330 OUTEAGE AT THE GATES. ch. xiii. 



at a place close to the eastern gate. We now heard that 

 during the preceding night a party of marauders from 

 Haha had pushed their audacity so far as to attack and 

 kill a camel-driver sleeping at the foot of the city wall, 

 and drive off seven camels that were in his charge. 

 Whether the guard at the gate close at hand slept soundly 

 through the scene, or had their own reasons for non-inter- 

 ference, we failed to learn. 



This was one of a series of incidents that was not com- 

 pleted until after our return to England ; but as we were 

 so directly concerned in the results of the disturbances in 

 Haha, and as we learned the particulars in an authentic 

 way from Mr. Carstensen, who had daily intercourse with 

 eye-witnesses and actors in the drama, it is as well here 

 to give the story as we learned it. 



The Grovernor of Haha, the largest and most import- 

 ant province in the empire, which long maintained its 

 independence of the Sultan, had hereditary claims to the 

 government of the twelve cognate Shelluh tribes who make 

 up the population. Although miserably fallen away from 

 its ancient prosperity — in the time of Leo Africanus there 

 were six or seven populous towns and several fortified 

 places, where there is now nothing better than a village — 

 the province still furnishes much agricultural produce 

 and live stock, and sends hides, grain, oil, and other 

 merchandise for exportation to the port of Mogador. The 

 Grovernor, at the time of our visit, had long held his office ; 

 by liberal contributions to the Imperial treasury, he had 

 kept himself in the favour of the Sultan, while amassing 

 for himself vast wealth ; and, according to the testimony 

 of the French naturalist, M. Balansa, confirmed by the 

 consuls who had visited him, he showed an appreciation of 

 the advantages of civilised life, and a desire to maintain 

 friendly relations with Europeans. 



Thus wealthy, powerful, and feared, this man might 

 have maintained his authority unbroken, but that by a 

 continuous course of oppression and cruelty he at length 



