54 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 
Tue zermabub, or fequin of Conftantinople, is not current 
here. Thofe that have them, can only difpofe of them to 
the women, wuo hang them about their temples, to their 
necklaces, and round the necks of their children, The 
fraction of the pataka is the half and pines which pais 
here likewife. 
THERE is a confiderable deal of trade carried on at Mafuah, 
notwithftanding thefe inconveniencies, narrow and confin- 
ed as the ifland is, and violent and unjuft as is the govern- 
ment. But it is all done in a flovenly manner, and for 
articles where a fmall capital is invefted. Property here 
is too precarious to rifk a venture in valuable commo- 
dities, where the hand of power enters into every tranfac- 
tion. 
Tue goods imported from the Arabian fide are blue cot- 
ton, Surat cloths,and cochineal ditto, called Kermis, fine cloth 
from different markets in India; coarfe white cotton cloths 
from Yemen; cotton unfpun from ditto in bales; Venetian 
beads, chryftal, drinking, and looking-glafles; and cohol, or 
crude antimony. Thefe three laft articles come in great 
quantities from Cairo, firft in the coffee fhips to Jidda, and 
then in {mall barks over to this port. Old copper too is an 
article on which much is gained, and great quantity is im- 
ported. 
Tue Galla, and all the various tribes to the weftward of 
Gondar, wear bracelets of this copper; and they fay at times, 
that, near the country of Gongas and Guba, it has been 
fold, weight for weight, with gold. There is.a fhell like- 
wi.e here, a univalve of the {pecies of volutes, which fells 
4 at 
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