60 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. Chap. XXIII. 
cotton-cloth ? and of small Nuremberg wares, in 
the market than in the former place ; but other- 
wise there was nothing particular, and altogether it 
was dull, showing the state of decay into which this 
once splendid and busy emporium of Negroland has 
fallen. 
The most interesting thing I observed in the 
market were limes, of tolerably large size, and ex- 
tremely cheap, and the beautiful large fruit of the 
gonda (Carica Papaya), which had just begun to 
ripen ; however, the latter was rather dear, consi- 
dering the low price of provisions in general, a fine 
papaw being sold for from twenty-five to thirty kurdi, 
a sum which may keep a poor man from starvation 
for five days. In Kano I afterwards saw this fruit 
cut into thin slices, which were sold for one " uri " 
(shell) each. Having sat for a long time with El 
W&khshi in a runfa, without being exposed to any 
insult whatever, though I was necessarily an object of 
some curiosity, I returned home and passed the even- 
ing quietly with my people, Gajere giving me reason 
all the time for the utmost satisfaction with his 
faithful and steadfast behaviour. Besides being sin- 
cerely attached to me, he was persuaded that he 
possessed influence enough to get me out of my 
scrape ; and thus he informed me, as a great secret, 
that he had forwarded a message to A nnur, giving 
him full information of my case, and that in conse- 
quence I might give myself no further trouble, but 
rely entirely upon that chiefs assistance. While he 
