MOSAMBIftUE. 
57 
Muksim. Most of the natives sharpen their teeth, and polish 
them to a point. They traffic in elephants teeth, panthers 
skins and silk. They have islands in the sea, from which 
they collect cowries to adorn their persons, and they use them 
in traffic one with another at an established rate.* Adjoining 
" to these lies the land of the Diim-a-dum.'' (Here we certainly 
have a description of the Galla.) It is situated on the Nile, 
bordering on the Zinji. The inhabitants are Infidels, and the 
Tartars among the blacks, consisting of savage tribes of free- 
hooters, who continually take captive and plunder every thing 
that falls in their way. In their country the river divides ; one 
^' branch going towards Egypt, and the other to the country of 
the Zinji. t Sofala 't il Dhab adjoins the eastern borders of the 
Zinji ; it is an extensive district, and mines of iron are found 
in it, which the people of the country work and sell to the 
" traders from Ind, who give a high price for it, on account of 
its being harder and of better temper than that which they 
*^ obtain in their own country, and they purify it and make it 
into steel, which admits of a durable edge ; the natives them- 
selves also make swords of it, and other offensive weapons* 
The most remarkable produce of this country is its quantity 
of native gold that is found, in pieces of two or three MeskallaJ 
* The greater part of the ahove description is still applicable to the negro tribes 
residing on the coast. 
t By this I conceive is meant the Nil 1' Mugdesso (or river of Magadasho,) which takes 
its rise from the same chain of mountains as the Abaid or Nile of Egypt. 
X This is probably the Metigal, by which they still weigh the gold at Mosambique j it 
contains 108 grains avoirdupois. 
