COMMERCE. 
187 
pillage than those of el-Drah^ and indeed formidable to 
strangers alone. 
This country is in general very agreeable : its inha- 
bitants carry on a considerable commerce with the Soudan 
and el-Arawan^ whither they export tobacco in leaves of 
their own growing, together with European commodities ; 
and receive in exchange gold, ivory, gum, ostrich-feathers, 
dried provisions, and slaves; for, unhappily, the infamous 
traffic in the latter exists in full vigour in this part of 
Africa. The commodities which the merchants dispatch to 
Timbuctoo, through the medium of the roving Moors of 
el-Harib, who may be considered as the carriers of the 
Soudan, are transported on camels to the confines of the 
desert by the Berbers, who deliver them to the Moors en- 
gaged to convey them to their destination. The Berbers 
receive a tribute for this service, a species of indemnity given 
to them by agreement, since they do not, like the Arabs, 
extend their travels through all the negro countries. If the 
merchants were to neglect this prudent precaution, their 
caravans would be pillaged by these barbarians, as they 
sometimes are by the Touariks. I have already said that 
the most distinguished Moors of Tafilet usually settle at 
Timbuctoo, in the hope of making a fortune, as amongst us 
Europe is left for the new world : these Moors, after devoting 
five or six years to commerce, purchase gold and slaves, and 
return to live peaceably in their own country. 
The soil of Tafilet is very good, and produces all the 
necessaries of life. The numberless date-trees surrounding 
each property furnish their owners with a plentiful sub- 
sistence and a considerable branch of commerce. They 
sell a quantity of dates in all the dependencies of Morocco, 
and especially in the towns situated on the sea-coast. 
The population of this district is divided into several 
classes, and the distinction of social ranks is rigorously ob- 
served. Labourers by the day or month are considered as 
