264 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. Chap. XXIX 
after the close of the seventh century of the Hejra 
(fi hediid sennet seba mayet), the king of Kanem was 
Haj Ibrahim ; after him reigned his son, el Haj 
Edris — the historian does not say expressly that he 
immediately succeeded his father; then Daiid, the 
brother of Edris, and another son of Ibrahim ; then 
'Omar, the son of Ddiid's elder brother Hdj Edris ; 
and then 'Othman, the brother of the former, and 
another son of Edris. Makrizi adds that this last- 
named kiug reigned shortly before A. h. 800 ; and 
then he states that the inhabitants of Kanem revolted 
against the successors of Ibrahim, and made them- 
selves independent, but that Bornu remained their 
kingdom. 
All these dates given by Makrizi, as may be seen 
from the few most important events which I have 
extracted from the chronicle, are in most surprising 
harmony with the information conveyed in a dry and 
sterile but un corrupted way by the latter. Notwith- 
standing the slight discrepancy in the order of suc- 
cession of the later kings, whose reign was of very 
short duration, and whose relationship is rather 
perplexing, is it possible to find a harmony more 
complete than this, if we take into consideration the 
only way in which Makrizi could have obtained his 
information, that is to say, from merchants or pil- 
grims visiting Egypt on their way to Mekka ? * 
* Makrizi has two other interesting statements with regard to 
the kings of Kanem, which, although they certainly cannot lay 
claim to absolute accuracy, nevertheless have evidently reference to 
