SARACEN CONQUEST. 27 



extent of western coast. The light struggled to penetrate the 

 gloom, its blunted rays rested against an opacity, and rose in 

 towering brilliancy, and stood a while flashing like a resisted 

 sun, than paled and quivered and fell, and left the continent a 

 heritage of darkness to the future. 



When the Saracen sway swept across from Asia, in whose 

 social system such marvellous changes had been wrought, and 

 established itself among the splendid relics and smoldering fires 

 so readily surrendered by the effeminate descendants of the 

 Greeks and Romans, an auspicious day seemed to be dawning 

 on the continent, the arts and sciences were revived on that con- 

 secrated soil. " Even remote Mauritania, which seemed doomed 

 to be forever the inheritance of a barbarous and nomadic race, 

 w r as converted into a civilized empire, and its capital, Fez, be- 

 came a distinguished school of learning." They introduced the 

 camel from the sandy wastes of Arabia. Paths were opened 

 through wilds which had hitherto defied all human effort, and a 

 trade in gold and slaves was formed with countries which had 

 been unknown. By successive migrations these descendants of 

 the prophet multiplied in Africa. Sanguinary disputes arose, 

 and the ill-fortuned sought refuge on the southern side of that 

 scorching sea of sand which had arrested the ambition of 

 Cambyses and Alexander. There, in the territory distinguished 

 on our maps as Soudan, these enterprising travellers founded 

 several flourishing kingdoms, which Europeans vainly sought 

 to reach until within a comparatively recent date. They founded 

 Ghana, boasting unrivalled splendor, whose royal master rode 

 out attended by obedient elephants and camelopards — a king- 

 dom which, after various fortunes as subject to Timbuctoo, 

 Kashna, and Sackatoo, came to be identified in the present Kano. 

 And there was Tocrur, the Takror of Major Denman, the Sacka- 

 too of our maps — in that early day enjoying an extensive traffic 

 with the people of the west, who brought shells and brass to bar- 

 ter for foreign trinkets. Then came Kuku, the Bornou of to- 

 day. Farther south was the ancient city of Kangha, famous for 

 its industries and arts, which modern historians have recognized 

 in the city of Loggun, celebrated, by Major Denham, for its 

 ingenuities, its manufactures, and its witty women. 



Along the southern borders of Soudan there were districts 



