Chap. LXII. HABITS OF INDUSTRY 
313 
their favourite and innocent amusements by the aus- 
tere laws of their fanatical oppressors. 
The natives are industrious, both in cultivating 
the ground and in weaving ; and these habits seemed 
to be favoured by Providence, so that while all the 
neighbouring districts were suffering from dearth and 
famine, in this village corn was plentiful, especially 
Negro millet, or a heni." Indian millet, "saba" or 
" hame," was rather scarce. But the corn was still in 
seed and not pounded, so that we were obliged to stay 
here again a day in order to have a supply prepared 
for us. We bought our corn, in the beginning, for 
the farrawel which we had brought from Libtako ; but 
after a little while the inhabitants refused to accept 
of this cotton, which is not so good as their own 
manufacture. The cotton which I had brought from 
Gando was much better than theirs ; but it did not 
please them, on account of the narrowness of the 
strips. My English darning-needles were, however, 
very acceptable, as being exceedingly well adapted 
for the coarse texture of their woollen shawls and 
blankets. Fifty of them fetched here a price equal 
to the value of a Spanish dollar ; but the small com- 
mon needles were regarded by them with the utmost 
contempt. 
I employed my time, as far as the rainy weather would 
allow me, in taking a walk through the country ; and I 
was not a little surprised when I found that the ground 
hereabouts, particularly towards the west, was very 
rocky, the corn being sown in the intervening patches 
