, ▁which ▁was ▁collected ▁at ▁desert ▁o ases , ▁and ▁which ▁they ▁used ▁to ▁preserve ▁food ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁for ▁season ing ▁it . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 3 2 4 , ▁Mans a ▁Mus a , ▁the ▁king ▁of ▁M ali , ▁made ▁a ▁histor ically ▁famous ▁H aj j ▁( p il gr image ) ▁to ▁Me cca . ▁There ▁was ▁an ▁enorm ous ▁group ▁organized ▁to ▁undert ake ▁the ▁H aj j ▁with ▁the ▁king . ▁It ▁included ▁" 6 0 , 0 0 0 ▁men , ▁including ▁ 1 2 0 0 ▁servants " ▁and ▁records ▁show ▁that ▁Mans a ▁Mus a ▁gave ▁out ▁so ▁much ▁gold ▁in ▁Egypt , ▁that ▁its ▁economy ▁became ▁de pressed . ▁ ▁Between ▁ 1 0 0 0 ▁and ▁ 1 5 0 0 , ▁the ▁for ests ▁of ▁West ▁Africa ▁also ▁became ▁part ▁of ▁trade ▁networks , ▁particularly ▁under ▁the ▁reign s ▁of ▁the ▁Y or uba ▁k ings . ▁If é ▁was ▁a ▁vital ▁trade ▁town , ▁along ▁the ▁route ▁from ▁the ▁tropical ▁for ests ▁to ▁Dj enn é , ▁a ▁major ▁trade ▁centre ▁in ▁Sud an , ▁near ▁other ▁large ▁trade ▁cities ▁such ▁as ▁Tim bu kt u ▁and ▁G ao . ▁If é ' s ▁location ▁also ▁placed ▁it ▁near ▁Ben in ▁and ▁the ▁Atlantic ▁Ocean . ▁Y or uba ▁civil ization ▁was ▁supported ▁by ▁cities ▁surrounded ▁by ▁far med ▁land , ▁but ▁extensive ▁trade ▁development ▁made ▁it ▁wealth y . ▁ ▁By ▁ 1 0 0 0 ,