GEOGRAPHICAL 
REMARKS AND INQUIRIES 
CONCERNING 
THE TRAVELS OF M. CAILLIE, 
IN CENTRAL AFRICA. 
CHAPTER I. 
§ I. 
GENERAL RETROSPECT OF THE PUBLISHED INFORMATION 
ON THIS SUBJECT PRIOR TO M. CAILLIE'S TRAVELS. 
A POWERFUL interest is attached to travels in central 
Africa: any attempt, therefore, to explore this part of 
the world can scarcely fail to excite curiosity, provided, 
at least, that it makes some addition to the knowledge 
previously acquired and supplies one of the deficiencies 
of geographical science 5 that is to say, if it furnishes 
authentic documents concerning the respective situations 
of places, their topographical positions, and relative dis- 
tances ; concerning the natural productions and physical 
geography of the country ; the population, commerce, 
Q 2 
