mense plains of moving sand of a yellowish-white colour, and parched in the extreme. "The horizon is of a pale red,—all is gloomy in nature, the deepest silence reigns, not the song of a single bird is heard;" yet there was something imposing in the view of a great city, thus raised amid sands and deserts by the mere power of commerce.

Although M. Caillié resided above a fortnight in Timbuctoo, his information respecting it is very defective. It appears, except in point of situation, to be nearly such a city as Jenne, consisting of large houses, chiefly tenanted by Moorish merchants, intermingled with conical straw-huts occupied by negroes. The author has given a croquis, or sketch of part of the city, which, though very deficient in perspective, is yet so curious as to merit a place in this publication. There are seven mosques, of which the principal one is very extensive, having three galleries, each two hundred feet long, with a tower upwards of fifty feet high. One part, apparently more ancient than the rest, and almost falling into ruin, was thought to exhibit a style of architecture decidedly superior to the more modern buildings.

Timbuctoo is entirely supported by commerce. It is the depot of the salt conveyed from the mines of Taudeny, and also of the European goods brought by the caravans from Morocco, as well as by those from Tunis and Tripoli, which come by way of Ghadamis. These goods are embarked for Jenne, to be exchanged for the gold, slaves, and provisions, with which that city exclusively supplies Timbuctoo, the neighbourhood being almost a complete desert. The population is estimated at 10,000 or 12,000, which, not being in proportion to a town

three miles in circumference, is probably underrated. The people are chiefly negroes of the Kissour tribe, but bigoted Mohammedans. There appeared less bustle and activity than at Jen

ne,

-a circumstance which does not seem very easily accounted for. Osman, the king, was an agreeable-looking negro of fifty-five, to whom the traveller was introduced, without being aware that he was only viceroy, or at least tributary, to the Sultan of Masina. The country is much harassed by the wandering tribe of Tuaricks, who, like the Bedouins in Arabia, levy a regular tax on the ca

The map constructed by M. Jomard, upon Caillie's routes, changes greatly the position of Timbuctoo, especially in respect to longitude, which it places four degrees to the westward of the site assigned by Major Rennel. It seems impossible, however, to admit an alteration to this extent, which would throw Sego so far westward as to render Park's bearings from Jarra to Sego, and from Sego to Bammakoo, completely erroneous. Besides, it appears to us, that M. Jomard has forced to the westward all the positions between Jenne and Timbuctoo, in a manner quite unwarranted by M. Caillie's own descriptions. This excess becomes manifest in the line from Galia to the mouth of the Debo, 35 miles of which are stated to run north-east, without a single movement in a contrary direction; yet M. Jomard has manoeuvred to make the last position the most westerly of the two. If the route from Jenne to Timbuctoo lies as much to the northward as M. Caillié represents, where, indeed, he, in some measure, agrees with the delineation of D'Anville, it must be somewhat farther west than our maps place it, but not nearly so far as M. Jomard fixes it. In regard to the observation of latitude attempted by the traveller, M. Jomard's claims are indeed very moderate, since he merely argues that, in the absence of any other, this is not wholly to be neglected; yet even this seems too much, when he at the same time admits, that all the observations made by him in a similar manner are of no value whatever.

Caillié left Timbuctoo on the 4th May, and in six days arrived at Aroan or Arouan, which he found rather a well-built town of 3000 inhabitants, supported solely by the passage of the caravans from Barbary, and from the salt-mines of Taudeny, which usually halt here before and after passing the desert that extends to the northwards. The environs of Aroan are of the most desolate aspect, and all its provisions are drawn from Jenne by way of Timbuctoo. The neighbourhood does not afford an herb or a shrub, and the only fuel consists of the dried dung of camels. The springs of water, which alone render it habitable, are abundant, but of bad quality. The town also carries on a considerable trade in light goods directly with Sansanding and Yamina. Walet was mentioned as a great emporium, situated to the west-south-west, in a position somewhat different from that assigned by Park ; but the data in both cases are very vague, and we do not see the slightest ground for M. Jomard's conjecture that there are two Walets.

Our traveller departed from Aroan on the 19th May, in company with a caravan of 120 camels laden with the productions of Soudan. He had the prospect of crossing a desert of ten days' journey, in which there was scarcely a drop of water. "Before us appeared a horizon without bounds, in which our eyes distinguished only an immense plain of burning sand, enveloped by a sky on fire. At this spectacle the camels raised long cries, and

Under these circumstances, we conceive that it would be premature to change, in our map, the position of Timbuctoo from that formerly fixed by Major Rennel.

the slaves mournfully lifted their eyes to heaven.” M. Caillié, however, departed in high spirits, animated by the idea of being the first European who should, from the southern side, have crossed this ocean of shingle. But his tone of feeling was soon lowered when he came to experience the sufferings arising from the intense heat, the blowing of the sand, and the scanty supply of water, which was allowed to the caravan only twice a-day, leaving long intervals, during which the most tormenting thirst was endured. Some small wells, from which they had hoped for a little aid, were found dry; so that both men and animals were reduced to the last extremity, when they reached the copious springs of Telig, and relieved their thirst by repeated draughts.

During many succeeding marches, water again became scarce, and Caillié had much to suffer from the insult and neglect of his companions. El Drah, on the outer frontier of Morocco, was the first inhabited district; but it was poor, and occupied by inhospitable tribes of Moors and Berebbers. Turning somewhat eastward, they passed through the fine country of Tafilet, covered with noble woods of date-trees, and producing a valuable breed of sheep. They then crossed with labour a rugged limb of the Atlas, and arrived at Fez, whence the adventurer found his way, though in a somewhat poor plight, to Tangier. He arrived on the 18th August, 1828, and M. Delaporte, the vice-consul, received and forwarded him to France.

CHAPTER XIV.

Western Africa.

THE Whole coast of Western Africa within the tropics, forming a wide sweep around the Gulf of Guinea, has long been occupied by a chain of European forts, erected with a view to the commerce in gold, iron, and palm-oil, but, above all, in slaves; and since this last object has been finally abandoned by Great Britain, these stations have become to her of very secondary importance. The territory is in the possession of a number of petty states, many of which compose aristocratic republics, turbulent, restless, licentious, and generally rendered more depraved by their frequent intercourse with Europeans. The interior country, extending parallel to the great central chain of mountains, of which the principal branch is here called Kong, presents nothing of that desert and arid character which is stamped on so great a proportion of the African continent. The soil, copiously watered, is liable rather to an excessive luxuriance; but, where well managed, it is highly fruitful. There are found, too, in this tract, several very powerful kingdoms, better organized, and more improved than any near the coast. They have not, however, the slightest tincture of European civilization; and their manners, in several important re