(Merikani) beads though good in Ufipa, and some parts of Usagara
and Ugogo, would certainly be despised in Useguhha and Ukonongo.
Such being the case, I was obliged to study closely, and calculate
the probable stay of an expedition in the several countries, so as
to be sure to provide a sufficiency of each kind, and guard against
any great overplus. Burton and Speke, for instance, were obliged
to throw away as worthless several hundred fundo of beads.

For example, supposing the several nations of Europe had each its
own currency, without the means of exchange, and supposing a man
was about to travel through Europe on foot, before starting he
would be apt to calculate how many days it would take him to
travel through France; how many through Prussia, Austria, and
Russia, then to reckon the expense he would be likely to incur
per day. If the expense be set down at a napoleon per day, and
his journey through France would occupy thirty days, the sum
required forgoing and returning might be properly set down at
sixty napoleons, in which case, napoleons not being current money
in Prussia, Austria, or Russia, it would be utterly useless for
him to burden himself with the weight of a couple of thousand
napoleons in gold.

My anxiety on this point was most excruciating. Over and over
I studied the hard names and measures, conned again and again
the polysyllables; hoping to be able to arrive some time at an
intelligible definition of the terms. I revolved in my mind
the words Mukunguru, Ghulabio, Sungomazzi,
Kadunduguru, Mutunda, Samisami, Bubu, Merikani, Hafde, Lunghio-Rega,
and Lakhio, until I was fairly beside myself. Finally, however,
I came to the conclusion that if I reckoned my requirements at