CAILLIE. 189 



cidences with facts ascertained from other quarters. His 

 false reports of celestial phenomena might arise from his 

 ignorance of such subjects ; while his inaccuracies in re- 

 gard to Major Laing might proceed from the defective hear- 

 say information on which he depended. Perhaps these 

 last form rather a presumption in his favour, since, in com- 

 posing a forgery, he would probably have brought his state- 

 ments into a studious agreement with those of the Quar- 

 terly Review, well known as the only authentic source in 

 this country. 



Though disposed to consider M. Caillie's expedition as 

 genuine and authentic, we regard it nevertheless as having 

 made only a limited addition to our knowledge of Interior 

 Africa. English travellers had already explored the coun- 

 try all around Timbuctoo, had traced the Niger far beyond 

 that city, and had ascertained its position in respect to the 

 surrounding regions. The object now is, to obtain a de- 

 scription of Timbuctoo by an intelligent and learned tra- 

 veller, which M. Caillie is not. He certainly deserves com- 

 mendation for his enterprise ; but fortune has denied him 

 education, and nature has not bestowed upon him any 

 ample share of reflection or judgment. Nevertheless it 

 was impossible to pass through such extensive and re- 

 markable countries without gleaning some valuable inform- 

 ation, of which we shall now endeavour to extract the most 

 important particulars. 



Rene Caillie was bom in 1800, of poor parents, at 

 Mauzd, in the department of the Deux Sevres. The read- 

 ing of voyages and travels, and especially of Robinson 

 Crusoe, inspired him, he tells us, with such an unconquer- 

 able thirst for adventure as took away all relish for the 

 sports and occupations of his age ; and, after some opposi- 

 tion from his friends, he was permitted to follow his in- 

 clination. Having got a sight of some maps of Africa, the 

 vast spaces left vacant, or marked as unknown, excited in 

 his mind a peculiar interest ; hence, in 1816, he sailed from 

 Rochefort for the Senegal. Some time after his arrival, 

 having learned the departure of Major Gray's expedition for 

 the interior, he resolved to join it, and actually set out on 

 foot for that purpose ; but the fatigue of walldng over loose 

 sand under a burning sun overpowered him, and he was 

 happy to obtain a water conveyance to Goree. He even 



