Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1921-02-10
OLDLETTERS REVEAL LOST
CHAPTER IN WORLD
HISTORY

Lava preserved the secrets Of Ro-
man civilization in Pompeii; tombs
protected the records of ancient
Egypts culture: and now there is pros
pect that some long neglected letters
may reveal one Of the most fascinat-
ing chapters in the historic trail of the
Jewish people, and incidentally show
that Africa loomed larger In the mid
die ages than modern historians have
realized.
Hitherto Africa has figured not at
all in medieval history. II still was
a dark continent" when Stanley and
Livingstone penetrated il less than q
century ago. Yet. in view Of remark
able documentary discovery made BY
Charles de n Ronciere. librarian Of
the national library in Frsnce, II
would seem Jews Of the fifteenth cen
tury had trading posts in northwest
Africa. and carried on vast com.
merce with the natives from the Ss-
hara TO the Atlantic and from Algeria
10 the Niger.
traversed this region and wrote his
descriptive letters. in 1447. from Tim
buktu and Touat Timbuktu was the
Chicago Of the west African plains :;
and Touat the center or the camel
caravan traffic that exchanged the
wheat and barley of Egypt for the
powdered gold ~ Timhuktu and the
precious salt from Teghazza.
All the places visited by Mulfante
were so we'll known 10 the Jews OF
his time that they were listed in a
Catalan atlas prepared three-quarters
OF century earlier for Charles V.
according TO NJ Ronciere. But short
" after Malfante's visit the Jews were
driven out or Spain. and since the
Jews were the only ones In Europe
apparently permitted no Christian 10
enter there except Malfante the Jew
fish knowledge was lost in Europe. Not
until DIR. Gerhard Rohifs began HIS
explorations in Algeria and Morocco
in 1860 did the rest Of the world again
form q contact with the extensive re
gions Of Malfante's travels.
Landing at n point west Of Algers,
Malfante worked his way south to
Touat which RohlfS believed himself
to have been The first European TO Wis
IL. Yet Malfante dated his first letter
from there four centuries earlier.
Touat was an oasis. containing from
$50 TO 200 villages which together
formed vast commercial center.
Each had a chief. Travellers became
the guests Of these chiefs and NAL
fante reported their protection gu
perior to that In states like Tlemcen
and Tunis. One OF these towns was
Tametit now decayed village, whose
people still recall the Jewish epoch.
Arabian invaders earlier had routed
the Jews. who were masters OF the
Sahara and whose empire extended
south to the Niger Tametit, Malfante
wrote. sheltered both Jews and Mo
hammedans. who lived in harmony.
The native negroes valued copper
highly. Malfante stated. and used II
for money. Profiteering. apparently,
Is not n modern vice. Malfante COM
planned. THE people here do not want
10 transact any business if they do not
make commission of 100 per cent"
And their business was on big scale.
az that Half a million head Of cattle,
to mention but one item, were brought
TO market in the caravan season.
Pushing on TO Timbuktu. Malfantes
host was the brother OF a captain OF
desert industry. man Of great wealth
and possessed of trade information
all of north Africa From
him Malfante learned OF such flourish
Ing places as Teghazza, famous for
lis salt mines and unique for its archi-
lecture. The houses were made Of
rock salt. Malfante noted that IL new
er raincd there. or the houses would
have melted away