446 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. Chap. XXXIV. 
myself introduced a specimen of this article, in order 
to obtain the currency of the country for buying 
small matters of necessity. 
The standard of the market is the native cotton, 
woven, as it is, all over Negroland, in narrow strips 
called " leppi," of about two inches and a quarter in 
width, though this varies greatly. Shells (" kurdi," 
or "chede") have no currency. The smallest mea- 
sure of cotton is the " nanande," measuring ten " dra" 
or "fondude" {sing, "fondukf"), equal to four fathoms, 
" kame" or " nandude" (sing. " nanduki*"). Seven 
nanande make one " dora " — meaning a small shirt 
of extremely coarse workmanship, and scarcely to be 
used for dress ; and from two to five dora make one 
thob or "gaffaleul"f of variable size and quality. 
The tiirkedi which I introduced into the market, and 
which I had bought in Kano for 1800 kurdi, was 
sold for a price equivalent to 2500 shells, which cer- 
tainly is not a great profit, considering the danger of 
the road. However, it must be borne in mind that 
what I bought for 1800, a native certainly would 
have got for 1600, and would perhaps have sold for 
2800 or more. 
Having caused some disturbance to the usual 
quiet course of business in the market, I left Bti-Sad 
* This is the origin of the word nanande, which is a corruption 
from "nai nandudi" — four fathoms. 
| " GafFaleul " is a provincialism only used by the Fulbe of Fum- 
bina, and not understood either in Kebbi or in Masena, where 
" toggore " is the common expression. 
