Chap. LXVI. PROVINCES CONTINUED 
421 
portant town of Sa, situated a short distance to the 
north-east of the lake Debu, and of which further 
notice will be taken in the itineraries. Proceeding 
further in the same direction, we have the province 
of Masina, a name which, under the form of Masin, is 
mentioned as early as the latter part of the eleventh 
century by El Bekri*, but the limits of which it is 
very difficult to define, although it is clear that its 
central part comprises the islands formed by the 
different branches of the river, the Mayo balleo and 
the Mayo ghann^o, or dhanneo, and probably com- 
prised in former times the ancient and most important 
town of Zagha the chief seat of Tekrur, which Haj 
Mohammed A'skia had conquered in the beginning of 
his reign. It is peculiar, however, and probably 
serves to show the preponderance of the element of 
the Fiilbe in Masina, where they seem to have esta- 
blished themselves from very ancient times, that the 
governor of this province bore the title of Masina- 
mangha, instead of Masioa-farma. 
To the north-west of M&sina, we have the province 
of Baghena, which comprised the central portion of 
the ancient kingdom of Ghana, or Ghanata, and the 
important town of Biru, or Walata, which, before 
Timbuktu rose to greater importance, that is to say, 
before the time of Sonni 'All, was the great centre of 
commerce in this part of Negroland. The province 
of Baghena was also of considerable importance on 
* El Bekri, ed. Macguckin de Slane, p. 150: ^^Ic lL£L>. 
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