THE COMMERCIAL TASTES OF THE WAJIJI. 



83 



would be stripped of his last cloth by recurring con- 

 fiscations, fines, and every annoyance which greed of 

 gain can suggest. Thus, as the sequel will prove, he 

 loses more by overcharges than by the trifling outlay 

 necessary to support the character of a trader. He 

 travels respectably as a "Mundewa" or "Tajir" a merchant, 

 which is ever the highest title given by the people to 

 strangers ; and he can avoid exciting the jealousy of 

 the Arabs by exchanging his tusks with them at a 

 trifling loss when comforts or provisions are required 

 for the road. 



So strange an announcement on my part aroused, as 

 may be supposed, in the minds of the Wajiji marvel, 

 doubt, disbelief, ill-will. " These are men who live 

 by doing nothing ! " exclaimed the race commercial 

 as the sons of Hamburg ; and they lost no time in 

 requesting me to quit their territory sooner than con- 

 venient. To this I objected, offering, however, as com- 

 pensation for the loss of their octrois and perquisites 

 to pay for not trading what others paid for trading. 

 Kannena roughly informed me that he had a claim for 

 "Kiremba, or duties upon all purchases and sales ; two 

 cloths, for instance, per head of slave, or per elephant's 

 tusk; and that, as he expected to gain nothing by 

 brokerage from me, he must receive as compensa- 

 tion, four coil-bracelets and six cotton cloths. These 

 were at once forwarded to him. He then evidenced his 

 ill-will in various ways, and his people were not slow 

 in showing the dark side of their character. They 

 threatened to flog Sayfu, the old Msawahili of Chole, 

 for giving me hints concerning prices. The two sur- 

 viving riding asses were repeatedly wounded with 

 spears. Thieves broke into the outhouses by night, 

 and stole all the clothes belonging to the Jemadar and 



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