ect idea of its prodigious increase. The plains of
Rahamena, of Shawiya, of Temsena, of Abda, and Duquella, those
immense plains of M'sharrah Rummellah, of Ait-Amor, and many
others, form each, separately, extensive fields of corn, farther
than the eye can reach. To give an idea of the quantity produced in
the plains near Dar El Beida, it will be sufficient to say, that
250 sail of ships, from 150 to 700 tons, were loaded at that port
in one year of Seedy Muhamed's reign. At the other ports on the
209 shores of the Atlantic, viz. at Arzilla, L'Araich, Meheduma, Rabat,
Azamor, Mazagan, Saffy, and Mogodor, were shipped a quantity,
almost equal in proportion to what was shipped at Dar-El-Beida, so
that the duties at one dollar per fanegue, of 80 lb. weight on the
exportation of wheat, barley, Indian corn, caravances, beans, and
seeds, in one year, according to the imperial registers, amounted
to 5,257,320 Mexico dollars.[151] Besides which, presents to an
incalculable amount were made from time to time by Spain and
Portugal, particularly by the former, to keep the Emperor in good
humour, and to prevent him from prohibiting the exportation of
grain, of which however there was little chance, as his Imperial
Majesty was always diligent in the accumulation of treasure, and
let no opportunity pass of encouraging the agriculture of his
dominions. This system gave general occupation to the Arabs, or
agriculturists, and enriched them so universally, that the
diffusion of wealth among them, produced other incalculable sources
of revenue, insomuch that it was customary for Muhamed Ben Amaran,
Bashaw of Duquella, to present to the Emperor at Marocco, every
Friday, (the Muhamedan sabbath), as he returned home from the
mosque, a massive bar of pure gold of Timbuctoo, valued at some
210 thousand dollars; which was considered as the fee by which he held
his bashawick. The Arabs who are the agriculturists of the
before-mentioned plains, besides the corn exported, lay up immense
quantities in subterraneous caverns, constructed by a curious
process, well deserving the attention of the colonists of South
Africa; these repositories are called mitferes[152], they are
constructed in a conical form, and will contain from 200 to 2000
quarters of corn.[153] It is expedient, in their co