The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-02-14
TIMBUCTOOT THEN ANDNOW.
THE STORY OF a ONCE POWERFUL
AFRICAN CAPITAL.
Held ny Many Rases-Onee the Seat OF
University asd q Centre OF Mohammedan
Lenrning-Timbuetoo's Deputy In Paris.

Arab costume, and ever and anon prostratine
himself to strike the floor with his forehead In
his alteration OF the only God and Mohammcd,
HE prophet. has ~usefully served to remind
French legislators that France. like England.
IL q Mohammedan power. 1t is true that the
number of French Mohammedans Is not nearly
so great as that OF the British M~ohammedans
] think that It may DO said that among French
subjects Christians are In the majority, whereas
among British subjects they constitute only q
very small minority. In India and Burmah
alone We have some 10000. 900 M~ohar,medan
fellow subjects. whereas IN Algeria France has
some 5000. 900 fellow subjects, and In its Afri-
can possessions 100000. for France has
greatly extended her sphere of influence In that
continent. From Senegal she has spread to
upper Senegal. and has thus formed what may
be called the French Soudan. embracing all tho
countries In the upper aud middle Niger. Tho
annexed territories measure 1000 square
miles, with n population OF 230. 900. but tho pro-
Jected territories have about 1900. 900 inhabi-
tants and an area OF 230.0 900 square miles. Thus
penetrating to the heart of Africa. the French
have reached the city Of Tlmbuctoo.
According to an old Soudsnese proverb. salt
comes from the north. gold from tho south,
and silver from the country Of tho white mon,
but the Word of God and the treasures OF wis
dom are only to be found In Timbuctoo." II 10
TO DO feared. however. that when the Moham-
medans first invaded Timbuotoo they did not
always 70 there In search Of tho treasures Of
wisdom. This part OF Africa 10 Inhabited by
a separate. distinct race Of people called tue
songhois. They do not consider that they are
from they always point 20 the east. The written
Arabic record known as the Tarlk O. Soudan
snow csl, ,a". p I'M nrss roel VI. s az .h son sS.g fssm
the Arabian Dis min al Yemen. slgnifying "he
Is come from Yemen Dllllaman quilted Ye-
brought them 10 the land Of Kokia. Now Kokis
was on a river. and must have been the precur.
sor of Gao. or Its neiRhbor Timbuctoo. Though
the DISTANCE 10 enormous, IL 10 almost . straight
the Red Sea. we always travel due west. From
all indications the head OF tho Niger at Tlmbuc-
fpo a"q Ev TSp h9 proS Ssen ps1pl 3D. oy Smigrsnts
refugees from the Mohsmmedan Invasion.
When the two brothers Dilliaman arrived at
they found the natives worshipped a fsh. who
appeared occasionally and wore a gold ring 10
a lance in the presence Of the assembled
people. aud this seemed such . wonderful
Reinforcement that they proclaimed him King.
promoter OF the emigration OF Egyptian
fugitives from the h~iohammedan invasion or |
ia this part OF tho world. The thread OF history |
.s lost for q period OF SIX hundred years from
'Vo a. ", the time OF Dilliaman. to \. ID. 1888.
In. any case, IL does not seem that Mohamme-
for a long time after the latter date. IL
practice OF wilchcraft aud fetich worship was
still adhered to by tho lover classes. and there
1eSn ,.t ,Se I've, yemp priss y nsl Standing oM q a. Gao and
,fter Timbuctoo. The Tarik says: God had
directed US toward a country whose inhabl-
we're so on the surface. They attended the great
,ervico Of Friday and the weekday call TO the
naraeouts. The manners Of this country are very
now the science of occais things. and base
lpon the sand, on tho position OF the stars, the
'ries OF birds and their flights, &c. They pro-
ess to write charms which will Increase profits.
kettle love. and oppose rain; which viii nut
heir enemies to flight In battle and preserve
from the sword and the poison OF
In mean Ut,nie 'a'H Wso in1 So so,ssrsT rs
iD+ n usurper came to tho throne named Askia
Gus party by being a very fsrvrnt Mohamme.
Ian. He banished the soothsayers, sought
he advice Of the marabouts, and even
,istory describes him as "a brilliant light
Inning after great darkness; a savior who
onntry from ruin. The defender OF the faith
a.. wh1 scattered JOY. gifts. and aims around
gaged holy wars on ali the surroundinc conn.
which no annexed and converted to Mo-
a ~" otNuuic u GTtht CtntE q |
he propagation Of the faith. He su odued the
iali TO the west, the Mosri to tho south, and the
reat became the empire, OF which ,fimbuctoo
TaS the capital, thar, according to n contem-
II was a six months journey TO cross
rom one ond to the other. Not only was
ska n great conqueror, but he distinguished
inseif still more AS an administrator Hs
,ade JENNIE tho centre OF Internal commerce.
nd Timbuctoo of external With
he caravans of traders came learned men from
II parts OF tho world. and notably from Moroc.
a. Alplefa- md EUVnt SnudanaaA ntrat,. |
ms developed ana science and art encouraged.
.fter q glorious reign of thirty-fve years the
I is said that he had a hundred sons. In any
9se. the eldest, Askia Mou.ss, reyolted against
ian, in' IN nnd ls saSeeT TsS, IN sS asspl', y D. his father ~ a,
I an advanced civilization 10 the whole Of
hrone. had to murder many of his hundred
rothers; and, as might be expected. was him.
A nephew OF Askia the Great then succeeded
D the throne, and his first care was to kill as
iany OF his unele's sons as possible. In turn no
reat Askia who had esca ped massacre. and
ore the name OF Askia Tshak. He also sought
more subtle manner, In spite of all fratrlcidai
truggles. the powerful governing machinery cs-
,el,Ihsh oy Askia tho Great kept the, country
OF II very perceptible decrease Of prosperity.
here Is no knowing how long this would have
The. prosperity OF the Soudan, tho caravans
'aded with gold. ivory, hides, musk, ostrich
&c. had proclaimed to the world the
p~icndors OF the Soudan and OF Timbuctoo. il
ecame q common saying that "as tar cures
no gall Of a camel, SO poverty finds It's MALL
bout that, in l545, MOuley Mohammed III
,ebir. sultan of Morocco, wanted to take the
mines Of Thegazza from the Songhois, but
ska Tshak replied by p~iilaging tho Moorish
OF Draa. A truce followed till the
,ign. OF the next Sultan, Ell Mansour. This
loorlsh sultan prepared u large army and
!vnded the, country, and employed In that part
tho world firearms for tho first time. Unac-
haintcd with and terrified by the sound OF can
on and musketry, the Soudanese quickly sue
imbed. Many simply sat on their shields and
atted to be killed, III Mansour was thus abIo
conquer the whole country. and entered trI-
the capital, Wmbuctoo. where no 0b- |
.ined 80 much gold that the old chronicle SAYS
! 900 smiths were employed to convert II into ,
'inS. This sultan 10 known to history as Ell
ell edi. or the Golden.
Tho MOOrs, however. behaved haTshly and
nelly. The provinces the SOnghois had con-
Tered rebelicd against the Moors. Raplne,
llagc. war became chronic; half tho KINGDOM
III into u state OF anarchy. Tho Moors, how
'er, held tight to Tlmbuctoo, Gao, and one or
70 other leading towns on the Niger. Soon,
'wcver, the. Moorish empire itself began TO
up. 10 that their hold on the Soudan be.
very weak, and In 1913 tho Governor OF
10 Soudan was no longer nominated from Mo.
Geo. Troops and taids elected their chiefs.