128 
TRAVELS m AFRICA. 
Chap. XXV. 
countries in the world ; and so it is as long as 
its governor, too often lazy and indolent, is able to 
defend its inhabitants from the cupidity of their 
neighbours, which of course is constantly stimulated 
by the very wealth of this country. 
Besides the cloth produced and dyed in Kano and 
in the neighbouring villages, there is a considerable 
commerce carried on here with the cloth manufactured, 
in Nyffi or Nupe, which, however, extends only to 
the first and the third of the articles above men- 
tioned, viz. the " riga," or shirt worn by men, and 
the " zenne," or plaid ; for the Nyffawa are unable to 
produce either turkedi or rawani — at least for ex- 
port, while they seem, with the exception of the 
wealthier classes, to supply their own wants them- 
selves. The tobes brought from NyfiS. are either 
large black ones, or of mixed silk and cotton. 
With regard to the former, which are called " glwa" 
(the elephant's shirt), I am unable to say why the 
Kanawa are not capable of manufacturing them them- 
selves ; but it seems that, while they thoroughly 
understand how to impart the most beautiful dye to 
the turkedi, they are unable to apply the same to 
the riga — I do not know why. 
Of the latter kind there are several varieties : — the 
riga saki, with small squares blue and white, as if 
speckled, and therefore called by the Arabs " filfil " 
(pepper), and by the Tawarek, who, as I have men- 
tioned, esteem it more than any other kind, the " Gui- 
