35 6 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



horns for turning, plenty of gum Arabic, caflia, myrrh, 

 frankincenfe, and many other precious articles ; thefe were 

 all bartered, at Mafuah and Suakem, for India goods. But 

 nothing which violence and injuftice can ruin, ever can 

 fubfift under Turkifh government. The Bafhas paying dear- 

 ly for their confirmation at Conltantinople, and uncertain 

 if they mould hold this office Long enough to make reim- 

 burfements for the money they had already advanced, had 

 not patience toilay till the courfe of trade gradually indem- 

 nified them, but proceeding from extortion to extortion, 

 they at laft became downright robbers, feizing the cargo 

 of the mips wherever they could find them, and exercifing 

 the moft mocking cruelties on the perfon they belonged to, 

 flaying the fa&ors alive, and impaling thofe that remained: 

 in their hands, to obtain, by terror, remittances from India. 

 The trade was thus abandoned, and the revenue ceafed. 

 There were no bidders at Conltantinople for the farm, no- 

 body had trade in their heads when their lives were every 

 hour in danger. Dahalac became therefore dependent on 

 the Ballia of Jidda, and he appointed an * Aga, who paid 

 him a moderate ium, and appropriated to himielf the pro- 

 vifions and falary allowed for the pearl filliery, or the great- 

 eft part of them. 



The Aga at Suakem endeavoured, in vain, to make the 

 Arabs and people near him work without falary, fo they 

 abandoned an employment which produced nothing but 

 punifhment; and, in time, they grew ignorant of the nihery 



m 



■* A Subaltern Governor. 



