^00 TRAVELS IN THE 
Desert, and sea-salt from the Rio Grande ; the price of each, at 
this distance from its source, being nearly the same ; and the 
dealers in each, whether Moors from the north, or Negroes 
from the west, are invited thither by the same motives, that of 
bartering their salt for gold. 
The gold of Manding, so far as I could learn, is never found 
in any matrix or vein, but always in small grains, nearly in 
a pure state, from the size of a pin's head, to that of a pea; 
scattered through a large body of sand or clay ; and in this 
state, it is called by the Mandingoes sanoo munko, " gold 
powder." It is, however, extremely probable, by what I could 
learn of the situation of the ground, that most of it has origi- 
nally been washed down by repeated torrents from the neigh- 
bouring hills. The manner in which it is collected, is nearly 
as follows : 
About the beginning of December, when the harvest is over, 
and the streams and torrents have greatly subsided, the Mansa, 
or chief of the town, appoints a day to begin sanoo koo, " gold 
*J washing and the women are sure to have themselves in 
readiness by the time appointed. A hoe, or spade, for dig- 
ging up the sand, two or three calabashes for washing it in, 
and a few quills for containing the gold dust, are all the im- 
plements necessary for the purpose. On the morning of their 
departure, a bullock is killed for the first day's entertainment, 
and a number of prayers and charms are used to ensure success ; 
for a failure on that day, is thought a bad omen. The Mansa 
of Kamalia, with fourteen of his people, were I remember so 
much disappointed in their first day's washing, that very few 
