SOODAN. 



SOODAN. 



620 



Tillage* and towns. The kingdom of Yarriba seems to extend west- 

 ward to th< T*rr boundary-line of Aibantee : on the south-west and 

 oath it is separated from the Blight of Benin only by the kingdom of 

 Dahomey and a country called Jaboo. The Quorra divides Yarriba 

 from UM kingdoms of Nyfi and Yaouri. The present capital is Eyeo, 

 or Katunga, which is situated in a fertile valley, about 20 miles from 

 the river Quorra. It is inclosed by walls built of clay, about 20 feet 

 high, and surrounded by a dry ditch. The walls are built in an oval 

 form, and are about 15 miles in circumference. The king's houses 

 are built of clay and have thatched roofs. A considerable part of 

 the space inclosed by the walls is laid out in gardens or cultivated, 

 and the population is about 20,000 individuals. The second town of 

 the kingdom is Bohoo, which was formerly the capital of the king- 

 dom. It has a triple wall, which U rather more than 20 miles in 

 circuit, and is built on the slope of a very gentle and fertile hill, in 

 an exceedingly well-cultivated country. 



There are several large towns built on the banks of the Quorra, as 

 Lever or Layaba, near the boundary of Borgoo, which U very extensive 

 and has a great population ; Bajiebo, a flourishing and important 

 trading town of great extent ; Lecbee, a very large and thriving place ; 

 Egga which is -of considerable extent, and has a large population ; 

 and Kakunda, which is governed by a sovereign independent of 

 Yarriba, and consists of three or four considerable villages, situated 

 within a short distance of one another. On the road leading from 

 Badagry to Eyeo several other large towns are situated. Between Eyeo 

 and Bohoo are Eetcho, Atoopa (6000 inhabitants), and Jaguta, a large 

 and well-fortified town. South-west of Bohoo is Kooso, a large 

 double-walled town, which has 20,000 inhabitants, and is a place of 

 great trade; Chaadoo, with 7000 inhabitants; Duffoo, with 15,000 

 inhabitants, and considerable manufactures of cotton-cloth; Assoudo, 

 with 10,000 inhabitants; Assula, with 6000 inhabitants; and Jenna, 

 with from 8000 to 10,000 inhabitants. 



Within the territories of the kingdom of Yarriba the Felliitahs 

 have established some independent states, among which the towns of 

 Race*, not far from Eyeo towards the north-east, and Alone, south- 

 west of the capital, are said to be very populous. 



Borgoo, which lies to the north of Yarriba, consists, so far as we 

 know, of ten states, governed by independent kings, and loosely con- 

 nected with one another. The moat powerful is the sovereign of Niki, 

 and he is styled, by way of distinction, king or sultan of Borgoo. 

 The countries of the kings of Wawa, Kidma, and Boosa were visited 

 by ClappiTtou and the Landers. The capitals have the names of the 

 countries. Kitiiua is built on the southern side of a rocky ridge, and 

 surrounded by an extensive low clay wall ; it is a commercial town, 

 with 30,000 inhabitants. The houses consist of circular huts, built 

 of clay and thatched. Inside the walls are plantations of corn and 

 yams. Wawa, or Wowow, is a very neat and compactly built town, in 

 the form of a square ; it is surrounded by a good high clay wall and 

 dry ditch. The streets are wide and airy, and the houses are of circular 

 form, as in Ki.lma. The town of Boossa is built on the banks of the 

 western arm of the Quorra, which at this place divides into three 

 branches, and it contains from 10,000 to 12,000 inhabitants. The 

 house* are built in clusters inside the wall, and do not occupy above 

 one-tenth of the ground inclosed. 



Two caravan roads traverse this region, and are much frequented 

 by merchants from Houssa aud other countries of Central Africa. The 

 most northern posses through Kidina, and the southern through Bohoo 

 and Kooso. These two roads lead to Gonja, a country lying west- 

 north-west, either within the range of the Kong Mountains or along 

 their northern base. The frequent fairs and market-days, which are 

 regularly held in all the larger towns, show the degree of civilisation 

 which this country has attained. 



IL The southern part of the Plain of Western Sudan presents a 

 remarkable instance of people living in society, and having attained a 

 certain de-Tee of civilisation, without entering into close political union. 

 Towards the west, near the boundary of Soolima in Sierra Leone, and 

 of Foota Jallon in Senegambia, there are some small states, among 

 which we know Snngara, Amana, Kankan, and Wassoolo ; but east of 

 7 W. long, each town and village, according to Caillid, is independent 

 of the neighbouring towns and villages. Each place is inhabited by 

 a mixture of Mandingoee, who are Mohammedans, and of Bambarras, 

 most of whom are pagans. StiH they live peaceably together, aud the 

 elders of each nation decide the differences arising among the people 

 belonging to their nation. In this region no large towns are met with : 

 some of them, which are situated on the caravan roads, contain a 

 population of from SOOO to 7000 inhabitants, as Kankan, Tangrera, 

 Toomaneh, and Dooasso. Kayaye is said to be a larger place, but it 

 has not be< n visited by Europeans. The commerce of this country is 

 not considerable, and consists almost exclusively in the transport of 

 the colat-nuto from Qonja to the countries on the banks of the Joliba, 

 where salt is the principal article taken in exchange. 



On the banks of the Joliba there are several kingdoms. That of Booreh 

 comprises the greater part of the country between 9 and 7 W. long. 

 on both sides of the river. It is inhabited by Mandingoes. The 

 mountains which divide it from Senegambia are very rich in gold, of 

 which a considerable quantity is annually obtained. The town of 

 Booreh is said to be of considerable extent. 



East of Booreh is the kingdom of Bambarra [BAMBAHRA], in which 



several towns of considerable extent are situated on the banks of the 

 Joliba : Bammakoo, a town from which the gold obtained from Booreh 

 is sent down the river ; Marraboo and Koolikorro, two places of some 

 extent, which trade extensively in salt ; Baba ; Yamina, a place of 

 considerable trade ; Sai ; Sego [SEGO] ; Sansanding [SANSANDING] ; 

 and Silla, 



East of Bambarra is the kingdom of Jenneh, the territory of which 

 extends to the vicinity of 15 N. lat It has obtained its name from 

 Jenneh, the principal commercial town ; but the capital and residence 

 of the sultan is called Kllaiu doo Lillahi (' to the praise of God '), 

 where there are said to be public schools iu which children are taught 

 gratuitously, and also schools for adults. The town of Jenneh is 

 about six miles from the banks of the Joliba, but the whole country 

 between the town and the river is cut up by numerous watercourses, 

 so that river-vessels of 80 or 100 tons burden can come up to the 

 town in the rainy season, and smaller vessels all the year round. The 

 population may amount to 10,000. They send ivory, gold, rice, millet, 

 honey, bees'-wax, cured provisions, and onions ; and also tamarinds, 

 pimento, long pepper, leaves and fruits of the baobab, pistachio-nuts, 

 beans, and colat-nuts, to Tirabuctoo. Wax candles are made iu 

 Jenueh, and sent to Timbuctoo. 



North of the kingdom of Jenneh is Hasina, on the left side of the 

 Joliba, and Banan on the right ; they extend to the lake Debo. 

 [NIGER,] North of the lake Debo, and on the east of the river, is an 

 extensive country called Dirimans, whose capital is said to be Alcodia. 

 This country apparently extends to the vicinity of TIMBUCTOO. 



In the north-western corner of Sudan, and contiguous to the 

 boundary of Seuegambia, are the kingdoms of Kaarta and Ludamar. 

 Koarta lies partly within the mountain range which constitutes the 

 boundary between Senegambia and Sudan ; and Kosson, which for- 

 merly was an independent kingdom, but has been conquered and 

 united to Kanrta, is properly within Senegambia. Kaarta contains 

 several very fertile plains and valleys. The capital is Kemmo, and 

 there are two large towns called Asamangatary and Somantari. The 

 walls of Asamangatary are higher, stronger, and better constructed 

 than those of any other town in these parts of Africa; and the town 

 covers an extensive plain, noted for the quantity of earthenware which is 

 there manufactured, and its great fertility iu rice and onions. The 

 kingdom of Ludamar borders on the Sahara, and consists of a suc- 

 cession of fertile and cultivated tracts and sandy deserts. The capital, 

 Yarra, is of considerable extent, aud the houses are built of stone 

 cemented with clay. Other large places are Deena and Sampaka, 

 which lie farther east than Yarra. 



A large tract of Sudan extends along the southern border of the 

 Sahara, between Ludamar and Timbuctoo. Of this tract the greater 

 part belongs to the kingdom of Boroo, which appears to resemble 

 Ludamar in productive powers, but is separated from the neighbouring 

 states by sandy deserts. IU capital, Wallet, is said to be as large as 

 Timbuctoo, and to carry on a very extensive trade in salt, which is 

 brought from the great rock-salt mines of Shingarin [SAHARA], aud 

 seat to Sansauding, Sego, and Yamina, in Bambarra, where it is 

 exchanged for corn and provisions. 



IIL The greater part of the hilly region of Central Sudan consti- 

 tuted at the beginning of the present century an integral part of the 

 kingdom of Houssa, or was subject or tributary to it. This kingdom 

 owed its foundation or its extension to Danfodio, after whose death 

 most of the countries which he had subjected to his sway rose against 

 his successor Bello, and several of those countries recovered their 

 independence. The most populous and best cultivated districts are 

 those which lie along the course of the Quorra, and the northern 

 districts, between 11 and 13 80' N. lat. 



Along the banks of the river Quorra, from north to south, are 

 Yaoori, Nyfi, and Funda, The capital of Yaoori bears the same name. 

 It is a place of great extent and very populous, and is surrounded by 

 a high wall upwards of twenty miles in circuit. The space inclosed 

 is covered with clusters of huts, between which are cultivated tracts. 

 In this placo very neat saddles, country cloth, and gunpowder are 

 manufactured. Where the countries of Ydoori and Nyfi join one 

 another is the basin of the river May-yarrow, which is extremely 

 fertile and thickly inhabited. There are here several large towns. 

 Tabra, on both sides of the river, about 30 miles above its mouth, 

 has about 20,000 inhabitants ; Koolfu, on the northern banks of the 

 river, a central point of inland trade, about 15,000 inhabitants ; 

 Rajadawa, about 7000 inhabitants ; Womba, about 1 1,000 inhabitants ; 

 and Guari, a large and well fortified placo, is the seat of a negro 

 chief, who has made himself independent of Houssa. The capital of 

 Nyfi is the town of Nyfi, which is known over all Western Africa for 

 the excellent cotton-cloth made there. In Nyfi is the town of Kabba, 

 built on the banks of the Quorra, on a gentle slope. It is the empo- 

 rium of all the surrounding countries to a great distance, and several 

 articles are brought to this place from Tripoli on the Mediterranean. 

 It contains a population exceeding 40,000, and has manufactures of 

 saddles aud bridles made of red and yellow leather, cloth, shoes, boots, 

 aud sandals. Opposite the town, aud near the western banks of the 

 Quorra, lies, the island of Zagozhi, which is 15 miles long and 3 miles 

 in breadth, and being low is partly inundated in the rainy season. 

 The inhabitants are partly sailors and fishermen, and partly employed 

 in the manufacture of country cloth, which is of excellent quality. 



