54 A NATURALIST IN MID-AFRICA. 



workers without directly paying them instead of 

 the chiefs. 



In fact, the policy which should be steadily 

 kept in view is to replace this indefinite payment 

 of rent in produce and labour by a fixed amount 

 of money paid annually : for which a currency is 

 urgently required. 



There is already a kind of currency in cowries, 

 but it is not yet sufficiently understood by the 

 people. Just at present the Zanzibar currency is 

 in a peculiarly hopeless state. There are Indian 

 rupees, German rupees, Portuguese rupees stamped 

 and not stamped, Imperial British East African 

 rupees, Maria Theresa dollars and pice. All 

 these coins vary in value partly conjointly from 

 the value of silver and copper, and partly quite 

 independently from the amount of each particular 

 kind available. They should be replaced by a 

 single standard coin, which should be current 

 everywhere in British Africa — probably shillings, 

 sixpences and pence. 



If carefully done, neither the Sultan of Uganda 

 nor his subordinates would object, because the 

 present system has very grave disadvantages even 

 from their point of view. 



A chief, or an ordinary occupier, may be kept 

 at the capital for months and his plantations may 

 be quite destroyed through being neglected at a 

 critical moment. Moreover, a chief is judged 

 chiefly by the number of adherents which follow 



