be exhilarated after dinner, they provide a plant of an
intoxicating quality called _el hashisha_[49], of which they take a
handful before a draught of water.

[Footnote 48: And also from Marocco.]

[Footnote 49: _El Hashisha_. This is the African hemp plant: it
is esteemed for the extraordinary and pleasing voluptuous
vacuity of mind which it produces on those who smoke it: unlike
the intoxication from wine, a fascinating stupor pervades the
mind, and the dreams are agreeable. The _kief_ is the flower
and seeds of the plant: it is a strong narcotic, so that those
who use it cannot do without it. For a further description of
this plant, see Jackson's Marocco, 2d or 3d edit. p. 131 &
132.]

ANIMALS.

Goats are very large, as big as the calves in England, and very
plentiful; sheep are also very large. Cattle are small; many are
oxen. Milk of camels and goats is preferred to that of cows. Horses
are small, and are principally fed upon camels' milk; they are of
the greyhound[50] shape, and will travel three days without rest.
They have dromedaries[51] which travel from Timbuctoo[52] to
Tafilelt in the short period of five or six days.

[Footnote 50: These horses are the desert horse, or the
_shrubat er'reeh_. See Jackson's Marocco, 2d or 3d edition, p.
94. to 96.]

[Footnote 51: These are _El Heirie_, (or _Erragual_), for a
particular description of which see Jackson's Marocco, p. 91.
to 93.]

[Footnote 52: A distance of upwards of 1200 British miles.]
27
BIRDS.

They have common fowls, ostriches, and a bird larger than our
blackbird[53]; also storks, which latter are birds of passage, and
arrive in the spring and disappear at the approach of winter;
swallows, &c.

[Footnote 53: The starling.]

FISH.

They have many extremely good in the Nile; one of the shape and
size of our salmon[54]; the largest of these are about four feet
long. They use lines and hooks brought from Barbary, and nets, like
our casting nets, made by themselves. They strike large fish with
spears and fish-gigs.

[Footnote 54: The _shebbel_, a species of salmon, a very
delicate fish, but so rich that it is best roasted, which the
Arabs do in a super