140 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 
Chap. XXV. 
break. This commodity does certainly not much 
exceed two or three millions. 
French silks, called "hattaya," were formerly in 
great request, but at present seem to be a little out of 
vogue ; and most of what is imported here is exported 
again by second-hand buyers to Yoruba and Gonja. 
The amount of this import into the Kano market, I 
think, does not exceed twenty millions. 
An important branch of import is formed by 
articles of Arab dress, chiefly bemuses, caftans, 
sedriyas, trowsers, red caps, red sashes, shawls. It 
is difficult to state, even approximately, the value of 
these articles ; but it cannot certainly be much less 
than fifty millions altogether. The sort of dress 
most in request comes from Tunis, but a good deal 
also from Egypt ; and from the latter country come 
all the white shawls with red borders, called " su- 
beta" in Arabic, " aliyafu" in Hausa, and very much 
liked by the negroes as well as by the Tawarek. 
The import of this article alone exceeds the value 
of ten millions. The common articles of dress, of 
coarser workmanship, are made in Tripoli. Red caps 
of very coarse description are now imported from 
Leghorn, and find a sale, but are not liked by the 
free people. 
Frankincense and spices— principally jawi, benzoin, 
the resin obtained from a species of styrax, " simbil " 
or Valeriana Celtica, and cloves — form a not incon- 
siderable article of import, perhaps amounting to fif- 
teen millions. However, I exclude from this sum the 
