418 ODOEOGRAPHIA. 



and thrown on to grass mats spread on the ground ; the picking 

 of the higher branches is done by means of triangular bamboo 

 ladders. Other slaves pick off the buds from the stalks, and they 

 are then spread out on mats to dry in the direct sunlight, and are 

 taken in every night. The drying is continued for the space of 6 

 or 7 days, during which time they lose al)Out 50 per cent, of their 

 weight ; thus 1 ' f rasila ' (about 35 lbs.) of freshly gathered cloves 

 is equal to h frasila dry. The colour desired in the dry clove is 

 red : and buds of this colour are more valued than black. 



" There is a duty to Government of 25 per cent. ; this is paid in 

 kind, and the cloves heaped in bulk in the Government ' godowns.' 

 Public auctions of this are now held l)y (lOvernment every fort- 

 night to allow open competition, and especially to admit European 

 merchants. 



" Zanzibar cloves are very dry, differing much in tliis respect 

 from the Pemba produce, and can be stored for some time, but 

 Pembas are disposed of as early as possible, as otherwise the 

 loss from ' shortage ' is very great. The latter generally arrive 

 damp, and there is much ' shortage ' wlien dried. A good dry 

 sample of Pemba cloves is smaller and l)lacker — blacker from 

 having contained much moisture. Zanzibar cloves are larger, the 

 red appearance of the dried buds is unmistakable, and they are 

 well known as ' Zanzibar red-heads.' 



" Cloves are generally exported in double mat-bags (' makanda ') 

 in preference to gunnies, though there is more shortage — in fact, 

 the difference is marked: these mat-bags, though double, apparently 

 permit a greater amount of damp. The difference of shortage 

 between Zanzibar and Europe equals 8 per cent, in the weight of 

 the cloves. The difference between Zanzibar and Pemba cloves is 

 well recognised in Europe, but large shipments of both ^'arieties 

 are also made to Bombay, where they are very probably mixed. 

 Also large shipments of clove stalks are made to both Bombay and 

 Xew York. 



"The exports of cloves from Zanzibar for 1890-91 are as 

 below : — 



1890. 1891. 



Zanzibar ... 124,929 Frasilas ... 62,017 Frasilas(:35 lbs. ea.). 



Pemba 385,981 „ ...326,986 



" The average consumption of the world is estimated at 

 11,000,000 lbs." 



