in the year 41 ad suetonius paullinus, afterwards consul, was the first of the romans who led an army across the atlas mountains. at the end of a ten days' march he reached the summit,—which even in summer was covered with snow,—and from thence, after passing a desert of black sand and burnt rocks, he arrived at a river called gerj...he then penetrated into the country of the canarii and perorsi, the former of whom inhabited a woody region abounding in elephants and serpents, and the latter were ethiopians, not far distant from the pharusii and the river daras (modern river senegal). from the first century of the common era there is evidence (coins, fibulas) of roman commerce and contacts in akjoujt and tamkartkart near tichit in actual mauritania.