ABSTRACT

Having completed the construction of the itinerary,

it remained to subject all these lines of route to the in-

variable data of which geography is already possessed.

I first sought among these data for points common to

M. Caillié's march: they are unfortunately very few in

number. How then could I flatter myself, whatever trou-

ble I might take, with whatever care I might combine

all the data, hazarding nothing without some authority

to support it, that I should produce any thing beyond a

mere essay ? If it should be hereafter confirmed by the

observations of travellers furnished with astronomical in-

struments, the only merits of this work will consist in

fortunate combinations ; if it should be falsified by future

discoveries, still it will have called for the criticism of

geographers, and will consequently not have been useless

to science. In submitting to the reader results differing

from those hitherto admitted, I wish to warn him against

an error, too common, especially in map-making, that

of giving the preference to the more recent publications,

and to place confidence in them in proportion as they

are so. I am far from desirous of usurping this species

of interest, to the prejudice of geographical works in

general estimation.