How I Found Livingstone Travels, Adventures And Discoveries In Central Africa Including Four Months Residence With Dr. Livingstone By Sir Henry M. Stanley
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Eastern And Central Africa, However, Demand
A Necklace, Instead Of A Cent; Two Yards Of American Sheeting,
Instead Of Half A Dollar, Or A Florin, And A Kitindi Of Thick
Brass-Wire, In Place Of A Gold Piece.
The African traveller can hire neither wagons nor camels, neither
horses nor mules, to proceed with him into the interior.
His means
of conveyance are limited to black and naked men, who demand at
least $15 a head for every 70 lbs. weight carried only as far as
Unyanyembe.
One thing amongst others my predecessors omitted to inform men
bound for Africa, which is of importance, and that is, that no
traveller should ever think of coming to Zanzibar with his money
in any other shape than gold coin. Letters of credit, circular
notes, and such civilized things I have found to be a century
ahead of Zanzibar people.
Twenty and twenty-five cents deducted out of every dollar I drew
on paper is one of the unpleasant, if not unpleasantest things I
have committed to lasting memory. For Zanzibar is a spot far
removed from all avenues of European commerce, and coin is at a
high premium. A man may talk and entreat, but though he may have
drafts, cheques, circular notes, letters of credit, a carte blanche
to get what he wants, out of every dollar must, be deducted twenty,
twenty-five and thirty cents, so I was told, and so was my
experience. What a pity there is no branch-bank here!
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