Page:Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile - In the Years 1768, 1769, 1770, 1771, 1772, and 1773 volume 3.djvu/75

Rh at a cuba for 10 paras. It is brought from near Hodeida, though it is sometimes found at Konfodah and Loheia. There are a few also at Dahalac, but not esteemed: these pass for money among the Djawi and other western Galla.

cuba is a wooden measure, containing, very exactly, 62 cubic inches of rain water. The drachm is called Caila; there is 10 drachms in their wakea.

Gold, 16 patakas per wakea.

Civet, 1¾ pataka the wakea.

Elephants teeth, 18 patakas for 35 rotol.

Wax, 4 patakas the faranzala.

Myrrh, 3 patakas per ditto.

Coffee, 1 pataka the 6 rotol.

Honey, ¼ of a pataka the cuba,

Banians were once the principal merchants of Masuah; but the number is now reduced to six. They are silver-smiths, that make ear-rings and other ornaments for the women in the continent, and are assayers of gold; they make, however, but a poor livelihood.

there is no water in Masuah, the number of animals belonging to it can be but small. The sea fowl have nothing singular in them, and are the grey and the white gull, and the small bird, called the sea-lark, or pickerel. The sky-lark is here, but is mute the whole year, till the first rains fall in November; he then mounts very high, and sings in the very heat of the day. I saw him in the Tehama, but he did not sing there; probably for the reason given above, as there was no rain.