hey are exempt from _Ska u Laskor_, that
is, two per cent. on live stock, and 10 per cent. on produce
which is the regular impost on the country. They are a brave
race of Shelluhs, inhabiting a table-land in the mountains that
is a perfect terrestrial paradise. There is but one person in
Europe besides myself who has ever been in this country. Sheik
Muluke, the sheik of Idautenan, is a generous noble-spirited
independent character. When an emperor dies, the sheik sends
Muley Ismael's firman, emancipating the district from all
impost or contribution to the revenue, for some military
service rendered by this district to the ancestor of Ismael,
and the succeeding emperors invariably confirm their
emancipation of Idautenan.]

The Prince was very anxious to be of service to Delemy, who had
ingratiated himself with the former, by signalising himself in
feats of arms. He had been also a main pillar to the throne, and I
sincerely regretted that the combination of circumstances did not
permit me to accept the liberal and advantageous offers made to me.

Delemy's renown had spread far to the south, even unto Sudan: from
the latter country he was visited by some people, who wore circular
rings of pure gold, through the cartilage of the nose. The rings
were two or three inches in diameter; and when these people ate,
they turned them up over the nose. Delemy had received a present,
from some king of Sudan, of a very elegant sword, ornamented with
diamonds, rubies, and emeralds, he showed me this sword, which was
evidently manufactured in Europe; he told me, he had been offered
5000 dollars for it; but he had been informed that it was worth
double that sum.

I was invited by the Khalif of Suse to visit the immensely
extensive plantations of olives at Ras el Wed, near Terodant,
through which a man may proceed a whole day's journey without
exposure to the sun: also he offered to accompany me to the eastern
part of Shtuka, where the produce of bitter and sweet almonds is
equally abundant, and the plantations equally extensive with those
149 of the olive at Ras el Wed; but I had seen plantations of both on a
smaller scale at Ait-Musie, Fruga, and other parts of this empire;
and therefore the sight would have been no