44 DISTRIBUTE PRESENTS. 



exerted the same appalling agents, and produced 

 the extensive alterations in the previous character 

 of this once blessed land, abounding with life and 

 with natural beauty, but which is now, even by the 

 Arab, wandering over his almost equally miserable 

 desert, designated, and most appropriately, as the 

 " deserted quarter of the world." 



The day after our arrival was occupied in pre- 

 paring and presenting such presents as were 

 intended for the chief people of Tajourah, generally 

 consisting of long robes or body-cloths of white 

 calico, and fo talis, or finely manufactured parti- 

 coloured waistcloth, much prized by both the Arabs 

 and the Dankalli. After this important business 

 was concluded to the satisfaction of all, some 

 conferences were held respecting the number of 

 camels we should require, to apportion fairly 

 among the numerous owners of them, the stores to 

 be conveyed up ; for the remuneration that was 

 determined upon being very high, plenty of appli- 

 cants were found putting in their claim to be 

 employed. The competition would have been very 

 beneficial, could it have been brought to bear upon 

 the price required for each camel ; but the unso- 

 phisticated Adal savage was as acute upon such 

 matters as the craftiest Chinese, and the system of 

 the Hong merchants of monopolizing the trade 

 was fully acted upon by the chief men of Tajourah. 

 Mr. Cruttenden, as Wakeel of the English Govern- 

 ment, was obliged to transact all business through 



