swing of the bamboo levers makes a restless rhythm
against the sky. Here, every morning of the year,
a hundred brass trays clink to the musical fall of the
precious stones, and the big-hatted men sit in long
avenues under the pent thatch. There : is scarcely
any noise, for all the bargaining is made by the play
HIGH STREET OF MOGÓK
of fingers under cloth. No self-respecting dealer will
ever name the price of a ruby, and the Englishman’s
blunt question, “ What is the price of this?” brings
stupefaction to the faces of all present. By each group
there sits a pwiiza or broker, whose business it is
to advise and negotiate a sale. He acts as a kind
of arbitrator, and as a break on excessive demands.
He knows a little about the quality and local value
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