The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-12-28

cloth, and in Kanem cotton shirt is the
regular standard of money.
On the other hand, in Dikoa, in Ade-
mouah, in Logone, and elsewhere small cot
ton strips are the regular currency. In
Bagirari these strips are so small that from
20 to $50 of them would have TO be pieced
together to make shirt. In Darfoor the
gray, course shifting circulates as money,
and in Tout, in Upper Egypt, this material
is dyed dark or blue and then cut into
pieces OF three yards length
Glass beads are also much in vogue as
money, but in them taste differs and
changes so continually among the different
tribes that their value as a standard of
money is materially depressed More than
once has an African explorer suddenly
found himself in a territory where the
beads he had brought along would no
longer pass muster with toe native bellies,
since they had recently taken a liking to
another kind of bead.
And the only way to make them take his
beads in payment for provisions was by
allowing generous discount on their pre-
viously ascertained value. In the south
western districts of Africa large red beads,
either of oval or cylindrical form, are still
the favorltes, also small beads of indigo
hue, small black ones, and others with red
dots.
An extensive field is covered by the kaori
currency--those tiny shells of porcelain
appearance and of lively hue, which are
found in enormous quantities in the NAL
divian group of islands. The color is white
and yellow or brown. This little shell
measures from two-thirds to one and half
inches in length. and is shipped either to
London first or else direct to Africa. A ton
of these kaoris costs in Ceylon from $3.50 to
1915.
These little shells have BEEN in African
trade for many centuries. The Arab
trader, lou Batuta, noticed them along the
Niger in the fourteenth century. The first
Portuguese marines likewise passed them
among the natives all along the coast of
West Africa. Originally probably these
kaori shells obtained their popularity in
Africa because of their easy adaptation for
purposes of personal decoration. Their
value, however, has steadily deprecated.
Grant, the companion Of Spoke, the ex-
plorer, reported that in sUnjoxo the kaori
money was being buried 10 the ground by
the natives so as to hide it from the de-
spoiler, much as coined money was formerly
buried In other countries during time of
war, Thirty-five years ago in the Unjoxo
country ten kaori bought COW. Now O
whole load Of them is required. Burton, an
explorer, says about it: vt is very pleas
ant sort of money to carry around. To
carry co worth of it it is necessary to hire
a strong man."
The last kind of money in Africa is cattle
and other animals Oxen are, of course.
she chief commodity, but horses, camels,
goats and dogs are also in the list. A mans
wealth is thus estimated. much as In the
days Of the biblical pstriarchs, according
to the number of his cattle. A father will
sell his daughter among the Unyanmwazi
for one up TO ten cows. A Lomali asks of
poor wooer from ten to twenty borses, Of
a wealthy one from 100 upward, together
with fifty camels. and 300 sheep. On the
other hand, in Uganda four oxen are suffi>
Gent to buy the most perfectly formed
village belle. provided six needles and box
Of cartridges are thrown in.