WeRead Powered by ReaderPub
Zanzibar; city, island, and coast. Vol. 2 (of 2) cover

Zanzibar; city, island, and coast. Vol. 2 (of 2)

Chapter 20: Appendix C.
Open in WeRead

About This Book

This volume offers a traveler's account of the East African coast combining shipboard narrative, landward marches, and ethnographic observation. It follows coastal passages and visits to ports, mission houses, and plantations, records encounters with diverse communities and tribal groups, and describes inland ascents, diplomatic exchanges, and field hunts. Interwoven are details on commerce, agriculture, and daily life, while appendices present thermometric, meteorological, and commercial notes and voyage observations, providing both lively reportage and systematic data on the geography, peoples, and economy of the coast and adjacent interior.

Coast Grain 1 German crown per 15 Kaylah.
Indian   ” 1     ” 16    ”

At harvest time even 130 Kaylah may be bought for a dollar.

Muhindy or maize—
  Coast grain 1 German crown per 16 Kaylah.
Wheat (all imported)—
  1st quality 10 German crowns per Kandi.
  2nd    ” 9
Flour (America) 4 per barrel.
   ”     (Maskat) 2 to 3         ”   ”  Juniyah.
Bájri, Arabic Dukhn, Guinea corn, Pennisetum typhoideum (imported) the best from Cutch 1 German crown per 13 Kaylah.

Of this grain not more than 50 sacks are grown on the Island.

Pulse.
Lobiya (best and largest is the white from Mozambique) 1 German crown per 8 Kaylah.
Lobiya (smaller reddish) 1 ”   10   ”
     ”     (small red) 1 ”   12   ”
     ”     (inferior) 1 ”   14   ”
Chaná, Arab. Hummus, Persian Nukhud, Kis. ‘dengu’ Anglo-Indian ‘gram’ from Port. Grão (Mandavie best) 12 German crowns per Kandi.
Chaná (Banjáru red, called black) 8
Chaná (Jambusiri yellow, called white) 8
Sesamum (Tel, Kunjid, or Futa) 1 German crown per 7 Kaylah.

This article has greatly varied of late in price: from 6 to 8½ Kaylah have been bought for a dollar.

Thúr[80] (Arab. Túriyán Kis. Baradi) 1 German crown per 10 Kaylah.
Mung (Persian Mash Kis. Chiroko) 1 ”    9    ”
(small and green, boiled and eaten in pillows.)
Urat[81] (or Papri Kis. P’hawi) 1 German crown per 10 Kaylah.
Mustard seed 1 ”    12    ”

Mahogo or Manioc, five small pieces for a pice. It is extraordinarily dear.

Cucumbers—three per pice. They are brought from the coast.

Betel-nut—from seven to eight per pice.

Betel-leaves—the Rabtah of 30 leaves (it sometimes contains 50) for a pice.

Fruits.

Cocoa-nuts—7½ German crowns per 1000.

Mangos now a fancy price—half a dollar will be paid for the Kafír, or basket, which costs 4 or 5 pice in the season.

Jack-fruit—3, 4, or 5 pice a piece.

Oranges now in season. Three pice for 50 or 60 good fruit, and 100 if inferior.

Plantains are out of season. From half a dollar to two dollars per bunch.

Pine-apples rare—5, 6, or 7 pice each. When cheap they are to be had for half a pice.

Dates.
  Best quality ¾ German crown per Farsaleh.
  2nd     ” 11 Annas     ”    
  3rd     ” 10       ”    
  4th     ” 9       ”    
 
Ghee.
  Best quality 8 German crowns per Farsaleh.
  2nd     ”     ”    
  3rd     ” 6     ”    
 
Meats.
  Goats’ flesh 1 German crown per 10 lbs.
  Mutton 1   ”  11 lbs.

Beef is sold by the bullock, costing on an average $8.

Fowls—8 large, 12 half-fowls, or 16 chickens, $1.

Ducks—(the pair), $1.

Geese—(each), $1.

Sharks’ meat, salted—one piece about 1 oz. weight per pice.

Eggs—One per pice; when cheap, three.

Milk—From 6 to 8 pice per bottle.

Sugars.
  Soft German crowns per Farsaleh.
  Candy 6
  Halwa 1 per 8 Maunds.

Honey is not procurable at this season. Bees-wax varies from 7 to 8 dollars per Farsaleh.

Salt (imported)—1 German crown per 43 Kaylah. During the season 60 Kaylah may be had.

Coffees.
  Mocha 6 German crowns per Farsaleh.
  Cochin

Tea—A very inferior kind is sold by Kojahs for 4 Annas, and another but little better for 6 Annas, the pound.

Oils.
  Sweet (cocoa) German crowns per Farsaleh.
  Bitter (sesamum)
  Turpentine 2 per gallon.
  Linseed (bad)
 
Spices.
  Black pepper German crowns per Farsaleh.
  Red ditto   now fetches fancy prices.
  Cloves 1⅞ German crowns per Farsaleh.
  Ginger
  Nutmegs 30
 
Garm Masallah.
  Zira (cummin) 3 German crowns per Farsaleh.
  Garlic 4
  Coriander 1 per 15 Kaylah.
  Cinnamon per Farsaleh.
  Cardamoms 27
  Turmeric,      
    ”  best quality 2
    ”  second
  Ginger
  Camphor 6 Annas per pound.
 
Metals.
  Lead 1 German crown per 3 Maunds (9 lbs.).
  Tin, best 10 per Farsaleh.
    ”  second quality 9
  Iron (Swedish)
    ”  (English) 1 and 6 Annas
  Brass wire (No. 8) German crowns per Maund.
      ”     (No. 7) 1
      ”     (fine) ¾
  Iron wire  (No. 8) 5
      ”      (No. 7) 4
      ”      (fine) 3

There is no copper wire, as the Arabs refuse to pay the price; yet some tribes in the interior demand it.

Various articles.
  Copal (best) 9 German crowns per Farsaleh.
    ”    (2nd) 7
    ”    (3rd)
    ”    (inferior) 4
  Wax Candles 12 Annas the dozen.  

Formerly the Americans brought excellent candles; the Arabs, however, fancied that they contained pigs’ grease, and now none are procurable.

  French Writing-paper 4 German crowns per ream.
  2nd quality 2
  3rd quality 14 Annas
  Post-paper German crowns
  Portuguese
 
Hides.
  Brava 23 German crowns per Korjah (20).
  Pemba 10
  Common
 
Goat-skins.
  1st quality German crowns
  2nd ditto
 
Soap (European).
  20 bars, in box German crown.  
  12 cakes, perfumed 1  
  ”6 cakes, in box ¾  
  12 cakes, inferior ½  
  Country soap per Farsaleh.
  Potash ¾

A few cigars are sold by the shopkeepers. They are of very inferior quality, and cost about half a dollar for a bundle of 25.

Paint.
  Red, per tub German crowns.  
  Black    ” 2  
  White    ”  
  Blue     ” 2  
  Pitch 2 per Farsaleh.
  Tar  

APPENDIX II.
A. B.
THERMOMETRIC OBSERVATIONS IN EAST AFRICA.

Appendix A.

OBSERVATIONS TAKEN IN ZANZIBAR TOWN, BETWEEN MARCH, 1853, AND JUNE, 1853.
Register. March, 1853. April, 1853. May, 1853. June, 1853.
Extreme height of barometer during the month 30.140 30.100 30.200 30.272
Extreme depression     ”     ”     ” 29.892 29.938 29.990 30.088
Mean of barometer at sunrise 30.044 30.023 30.114 30.166
  ”      ”        10 A.M. 30.061 30.029 30.116 30.189
  ”      ”         4 P.M. 29.985 29.992 30.080 30.135
  ”      ”        10 P.M. 30.016 30.016 30.084 30.157
Extreme height of dry thermometer during the month 90° 87° 86° 81°
Extreme depression   ”      ”         79° 76° 72° 73°
Mean of thermometer at sunrise 83°.290 80°.766 77°.807 75°.300
  ”      ”        10 A.M. 84°.096 82°.366 79°.450 77°.600
  ”      ”         4 P.M. 85°.193 82°.966 79°.419 78°.800
  ”      ”        10 P.M. 83°.806 82°.166 78°.677 77°.866
Greatest difference between 11°
          dry and wet bulbs        
least     ”       ”       ”
Extreme fall of rain, inches 1.7 3.76 5.63 none
Total fall of rain, inches 5.34 18.34 24.03 none
General direction of wind at sunrise. N. and E. S.W. S.W. S.W.
  ”      ”        10 A.M. N. and W. S.W. S.W. S.W.
  ”      ”         4 P.M. N. and W. S.W. and S.E. S.W. S.W.
  ”      ”        10 P.M. S.E. and N.E. S.W. and S.E. S.W. S.W. and S.E.
         
Note. The evaporating dish had not reached Zanzibar when these observations were recorded.        
N.B. Medium temperature generally assumed to be 79° (F.), and the mercury rarely rises above 89° (F.)        
OBSERVATIONS TAKEN IN ZANZIBAR TOWN, BETWEEN JULY, 1853, AND FEBRUARY, 1854.
Register. July, 1853. November, 1853. December, 1853. January, 1854. February, 1854.
Extreme height of barometer during the month 30.362 30.184 30.132 30.142 30.104
Extreme depression    ”    ” 30.112 29.886 29.928 29.900 29.850
Mean of barometer at sunrise 30.227 30.120 30.050 30.035 30.023
  ”        ”        10 A.M. 30.237 30.132 30.068 30.049 30.051
  ”        ”         3 P.M. 30.190 30.050 29.993 29.986 29.961
  ”        ”        10 P.M. 30.181 30.088 30.014 29.977 29.986
Extreme height of dry thermometer during the month 82° 88° 89° 90° 90°
Extreme depression        ”        ” 70° 75° 77° 82° 78°
Mean of thermometer at sunrise 74°.645 80°.066 82°.030 83°.580 83°.892
  ”        ”        10 A.M. 77°.741 83°.300 84°.483 85°.870 86°
  ”        ”         4 P.M. 78°.483 84°.666 86°.095 86°.741 87°
  ”        ”        10 P.M. 78°.064 84°.433 85°.129 86°.161 86°.535
Greatest difference between 11° 11° 11° 10° 11°
        dry and wet bulbs          
Least     ”        ”       ”
Extreme fall of rain, inches 0.96 2.34 2.10 2.32 1.84
Total fall of rain, inches 1.38 11.80 7.90 12.14 3.44
General direction of wind S.W. S.E. and S.W. N.E. N.E. N.E.
        at sunrise          
  ”       ”        10 A.M. S.W. S.E. and S.W. N.E. N.E. N.E.
  ”       ”         4 P.M. S.W. and S.E. S.W. N.E. N.E. N.E.
  ”       ”        10 P.M. S.W. and S.E. S.W. N.E. and S.E. N.E. N.E.
    Total evaporation Greatest evaporation Least evaporation    
    during the month. in any one day. in any one day.    
The evaporating dish showed          
In January (1857)inches 2.36 .09 .04    
  February  ”    ”     2.19 .10 .05    
  March     ”    ”     2.49 .09 .06    
  April     ”    ”     1.76 .10 .03    

APPENDIX B.

OBSERVATIONS MADE AT PANGA-NI AND CHOGWE, FEBRUARY 1857.
Date. 10 A.M. 4 P.M. Remarks.
4 Feb. 85°     86° 30′     In house Panga-ni: long upper room, open to E. and S. Clear day, fine breeze from E.
5   ” 87°     86°      
6   ” 87°     89° in boat Sky clear. High E. wind. Scud at night.
7   ” 92° hut at Chogwe 91° hut at Chogwe Wind N.E. Stars and moon hidden by scud.
8   ” 89° 30′ 90° 30′ At midnight 74°. Heavy dew. Scud at night. Rain in mountains.
9   ” 78° 30′     79°     Both obs. made in Tongwe Fort.
10   ” 85°           Obs. taken in shade of rock. Jungle below Tongwe. Very hot day.
Sums 604° 0′ 522° 0′ B. P. Therm, by Newman at
 Panga-ni, 212.2 Temp. 85°
 Chogway 212.1     ”    89°
 Tongwe,    208.8    ”    81°
Means 86° 17′     87° 0′    
OBSERVATIONS MADE ON ROUTE TO FUGA, FEBRUARY, 1857.
Date. 10 A.M. 4 P.M. Remarks
11   ” 91° (Nullah) 99° (Do.) N. E. wind. Flaming day. Clear evening and night.
12   ” 86° 30′ (hut at Kohode facing N.) 96° Cloudy morn. Hot day. At night sheet-lightning over Usumbara hills.
13   ” 87° (tree facing N.) 92° (3 P.M.) Wind N. E. Lightning at night. Heavy nimbus from Usumbara, rain coming up against wind.
14   ” 85° (ditto) 81° Pasunga under shed S.W. rainy Monsoon begins. S.W. wind. Cloudy day. Storm at 4 P.M. Therm. 76°.
15   ” 80° (shed) 75° hill-top S.W. wind. Rain in morn and at night. Mists over hills. Clouds.
16   ” 79° (hut Fuga) 73° (hut) N.E. wind. No sun or stars for lights. Rain at night.
17   ” 72° (hut below Fuga in rain) 90° Pasunga S.W. wind. Stormy. Heavy rain 9 to 10 A. M. Canopus visible.
Sums 580° 30′ 606° B. P. at
        Kohode, 210.7 Therm 80°
  Msiki Mguru,  209.8  ”  80°
       Pasunga, 209.8  ”  85°
           Fuga, 205.0  ”  79°
Means 82° 51′ 86° 34′  
OBSERVATIONS MADE ON RETURN TO CHOGWE, FEBRUARY, 1857.
Date. 10 A.M. 4 P.M. Remarks.
18 Feb. 79° (open air)        
19  ” 93° (tree) 84°     At Kizanga. N.E. wind. Rained half day. At noon in shade 101°. During storm 76°.
20  ” 89° ditto 90° Hut, Chogwe N.E. wind. Rain ceased. Stinging sun. Cloudy night.
21  ”       87° N.E. wind. Cloudy. Veiled sky.
22  ” 84° Hut, Chogwe 86° Nimbus from S.W. against wind. No rain.
23  ” 92°       N.E. wind. Close, cloudy, dusty weather. Hot night.
24  ” 90°       Hot air. Close and cloudy. Dust like sand.
Sums 527° 347°
Means 87° 50′ 86° 45′  
OBSERVATIONS MADE ON RETURN TO PANGA-NI, FEBRUARY, 1857.
Date. 10 A.M. 4 P.M. Remarks.
25 Feb. 90°     89°     Both in hut, Chogwe. N.E. wind, fine day.,
26  ” 86°     82°     Both in boat. N.E. wind. Very hot sun. Clear night.
27  ” 82° 30′ Governor’s House Panga-ni 85° 30′ Governor’s House Leakage, 10 A.M. Hot night. Cold dews.
28  ”   85° 30′ Ditto. Clear hot day. Cloudy night.
1 March 84° 30′ 85° 30′ Ditto. Cloudy morn. Fine clear day.
Sums 343° 427° 30′  
Means 85° 45′     85° 30′      

APPENDIX II.
C.
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS
MADE IN 1857, 1858, 1859.

Appendix C.

OBSERVATIONS MADE FROM KAOLE TO ZUNGOMERO, DURING THE MONTHS OF JUNE AND JULY, 1857.

DAY

June 28 Barometer at 10 a.m., 30.336; at 4 p.m., 30.646. Therm. at 10 a.m., 83°/(81°); at 4 p.m., 97°/(85°). Zungomero. Cold in morning, 68°. Clear. Cumulus and high wind at 10 a.m. Hot midday. Cumulus (5). Wind fell; rose again about 4 p.m.

29 A march. Cold. Pleasant hot clear sun. Clouds, 4 from S.W. At 4 a.m. cool S.W. wind, therm. 84°.

30 Kaole, Kinga-ni, Boma-ni. Barometer at 10 a.m., 30.438; at 4 p.m., 30.232. Therm. at 10 a.m., 83°/81°; at 4 p.m., 80°/78°. Morning hot. At 9 a.m. clouds, cumulus, and nimbus. At 11 a.m. rain. Clouds and heat-showers all day.

July 1 March. Mkwaju la Mvua-ni. Normal weather. Clouds fleecy, misty, came up with sun. Heavy rain, huge drops about 1 p.m. Cloudy during day. Fine night. Wind S.W.

2 March. Morning fine. Nimbus about noon. No rain. Wind S.W.

3 March. Same as yesterday. Wind S.W.

4 Halt. Sick, uncertain. Day as usual. At night, moon, rainbow, thick clouds. Violent rain. Mcho’o, between 2 Masikas, lasts one day, and then goes off for a time.

5 March. Clear morning. Hot sun. Mist clouds and nimbus. Few drops of rain. Splendid night.

6 March. Clear morning. Hot sun. Mist clouds and nimbus. Few drops of rain. Splendid night.

7 Barometer at 10 a.m., 30.078; at 4 p.m., 30.086. Therm. at 10 a.m., 83°/81°; at 4 p.m., 85°/83°. Clear morning. Hot sun. Mist clouds and nimbus. Few drops of rain. High wind.

8 March. Wild day. Rain frequent, and in huge drops. Furious winds. At night cloudy, wind S.W., as usual.

9 March. Alternately hot, cold, and rainy. Violent gusts. Rain heavy before moon rose. Heavy dew. Wind S.W.

10 March. Morning cloudy. Clear and hot about noon. Fleecy clouds. No rain. Wind light and S.W.

11 Barometer at 10 a.m., 29.325; at 4 p.m., 29.320. Therm. at 10 a.m., 76°/76°; at 4 p.m., 78°/76°. Cloudy morning.

12 March. Madege Madogo. Day fine. Wind and clouds from S.W. Clouds, cumulus after 7 and 8. Wind high.

13 March. Kidunda. Day exactly like yesterday.

14 March. Mgeta. Day normal. Cool in morning (70° or 71°), hot in midday, clouds and cumulus from S.W., and cold at night (68°).

15 March. Kiruru. Day at first misty. Hot sun at noon. Heavy nimbi from S.W. Torrents of rain at night.

16 Halt. Kiruru. Too sick to observe. Steamy hot day. Damp and disagreeable. Nimbi from S.W. at night. About 8 p.m. torrents of rain.

17 Halt. Kiruru. Too sick to observe. Dull day, no sun, wind, or rain. Sky all clouded over from S.W.

18 March. To Duthumî. Day close. Few clouds from S.W. Morning clear. Hot sun. Cloudy afternoon. Cold gusty night.

19 to 23 Halt. Too sick to observe. At Duthumî, perfectly uniform weather. Wind, probably from proximity of hills, from N. and N.E., cold and high. Hot sun. Cloudy morn and afternoon. Cold night, 66°. No rain whatever.

24 March. To Bakera. Red hot day with cold wind. Few cirri from S.W. Cold night.

25 March. To Zungomero. Bright morning. At noon heavy nimbi from S. and S.W. No rain.

26 Halt. Too sick to observe. Little wind. Hot occasional sun. Cloudy from S.W. In hut therm. never varied from between 70° and 80°.

27 Halt. Too sick to observe. Cool cloudy day from the S.W. Impossible to make observations. Very damp country, and mists easily rise.

Remarks.—Air, as Baloch say, lighter and more healthy than Zanzibar.

Showers, accompanied and followed by raffales of cold wind.