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THE LAKE REGIONS OP CENTRAL AFRICA. 



The people of East Africa when first visited were satisfied 

 with the worst and flimsiest kaniki or indigo-clyed Indian cotton. 

 This they presently gave up for the "merkani," American 

 " domestics," or unbleached shirting and sheeting, which now 

 supplies the markets from Abyssinia to the Mozambique. But 

 the wild men are losing predilection for a stuff which is neither 

 comfortable nor durable, and in many regions the tribes, satisfied 

 with goat-skins and tree-barks, prefer to invest their capital in 

 the more attractive and durable beads and wire. It would evi- 

 dently be advantageous if England or her Indian colonies would 

 manufacture an article better suited to the wants of the country 

 than that at present in general use ; but, under existing cir- 

 cumstances, there is little probability of this being done. 



The (i domestics " from the mills near Salem, Lawrence, 

 Manchester, and others, called in the island of Zanzibar wilaiti 

 ("foreign "), or khami (the "raw "), is known throughout the 

 inner country as " merkani " or American. These unbleached 

 cottons are of two kinds : the wilaiti mpana (broad) or sheeting, 

 sold in pieces about 30 yards long and 36 to 38 inches broad, 

 and the wilaiti kabibu (narrow) or shirting, of the same length 

 but less in breadth, from 32 to 34 inches. In the different 

 mills the lengths vary, the extremes being 24 and 36 yards. 

 The cloth measures in use throughout the country are the 

 following : — 



2| Fitr (short spans) = 1 Mukono, Ziraa, or cubit. 



2'Mikono, or Ziraa (cubits) = 1 Half-Shukkah (i.e. 3 feet of domestics). 



2 Half-Shukkah = 1 Shukkah, Mwenda,Upande,or Lupande, the 



Portuguese Braqa(i.e. 6 feet of domestics). 

 2 Shukkahs = 1 Tobe (Ar. Saub), Doti, Unguo ya ku shona 



(washing cloth), or simply Unguo (12 ft.) 

 2 Doti = 1 Takah. 



7 to 11 Doti = 1 Jurah or Gorah, the piece. 



The fitr or short span is from the extended end of the fore- 

 finger to the thumb ; the shibr or long span is from the thumb 

 to the little finger ; of these, two go to that primitive measure 

 the cubit or elbow length. Two cubits in long measure com- 

 pose the war or yard, and two war the ba'a or fathom. 



The price of domestics greatly varies in dear years and cheap 

 years. At Zanzibar it sometimes falls to 2 dols. per gorah or 

 piece, and it often rises to 2*75 dols. When the dollar is 

 alluded to, the Maria Theresa crown is always meant. The 

 price in Bombay is from 213 to 215 Co.'s rs. per cent. At 

 Zanzibar the crown is divided like the rupee into 16 annas, and 

 each anna into 9 or 8 pice of these the full number is 128 to 



