408 mii Browne's journey. 
appear in public unveiled, make bargains in the 
markets, and converse with the other sex, without 
offending their husbands or relations. The most 
severe labours of the field, and the meanest do- 
mestic offices, are performed by the women, who are 
often seen walking after their husbands, under the 
pressure of a heavy burden, while these ride before 
them on their asses, without encumbrance and 
without concern. Their houses are built of clay, 
commonly by the hands of their women, and are 
covered with a flattish roof of thin boards, coated 
with clay. Salt is the general medium of exchange 
in Darfur, but, in some places, small tin rings of 
arbitrary value are employed. A caravan passes 
from Darfur to Egypt, to traffic in slaves, ivory, 
gum, camels, &c. ; but this commercial intercourse 
is not regular, and is frequently interrupted. The 
Dongolese and Nubian settlers in Darfur, who 
had been accustomed to the Egyptian trade, ori- 
ginally opened the route ; but merchants are fre- 
quently interrupted by the Cubba-besh and Be- 
deiat Arabs ; the last of whom are not suppos- 
ed to be of Arabic origin. In collecting the 
harvest, they break the ears of corn leisurely 
from the stalk, in the same manner as the ne- 
goes of Western Africa. At the beginning of the 
wet season, custom requires that the king and the 
chief men go out to the field with the cultivators, 
and engage in the planting of corn. This is prac- 
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