40 THE MIDDLE AGES. 
the whole country under water. As soon as the 
inundation subsides, the inhabitants are described 
as rushing with eagerness, and digging up the 
earth, in every part of which they find a greater 
or less quantity of gold. Immediately after, ar- 
rive the merchants from every part of Africa, to 
exchange their various commodities against this 
single one. The principal cities of Wangara were 
Reghebil and Semegonda, both handsome, and 
situated on the shore of large fresh water lakes. 
To the west of Ghana lay the kingdom of 
Tocrur, including the capital city of the same 
name, with those of Sala and Berissa. The mo- 
narch is said to have been also very powerful, and 
his dominions the seat of an extensive commerce ; 
but in both these particulars yielding to Ghana. 
This kingdom was also traversed by the Nile of 
the Negroes, which, after flowing sixteen days' 
journey westward from Tocrur and Sala, fell into 
the sea, or more probably into a large lake. At 
some distance from its shore was found the island 
of Ulil, which afforded salt so abundantly as to 
supply all the states of Nigritia ; those states be- 
ing then, as now, wholly destitute of that neces- 
sary of life. To the south of all these countries 
lay the extensive region of Lamlam (supposed the 
Melli of Leo). Great part of it was a desert ; the 
rest inhabited by people who were little removed 
from savages. Tltiis tract afforded to the people 
