164 



CIVIL HISTORY AND 



is bounded on each side with bold and abrupt rocks, 

 from two to three hundred feet high, on which are 

 numerous small forts. The town is protected by seve- 

 ral batteries; but the greater part of the city is 

 composed of ill-built houses, and huts of date- tree 

 leaves of the most wretched description, all hud- 

 dled together in the greatest confusion. The streets 

 are rough, narrow, and crooked. The windows, 

 which are without glass, resemble loopholes, and the 

 walls are covered with a white plaster or cement. 

 The water is good ; the fruit of the best quality, 

 grapes, mangoes, peaches, plantains, figs, pomegra- 

 nates, limes, melons, and dates. Nowhere is there 

 greater variety of fish ; in the bay they swarm like 

 gnats in a summer evening ; the rocks supply oysters 

 and other shell-fish, all of which are sold at a very 

 cheap rate. As the pasturage is scanty in this neigh- 

 bourhood, dried fish a little salted, and pounded 

 date-stones, form the chief articles of food for their 

 cattle, of which they are very fond. Horses and 

 sheep as well as cows are fed on this diet. 



The property of the inhabitants consists for the 

 most part in their live stock; but the most va- 

 luable species is the date- tree ; the price of which, 

 individually, varies from seven to ten dollars ; and 

 by this standard they estimate landed estates, which 

 are said to be worth three, four, or five thousand 

 date-trees, according to the number that grows up- 

 on them. Property of every kind descends by in- 

 heritance, the son possessing the liberty of disposing 

 of it as he pleases. The sovereign has no right in the 

 soil, further than the tenth of its produce ; nor can 

 he in any way interfere with the privileges of the 

 owner. Lands are commonly let on lease, or for an 



