290 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 
Chap. LXL 
left a few days before with a number of asses which 
they had bought here. Besides asses, the people of 
Mosi supply this market with gabaga, or " tari," as 
the Arabs near Timbuktu call them, cotton being 
extremely cheap in their country, so that in the 
great market-places of that country, especially in 
Kulfela, an indigo-coloured shirt is not worth more 
than from 700 to 800 shells. 
The inhabitants of the ancient capital of the Son- 
ghay empire, and the people thereabouts, on the 
banks of the Niger, bring chiefly butter and corn 
to market; and it was highly interesting to me 
to be here brought into direct communication with 
that place, which, although once the most celebrated 
and renowned in all Negroland, yet has become so 
completely obliterated, that its geographical position 
has given rise to the most contrary opinions among 
the learned geographers of our age. 
Shells formed the currency of the market, and 
these it was very difficult to obtain. In order to 
supply my wants I was obliged to sell my t&rkedis 
for 2500 to 3000 shells each, while in the town of 
Say they had realised 4000, and, as I afterwards 
found, fetched the same price in Timbuktu. Some- 
times I was not able to dispose either of my tuxkedis 
or my tobes, even at the lowest price ; while others, 
that I had at length succeeded in selling, were re- 
turned to me as defective. I was at considerable ex- 
pense for my large household, my three horses alone 
( e Ali providing for the other two) costing me every 
