TRADE IX EOBDOFAX. 303 There is a small quantity of damoor clotli made in Kordofan; but very little, compared with the amount of that article manufactured in Darfour. At Obeid some rough pottery is made ; it is not very good, for the clay contains too much sand and mica ; the oxide of iron serves to give all these articles a red colour. There is some trade in salt, which is of a dark bitter quality, and is obtained by evaporation of water from the salt-springs. Tanning is carried on in an extremely primitive fashion, and there exists at Obeid a little leather industry.

The chief exports from Kordofan are gum, hides, and ostrich-feathers. Some 8000 raw hides are sent yearly to Khartoum, whither go about 500 cwts.

of feathers of all qualities, and also from 70,000 to 100,000 cwts. of gum. There are two kinds of acacia-trees from which gum is procured. The better sort is obtained from the grey-barked acacia {A. fistula), called by the natives " hesbab" ; the gum from the red-barked acacia {Spirocarim), or " latch," is of an inferior quality.

I found, from inquiries at Khartoum, that the exports from Kordofan are estimated to amount to about 120,000, and the imports to 50,000?. yearly, xlbout four-fifths of the latter sum would be in cotton goods. It is estimated that the population is about 250,000, so that the trade is not proportionately very large, for it must be remembered that most of the people are nomads. The