46 SETTLEMENTS OF THE ARABS. 



Bcription of Africa was furnished by a geographer named 

 Leo, who was even honoured with the surname of Africa- 

 nus. He was a native of Granada, but after the capture of 

 that city by Ferdinand, repaired to Fez ; and in that once 

 eminent school, appHed himself to acquire a knowledge of 

 Arabic learning and of the African continent. He after- 

 ward travelled through a great part of the interior, and, 

 having repaired to Rome, wrote his description of Africa 

 under the auspices of Leo X. It appears, that since the 

 time of Edrisi, one of those revolutions to which barbarous 

 states are liable had greatly changed the aspect of these 

 countries. Timbuctoo, which at the fonner period either 

 did not exist, or was not thought worthy of mention, had 

 now risen to be the most powerful of the interior kingdoms, 

 and the great centre of commerce and wealth. Ghana, once 

 possessed of imperial greatness, had already changed its 

 name to Kano, and was ranked as tributary to Timbuctoo. 

 Bornou appears under its old appellation ; and several 

 kingdoms which have since held a conspicuous place are 

 mentioned for the first time, — Casena or Cassina (Kashna), 

 Zegzeg, Zanfara, and Guber. Gago, represented as being 

 four hundred miles south-east of Timbuctoo, is evidently 

 Eyeo, lately visited by Clapperton. Ghinea, or Gheneoa, 

 described as a city of great commerce and splendour, has 

 been supposed to be Ghana; but I think it is evidently 

 Jennc, which Park found to be the largest and most flou- 

 rishing city of Bambarra. At Timbuctoo many of the mer- 

 chants were extremely opulent, and two of them had ob- 

 tained princesses in marriage. Literature was cultivated 

 with ardour, and manuscripts bore a higher price than any 

 other commodity. Izchia, the king, who had been success- 

 ful in subduing all the neighbouring countries, maintained 

 an army of 3000 horse, and a numerous infantry, partly 

 armed with poisoned arrows. Gold, for which Timbuctoo 

 bad now become the chief mart, was lavishly employed in 

 the ornament of his court and person. He displayed solid 

 masses, larger oven than the one at Ghana, and some of 

 his ornaments weigehd 1300 ounces. The royal palace and 

 several mosques were handsomely built of stone ; but the 

 ordinary habitations here, as in all Central Africa, were 

 merely bell-shaped huts, the materials of which were stakes, 

 clay, and reeds. 



