400 



THE LAKE REGIONS OF CENTRAL AFRICA. 



These notes upon the prices of importations into Central 

 Africa rest upon the authority of the Hindus, and principally 

 of Ladha Pamha, the collector of customs at Zanzibar. Speci- 

 mens of the cloths were deposited with the Royal Geographical 

 Society of London, and were described by the kindness of Mr. 

 Alderman Botterill, f.e.g.S. 



Remain for consideration the minor and local items of traffic. 



The skull-caps are of two kinds. One is a little fez, locally 

 called kummah. It is made in France, rarely at Bagdad, and 

 sells at Zanzibar for 5 dols. 50 cents to 9 dollars per dozen. 

 The cheaper kind is preferred in Unyamwezi ; it is carried up 

 from the coast by Arab slaves and Wasawahili merchants, and 

 is a favourite wear with the sultan and the mtongi. At Unyan- 

 yembe the price of the fez rises to 1 dollar. The " alfiyyah" is 

 the common Surat cap, worked with silk upon a cotton ground ; 

 it is affected by the Diwans and Shomwis of the coasts. The 

 6( vis-gol," or 20-stitch, preferred for importation, cost 8 dollars 

 per score; the ft tris-gol," or 30-stich, 13 dollars*, and the 

 " chalis-gol," or 40-stitcb, 18 dollars. 



Besides these articles, a little hardware finds its way into the 

 country. Knives, razors, fish-hooks, and needles are useful, 

 especially in the transit of Uzaramo. As an investment they 

 are useless ; the people, who make for themselves an article 

 which satisfies their wants, will not part with valuables to 

 secure one a little better. They have small axes and sharp 

 spears, consequently they will not buy dear cutlery ; they have 

 gourds, and therefore they care little for glass and china. The 

 Birmingham trinkets and knicknacks, of which travellers take 

 large outfits to savage and barbarous countries, would in East 

 Africa be accepted by women and children as presents, but 

 unless in exceptional cases they would not procure a pound of 

 grain; mirrors are cheap and abundant at Zanzibar, yet they 

 are rarely imported into the interior. The people will devise 

 new bijouterie for themselves, but they will not borrow it from 

 strangers. In the maritime regions, where the tribes are more 

 civilised, they will covet such foreign contrivances, as dollars, 

 blankets, snuff-boxes, and tin cylinders which can be converted 

 into tobacco pouches: the Wanyamwezi would not regard 

 them. Similarly in Somaliland, a case of Birmingham goods 

 carried through the country returned to Aden almost full. 



Coffee, sugar, and soap may generally be obtained in small 

 quantities from the Arabs of Unyanyembe. At Zanzibar the 

 price of common coffee is 3 dollars 75 cents, and of Mocha 5 

 dollars 50 cents per frasilah. Sugar is of three kinds : the 



