Chap. V. AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRY. Ill 



is to be brought under cultivation, as much tall grass as the 

 labourer can conveniently lay hold of is collected together 

 and tied into a knot. He then strikes his hoe round the tufts 

 to sever the roots, and leaving all standing, proceeds until the 

 whole ground assumes the appearance of a field covered 

 with little shocks of corn in harvest. A short time before 

 the rains begin, these grass shocks are collected in small 

 heaps, covered with earth, and burnt, the ashes and 

 burnt soil being used to fertilize the ground. Large crops 

 of the mapira, or Egyptian dura {Holcus sorglmni), are raised, 

 with millet, beans, and ground-nuts ; also patches of 

 yams, rice, pumpkins, cucumbers, cassava, sweet potatoes, 

 tobacco, and hemp, or bang {Cannabis sativa). Maize is grown 

 all the year round. Cotton is cultivated at almost every village. 

 Three varieties of cotton have been found in the country, 

 namely, two foreign, and one native. The tonje manga, or 

 foreign cotton, the name showing that it has been introduced, 

 is of excellent quality, and considered at Manchester to be 

 nearly equal to the best New Orleans. It is perennial, but re- 

 quires replanting once in three years. A considerable amount 

 of this variety is grown in the Upper and Lower Shire Valleys. 

 Every family of any importance owns a cotton patch which, 

 from the entire absence of weeds, seemed to be carefully 

 cultivated. Most were small, none seen on this journey 

 exceeding half an acre ; but on the former trip some were 

 observed of more than twice that size. 



The tonje cadja, or indigenous cotton, is of shorter staple, 

 and feels in the hand like wool. This kind has to be 

 planted every season, in the highlands; yet, because it 

 makes stronger cloth, many of the people prefer it to the 

 foreign cotton ; the third variety is not found here. It was 

 remarked to a number of men near the Shire Lakelet, a 



