation o f A ra b ic words and numbers. T h u s L e o ’s ideas were evidently wrong, respecting the situations o f G h an a and M e l l i ; which lie to the eastward o f T om b u c to o , although he places them to the west. * He was told that Hoden or Whaden, was 70 leagues east of Arguin, and Tegazza six journies from Hoden. Tombuctoo was 4° days from thence. Astley, Vol. i, p. 20, and 577, 578. f Astley, Vol. i. p. 578. Some Remarks on the Salt Mines are added, at the end of this Chapter. t lb. Vol. ii. p. 74. § Berissa is 12 journies west of Ghana. Edrisi. T h e place o f M elli is occupied, in his description, b y G u b e r (which M r. Beaufby learnt, was to the south o f W a n g a ra ) ; whilst that o f G h an a remains u n o c cu p ied ; unless we suppose it to b e included in the empire o f T om b u c too, which is implied (p. 2 54 ), when he speaks o f W an g a ra (Guang ara ) as being troubled on the west b y the king o f T om b u c to o , and on the east b y him o f B o rn o u : and as he also speaks o f T om b u c to o as the largest empire in Nigritia, (p. 4.) In the position o f W ang ara ,* he is righ t; for it lies between Zanfara and B o r n o u : but he seems not to have known that it was intersected b y the N ig e r , and formed o f its alluvions, as Edrisi points o u t to us.+ B u t L e o learnt one important particular as a merchant, that the southern quarter o f it , produced g o ld , in abundance. A s I shall have o ccasion to speak more fu lly o f this co u n t ry , when the course o f the N ig e r comes under consideration, it w ill be unnecessary to sa y more o f it, in this place. Kassina is rem o ved b y L e o , from the banks o f the N ig e r , its p roper situation, far inland, to the east o f C an o , o r G an a t,J (p. 253 .) T h is is another p ro o f o f his writing from hearsay. Kassina is no t heard o f, in E d r is i; it no doubt was included in Ghan a , at that day. . L e o is silent respecting T o k ru r o r T e k ru r . T h is appears to have been the metropolis o f the great central empire o f A fr ica , in the time o f Edrisi and A b u lfe d a ; and must have existed in later times ; as the T u k o ro l, to whose prince the Po rtu gu e ze sent an ambassador about the year 14 9 3 , may be taken fo r the same place. I t may, however, hav e been swallowed up in the empire o f T om b u c to o , which was founded after the time o f Edrisi, and b e fo re the date o f L e o ’s writing. B u t as the pity o f T om b u c to o ga ve name to the empire, so might T o k r u r ; and this latter may h av e fallen so much to deca y , as to be little known in the present t im e s : and this may ac coun t for M r . P a rk ’ s not being able to learn any tidings o f it. A n d finally, as L eo had not heard o f Hou ssa , we may conclude that it is a city o f a y e t later * Guangara, (Leo.) 4 Pages 11 and 12. t ItTies to the SSW of Agadez. A f.Ass. Q^p. z z i ; O. p. 326. M. D ’Anville mistook the Cano of Leo. .(p. 253.) situated at 500 miles from the Niger, fox Ghana. But the Ganat of our map, in the road from Fezzan to Agadez, must be meant.
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