Ruehl, did an African explorer reach the New World before Columbus?
There is tangible evidence that King Abubakari II, the adventurous ruler of Mali in West Africa, beat Columbus to the New World by almost 200 years! According to researcher Gaoussou Diawara, author of the fascinating new book, “The Saga of Abubakari II,” the king did the unthinkable and voluntarily relinquished his throne to his younger brother in 1311 A.D. to undertake a transoceanic quest to find out what territory might exist on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean. He set out on his death-defying venture with a fleet of approximately 2,000 pirogues, or large canoes, filled with provisions including water and livestock. Departing from the coast of present-day Gambia, his contingent arrived in Brazil in the coastal region known today as Recife in 1312 A.D. Proof of this landing came in part from Christopher Columbus himself, who reported encountering black traders in the Western Hemisphere. And gold tips on arrows and spears used by some Native Americans has been traced to Africa! In
