90 PRODUCE AND TRADE. 



for salt, as a medicine by the natives, and is 

 given to the cattle : pulverised, it is mixed with 

 snufF, and whole handfuls of this disgusting mix- 

 ture is put into the mouth, so as to incapacitate 

 any person from speaking. 



The produce of the country around Rabbah 

 consists of yams, onions, dower corn, geero (a 

 species of millet-seed), Indian corn, rice, and 

 sweet potatoes : they have fine cows, sheep, 

 goats, and fowls in abundance. They trade in 

 ivory, indigo, ostriches, camels, leopard-skins, 

 and bees'-wax, — which latter is made by Mallams. 

 We obtained several pounds of it ; and I have no 

 doubt, from the great proportion of honey col- 

 lected by the natives, that, if their attention 

 were directed to bees'-wax, immense quantities 

 of this article might be collected annually. 



Kafilas of merchants, Arabs from Tripoli, 

 Soccatoo, Kano, and the Houssa country, were 

 at Rabbah during our stay. Several of the Arabs 

 were acquainted with the English consul at Tri- 

 poli, and they stated the journey to that place 

 as nine months. 



Ali, an intelligent Arab, once inquired of us 

 the reason why England had been at war with 

 the Turks at Navarino. He said it was no use 



