A good fowl, 100.

A horse (of the best kind and condition), 1,000,000.[15]

An ass: he, 8000 wadas; she, 6000 wadas.

A zekka of ghaseb: large, 10 wadas; small, 6 wadas.

(N.B. When there is but little rain, a zekka of ghaseb consists only of
two handfuls.)

A pound of samen, 40 wadas.

A pound of honey, 60 wadas.

A zekka of wheat, or one handful, 10 wadas.

A zekka of rice, or about six handfuls, is 20 wadas.

A canto of salt, of the weight of about a quarter of a cantar, is now
sold for 1200, because the salt-caravan has just arrived; but after two
or three months it will fetch 2500 wadas.

[15] 83_l._ 6_s._ The price mentioned in a former page, viz.
1000,000 wadas is evidently erroneous.--ED.

His highness the Sultan expressed the most ardent desire to see and make
himself acquainted with the rum, and other strong drinks of the
Christians, having heard from his son-in-law and interpreter, the little
Shereef, that I had a supply of these liquors with me. After resisting
some time, I delivered up to his highness half a bottle of mastic, with
which retiring to his innermost chamber, and taking with him his
son-in-law, he made himself very merry; so much so, that he was unable
to make his appearance in public or justice-hall all this day.

The immediate territories of Bornou contain five large and important
capitals, viz. Zinder, which belongs to Haj Beshir, the prime minister.

Mashena, belonging to Mala Ibrahim, second minister.

Minyo, belonging to Abd-Er-Rahman, brother of the Sheikh.

Yumbi, belonging to the mother of the Sultan.

These capitals are the centres of large populations and provinces.

The taxes are appropriated by the various personages to whom they are
given by the Sheikh, but these personages are expected to give up to his
highness the greater part of the funds which they derive from them.

_21st._--I made various routes, and got a statement of the principal
articles of commerce, as current in Zinder and Kanou, Mourzuk and
Tripoli. I repeat, there is no chance for an English merchant in this
part of Africa.

The houses of Zinder are mostly built of double matting, but a good
number have mud walls and thatched roofs. Others are all built of mud.
There are no nice mosques with minarets. The residence of the Sultan is
a fort of mud, with walls of some height; it overlooks all the other
buildings. The Shereef Kebir has also a mud house, with walls of some
height. There a