CAMELS COWRIE MONEY. 
197 
Our maharees of the salt-caravan went very 
well, and ate little on the road, so that much time 
was saved in this way. The Tuarick camels are 
far better travellers than the Arab, which some- 
times are allowed to eat all day long. The females 
and the young ones are the most troublesome. I 
was much amused to see one of theKailouee camel- 
drivers overcome the obstinacy of a young cameh 
The fellow actually bit the loose skin which hung 
over the muzzle of the rebel, and in this manner 
dragged it to the string, and there tied it to the 
rest. All the male camels are gelded, whilst many 
breeding maharees carry no weights, but follow 
their burdened kind with their foals. 
To-day, for the first time, I received cowrie 
money, viz. four cases, made of matting, each con- 
taining 30,000. This was the price of four of my 
camels. The Gharian brute I sold to one of the 
servants for 8000. It is quite a labour to count 
this money, but I perceive that some persons are 
exceedingly expert at it, and count 5000 in a few 
minutes. There would appear to be always some 
mistakes made ; one case was found to have ninety- 
eight short. This certainly is not much out of 30,000, 
and when a dozen people were counting. The 
small and large shells are all alike, and of the same 
value. But I shall be able to say more of this 
money afterwards. Thirty thousand of these shells 
are many pounds in weight, and not very conve- 
niently carried about. 
