Red Sea.] 



ORIENTAL COMMERCE. 



65 



Duties.— All Indian goods direct from India, pay 5 per cent. ; but any 

 goods brought from Judda, by either Turkish or native merchants, pay 7 

 per cent. Presents are necessary here as at Judda. 



Coins. — The only money is a small piece of base and adulterated silver, 

 about the size of a sixpence, called commassee, and by this all different de- 

 nominations of foreign coins are ascertained. There are likewise half 

 commassees, which are the smallest coin current 



1 Venetian Sequin passes for 90 Commassees. 



1 Fundunclee 80 ditto 



1 Barbary Sequin 80 ditto 



1 Dollar, or Fatack 40 ditto 



When the Indian merchants or vessels are here, the fundunclee is raised 

 3 commassees more ; but all specie is scarce, notwithstanding the quantity 

 brought hither in dollars, which is the coin in which all purchases are made. 

 When it is necessary to change dollars, the shroff, or broker, only allows 

 39 instead of 40 commassees, so that there is a loss on the exchange of 2\ 

 per cent 



Weights.— The weights are the dram, ounce, rottolo, and quintal. 

 Their proportions are as follow :— 



10 Drains equal to......l Ounce. 



10 Ounces .... » 1 Rottolo. 



100 Hottolos 1 Quintal. 



The rottolos are of two sorts, one of 140 drams, which is used in 

 selling fine goods ; the other of 1G0, which is used in weighing sugar, lead, 

 and other heavy articles. There is also another weight, called the faranzula, 

 equal to 20 rottolos. 



Measobe. — The long measure is the peek of 27 inches. 



HODEYDA, the seaport of Beetlefackie, is a town in latitude 15° 10' 

 N., where ships may anchor in soft ground. The harbour is somewhat 

 better than that of Loheia, yet large vessels cannot enter it. The town is 

 large ; some of the buildings are of stone, the rest are huts. 



BEETLEFACKIE is about 30 miles distant from Hodeyda. The 

 town stands on a plain ; the houses separate, many of stone. Its situation is 

 favourable for trade, being only half a day from the hills where coffee grows, 

 and but a few days from Mocha : it is consequently the chief mart for coffee, 

 which attracts merchants from Egypt, Persia, Abyssinia, and India. Banians 

 from Guzerat reside here. Europeans seldom visit Beetlefackie, as they 

 transact their business with the Banians at Mocha. 



Trade, — Coffee is the only product. That intended for India, Muscat, 



E 



