46 HOUSA.

The king cannot make any of his subjects slaves. They get their cotton from Bengala. " They have no salt, it comes from a great distance, and is very dear. Goods find a much better market at Housa than at Timbuctoo. There are merchants at Housa from Timboo, Bornoo, Moshu, and India ; the travelHng merchants do not regard distance. From Timboo and other great towns he has heard, and from his own knowledge can venture to assert, that they bring-East India goods. Gold-duet, ivory, and slaves are the principal returns from Housa. The people of Housa have slaves from Bornoo, Bambarra, Jinnie, Beni Killeb (sons of dogs), and Beni Aree (sons of the naked) ; they are, generally, prisoners of war, thougli many are stolen when young, by people who make a trade of this practice. The laws are very severe against this crime ; it requires, therefore, great cunning and duplicity ; no men of any property are ever guilty of it. The slave stealers take the children by night out of the town, and sell them to some peasant, who sells them to a third, and so from hand to hand, till they are carried out of the country ; if this practice did not exist, there would be few slaves for the Barbary market. Beyond the age offourteen or fifteen, a slave is hardly saleable in Barbary. Few merchants " Bengal, or the East Indies.

° Properly Ben Ekkilleb, or Hel Ekkileb, i. e. the caninerace. These are described to be swift of foot and low of stature, having a language peculiar to themselves.