Chapter XXVIII: Section IV

“West of Kashnah and Ghoobér there are seven different provinces, extending into the territory of Howssa, which are—Zanfarah, Kabi, Ya-ory, Noofee, Yarba, Barghoo, and Ghoorma. To each of these there is a prince appointed as governor.

“With regard to Zanfarah, it is presumed that the first father of its inhabitants was from Kashnah, and their mother from Ghoobér. They had the government of the province in their own hands, and their authority increased after the decline of the power of the people of Kabi. They had once a very ambitious sultan, named Yá-koob (Jacob) ben Bub, who, on coming into power, marched against Kabí, and conquered and ruined most of its towns and villages. He likewise went to Kashnah, and conquered the greatest part of it. Their power, however, was destroyed by one of the sultans of Ghoobér, whose name was Bá-bari, and who, after taking possession of their country (Zanfarah), entailed it upon his generation for a period of fifty years, till they were conquered by us.

“Kabí is an extensive province, containing rivers, forests, and sands. Its inhabitants, it is supposed, had their first father from Sanghee, and their mother from Kashnah. They ruled their own country, and their government flourished very much during the reign of Sultan Kantá, who, it is said, was a slave of the Falateen. He governed with equity, conquered the country, and established peace in its very extremities and remotest places. His conquests, it is stated, extended to Kashnah, Kanoo, Ghoobér, Zag-Zag, and the country of Aáheer; but having oppressed the inhabitants of some of these places, Sultan Aly-Alij marched from Barnoo against him, through the road leading to Simbaki, and passed north of Dowra, or Dowry, and Kashnah, and west of Ghoobér, till he entered the country of Kabí, and reached the fort of Soorami. The Sultan of Kabí met him on the morning of the feast. They fought together for an hour; at the end of which the former fled westwards, and the Sultan of Barnoo remained there to reduce the fort. But it being very strong, he was obliged to retire, taking the right hand road, till he arrived at Ghandoo, from which place he returned to his own country.

“Sultan Kanta, however, soon prepared an expedition, and followed him through the same road, till he reached Onghoor, where they met, and fought together, and Kanta gained the battle. After making much booty, he returned to a place called Doghool, in the province of Kashnah, where he attempted to subdue a tribe of the Soodan who were disobedient to him. He had a very severe battle with them, during which he received an arrow, which wounded him mortally. On arriving at Jir he died, whence his body was carried by his troops to his palace at Soorami, and there interred. He had three favourite capitals, where he had residences; the most ancient of which was Ghonghoo, then Soorami, and, the last, Leek. His dynasty continued reigning for about one hundred years after his death, notwithstanding the desolation of most of their territories. There were no greater than them in these countries, and their tradition has no equal. Their power was only destroyed when Sultan Mohammed Ebn Shárooma of Ghoobér, Agabba Ebn Mohammed El-mobárék, Sultan of Aáheer, and the Prince of Zanfarah, allied together, and marched against them, taking possession of their dominions, and destroying the three above-named capitals.

“The province of Ya-ory contains mountains and valleys, and is situated on the coast of the river called the Nile. It is inhabited by some tribes of the Soodan, who are mostly weakminded[76].

“Noofee is a province that has, on the right and left sides, rivers, forests, sands, and mountains; and its inhabitants are tribes of the Soodan of Kashnah; but their true origin is a mixture from Kashnah, Zag-Zag, Kanoo, and other places. Their language is different from that of the people of Howssa. They possess much knowledge in the fine and rare arts; and from their country many elegant and marvellous things are still exported.

“Yarba is an extensive province, containing rivers, forests, sands, and mountains, as also a great many wonderful and extraordinary things. In it the talking green bird, called babaga (parrot), is found.

“By the side of this province there is an anchorage or harbour for the ships of the Christians, who used to go there and purchase slaves. These slaves were exported from our country, and sold to the people of Yarba, who resold them to the Christians.

“The inhabitants of this province (Yarba), it is supposed, originated from the remnants of the children of Canaan, who were of the tribe of Nimrod. The cause of their establishment in the west of Africa was, as it is stated, in consequence of their being driven by Yaa-rooba, son of Kahtan[77], out of Arabia, to the western coast between Egypt and Abyssinia. From that spot they advanced into the interior of Africa, till they reached Yarba, where they fixed their residence. On their way they left, in every place they stopped at, a tribe of their own people. Thus it is supposed that all the tribes of Soodan, who inhabit the mountains, are originated from them; as also are the inhabitants of Ya-ory.

“Upon the whole, the people of Yarba are nearly of the same description as those of Noofee.

“The province of Barghoo contains forests and sands[78], and is inhabited by tribes of the Soodan, whose origin, it is supposed, was from the slaves of the Falateen. They are insubordinate and stubborn, as also very powerful in magic.

“And Ghoorma is an extensive country, larger than Barghoo, and contains rivers, woods, sands, and mountains. Its inhabitants are almost like those of Barghoo, and chiefly robbers and depraved.