Note 35 — Chapter I

The following sentence in the description of Leo, conveys an idea of the decline or decay of the city. “Cujus domus omnes in tuguriola cretacea stramineis tectis sunt mutatæ.” Yet immediately after we receive the contrary impression on reading “Visitur tamen elegantissimum quoddam templum cujus murus ex lapidibus atque calce vivo est fabricatus: deinde et palacium quoddam regium quodam Granato viro artificissimo conditum. Frequentissimæ hic sunt artificum mercatorum præcipuè autem telæ atque gossypii textorum officinæ; huc mercatores Barbari pannum ex Europa adferunt.” In the Description de l’Afrique en Flamand, published about a century and a half afterwards, the author seems to be aware of the advanced decline or decay of Timbuctoo. “Les maisons étoient autrefois fort sumptueuses, mais elles ne sont maintenant que de bois enduites de terre grasse et couvertes de paille.”