86 THE GOLD COAST 



sections of the Dagombas, under the chiefs of Savelugu 

 and Karaga (formerly under the king of Yendi, in 

 German territory). The Lobis, Dagartis, Grunshis, Kus- 

 sassis, and several others were dispersed by Samory and 

 Barbetu in 1896 and 1898, and have now only nominal 

 chiefs. (See Colonial Reports Annual, No. 566, " North- 

 ern Territories of the Gold Coast," 1907, p. 8.) The 

 Moshis, whose country extended into the northern limits 

 of the Northern Territories, were employed at one time 

 as native levies, but since they were disbanded they have 

 interfered with the tribes on the Gambaga-Kumassi road, 

 in the Sapari Hills, and made trading by that route 

 unsafe. (See Colonial Reports, loc. cit., p. 10.) Steps 

 have been taken to expel them from the country, and it 

 is hoped that the people living in the hills, who are said 

 to be good agriculturists, will now come into closer 

 contact with civilisation. The Dagombas are apparently 

 the most industrious tribe in the country, and they seem 

 to be numerous. 



Although there does not appear to be any actual record 

 of the invasion of the eastern part of the country by 

 the Mohammedan rulers of the Western Sudan, they are 

 said to have overrun the pagan countries between them- 

 selves and the region of dense forest on several occasions. 

 In 1483 the kingdom of Mossi (Moshi) was conquered by 

 Sonni Ali, King of Songhay, who was a native of the 

 Eastern Sudan, and had come from Egypt. Two years 

 later he extended his conquest through the mountain 

 territory to the south and far into the pagan belt. 

 Sonni Ali was followed by Askia, who again overran 

 Mossi, in order to abolish paganism and establish the 

 Mohammedan faith. This occurred in about the year 

 1500, and doubtless the people learnt to adopt the im- 

 proved methods of agriculture which the conquerors had 

 introduced into the Western Sudan from Egypt and the 

 east. Many of the tribes have relapsed completely into 

 paganism, but amongst others there is a mixture of 

 Mohammedanism and paganism, which is evidence of the 

 impression made. More recently, Samodu Almami of 

 Ouassoulou, generally known as Samory, was driven 

 from his kingdom in the Western Sudan by the French, 

 and overran the Northern Territories with his Sofa troops ; 

 subduing Wa, Bole, and the whole of the western part 



