This money is very base adulterated silver, if indeed there is any in it. It has the appearance of pewter; on the one side is written Olmass, the name of the Imam; on the other, Emir el Moumeneen, Prince of the Faithful, or True Believers; a title, first taken by Omar after the death of Abou Becr; and since, borne by all the legitimate Caliphs. There are likewise Half-commeshes, and these are the smallest specie current in Yemen.
| 1 VENETIAN SEQUIN, | 90 } | COMMESHES. |
| 1 FONDUCLI, | 80 } | |
| 1 BARBARY SEQUIN, | 80 } | |
| 1 PATAKA, or IMPERIAL DOLLAR, | 40 } |
When the Indian merchants or vessels are here, the fonducli is raised three commeshes more, though all specie is scarce in the Imam’s country, notwithstanding the quantity continually brought hither for coffee, in silver patakas, that is, dollars, which is the coin in which purchases of any amount are paid. When they are to be changed into commeshes, the changer or broker gives you but 39 instead of 40, so he gains 2½ per cent. for all money he changes, that is, by giving bad coin for good.
The long measure in Yemen is the peek of Stamboul, as they call it; but, upon measuring it with a standard of a Stamboul peek, upon a brass rod made on purpose, I found it 26⅝ inches, which is neither the Stambouline peek, the Hendaizy peek, nor the el Belledy peek. The peek of Stamboul is 23⅗ inches, so this of Loheia is a distinct peek, which may be called [202]Yemani.
The weights of Loheia are the rotolo, which are of two sorts, one of 140 drachms, and used in selling fine, the other 160 drachms, for ordinary and coarser goods. This last is divided into 16 ounces, each ounce into 10 drachms; 100 of these rotolos are a kantar, or quintal. The quintal of Yemen, carried to Cairo or Jidda, is 113 rotolo, because the rotolo of these places is 144 drachms. Their weights appear to be of Italian origin, and were probably brought hither when the Venetians carried on this trade. There is another weight, called faranzala, which I take to be the native one of the country. It is equal to 20 rotolo, of 160 drachms each.
The customs, which at Mocha are three per cent. upon India goods, are five here, when brought directly from India; but all goods whatever, brought from Jidda by merchants, whether Turks or natives, pay seven per cent. at Loheia.
Loheia is in lat. 15° 40´ 52´´ north, and in long. 42° 58´ 15´´ east of the meridian of Greenwich.—The barometer, at its highest on the 7th day of August, was 26° 9´, and its lowest 26° 1´, on the 30th of July.—The thermometer, when at its highest, was 99° on the 30th of the same month, wind north-east; and its lowest was 81° on the 9th of August, wind south by east.
On the 31st of August, at four o’clock in the morning, I saw a comet for the first time. The head of it was scarcely visible in the telescope, that is, its precise form, which was a pale indistinct luminous body, whose edges were not at all defined. Its tail extended full 20°. It seemed to be a very thin vapour, for through it I distinguished several stars of the fifth magnitude, which seemed to be increased in size. The end of its tail had lost all its fiery colour, and was very thin and white. I could distinguish no nucleus, nor any part that seemed redder or deeper than the rest; for all was a dim-ill-defined spot. At 4hrs. 1´ 24´´, on the morning of the 31st, it was distant 20° 40´ from Rigel; its tail extended to three stars in Eridanus.
The 1st of September Mahomet Gibberti arrived, bringing with him the firman for the Naybe of Masuah, and letters from Metical Aga to [203]Ras Michael. He also brought a letter to me, and another to Achmet, the Naybe’s nephew, and future successor, from Sidi Ali Zimzimia, that is, ‘the keeper of Ishmael’s well at Mecca, called Zimzim.’ In this letter, Sidi Ali desires me to put little trust in the Naybe, but to keep no secret from Achmet his nephew, who would certainly be my friend.
