UOreuo0 S739 PIV70cooperative imstitutions.In the words of historian Astley Goodwin, "the Crescenthad access to gold. The Cross did not. Though Musa preferred to securetrade and cooperation throughultural mclusion, he wias wiling tomake exceptions. His standing armywas tasked with eradicating thebandits stitling trade in the Sahara,and desert trade expanded. Fargreater quantitics of Chinese silk,Persian fabrics, Indian spices,European metalwork, and Arabianhorses travelled through Malianterritory," all of which were subjeetto taxation and tribute.Mali regarded economic power asthe control and authority over traderoutes more so than controlling thesources of traded materials, such asgokdmines or forests.Their allure had catalysed thedevelopment of the empire itself: Malian authority was established through the migration of the Malinke(also called the Mandinka), who moved west in search of salt and gold.Salt was vital to the Saharan traveller: not only was it vital for the preservation of food, but it was alsoused to replace bio-salts lost through sweat on long journeys through one of the most arid, hard-to-traverseregions on earth.Foreign traderswould set down goods at a natural barrier-traditionally at a riverbankand retreat.