54 TRAVELS T O D ISCOVER 



The zermabub, or fequin of Constantinople, is not current 

 here. Thofe that have them, can only difpofe of them to 

 tiic women, who hang them about their temples, to their 

 necklaces, and round the necks of their children. The 

 fraction of the pataka is the half and quarter, which pafs 

 here likewife. 



There is a conliclerable deal of trade carried on at Mafuah, 

 notwithstanding thefe inconveniencies, narrow and confin- 

 ed as the ifland is, and violent and unjuft as is the govern- 

 ment. But it is all done in a flovenly manner, and for 

 articles where a fmall capital is inverted. Property here 

 is too precarious to rifk a venture in valuable commo- 

 dities, where the hand of power enters into every tranfac- 

 tion. 



The goods imported from the Arabian fide are blue cot- 

 ton, Surat cloths, and cochineal ditto, called Kermis, fine cloth 

 from different markets in India ; coarfe white cotton cloths 

 from Yemen ; cotton unfpun from ditto in bales ; Venetian 

 beads, chryflal, drinking, and looking-glalfes; and cohol, or 

 crude antimony. Thefe three Iaft articles come in great 

 quantities from Cairo, firft in the coffee fhips to Jidda, and 

 then in fmall barks over to this port. Old copper too is an 

 article on which much is gained, and great quantity is im- 

 ported. 



The Galia, and all the various tribes to the weftward of 

 Gondar, wear bracelets of this copper ; and they fay at times, 

 that, near the country of Gongas and Guba, it has been 

 fold, weight for weight, with gold. There is a fhell like- 

 wise here, a univalve of the fpecies of volutes, which fells 



4 at 



