APPENDIX. 
Ixv 
In the present limited state of our knowledge respecting the interior of 
Africa, it would be mis-spending time to attempt to follow Leo, in his detail 
of provinces and nations, in the parts remote from the immediate scene of our 
discoveries; or of the routes communicated to the Association. But it is of 
the utmost importance to the argument respecting the course of the Niger, 
that I should clear up some of his errors regarding the positions of Ghana 
(his Ginea ) and Melli. 
Leo says, p. 248, 249, that the merchants of his country (I conceive he means 
Barbary) call the country in question, Gheneoa; that its proper inhabitants call 
it Genni: but the Portugueze, and other Europeans, Ginea.* He says that it is 
situated to the west of Tombuctoo, that is, between Tombuctoo and Gualata :t 
that it has an extent of several hundred miles along the Niger, even to the 
place where it discharges itself into the sea. Again, says he, the kingdom of Melli 
borders on Ginea^ southward; and on the west, are vast forests, which extend to 
the sea. And finally, he places the kingdom of Gago to the east of Melli. 
Now nothing is more certain, than that the space on the west of Tombuc- 
too and Gago, is occupied by nations, very different from those of Ginea (by 
which Ghana is to be understood) and Melli: as also that the space assigned 
by Leo, to Ginea, is a remarkably dry, sandy, country; being either adjacent 
to, or forming a part of the Sahara : whereas Ginea is described by him to 
be a tract, which, during the inundations of the Niger, in July, August, and 
September, is inclosed like an island. 
It is however not improbable, that Leo, who it appears had visited Tombuc- 
too (but who certainly never saw the Niger, which is about 12 miles beyond 
it), might confound the city of jenne, which is situated in a small island in 
the Niger, and to the west of Tombuctoo, with the kingdom of Ghana (his 
Ginea), on the east : but as to Melli, that is quite out of the question, in re- 
spect of any mistake of the like kind; and could only be placed on the west 
of Gago, in order that it might preserve its southerly position in respect of 
Ginea. Thus one mistake seems to have produced the other. 
* Abulfeda, Edrisi, and Ibn Al Wardi call it Ghana, and Ganah. 
f Gualata is described by Leo to be situated 500 miles from Tombuctoo towards 
Nun. 
i 
