[9]See last Note.
[10]Whether this name is meant for the crocodile or hippopotamus I cannot say.—A. S.
Nos. IV. V. VI. VII. VIII. and IX.
Traditional Account of different Nations of Africa, &c.
4. “The territory of Malee is extensive, contains a gold mine, and is inhabited by Soodans, whose origin is said to be from the remnants of the Copts. Among its inhabitants are also Towroods, Felans, Arabs, Jews, and Christians. These last are subject to two Christian sovereigns, who send their ships to the harbour of this place; and it is said that this country was formerly possessed by a people called Sarankali, who, it is presumed, were Persians.
“The kingdom of Malee is an ancient and flourishing country, and comprises two other provinces: one is Banbara, which contains rivers, woods, sands, a gold mine, and is occupied by the Soodan, who are still infidels, and possess great power; the other, on the west of it, is Foota, which is inhabited by the Towrood, and the Sarankali, or Persians. The Towrood people, it is said, were originally Jews, others say Christians; that they came from the land between the two rivers, the Nile[11] and the Euphrates, and established themselves next to the Jews who inhabited the island; and that whenever they oppressed or encroached upon the Jews, the latter had always recourse to the protection of the officers of the Sehabat (the immediate friends or companions of Mohammed), who then ruled over them; that they (the Jews) used to say to them: ‘We came to live in these islands to wait the coming of a prophet (after whom there will be no other); after whose coming and death a relation of his, named Aboo-Bakr, will succeed him; and Aboo-Bakr’s successor will be Amroo, whose troops will come upon the surface of this water (by which they meant Termes), protect us against you, and enable us to conquer your country[12].’
“This is what we found written in our books.”
N. B.—The above account, with the exception of the latter part, and a few small variations, has been already given to us in Sultan Bello’s Geographical Account. (See Appendix, p. 166, First Journey.)
A. S.
5. “The origin of the Felan tribe is stated to be as follows: When the army of the Sehabat, during the reign of Omar Ben El-khattab, penetrated into the Gharb, they arrived first at Termes; the Towrood people having seen them, went immediately under their protection, and became Mooslemeens, before the Jews who were waiting for them[13]; in consequence of which they were enabled to fight and subdue the Jews and Sarankali (Persians). When the Sehabat wished their troops to retire from the Gharb, the prince of the Towrood said to them: ‘You came to us with a faith of which we were ignorant, and you are now going away without leaving any one to instruct us in it and its laws.’ The Sehabat, hearing this appeal, left behind them, for their instruction, Okbat Ben Aamer. He married a daughter of the prince, named Gajmáa, and begot by her four sons, Dytá, Náser, Wáyá, and Rerebi. He afterwards returned to Egypt, and left his four sons behind with their mother. They grew up, and spoke a different language from that of their father, which was the Arabic, as well as from that of their mother, which was the old Towrood, called Wakoori. They married, and had sons and daughters, from whom the Felans descended; so that the father of the Felans was an Arabian, and their mother a Towrood.