158 
MUNGO PARK'S 
bracelets. In the houses fronting the square is sold, scarlet, 
amber, silks from Morocco, and tobacco, which looks like 
Levant tobacco, and comes by way of Tombuctoo. Ad- 
joining this is the salt market, part of which occupies one 
corner of the square. A slab of salt is sold commonly for 
eight thousand cowries ; a large butcher's stall, or shade, 
is in the centre of the square, and as good and fat meat 
sold every day as any in England. The beer market is at a 
little distance, under two large trees ; and there are often 
exposed for sale from eighty to one hundred calabashes of 
beer, each containing about two gallons. Near the beer 
market is the place where red and yellow leather is sold. 
Besides these market-places, there is a very large space, 
which is appropriated for the great market every Tuesday. 
On this day astonishing crowds of people come from the 
country to purchase articles in wholesale, and retail them 
in the different villages, &c. There are commonly from 
sixteen to twenty large fat Moorish bullocks killed on the 
market morning. 
October 8th. — As Mansong had delayed much longer in 
sending the canoes he promised, than I expected, I thought 
it best to be provided with a sufficient quantity of shells to 
purchase two ; particularly when I reflected that the river 
would subside in the course of a few days, having sunk 
this morning about four inches by the shore. I therefore 
