ORIGIN OF THE FULANI 377 that he had been to Mecca, and that there he had met Wahabis, who '* were the same people and spoke the same language as the Fulani." Barth speaks of the Fulani as a race distinguished by its absorbent powers, and now comprising many other races, of which there are four main divisions. He gives the names as the "Jel," the "Baa," the "So," and the '* Beri," but these again are subdivided. Both Barth and Denham speak of the great capacity of the aristocratic Fulani for ruling other races. Denham says of them on the western border of Bornu, " They are here much esteemed by the people whom they rule for their impartial administration of justice." In all this, we are reminded of Bacon's axiom, that ''States that are liberal of naturalisation towards strangers are fit for empire." Throughout the entire history of the Soudan, members of the Fulani race are to be found in positions of importance and responsibility. There were in every successive civilisation Fulani judges, Fulani imaums of the mosques, Fulani men of letters, Fulani advisers to the kings, and frequent mention is made of the Fulani wives of persons in high position. This influence was not confined exclusively to the Soudan. It spread even to Morocco. More than one Moorish sovereign had a Fulani counsellor, and it is mentioned that Muley Hamed, the reigning sovereign of Morocco, at the moment of the Moorish conquest had a favourite Fulani wife, Leila Aouada by name.

It is not surprising that a race of such varying activities, lending itself to such different developments, should give rise to widely-varying scientific theories of its origin.

The one point upon which all scientific investigation is agreed is that the language of the Fulani is not African, and that this people, which has maintained in the Soudan an individuality no less marked and persistent than that maintained by the Jews in Europe, was originally wholly foreign to the environment in which we find it.