ixviii ^ APPENDIX. 
date; and which may possibly have superseded Tokrur. Such a fluctuation 
of names, serves as much to confound geographers in the pohtical division of 
Africa, as the various opinions of those who have written on the physical 
geography, do, respecting the relative position of places, and the courses of 
its rivers. 
Remarks on the Positions of the Salt Mines in the Great Desert. 
Edrisi understood that all the salt consumed in the kingdoms of Nigritia 
(particularly along the course of the Niger), was brought from Ulil, situated 
at i6journies to the westward of Sala, and erroneously supposed by him to 
be an island, situated in the ocean, near the mouth of the Niger.* But by the 
situation, one would suppose that the salt mines of Aroan,, lo journies to 
the NNW of Tombuctoo, and in the road to Morocco, were meant; and 
from whence Tombuctoo is at present supplied. It is not easy to guess 
how an inland salt mine should have been mistaken for an island, in the 
ocean : but it is certain that both Edrisi and Abulfeda, supposed the Niger 
to discharge itself into the sea, near the meridian of Tombuctoo. Ibn AI 
Wardit speaks ofOulili, as the principal city of Soudan (or Nigritia), 
situated on the sea coast, and having extensive salt works, from which salt 
was carried to the other states of Nigritia. 
Mr. Park mentions the city of Walet, capital of Beeroo, which may 
perhaps be the Oulili intended by Ibn Al Wardi ;+ but it has no salt pits; 
for the inhabitants fetch salt from Shingarin, six journies to the northward 
of it : ^ and Walet is more than 24 journies from Sala, instead of 16, as 
stated by Edrisi. 
Cadamosta and Leo, in the third and fourth centuries after Edrisi, |j say, 
that the people of Tombuctoo had their salt from Tegazza, 40 journies to 
• Edrisi, p. 7. . f Hartmann's Edrisi, p. 29. % Oulili, Oualet ? 
§ Mr. Park's MSS. || Edrisi wrote in the 12th century ; Cadamosta in the I5th>, 
»nd Leo in the 1 6th. 
