THE MARKET. 
457 
nuts occupy one end of the market. They are ranged in 
two rows^ with each a small pannier of colats before him, 
which they sell retail at the rate of eight or ten cowries a- 
piecc. The low price proves the great abundance of this 
fruit in the country ; but the usual price is from fifteen to 
twenty cowries. 
There are also butchers in the market, who lay out 
their meat much in the same way as their brethren in Eu- 
rope. They also thrust skewers through little pieces of 
meat, which they smoke-dry and sell retail. Great quan- 
tities of fish^ fresh as well as dried, are brought to this market, 
in which are also to be had earthen pots, calabashes, mats, 
and salt ; but the salt in the market is only sold retail ; that 
which is sold wholesale is kept in the warehouses. 
There are great numbers of hawkers in the streets, who 
cry the goods which they carry about with them, as in Eu- 
rope. They sell stuffs made in the country, cured provisions, 
colat-nuts, honey, vegetable and animal butter, milk and fire- 
wood. The last article, which is scarce, is brought by women 
from the distance of twelve or fifteen miles round. Millet 
straw is sold in the market ; and during my residence in this 
town, I saw, every evening, negresses purchasing each a 
certain quantity for ten cowries to cook their suppers : the 
ordinary faggots cost one hundred and twenty cowries, 
which are equal to twelve sous. Fortunately, this is not a 
cold country. 
The Moors of Jenne do not keep shops. They employ 
confidential agents, or even slaves, to sell goods on their 
account. It is their custom to sit on mats before their 
doors, with some cakes of salt placed beside them, and 
in this way they wait for customers to buy their goods, 
or others who may wish to sell. Thus they accumulate, 
without giving themselves much trouble, great quantities of 
ivory, gold, rice, millet, honey, raw wax, cured provisions, 
Bnd heaps of small onions. These articles they deposit in 
