Zanzibar; city, island, and coast. Vol. 2 (of 2)Burton, Richard Francis, Sir
History
Zanzibar; city, island, and coast. Vol. 2 (of 2)
Burton, Richard Francis, Sir
Africa, East -- Description and travel; Ethnology -- Tanzania -- Zanzibar; Zanzibar -- Description and travel
Mombasah, as has been seen, trades with the Wanyika for copal, with the
people of Chaga and Ukamba-ni for ivory, and with the inner tribes
generally for hippopotamus’ teeth, rhinoceros’ horns, cattle, cereals,
and provisions. Slaves are brought from Zanzibar, natives of the country
about and south of Kilwa being preferred. The imports are chiefly
cottons, glass, beads, and hardware. There is no manufacturing industry,
except a few cloths, hand-made in the town. Besides Harar, Mombasah is
the only tropical African city which boasts an indigenous coinage.
During the wars with Sayyid Said, the Mazrui chief, finding a want of
small change, melted down a bronze cannon, and converted it into pieces
a little larger than our six-pence. The bit, which bears on the obverse
the name of Mombasah, whilst the reverse assures the owner that it is
‘money,’ was forcibly circulated, and the value was established at an
equivalent to the measure (Kibabah) of Maize. Since the fall of the
Mazara this purely conventional coin has fallen into disuse, and I was
unable to find specimens of it.
-----
Footnote 1:
The new system of electric signals has again altered the position of
Bombay, which is placed now in E. long. (G.) 72° 48′ 4″. Before that
invention the difference between London and Paris varied from 2° 20′
15″ to 2° 20′ 24″. In 1854 M. Le Verrier determined it from 200
observations to be 2° 20′ 9.45″.
Footnote 2:
This Kisawahili name is usually written by the Arabs ‘Mfíta.’ Dr Krapf
prefers ‘Mwita,’ and remarks that the ‘Wamwita,’ together with
remnants of 11 other tribes, represent the original inhabitants of
Mombasah. The natives would also pronounce Mombasah as Mombásá; and
indeed so it is written by Ibn Batuta (chap. ix.). The silent terminal
aspirate of the Arabic and Persian becomes in Kisawahili a long á,
e.g. Ndílá, a coffee-pot, from the Arabic Dallah and Daríshá, a
window, from the Persian Daricheh. The translation of El Idrisi
(Climate I. sect. 7), gives Manisa two days from Melinde, evidently a
conception of Mvita. Capt. Hamilton (India, chap. i.) unduly contracts
it to ‘Mombas,’ and this seems to be the cacography adopted of late
years.
Footnote 3:
In the original—
Estava a ilha a terra tão chegada
Que humo estreito pequeno a dividia;
Huma cidade nella situada
Que da fronte do mar apparecia;
De nobres edificios fabricada
Como por fóra ao longe descobria;
Regida por hum Rei de antigua idade,
Mombaça he o nome da ilha e da cidade.
LUSIAD, i. 103.
Footnote 4:
In 1823 the Arabs informed Capt. Boteler ‘that in some rivers in the
vicinity gold in small quantities was at times procured’ (Narrative of
a Voyage of Discovery, &c., vol. ii., chap. i.).
Footnote 5:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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