OEOGRAPHY. 
197 
is the next extensive in its limits to Bornoo. It is, no doubt, the 
kingdom of Mellfe, misplaced Leo, and reported to Cadamosto 
in 1455, as 30 journies beyond Timbuctoo. Major Rennell ob- 
serves, " we should naturally look for it on the eastward of 
Timbuctoo,'' and it has only been placed south eastward, and 
south of the Niger, because Edrisi has a city called Malel there- 
abouts, though he calls the name of the kingdom of which it is the 
capital Lamlara, which Hartraan would reconcile by supposing it 
to be a transposition of Malel, certainly a forced conjecture.* A 
large town called Mahalaba is the nearest I have found to Malel, 
to be noticed on the route from Dagwumba to the Niger. j- In 
speaking of all fortified cities, the negroes of iVIallowa invariably 
prefixea Berinne orBrinne to the nanje, as an indication that they 
were so ; this was always the case in mentioning Houssa, Cabi, 
Cassina, Katinna, &c. &c. I shall place the numerals of Cassina, 
as written by Mr. Lucas after the Shereef Imhammed, to the right 
of those of Houssa or Mallowa, from their close affinity, perhaps 
identity ; for this language is spoken far eastward, and the Shereef, 
as we shall presently see, was rather inaccurate in his recollection 
of the numerals of Bornoo. 
One ~ - Daia - Deiyah. 
Two - - Beeyoo - Beeyou. 
Three - - Okoo - Okoo. 
Four - Odoo - - Foodoo. 
Five - - Bea - - Beat. 
* The position of Melle is further confirmed in Dapper " Le Boi de Tomhut prend le 
nom d'Empereur de MellV This title seems to have been transferred to the King of 
Houssa from the decline of Timbuctoo, to which the aggrandisement of the former city 
is to be attributed. 
f The King residing in Houssa is the King of Malla ; he has seven tributary Kings. 
W.H. 
