160 TRIBES BORDERING ON KORDOFAN, forth in quest of prey into the neighbouring villages, where they plunder and steal everything they can lay their hands upon. These depredations give rise to many quarrels, which always lead to a war, and the conflict lasts until the weaker party is overcome, when they are all sold by the conquerors as slaves.

The chief exports of the Nuba consist in gum, ostrich feathers, tamarinds, honey, and slaves, with all of which they carry on a trade by barter. No one troubles himself about the gum since Mehemed Ali has monopolized the trade, for the freight to Kordofan would cost double the amount which he pays for it; hence thousands of cantari of gum, which might afford a maintenance to as many hundreds of families, are annually allowed to rot. The Nuba negroes do not know the value of money, and always accept such goods as they reckon among their wants for their commodities. The Djelabi generally import cottons, brass, and iron wire, glass beads, counters, &;c., and exchange them for the articles above specified. The barter among themselves consists in tobacco, salt, and small shells. In the neighbourhood of Schabun the negroes collect gold, which they find in the mountain torrents, and keep in the quills of large birds of prey ; but they attach no great importance to this metal, for they do not know its value. The Dongolavi only, who have immigrated into these regions, since time immemorial, for the purpose of trading, and have become residents there, draw considerable profit from that