RESIDENCE AT SOCCATOO AND MAGARIA. 
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spleen, in whatever shape it may be eaten. The bread made of it 
is black and coarse ; but that may arise from the imperfect manner 
in which it is ground and cleaned. Barley they also have ; but this 
grain is only used in very small quantity. The rice is sown in long 
beds ; and they have it in great abundance from the Surano, near 
Magaria : the rice of Soccatoo is considered the best in Houssa. 
Melons, pappa apples, the great , a few fig and pomegranate 
trees are grown in gardens. They have not been able to make the 
date tree grow at Soccatoo ; whenever it gets a little above ground 
it rots and dies. 
They have a great many wild fruit trees, the principal of which 
is the butter tree. Onions are brought forth at the side of the 
rivers or lakes, and the place on which they are growing is watered 
afternoon and morning, the water being drawn by a bucket and 
a rope fixed to a long pole, over an upright post which serves 
as a pivot ; the water being poured into hollowed trees, con- 
ducts it to the entrance of the little squares where the onions 
are growing. The onions are large and good, much like the Portu- 
guese onion. The leaves of the kuka tree, or aclansonia, are care- 
fully gathered after the rains, dried, and used in all their soups and 
gravies, giving to them a slimy gelatinous consistence. The sauce, 
or cake which makes a sauce, from the beans of the nitta tree, is in 
great request. The beans, when taken out of the shell, are then 
broken in a wooden mortar, and put into a pot with water, and 
kept on a good fire from sunrise to sunset, when the pot is taken 
off: they are allowed to stand in it until they begin to ferment 
and smell. They are then taken to the river, pond, or well, where 
they are washed thoroughly with clean water : when they are con- 
sidered as perfectly clean, they are spread on mats in the sun, 
and carefully covered up at night. When a second fermentation 
takes place, or they begin to smell, they are taken and bruised 
f f 2 
