The Lehi sun. [volume] (Lehi, Utah) 1913-1949, 1920-10-21
OLD LETTERS REVEAL LOST
CHAPTER IN WORLD
HISTORY

Lava preserved the secrets OF RO-
man civilization In Pompeii; tombs
protected the records OF ancient
Egypt's culture; and now there is pros
pect that some long neglected letters
may reveal one OF the most fasclnat-
Ing chapters In the historic trail of the
Jewish people, and incidentally show
that Africa doomed larger I'm the mid
die ages than modern historians have
realized.
Hitherto Africa has figured not at
all In medieval history. II stIll was
dark continent" when Stanley and
Livingstone penetrated II less than a
century ago. Yet. In view OF remark
able documentary discovery made by
Charles de In Roncierc. librarian of
the national library In France, II
would seem Jews or the fifteenth cen
fury had trading posts In northwest
Africa, and carried on vast com
merce with the natives from the Sa-
hara to the Atlantic and from Algeria
TO the Niger.
Antonio Malfante. a Genoese citizen.
traversed this region and wrote his
descriptive letters. IN i447. from Tim
huktu and Touat. Timbuktu was the
Chicago OF the west African plains;
and Touat the center OF the camel
caravan traffic that exchanged the
wheat and barley OF Egypt for the
powdered gold of Tlmbuktu and the
precious salt from TeghaZZa.
All the places visited by Malfante
were so well known to the Jews of
his time that they were listed In a
Catalan atlas prepared three-quarters
OF century earlier for Charles V.
according 20 NJ. RoncIere But short
~ after Malfante's visit the Jews were
driven out OF Spain. and since the
Jews were the only ones In Europe
who knew Of the Nigeria country and
apparently permitted no Christian TO
enter there except Malfante the jew
lsh knowledge was lost IN Europe. Not
until DIR. Gerhard Rohlfs hegnn his
explorations In Algeria and Morocco
in 1860 did the rest Of the world ngaln
form a contact with the extensive re-
glons OF Malfante's travels.
Landing at n point west OF Alglers,
Malfante worked his way south 10
Touat. which Rohlfs believed himself
to have been the first European TO Wis
II. Yet Malfante dated his first letter
from there four centuries earlier.
Touat was an oasis, containing from
80 to 200 villages. which together |
formed vast commercial center.
Each had a chief. Travellers became |
he guests OF these chiefs and Nal
'ante reported their protection SUI
Derior to that In states like Tlemcen
md Tunis. One OF these towns was
rametlt now n decayed village, whose
people still recall the Jewish epoch.
Arabian invaders earlier had routed
he Jews. who were masters " the
Sahara and whose empire extended
south to the Niger. Tametlt, Malfante
wrote. sheltered both Jews and Mo-
who lived In harmony.
The native negroes valued conner
highly, Malfante stated. and used II
FOR money. Prohteerlng, apparently.
Is not a modern vice. Malfante com.
plained' "fhe people here do not want
10 transact any business II they do not
make commission OF 100 per cent?
And their business was on a big scale
At that Hair u million head OF cattle
20 mention but one item, were brought
% market in the caravan season.
Pushing on TO Timhuktu, Malfante's
lost was the brother Of a captain OF