RESIDENCE AT SOCCATOO AND MAGARIA. 
223 
other wild animals, might be procured in abundance, but, of course, 
would rise much in price if there was a great demand. Gum-arabic 
might also be procured in abundance. What they would take 
from us in exchange would be coarse scarlet cloths, which in all 
parts of the interior bring a good price, say 10,000 cowries a yard ; 
coarse yellow and green cloth; red tape; unwrought silk, of 
glowing colours ; sewing needles, of the commonest kind; looking- 
glasses, no matter however small, at a penny or twopence each in 
England ; earthenware with figures, plain ware would not pay ; 
the coarsest kind of red camlet scarfs ; jugs and hardware of the 
most common description, but stout; foolscap paper of the coarsest 
kind, if it did not let the ink through: beads, I think, are sold as 
cheap here by the Arabs as they are in England ; sheets of tin ; tin 
pots and cups; brass gilt rings for the fingers, arms, and ankles; as 
also ear-rings ; copper and brass pots, the more figures the better ; 
paper and wooden snuff-boxes of the commonest sort. 
These Africans keep up the appearance of religion. They 
pray five times a day. They seldom take the trouble to wash 
before prayers, except in the morning; but they go through the 
motions of washing, clapping their hands on the ground as if in 
water, and muttering a prayer. This done, as if they had washed, 
they untie their breeches and let them fall off; then, facing the 
east, let the sleeves of their larger shirt, or tobe, fall over their 
hands, and assuming at the same time a grave countenance, begin 
by calling out, in an audible voice, “ Allaliu Akber!” &c. kneeling 
down and touching the ground with the forehead. When they 
have finished repeating this prayer, they sit down, leaning over 
on the left thigh and leg, and count or pass the beads through 
their fingers. All their prayers and religious expressions are in 
Arabic; and I may say without exaggeration, taking Negroes 
and Fellatas together, that not one in a thousand know what they 
