202 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. Chap. LVIII. 
fresh succulent herbage, while it was skirted on 
both sides by a dense border of exuberant vegetation, 
which altogether is much richer in this place than 
either in Sokoto or Wurno, being surpassed only 
by the fine vegetable ornament of Kan6. The rains 
are extremely plentiful in Gando, causing here quite 
an exceptional state in the productive power of 
the soil; and to this circumstance we have partly 
to ascribe the fact that very fine bananas are 
grown here in considerable quantity : and the fruit 
being just ripe at the time, formed a very pleasant 
variation to my usual food. The onion of Gando 
is remarkable for its size and quality, compared 
with that of all the neighbouring districts ; and it 
is well for the traveller, in whatever direction he 
may intend to go, to lay in a supply of this whole- 
some article. But the place is extremely dull, and 
the market very insignificant — a fact easily to be 
explained by the desperate state of the provinces 
around, although the situation of the capital, as a 
central place for commerce, is rather favourable. 
But the town of Jega has not yet lost, in this respect, 
the whole of its former importance, and is still the 
great entrepot for that coarse kind of coloured silk 
which is imported from the north, and which, not- 
withstanding its very inferior character, is neverthe- 
less so greatly sought after by the natives for adorn- 
ing their leatherwork. It is, perhaps, in consequence 
of the little trade which is carried on, that the people 
of Gando have applied themselves with more industry 
