also one of his perquisites, as well as his freight treasure: he draws the following primage, vix. on every 1,250 cruse, he has one German crown; the signing every bill of lading, one German crown; every passenger on going on board, one German crown; and on every bale, chest, bundle, or package whatsoever of freight, 25 duanees each. The aforegoing instructions will, to a certain extent, be applicable to other places in the Gulph. COINS.-Accounts are kept in Cruse and Duanees, 40 of the latter making one of the former. No money is coined here. Foreign coins of all denominations pass current. From the great influx of pilgrims, large quantities of small coins are in circulation; but they are never carried out of the country by Europeans. List of Silver and Gold Coins at Judda, and what they The exchange at Judda fluctuates; but the general average may be taken at 250 Judda Cruse per 100 Spanish Head Dollars. The Pillar and Head Dollars are esteemed here of the same value, although the Pillar is about 2 per cent. better than the Head. French Crowns are 13 per cent. less, though of equal standard, by which an advantage may be gained in purchasing French Crowns or Pillar Dollars; but, if possible, the taking any gold coins to India should be avoided. A comparative View of the relative Value of Coins taken 100 Mexico Dollars will mint 239 2 44 0 100 Old Abassees will mint... 226 3 80 The above statement will be found pretty correct, exclusive of mintage, which amounts to about 4 per cent. One hundred ounces of standard silver will bring 258 or 259 Arcot Rupees; and there being only one per cent. difference between Arcot and Madras Rupees, makes it 7 per cent.: better thus to sell to the shroffs, than coin it into Madras Rupees. WEIGHTs are Vakias, Maunds, Frazils, and Bahars, and are thus But as all goods are weighed by the steelyards, after the Turkish manner, the European as well as the Turkey merchants are obliged to rest contented with such weights as the weigher thinks proper to give them. No merchants are allowed to weigh goods, when bought or sold, at their houses; besides this, there is an unreasonable custom of certain allowances on all weighable goods; the particulars of such allowances, besides the tares, being as follow: PROVISIONS AND REFRESHMENTS.-Sheep and a few bullocks are procurable at high prices. The bazar is well supplied with fruit and vegetables. Europeans are subject to much insolence from the natives in going to the bazar. LOHEIA, a considerable town, in latitude 15° 44' N. longitude 42° 44' E. It is at the bottom of a deep bay, protected by the large island Camaran, and a group of smaller to the N. W. Most of the houses are mud huts; some are of stone. It is unwalled, but not quite defenceless. The harbour is so shallow, that even the smallest vessels anchor at a great distance from the town; and at low water laden boats cannot approach it. TRADE.-A considerable trade in coffee is carried on, though the commodity is not reckoned so good as that from Beetlefackie, shipped at Mocha and Hodeda, but is cheaper, and the carriage to Judda costs less. Some Cairo merchants reside here, and Banians employed in different trades. DUTIES.-All Indian goods direct from India, pay 5 per cent.; but any goods brought from Judda, by either Turkish or native merchants, pay 7 per cent. Presents are necessary here as at Judda. COINS. The only money is a small piece of base and adulterated silver, about the size of a sixpence, called commassee, and by this all different denominations of foreign coins are ascertained. There are likewise half commassees, which are the smallest coin current. When the Indian merchants or vessels are here, the fundunclee is raised 3 commassees more; but all specie is scarce, notwithstanding the quantity brought hither in dollars, which is the coin in which all purchases are made. When it is necessary to change dollars, the shroff, or broker, only allows 39 instead of 40 commassees, so that there is a loss on the exchange of 21 per cent. WEIGHTS.—The weights are the dram, ounce, rottolo, and quintal. Their proportions are as follow: The rottolos are of two sorts, one of 140 drams, which is used in selling fine goods; the other of 160, which is used in weighing sugar, lead, and other heavy articles. There is also another weight, called the faranzula, equal to 20 rottolos. MEASURE. The long measure is the peek of 27 inches. HODEYDA, the seaport of Beetlefackie, is a town in latitude 15° 10' N., where ships may anchor in soft ground. The harbour is somewhat better than that of Loheia, yet large vessels cannot enter it. The town is large; some of the buildings are of stone, the rest are huts. BEETLEFACKIE is about 30 miles distant from Hodeyda. The town stands on a plain; the houses separate, many of stone. Its situation is favourable for trade, being only half a day from the hills where coffee grows, and but a few days from Mocha: it is consequently the chief mart for coffee, which attracts merchants from Egypt, Persia, Abyssinia, and India. Banians from Guzerat reside here. Europeans seldom visit Beetlefackie, as they transact their business with the Banians at Mocha. TRADE. Coffee is the only product. That intended for India, Muscat, E or Europe, is first brought by land to Mocha; that designed for Judda, is shipped at Hodeyda. DUTIES on coffee are of two sorts-the inland, paid at Beetlefackie, on all consumed in the kingdom, as well as exported; and the foreign duty on that sent abroad, of which the quantity is immense. The inland and foreign duty, camel-hire to Mocha, and charges on shipping, amount to about 20 Spanish dollars the bahar. COINS.-All foreign coins pass current here; and as coffee is always paid for in ready money, various kinds are met with. Payments are mostly made in sequins and Spanish dollars. The commassee is a small copper coin, containing a little silver, and used in small payments. A Spanish dollar is worth from 40 to 80 commassees. 100 dollars in specie are equal to 121 piastres of account: hence this piastre may be valued at 3s. 8d. sterling. The Accounts are kept here in piastres or Mocha dollars of 80 carats or cavears; and also in Spanish dollars, consisting of 40 cavears. cavears are imaginary money, both here and at Mocha. Of coffee 14 Vakias make a Rattle; of dates, jaggery, candles, and iron, 16 Vakias make a Rattle. The latter weight is only used in the Bazar. 7 Frazils in Mocha are equivalent to 10 Frazils in Beetlefackie. A bale of coffee is 14 Frazils, and the allowance for tare, 8 Maunds. A Tommond of rice contains 40 Kellas, and weighs 168 lbs. avoirdupois. Cotton is sold per Harraff, an imaginary money, 9 of which are equal to 11 Mocha Dollars, or Piastres of account. The weights at this place are seldom exact, though annually rectified by the Imaum's shroff. MEASURES.-These are as follow: CLOTH MEASURE. The Covid is 18 inches, English. The long Iron Covid is 27 ditto. LIQUID MEASURE. The Caddy, or Gudda, contains MOCHA, the principal port in the Red Sea, frequented by Europeans, is in latitude 13° 20′ N., longitude 43° 20′ E., 40 miles N. of Cape Babelmandel. The town is situated between two low points of land, projecting from the shore, so as to form a bay, which shelters ships whose draught allows them to anchor within a mile of the town; other vessels lie further out, and are exposed as in an open road. A large ship, in approaching Mocha from the S., must, to avoid the shoals, not come under 14 fathoms till the spire or dome of the great Mosque bears E. S. E.; she is then to the N. of the sandhead, and may haul up for the road, and anchor in any depth, from 5 to 8 fathoms, the great Mosque about E. S. E., off-shore, 2 to 3 miles. The town is built close to the sea; it lies due N. and S., 1 mile long, but of unequal breadth; it is strongly walled with stone, and defended by castles, near one of which is the only gate by which goods or passengers can enter seaward. Here is the station where goods imported and exported are examined and registered. From this gate there runs out due W. a stone pier, convenient for loading and unloading goods. The town makes a respectable and even elegant appearance from the sea; the houses are lofty, and built of stone. TRADE, carried on between British India and the Red Sea, is considerable, and much in favour of the former. The principal article of export from Mocha is coffee, most of which is sent to Judda in Mocha or Judda vessels, whence the surplus of what is required for the home consumption, is sent to Suez, in ships coming annually from thence, which have an exclusive right to the trade. No ship from Mocha, Muscat, or India, may enter any port beyond Judda. Coffee is prohibited to be carried from Mocha to Judda, except in ships of either port. The greater part of the foreign trade is transacted by Banians, with whom it is safer to deal than with either Turks or Arabs. Foreign goods are sold on credit, and payment made in three instalments, or entire on a certain day, according to agreement. Coffee is always paid for in ready money. All produce is likewise sold by tale or weight, at so much the Spanish dollar, and a credit given; or, if ready money be paid, a discount of 9 per cent. is allowed. DUTIES AND PORT CHARGES.-By the recent treaty with the Imaum, it is stipulated, that "the anchorage duty of 400 German crowns shall cease on British ships when they land cargoes; hereafter no duty on this account shall be paid, whether the cargo is landed or not, the same as His Majesty's ships and those of the Honourable Company." Also, "that the export duty on British trade shall be 21 per cent., and that the import duty shall be the same to the English, and all their subjects, and no more shall be levied than 21 per cent. on imports and exports." All subjects of the British Government |