TRADE IN SALT. 
117 
the summer's dawn in England is never here 
observed. 
I visited the salt-caravan, or that portion 
of it which belongs to En-Noor. The salt is 
prepared in Bilma, by the Tibboos, in three dif- 
ferent manners. There is, first, the canto, a kind 
of pillar or pedestal, about 16 inches high, and 
3 or 4 broad in its widest part. As to weight, 10 
of these are a good camel-load, 8 a load for a 
small camel, and 6 for a weak camel. Then there 
are two cakes, one of refined salt and the other 
coarse. These coarse cakes are about 5 inches in 
diameter, and the refined ones 7 inches, the 
former being about 31bs. and the latter 51bs. 
in weight. When a caravan of Tuaricks arrive 
at Bilma, they find the salt all ready for them, 
and they pay a barter for it in this way, — a zekka 
of ghaseb is exchanged against twenty of the 
coarse cakes ; a zekka for six of the refined cakes, 
and three zekkas of ghaseb for two of the pillars. 
Ghaseb appears to be the only staple thing which 
the Tibboos receive for their salt ; they may also 
take now and then turkadias, or black turbans, and 
on the other side the Tuaricks bring a few dates 
with them : the fruit, even those of the best quality, 
are not very good or fine. This commerce of barter 
is managed almost solely by the women : the men 
remain in their houses, whilst the women go to the 
salt -pits or lakes, and transact this important 
business; but the men do not run away, as is com- 
