THE SOVEREIGN OF JENNE. 
461 
it now belongs to a small kingdom, of which Sego-Ahmadou 
is the sovereign. He is a Foulah, and a fanatical Musiilman, 
but a great conqueror. With a very small number of fol- 
lowers, he has subdued several districts in the south of 
Bambara, where he has introduced his religion and enforces 
obedience. Jenne was his capital ; but this zealous disciple 
of the prophet, finding that the great trade of that town in- 
terfered with his religious duties, and drew aside the true 
believers from their devotions, founded another town on the 
right bank of the river. immed it el- Lamdou-Lillahi 
(to the praise of God), the first words of a prayer in the 
Koran. At this place there are public schools in which 
children are taught gratuitously. There are also schools 
for adults, according to the degrees of their information. 
This devout chief is brother to the king of Massina, a coun- 
try situated on the left bank of the Dhioliba. 
8(^go-Ahmadou does not levy contributions on the mer- 
chants who resort to Jenne for the purpose of trade. Foreign 
merchants settled in the country are not subject to taxes any 
more than natives ; but they send presents to the king, as 
well as to his brother, the chief of Jenne. I had often heard 
S^go-Ahmadou extolled for his generosity ; but the Moors 
told me that he was generous only to his own subjects. 
The inhabitants of Jenn^ are exceedingly active and indus- 
trious, and very much like the savage negroes I had seen 
in the south. In short, they are intelligent men, who spe- 
culate on the labour of their slaves ; while, among the free- 
men, the rich devote themselves to commerce, and the poor 
to various trades and professions. At Jenn^, there are 
tailors who make clothes which are sent to Timbuctoo ; 
smiths, founders, masons, shoe-makers, porters, packers and 
fishermen: every one renders himself useful in some way 
or other. Mats, made of the leaves of the ronnier, are used 
for packing up goods ; they are manufactured by the inha- 
bitants of the neighbouring villages, who sell them in the 
