THE BEAD-TRADE OF EASTERN AFRICA, 343 



3. The blue porcelain, called in Venice ajeriro, and in East Africa 

 langiyo or murtuto (blue vitriol), is of three several sizes, and the best is of 

 the lightest colour. The larger variety, called langyio mkuba, fetches at 

 Zanzibar from 6 to 12 dollars per frasilah ; and the p'peke, or smaller, from 

 7 to 9 dollars. In Usagara and Unyamwezi, where from 3 to 4 fundo are 

 equivalent to the shukkah merkani, and 1 to 2 to the shukkah kaniki, 

 it is used for minor purchases, where the sdme same would be too 

 valuable. It is little prized in other parts, and between Unyamwezi and 

 Ujiji it falls to the low level of the white porcelain. 



4. A local variety current from Msene to the Tanganyika Lake — where, 

 in the heavier dealings, as the purchase of slaves and ivory, a few strings are 

 always required to cap the bargain — is called mzizima, mutunda, falghami, 

 and jelabi, the ringed perle of Germany. It is a large flat bead of glass ; 

 the khete contains about 150, and each item acts as a copper coin. The 

 mzizima is of two varieties ; the more common is a dark blue, the other is 

 of a whitish and opaline tint. At Zanzibar the frasilah costs from 7 to 9 

 dollars. In Unyamwezi 3 fundo are equivalent to 1 shukkah merkani, and 

 1 fundo to 1 shukkah kaniki. 



5. Another local variety is the balghami mkuba, popularly called 

 sungomaji, a bead made at Nuremberg. It is a porcelain, about the size 

 of a pigeon's egg, and of two colours, white and light blue. The sungomaji, 

 attached to a thin cord or twine, is worn, singly or in numbers, as an 

 ornament round the neck, and the people complain that the polish soon 

 wears off. At Zanzibar, the price per 1,000 is from 15 to 20 dollars ; but it 

 is expected to decline to 10 dollars. This bead is useful in purchasing 

 ivory in Ugogo and Unyamwezi, and in hiring boats at Ujiji. Its relative 

 value to cloth is 19 per shukkah merkani, and 15 per shukkah kaniki. 



6. The son, called in Italian cannettore, resembles bits of broken pipe- 

 stems, about two-thirds of an inch in length. It is of various colours — 

 white, brick-red, and black. Each bead is termed masan, and is used like 

 pice in India : of these, the khete (string) contains from 55 to 60. The 

 price varies at Zanzibar from 2 to 3 dollars per frasilah : in the interior, 

 however, the value greatly increases, on account of insufficient importation. 

 This bead, in 1858, was in great demand throughout Usagara, Unyamwezi, 

 and the western region, where it was as valuable as the same sdme. 

 Having neglected to lay in a store at Zanzibar, the East African Expedition 

 was compelled to exchange cloth for it at Msene and Ujiji, giving 1 shukkah 

 merkani for 30 to 35 khete, and 1 shukkah kaniki for 15 to 25. In Ujiji, 

 however, many of the purchases were rejected, because the*bits had become 

 small by wear, or had been chipped off by use. 



7. The staple of commerce is a porcelain bead, of various colours, known 

 in Zanzibar by the generic name of Lafizi. There are three principal kinds. 

 The khanyera or ushanga wampa (white beads) are common throughout the 

 country. The average value at Zanzibar is 6 dollars per frasilah : in 

 Unyamwezi, 4 fundo were equivalent to the shukkah merkani, and 2 to 3 

 to the kaniti ; but the people, glutted with this bead (as many as 20,000 



