Chap. XXV. 
MARKETS OF KANO'. 
143 
Spanish or Austrian dollar*, forms an important 
article of import and commerce, though I have not 
been able to ascertain that a large quantity is ever 
introduced at a time. Nevertheless that must some- 
times happen, as a great amount of shells has been 
exported to Bornu, where they have been recently 
introduced as currency ; and this obviously explains 
why since the year 1848 the demand for these shells 
has so greatly increased on the coast. 
These merely approximative figures cannot be re- 
duced to the form of a balance-sheet ; but they will 
give a general idea of the commercial activity of the 
place. I will conclude these few remarks by observing 
that the market of Kano is better supplied with articles 
of food than any other market in Negroland; but meat 
as well as corn is dearer here than in Kiikawa, par- 
ticularly the latter. Besides the great market-place, 
there are several smaller ones dispersed through the 
town, the most noted of which are the kaswa-n- 
kurmi, Mandaweli, Hanga, kaswa-n-mata, kaswa-n- 
ayagi, kaswa-n-Jirba, kaswa-n-Yakase, kaswa-n-kofan 
Wambay, and the kaswa-n-k6fan Nayisa. 
The province of Kanof, which comprises a very 
fertile district of considerable extent, contains, ac- 
cording to my computation, more than two hundred 
* There is no difference made between these two coins, women 
in general even preferring Maria Theresa to the two columns on 
the Spanish dollar, which they fancy to represent cannon. 
•f For a list of the principal places of the province see Appen r 
dix, No. II. 
