n6 TRADE AND COMMERCE. 



the ivory, since it is supplied by his faithful subjects. Now, as 

 soon as the Zanzibar trade spread to Unyoro, cowries too were 

 introduced as money, and were readily accepted in the market. 

 The majority of the people, however, has still remained faith- 

 ful to the system of direct barter, perhaps because the few 

 traders who have hitherto visited Kabrega's residence have 

 brought a proportionately small quantity of wares, and accord- 

 ingly have had to sell them at a high price. At all events, it is 

 a good sign of the active commercial spirit of the Arabs that 

 they have penetrated so far, while it was a serious mistake in 

 Gordon Pasha's administration of the equatorial provinces of 

 Egypt, that he did not endeavour with all his power to open 

 up these districts to our own trade. 



The transport of goods from Zanzibar to the north was 

 naturally followed by a corresponding export trade from the 

 districts between the lakes towards the south. An attempt was 

 first made to take the goods which had been collected in the 

 equatorial districts direct to Zanzibar. It was found, however, 

 that the distance was far too great, even after it had been 

 shortened by crossing the Victoria Lake to Kagei, and many 

 goods and much time were lost ; consequently the centre of 

 the whole Arab commerce with these countries was trans- 

 ferred to Tabor a and the adjacent Uyui. In these places 

 Arabs have settled, having agents who travel on their behalf 

 and take their wares to the north, where they often stay for 

 years. The Waganda, too, go themselves to Zanzibar on be- 

 half of their king, and there, supported by Government, they 

 exchange their ivory chiefly for rifles and ammunition. As 

 both Uganda and Unyoro possess plenty of saleable articles 

 among their varied products, one would readily wish them all 

 success in such enterprises, did not another factor come into 

 play which weighs heavily on the other side. 



As I have already mentioned, the Arabs often settle down for 

 years in these equatorial countries, sometimes because the ruler 

 refuses them permission to depart, and sometimes purely for the 

 sake of gain. When visiting one of their settlements, one is 

 struck at first sight by the number of women and girls ; male 

 slaves, often tied together in gangs of four or five, are not so 

 numerous, because they have to be transported to a great dis- 



