Chap. LI. 
THE KINGDOM OF GAOGA. 
427 
after a lapse of several years, but especially what he 
says about the political relations of Gaoga with the 
empire of Bornu, there cannot be the least doubt 
that his Gaoga is identical with what the Bornu peo- 
ple call the empire of Bulala. And the reason why 
he called it Gaoga is obvious ; for the Bulala, who 
originally formed a branch of the princely family of 
Kanem, guided by Jil (surnamed Shikomemi, from 
his mother Shikoma), founded their empire in the 
territory of the tribe of the Kiika*, who in former 
times were very powerful, occupying a great extent of 
country, from the eastern part of Bagirmi as far as 
the interior of Dar-Fur, the place Shebina, on the 
shore of the Bat-ha, being then the principal seat of 
their power, while their head quarters at present are 
in the province of Fittri.f Here, owing to their in- 
troducing Islam, and a certain degree of civilization, 
together with the Arabic alphabet called " warash," 
the Bulala soon appear to have obtained the sovereign 
power, while they founded YawoJ as their new resi- 
dence. While viewing the relations of the coun- 
* The Bagirmi people^ even at the present day, connect the 
Bulala in the most intimate way with the Kanuri ; for while they 
give to the latter the name " Biyo," they call the former " Biyo- 
Bulala." 
t I will here mention that Fittri is a word belonging to the 
language of the Kuka, and means nothing but "river,' 1 "lake," 
being quite identical with et Tsad," " Sari" or " Shary." 
J The name Yawo is formed entirely in the same way as that 
of Mawo, the present capital of Kanem, and of Gao, or Gawd, 
also called Gogo, the capital of the Songhay empire. 
