etter than a monster, though
he now confessed that he liked the traveller. Another nephew came also,
a most intelligent young man, who read and spoke Arabic with fluency,
and was very anxious to see everything, and to hear all about England.

He found the market well supplied with every necessary and luxury in
request among the people of the interior. The sheikh, who superintended
it, however, fixed the prices of all wares, for which he was entitled to
a commission; and, after every bargain, the seller returned to the buyer
a stated part of the price by way of a blessing, or a "luck-penny" as it
would be called in England. Cowries were here used as coins, though
somewhat cumbersome, as twenty were worth only a halfpenny; thus, in
paying a pound sterling, nine thousand six hundred shells had to be
counted out. As he remarks: "The great advantage of the use of the
cowrie is that forgery is excluded, as it cannot possibly be imitated."
The natives show also great dexterity in counting out even the largest
sums.

The butchers were numerous, and understood showing off animals to the
best advantage. Sometimes they even stuck a little sheep's wool on a
leg of goat's flesh, to make it pass for mutton. When a fat bull was
brought to the market to be killed, its horns were dyed red with
_henna_, the drummers attended, a mob soon collected, the news of the
animal's size and fatness spread, and all ran to buy. Near at hand were
small wood fires stuck round with wooden skewers, on which small bits of
fat and lean meat, the size of a penny-piece, were roasting,
superintended by a woman with a mat dish placed on her knees, from which
she served her guests, who were squatted round her. Indeed, the market
was as busy a one as can be seen in any country. Jugglers also, like
those of India, were practising their tricks with snakes, having
extracted the venomous fangs.

Haussa is celebrated for its boxers, the most expert of whom are found
among the butchers. Clapperton having intimated his willingness to pay
for a performance, a number of combatants arrived, attended by two
drummers and the whole body of butchers. A ring was soon formed, by the
master of the ceremonies throwing dust on the spectators to make them
stand back. The drummers entered the ring, followed by one of the
boxers, who was quite naked with the exception of a skin round his
middle. Placing himself in an attitude as if to oppose an antagonist,
he wrought