322 
MANUFACTURES. 
Everything is conducted with the greatest order, and 
with less noise than one usually expects in an African 
market. All cases of dispute are brought before the 
proper judges. As we walked through the place, we 
were quietly and respectfully saluted, on all sides, with 
the usual ^ Sinuh, God protect you,’ or ' Prosperity 
and they seemed well pleased to have white men among 
them, showing their various articles for sale with much 
good nature and politeness, not pressing them on a pur- 
chaser, as is too commonly the case in our own markets. 
The Attah levies a small tax on all the productions 
brought thither for sale. As but few European articles 
find their way up here under present circumstances, the 
natives are obliged to depend very much on their own 
industry and ingenuity for nearly all they require, except 
gunpowder and muskets, both of which are eagerly 
sought after, and bring high prices. 
The most common manufacture is that of cotton 
cloths, practised by a great number of females. In 
spinning, the primitive distaff is used, such as is 
usually seen in Italy, or in some of our own mountain 
districts, where the spinning wheel is not always 
obtainable. The thread is rough and uneven, but when 
carefully woven into narroxo stripes by a rude machine — 
very like the earliest of our hand-looms — it forms a strong 
and durable cloth, much dearer than the English cottons 
brought there, and of course only within reach of wealthy 
people. The dye-pits are very numerous all over the 
town, and are kept constantly more or less filled, as 
