Note 96 — EL IDRISI COMPARED WITH EL BEKRI.

The map of El Idrísí does not represent the conceptions explained above. It makes the Great River divide at Tírḳa into two branches, so as to form a great island, which he names Wangárah. On the southern branch he places Ghúntil and Ghaïárú, the latter place being 75 days, or 2½ months from Aúlíl, measuring along the river, while only 3½ months at the utmost are allowed for the whole breadth of the continent. El Idrísí writes sometimes in conformity with one of these systems, sometimes with the other. He appears, on examination, to be an unsound author, who, with good materials before him, often wrote without understanding them.