Further on was the cloth mart. Here were women and men selling the black
blankets which almost all women here wear, in addition to the ornamented
skins, which form the only garments of the Senafe women. These blankets,
which are very large, are worn wrapped round the body, and secured on one
shoulder by a large iron pin. The blankets are coarse and thin, and have
but little warmth. Officers have, however, bought large numbers for their
servants, who feel the cold at night much. When we are stationary for a
few days the followers construct some sort of tents with gunny-bags and
clothes, but upon the march they have, of course, to sleep in the open
air. Near to the vendors of blankets for the women are the sellers of the
white-cotton cloth for the men. These are always men; I have seen no women
engaged in selling cloth. I have no doubt they carry it to the market, but
the men take the sale into their own hands. This is, perhaps, the busiest
part of the fair. But beyond this we come to the largest and by far the
most amusing portion of all. This is the miscellaneous market. Vegetables
and herbs occupy by far the largest share of this. Here are women and
girls with herbs of every sort and kind, of very few indeed of which I had
any previous knowledge. Here, too, are women with tobacco, very coarse,
and broken up roughly, instead of being cut. The tobacco, of course, is
carried in the skins, which appear to be the receptacles for everything in
this country. Here are men with salt, in shape and appearance exceedingly
like a mower’s whetstone. These serve as money, and are laid out upon the
ground at so many for a dollar, but if the salesman sees a European
approaching he will abstract a portion, and demand a dollar for less than
half of the number which should be given for that amount. Here are men
selling the blue string, which all Christians wear round their neck in
token of their faith. Here are men selling the great iron pins, with a
rough attempt at ornament upon their heads, which all women use to fasten
their blankets upon their shoulders. Here are women with strings of beads,
and pumpkins, and watercresses, and dried herbs, and chillies, and honey,
and garlic, and potatoes, and young onions for sale. A miscellaneous
catalogue, and sold quite as miscellaneously, for the goods are sold by
barter more than for money, and each vendor will bring in half-a-dozen
small baskets, which she places before her to contain the various articles
which she may receive in exchange. Thus, for her beads she may get some
grain, a few bulbs of garlic, and a bar or two of salt. Some of these,
again, she will barter for a pumpkin, a chicken, and some dried herbs; and
so the commerce is carried on. Imagine a large number of these dark-faced,
scantily-dressed people, very grave over their purchases, but very merry,
as is their wont, in their conversation with each other, the men generally
walking about, the women squatting behind their wares, always in groups,
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