the western coast of africa was explored by the romans after the conquest of northern morocco (then called "mauretania tingitana"): the roman vassal king juba ii organized a successful trade from the area of volubilis. pliny the elder, a 1st century roman author and military officer, drawing upon the accounts of juba ii, king of mauretania, stated that a roman expedition from mauritania visited the islands of the archipelago of the canaries and madeira around 10 ad and found great ruins but no population, only dogs (from those animals he called the islands, using the latin word "canarius" or "canis" for dog).