Red Sea.] 



ORIENTAL COMMERCE. 



53 



The proportions of monies at Massuah are as follow : — 



3 Borjookes, or grains equal to 1 Kibear. 



10 Kibears „. w 1 Diwani, or Para. 



4 Diwanis „ 1 Harf, or Dahab. 



23 Hurl's 1 Pataka, or Dollar. 



2^ Patakas „ ] Sequin. 



The Wakea is reckoned to be worth 11 J Patakas. 



WEIGHTS* 



10 Cu/Flas, or Drachms... equal to...l Wakea = 400 grains troy. 

 12 Ditto ■ ...1 Mocha. 



BWlbu • ...1 Rottolo,or Liter=10oz. troy.or lOoz. li£g dr.av. 



The Mocha Vakia is to the SI ossuali Wakea as 5 to G. 



Measures. — The ardeb for grain, at Gondar, contains 10 madegas, 

 each weighing 12 ounces Cairo weight, equal to about an eighth of an 

 English bushel. But the ardeb at Massuah contains 24- madegas, and is 

 therefore nearly \ of a bushel. 



The cuba, a liquid measure, contains 62 English cubic inches, equal to 

 2£ pints. 



The principal long measure is the Turkish Pic, I of an English yard. 



PORT MORMNGTON, in latitude 18° 16' N., longitude 38^ 32' E. 

 (the entrance) is a safe harbour, formed by a chain of islands stretching across 

 the entrance of the bay ; the N. W. is protected by a peninsula. The only 

 entrance for large vessels is at the N. extremity of the harbour, though down 

 enter at the S. The passage is rather narrow, but the whole Navy of England 

 might lie securely within, in 5 to 7 fathoms, with a safe bottom. On the W- 

 end of the large island, in the middle of the bay, about six miles from the 

 entrance, is the village of 



B A DOUR, where the Dola resides. It is a miserable place, mostly 

 composed of grass huts. 



Trade. — The only exports are ghee and some tortoiseshcU. Money 

 is little known here. 



Provisions and Refreshments. — Cattle are plentiful,as well as sheep 

 and poultry ; but the prices are high. Water is to be had equal to that of 

 Mocha, which is not very good. 



SOUAKIN, in latitude 19' 5' N., longitude 3T 33' E., is at the ex- 

 tremity of a narrow bay, 12 miles deep, and 2 broad. Towards the bottom 

 are several islands, upon one of which the town itself is built, separated from 

 its suburb, El Geyf, on the main land, by an arm of the sea, about 500 yards 

 wide. The harbour is on the E. side of the town, formed by the projecting 

 continent The arm on the W. affords no anchorage. The islands and 

 country are sandy. The town is decaying : the suburbs improve. The Aga 



