Chap. LXVI. COMMERCE. — ARMY. 
429 
by means of which he improved the native breed, as 
we have seen was the case in Bornu, cavalry con- 
stituting the principal military strength of countries in 
the state of civilisation which prevails in Negroland. 
We also find coats of mail mentioned, as well as brass 
helmets, but no allusion is made to even a single 
musketeer, nor is the use of any firearms intimated 
by A'hmed Baba, although he distinctly describes 
several engagements, and even single combats. It 
was this circumstance which secured to the small 
army sent by the Emperor of Morocco, a superiority 
which could not be contested by any numbers which 
the last A'skia, ruling over a kingdom of vast extent 
but undermined by intrigues and civil war, was able 
to oppose to it ; and we must not conclude, from this 
circumstance, that an army of 4000 men was a great 
thing at that time in point of numbers, for the kings 
of Negroland, at least those of Songhay and Bornu, 
at that period, were able to raise greater armies than 
any of the present kings of those regions could bring 
together, and we hear of an army of 140,000 men. 
The circumstance of the kings of Songhay not 
having procured at that time — the end of the sixteenth 
century of our era — even the smallest number of 
firearms, is remarkable, if we compare with it the 
fact which I have dwelt upon in its proper place*, 
that Edris A'law6ma, the king of Bornu who ruled* 
in the latter part of the sixteenth century, possessed 
a considerable number of muskets. The cannon which 
* Vol. II. p. 650. 
