MTESA'S COMMERCIAL POLICY. 115 



for cooking 40 to 50 cowries. But the large bananas called 

 gonje, which are rarer and are eaten raw, cost a cowrie each. The 

 people have become accustomed to this money, by which, except 

 in a few cases of direct barter, all trade is transacted. It may 

 further be remarked that strangers who come to Uganda with- 

 out any cowries often find considerable difficulty in procuring 

 a sufficient quantity, for the Arabs, making a wise use of the 

 pressure of circumstances, often refuse to pay in cash. You 

 are therefore frequently compelled to sell the stuffs, red glass 

 beads, clothes, &c, that have been brought with you, in order 

 to procure the necessary coin to meet the daily expenditure 

 for food and housekeeping. 



While cowries have become a regular medium of exchange 

 in Uganda, the same can scarcely be said of Unyoro. Mtesa, 

 the king of Uganda, would never allow Arabs to go to Unyoro 

 in spite of their repeated requests, being careful of his own 

 interests, and perhaps a little jealous of Kabrega, the ruler of 

 Unyoro, whom he liked to represent as his vassal, especially to 

 strangers and others unacquainted with the real state of affairs. 

 It was much more to his advantage to claim possession of the 

 weapons and ammunition brought into his country by the 

 Arabs, and to send now and then some of his own people with 

 " presents " of cloth, copper, brass, and glass beads to Kabrega, 

 who, in return for his neighbour's Greek gifts, readily sent ivory 

 and slaves, and with these Mtesa made fresh purchases. It 

 was not till quite recently — about five years ago — that two enter- 

 prising traders, the Arab, Said-ibn-Seifi, and the Fundi, Hassan, 

 a freedman, succeeded in reaching the capital of Unyoro from 

 Karagwa, where they were well received, and in spite of the 

 system in vogue, reaped a good harvest of ivory. It is the 

 practice in Unyoro, as well as in Uganda, for every trader on 

 his arrival to present about the half of his goods, especially 

 powder, lead, shot, and guns, to the ruler, who in return places 

 at his disposal a house and garden, and gifts of cattle and 

 fruit, and finally, at his departure, makes him a present of 

 ivory, the value of which usually amounts to five times that of the 

 original present. Both parties make a good thing out of the 

 transaction ; the Arab, whose capital brings him a return with- 

 out any trouble to himself, and the king, who pays nothiug for 



