i64 A TROPICAL DEPENDENCY roads leading to the east, and to make deposits of arms and provisions at important points. When the time was ripe, he communicated to his brother his design to make good their escape from Melle. To this end they carefully trained their horses, preparing them to endure long marches, and at last boldly left the capital of Melle, riding in the direction of Songhay. The king, hearing of their flight, gave orders that they should be pursued and killed. But they had doubtless prepared friends for themselves, as well as arms and resting-places along the roads, and with many hairbreadth escapes they eluded their pursuers, and succeeded in reaching their own country.

They succeeded, too, in their larger design. Ali Kolon was hailed as king by the Songhays. For some reason which is not given, possibly connected with the uncertainty of his birthright, he caused himself to be proclaimed by the title not of " Za " but of " Sonni," thus founding a new dynasty — and under his leadership his people were delivered from the yoke of Melle. This result was achieved in 1355, nearly thirty years after he had been taken as a child to the court of Mansa Musa. On his death he was succeeded by his faithful brother Suleiman ; and there were in all seventeen kings of this dynasty, who continued to reign independently during the gradual decadence of the Empire of Melle. But though the Songhay kings succeeded in maintaining their independence, and resistance to Melle became an inherited policy of the race, there was no important extension of the limits of Songhay beyond the immediate neighbourhood of the capital until the last and greatest prince of the dynasty ascended the throne. His name was the same as that of the first of the Sonnis. He also was Sonni Ali, and he began to reign in 1464.

At this time the Tuaregs were again in possession of Timbuctoo. They had for a long time ravaged the country with impunity up to its walls, and under a chief called Akil they had been tempted by the feeble condition of Melle to make an effort to recover their ancient town.