LITERARY SPECTATOR.

RIiNE CAILLIL'S TRAVELS.* M. RENE CAILLIE won the prize proposed by the Geographical So- ciety of Paris to the traveller who should first reach Timbuctoo by the Senegal route. He WaS born in 1800, at Mauze in the depart- ment of the Deux Sevres. His parents died when he was an infant, and he had no education but what the charity-school of his native town aaforded. He was early smitten with a desire of foreign travel ; ins eire■l, he says, by a perusal of Robinson Crusoe, and strengthened by such books of voyages and travels as he contrived • to borrow, and which he was so intent on studying, that he used to shut himself up on the Sundays that he might indulge his earnest longings. In BIG, with only sixty frames in his pocket, he set out for Rochefort, whence the unfortunate expedition, of which the Me- duse was one, was about to set sail. He entered on board the Loire brig (in what capacity he does not say), and by that means reached St. Louis, on the west coast of Africa. He afterwards proceeded to Dakar; and front that settlement he went on foot to the Gambia, for the purpose of joining the expedition Under Major GRAY. His sitiferings in this journey for some time cooled his passion for Afri- can travelling. He visited. Guadeloupe, where he remained several mouths, and then returned to France. MUNGO PARK'S :travels, however, soon reanimated his -desires ; he returned to St. Louis in the end of • 1818, where he joined a caravan, which, under M. Pa- TARRIOU, was preparing to join the expedition of Major GRAY. Of this journey he has given a short account in the introduction to the first volume of his travels. Bad health compelled him to return once more to France; but no sooner had he recovered than he again set sail lor Africa. In August 1824, he set out from St. Louis on an interest- ing journey to the Braknas, which occupied him until May of the fol- lowing year. The French authorities had at that time made pecuniary advances to M. Beaueoar, who was engaged in an attempt similar , to that in which CAILLIE succeeded ; and they refused to make any to the latter. He afterwards applied to Sir NEIL CAMPBELL at Sierra Leone; but that officer did not conceive himself called on to furnish to a stranger the means of anticipating Major LAING. CAILLIE was thus thrown on his own resources ; and he has the high merit of accomplishing, unassisted, what so many have failed in with all the appliances which wealth and influence had to bestow. M. CAILLIE set out from Kakondy on the Rio Nuiiez, the spot which proved fatal to poor PEDDIE and CAMPBELL, on the 19th April 1827. He crossed the Batfinget• the principal tributary of the Gambia, • S Travels through Central Africa to Timbuctoo, and across the Great Desert, to Mo- rocco; performed in the year 1824-1828. By MI6 Caillie. 2 vols. London, 1830. t Ba or Bahr, Conant., Neel, are so many names for "river." Ba-ba Couara-ba would thus signify .Great River, from the reduplication of the generic term or its synonime. The word Neel or Nile bas led to strange mistakes, from every stream so called being confounded, with the Egyptian Nile. Kong, in the same way, the term for mountain,

• has mach confaitd geagrlipby, by ofingling maga that have nothing common but the generic name. at Bafila ; and the main branch of the Niger, or Joliba, (M. CAILLIE

writes it Dhioliba), at a point where the sauces of that stream, ac- cording to Major LAING, are to be sought. After passing the Niger, he proceeded to Kankan, a city situate in a district of the same name, where he halted for a month. From Kankan he travelled on foot along with a caravan of Mandingo traders, as far as the village of Time ; where he was detained five months by sickness, consequent on the severe fatigue of passing the mountains of Fouta Dhialen (Footah Jaloff ). Hitherto the march of NI. CAILLIE had been nearly east, a little inclining to south. At Time, which he left on the 9th January 1829, having arrived there on the 3d August, he turned his course north- wards, in order once more to reach the Niger ; which, after passing through more than a hundred villages, he at length accomplished on the 10th March, at Gana- From the neighbourhood of Bafila, where he crossed the Bafing to Time, and from Time to Galia on the Niger, M. CAILLIE traversed a country never trodden before by the foot of any traveller ; and in addition to the positive accession which this portion of his work forms to African geography, he was enabled, though he did not visit them, to determine with accuracy the posi- tions of Bamakou and Sego, which form so important features in the first and second journies of PARK, and thus to ascertain the true course of the river. From Galia M. CAILLIE passed over to Jenne, where he remained for thirteen days, waiting for a flotilla of canoes which was about to sail for Cabra, the port of Timbuctoo. That city, the great object of his sanguine hopes, he finally reached on the 20th April. In this third portion of his travels, M. CAILLIE was able. to correct numerous geographical errors respecting the course and cha- racter of the stream, its channels, the position of the lake Dibbie, and other points little known, or not known at all, previous to his under- taking.

The Niger (this is not a native word) is known by different names in the different countries through which it flows. At its source it is called the Tombia, the Ba, and afterwards, until it reach Sego, the Joliba. To the north of Sego, it divides into two great branches, which, according to one authority (though this is not confirmed by C AI LLI E), bear the names of Ba-niou and Ba-lio,—or, as they have been interpreted, the White River and the Black River. These two branches unite at Isaca, and from that town to Cabra, the Joliba, which is there known by the name of Couara only, proceeds nearly due north to Cabra. At Cabra it turns east, and soon after it is again divided into two branches ; one of which, the Yeou, is supposed to run east- ward into the lake Tchad : the other and larger is that which was traced by PARK as far as Boussa, whence, by the most probable hy- pothesis, it proceeds to the Bight of Benin, and there falls into the sea. The trade between Jenne and Cabra is very considerable. It is carried on, as we have said, by means of canoes ; the planks of which are sewed together, the seams being closed in a very martificial man- ner with clay and chopped straw, kept in its place by a second piece of timber sewed over the seam. The frailness and leakiness of sach barks may be easily imagined.

"Being unprovided with sails, they cannot make way except in very calm weather ; they are besides so frail, that the slightest wind agitating the river (the banks of which are Very low) produces waves, which, by dashing against the sides of the canoes, would either damage or swamp them. This dane,er often causes delay, and renders the navigation tedious and perilous. When the hanks are entirely free from bushes, the sailors row or tow the vessel along, and when they can reach the bottom of the river with poles, they push it. In this manner the greater part of the passage is effected ; and it was by means of these poles, which are about twelve or fifteen feet long, that I was enabled to judge of the depth of the river. It is very difficult to find wood of such a length in this country, and it is necessary to fix two pieces

together lengthwise to form the poles. It sometimes happens that the banks are covered with bushes, and that the river is so deep that these poles cannot reach the bottom ; in such cases the sailors move the vessel forward by paddles three feet long ; and a place for the rowers is left open, quite at the fore part of the vessel, occupying only twelve or fourteen feet. They some- times stand up close against the side of the vessel, and at other times sit upon the merchandise, having scarcely room to turn themselves round in conse- quence of the crowded state of the canoe. These men are naked ; they row very fast, and keep time.

"The master stands at the stern and steers the vessel, not without diffi- culty, by a long pole instead of a rudder. He experiences a good deal of trouble in managing the unwieldy machine, so that it is often found neces- sary for two others to assist him. A rudder like that attached to the boats which descend the Seine, would be extremely serviceable, but at present the people are ignorant of the use of such a thing. Each of these vessels has a captain, who maintains great authority over his crew; and I never witnessed any abuse of this authority, as is sometimes the case with us, especially in the merchant service: All the negro sailors who navigate the river are slaves ; there are also some captains of this class, whose em- ployers give them half of what they earn. Free men think themselves de- graded by accepting such employment."

The city of Tenbuch, Tenbuktoo, Tembuktoo, Tombuktoo, Timbuc- too, T M Bocktoo,—for it goes by all these names-

" Is principally inhabited by negroes of the Kissoor . nation. Many Moors also reside there. They are engaged in trade, and, like Europeans who repair to the colonies in the hope of making their fortunes, they usually return to their own country to enjoy the fruits of their industry. They have considerable influence over the native inhabitants of Timbuctoo, whose king or governor is a nero. This prince, who is named Osman, is much respected by his subjects. He is very simple in his manners; his dress is like that of the Moors of Morocco, and his house is no better furnished than those of the Moorish merchants. He is himself a merchant, and his sons trade with Jenne. He inherited a considerable fortune from his ances- tors, and is very rich. He has four wives, besides an infinite number of slaves, and is a zealous Mahometan."

M. CAILLIE was introduced to this monarch; whose name of Osman, we may remark, corresponds with the accounts given of him by Major LAING.

"The prince received me in the midst of his court. He was seated on a beautiful mat with a rich cushion. We seated ourselves for a few moments at a little distance from him. Sidi-Abdallahi, after briefly relating my ad- itenterea, told him that I wished to pay my respects to him. I could not understand their conversation, for they spoke in the language of the Kissoors. The king afterwards addl.-eased me in Arabic, askingsome questions about the Christians, and the manner in which they had treated me. After a short time we took our leave : I wished to have seen the interior of the house, but my curiosity could not be gratified. The king appeared to be of an ex- ceedingly amiable disposition ; his age might be about fifty-five, and his hair was white and curly. He was of the middling height, and his colour was jet black. He had an aquiline nose, thin lips, a grey beard, and large eyes, and his whole countenance was pleasing ; his dress, like those of the Moors, was composed of stuff of European manufacture. On his head was a red cap, bound round With a large piece of muslin in the form of a turban. HIS shoes were of morocco, shaped like our morning slipper, and made in the country. He often visited the mosque."

The city of Timbuctoo is described by AnA.ms as larger than Lisbon ; but from various particulars in his description, there are some doubts of his ever having seen it. Major LAIN G says it is about foUr miles round ; which agrees pretty nearly with the observa- tions of our traveller. With its description by the latter we must close our extracts:—

" The city of Timbuctoo forms a sort of triangle, measuring about three miles in circuit. The houses are large, but not high, consisting entirely of a ground-floor. In Some, a sort of little closet is constructed above the en- trance. They are built of bricks of a round form, rolled in the hands, and baked in the sun, The walls, except as far as regards their height, resemble those of Jenne. • "The streets of Timbuctoo are clean, and sufficiently Wide to permit three horsemen to pass abreast. Both within and without the town there are many straw huts of a circular form, like those of the pastoral Foulahs. Thea serve as dwellings for the poor, and for the slaves who sell merchandise for their masters.

" Timbuctoo contains seven mosques, two of which are large ; each is sur- mounted by a brick tower. "This mysterious city, which has been an object of curiosity for so many ages, and of whose population, civilization, and trade with the Soudan; such exaggerated notions have prevailed, is situated in an immense plain of white sand, having no vegetation but stunted trees and shrubs, such as the ferruginea, which grows no higher than three or four feet. The city is not closed -by any barrier, and may be entered on any side. Within the town ate seen some of the balunitis cegyptiaca, and in the centre is a palm tree.

"Timbuctoo may contain at most about ten or twelve thousand inhabitants; all are engaged in trade. The population is at times augmented by the Arabs, who come with the caravans, and remain awhile in the city. In the plain several species of grass and thistles afford food for the camels. Fire-wood is,very scarce, being all brought from the neighbourhood of Cabra. It is an article of trade, and the women sell it in the market-place. It is only burnt by the rich; the poor use camel-dung for fuel. Water is also sold in the market-place; the women give a measure containing about half a pint for a cowrie.

"Timbuctoo, though one of the largest cities I have seen in Africa, pos- sesses no other resources but its trade in salt, the soil being totally unlit for cultivation. The inhabitants procure from Jenne every thing requisite for the supply of their wants, such as millet, rice, vegetable butter, honey, cot- ton, Soudan cloth, preserved provisions, candles, soap, allspice, onions, dried fish, pistachios, &c. "If the vessels from Cabra should chance to be stopped by the Tooariks; the inhabitants of Timbuctoo would be reduced to famine. To obviate this misfortune, they take care to have their warehouses always amply stored with every kind of provision. I saw the magazines of Sidi-Abdallatii full of great sacks of rice, which keeps better than millet. " For these reasons, the vessels which come down the river to Cabra are deterred from making any resistance to the Tooariks, notwithstanding the burthen of their exactions. I was assured that, if the crews dared but to strike one of these savages, they would forthwith declare war against Tim- buctoo, and intercept all communication with the port ; the city would then receive no supplies.'

The Tooaricks or Soorghoos are a tribe whose principal settlements lie to the east of Timbuctoo, but who extend their plundering expe- ditions along the right bank of the Joliba as far as Jenne. It was to a party of these that PARK is supposed to have fallen a victim, and they were also the robbers and murderers of Major LAING.

M. CAILLIE remained fourteen days in Timbuctoo ; he left it along with a caravan proceeding to Fez, the ancient capital of Morocco ; where he arrived, after great hardships and suffering, on the 12th August. From Fez he proceeded to Tangier, which he reached, half' dead, on the 11th September. He was kindly received by M. DELA.- PORTE, the French consul there, and by his means was once more enabled to reach his native country ; he sailed from Tangier in the Legere sloop, and arrived at Toulon on the 8th October. Some rash doubts have been hazarded respecting the authenticity of these travels; but we have not been able, from a careful perusal of the external and internal evidences of their truth, to discover on what logical or moral grounds the doubts are rested. Besides nu- merous coincidences, of a kind which CAILLIE could not invent, his departure from Kakondy and his arrival at Fez have been ascertained by the direct testimony of' respectable witnesses ; and, setting aside the absence of all possible motive to deceive, no man, We venture to affirm, could have manufactured so long and minute and consistent a narrative as that contained in the two volumes before us. We may add, that the proofs which, upon careful investigation, appeared irre- fragable to such men as JOMARD, AMEDEE JAUBERT, and Baron ROGER, ought not hastily to be impugned. We are no enemies to ra- tional scepticism, but incredulity and wisdom are not so nearly allied as some critics imagine ; the n'encroyez rien school contains as many fools as philosophers.