Page:Africa by Élisée Reclus, Volume 3.djvu/376

 the north of Sokoto it falls into the main stream, Sokoto thus occupying the converging point of several natural routes leading east to Kano, Katsena, and Lake Tsad, and west to the Niger. The ramparts, built by Sultan Bello at the beginning of the present century, form a perfectly regular square 3,000 yards long on all sides. The map which Bello gave his visitor Clapperton, and on which are figured in perspective all the surrounding lands as far as the market of Atagara on the seaboard, attests the importance which his capital had in the eyes of the chief of the Fulah conquerors. When the Fulah empire was at the height of its splendour the space comprised within the lofty ramparts of Sokoto was occupied by a compact population of a hundred and twenty thousand souls. But twenty-five years afterwards it was estimated by Barth at no more than twenty thousand, and since then it has still further diminished, owing especially to the unhealthy atmosphere

of the place. Most of the inhabitants are Sisilbé Mandingans, industrious artisans famous for the excellence of their embroidered leatherware, textiles, dyes, arms, and implements. A Fulah slave on his return from Brazil established near Sokoto a small sugarcane plantation and a refinery, a remarkable instance of the influence already exercised by the New World on the civilisation of the Old. A separate quarter of Sokoto is inhabited by Arab traders from Rhat and Ghadames, and English dealers have also recently made their appearance in this great market of Central Africa, which was first visited by Clapperton. Here this famous traveller died in 1827, and was buried in a neighbouring village by his companion Richard Lander.

The decayed city of Shifawa (Sifawa), 18 miles south of Sokoto, is a historical place, where the founder of the Fulah empire resided for some years. Gando, 36 miles farther to the south-west, was also one of Othman's residences, and is now