•22 TIMBUCTOO.

one within the other. The bag which Shabeeny purchased was bought at Housa, where it sells for seven or eight ducats cheaper than at Timbuctoo, On articles from Marocco they make from thirty to fifty per cent, clear profit. Cowries and golddust are the medium of traffic. The shereefs and other merchants generally sell their goods to some of the principal native merchants, and immediately send off the slaves, taking their golddust with them into other countries. The merchants residing at Timbuctoo have agents or correspondents in other countries ; and are themselves agents in return. Timbuctoo is visited by merchants fi'om all the neighbouring black countries. Some of its inhabitants are amazingly rich. The dress of common women has been often worth 1000 dollars. A principal source of their wealth is lending gold-dust and slaves at high interest to foreign merchants, which is repaid by goods from Marocco and other countries, to which the gold-dust and slaves are carried. They commonly trade in the public market, but often send to the merchant or go to his house, Cowries in the least damaged are bad coin, and go for less than those that are perfect. There are no particular market days ; the public market for provisions is an open place fifty feet square, and is surrounded by shops, The Arabs sit down on their goods in the middle, till they have sold them. The pound weight of Timbuctoo is about two ounces heavier than the small Similar to the corri'inarket at Mogodor.