21 



" The annexed two sketches are taken from a cast of the 

 species of money now at the present day passing current 

 among the Africans. It so strongly resembles what we saw 

 in Ireland, that I thought you might be interested in a copy 

 of it. Mr. Dyson, who was for some years a surgeon on 

 board an African merchantman, brought it with him ; and 

 the first opportunity, I shall make inquiries respecting this 

 and other coin used among the natives. I am told that in 

 the country they are made of solid gold, as in Ireland." 



Sir William Betham also read an extract from a letter 

 from Mr. Bonomi to T. C. Croker, Esq. 



" You ask me for a note on the ring money of Africa ; 

 here it is. So little has the interior of the country changed 

 in that particular since the days of the Pharaohs, that 

 to this day, among the inhabitants of Sennaar, pieces of 

 gold in the form of a ring pass current as money. The 

 rings have a cut in them for the convenience of keeping them 

 together ; the gold being so pure you easily bend them, and 

 unite them in the manner of a chain. This money is weighed 

 as in the days of Joseph." 



These gold rings are so similar in shape to the ancient 

 rings found in Ireland, that the sketch of one accurately 

 represents the other. 



It is a remarkable fact that the name manilla, which 

 these brass and iron articles still bear in Africa, signifies 

 money in the Celto-Phcenician Irish. Mainis ' value,' ' worth,' 

 and aillech is ' cattle,' * household stuff,' or ' any kind of pro- 

 perty.' So that in this respect the derivation is similar to 

 that of pecunia from pecus. The manillas were, no doubt, 

 introduced into Africa by the same people that brought 

 them to Ireland ; and as the Negro nations have changed 

 but little, if at all, they still pass as money by their old Phoe- 

 nician name. 



