Facsimile · p. 12
The land of the mentioned Tibr, located there, and Libya, which the people of the far Maghreb know with certainty that he has in his palace a gold ingot weighing 30 pounds of gold. It is a single piece of Tibr that God bestowed upon him, a complete casting without being melted in fire or hammered. It has been engraved with inscriptions. It is a gift for the king's horse, and it is one of the Maghrebi items that no one else possesses and that is not valid for anyone but him. He boasts about it over all the kings of Sudan, and he is the most just of people, according to what is narrated about him. And from his conduct in his closeness to the people and his justice among them, he has a group of commanders who ride to his palace every morning. Each commander has a drum beaten on his head. When they reach the palace gate, they fall silent. When all his commanders gather, he rides and walks ahead of them, walking through the alleys of the city and the outskirts of the country. Whoever has a grievance or a matter befalls him, he attends to it, and he remains present before him until his grievance is redressed, then he returns to his palace and his commanders disperse. When it is after the afternoon prayer and the heat of the sun has subsided, he rides again and goes out, surrounded by his soldiers, so no one can approach him or reach him. His riding twice every day is a known practice. This is famous for his justice. He wears a silk loincloth, or a cloak wrapped around him, and trousers at his waist, and leather sandals on his feet. He rides horses, and he has a good stable and complete regalia, with trumpeters preceding him on his festivals. He has large banners and one flag, and elephants and giraffes walk before him, and various kinds of wild animals found in the lands of Sudan. They have boats on the Nile and rafts for fishing and moving between the two cities. The people of Ghana wear loincloths, wrappers, and cloaks, each according to his means. The land of Ghana extends from its west to the lands of Ma'zara, and from its east to the lands of Taqara, and from its north to the connected desert that lies between.