He said to the people of the caravan, "Dismount, for the water is with you." So the people of the caravan dismounted there, made camp, tethered their camels, and let them graze. Then the Berber man went to a spot and said, "Dig here." The people dug there, less than half a man's height, and abundant, sweet water gushed out to them. The people of the caravan were amazed by this. This is a well-known matter that the merchants of that land know and tell from them. On this road that we mentioned, from Kughdha to Kuku, on the land of Baghamah, there are two wells that have no water. Each well takes from five to six days to be reached. The city of Kuku is a famous city in the land of the Sudan, large and situated on the bank of a river that flows from the north and passes by it. From it, its people drink. Many of the Sudan mention that this city of Kuku is on the bank of the gulf. Others mention that it is on a river that feeds the Nile. What is correct to say is that this river flows for many days after passing Kuku, then it disappears into the desert in sands and dunes, just as the Euphrates River disappears in the marshes of Iraq. The king of the city of Kuku is an independent king, who speaks for himself. He has many servants, a large treasury, commanders, soldiers, complete regalia, and fine adornments. They ride palm trees and camels, and they have strength and dominion over the neighboring peoples surrounding their land. The clothing of the common people of Kuku is skins, with which they cover their private parts. Their merchants wear tunics and cloaks, and on their heads they wear crowns, and their adornments are gold. Their special and distinguished people wear robes. Some of them mingle with the merchants, sit with them, and sell them goods by way of opposition. In the land of Kuku, the oud called snake oud grows. Among its special properties is that if it is placed on a snake's hole, the snake comes out to it quickly. Then the one holding this oud can take what he wants from the snake with his hand without any fear, and he finds strength in himself when taking it. What is correct according to the people of the farthest West and of Arqalan is that when the holder grasps this oud...