CUSTOM-DUES — SCORPIONS. 
305 
Africa is there any march of civilisation. All goes 
on according to a certain routine established for 
ages past. 
A courier has just arrived from the new Sultan 
of Aghadez, demanding the gumruk, or custom-dues, 
from the caravan of Christians who have entered 
Aheer. As if we had not already paid enough! After 
two or three weeks of incessant solicitation, by the 
way, I gave Es-Sfaxee, Yusuf, and Mahommed, 
a small bottle of rum — the first, and it shall be the 
last; for they got drunk and quarrelsome upon it. 
19th. — This day I took a walk over the neigh- 
bouring rocks, whence there is a wide view over the 
whole surrounding valley. I have omitted to ob- 
serve, that at our former place of encampment were 
seen many scorpions; so that here these reptiles 
inhabit the open country equally with the ruins of 
old houses or mosques, and such places. Under one 
of my boxes was also discovered a lefa, the most 
dangerous species of serpent in these countries. 
It appears that most of the caravans that pass 
through this country are obliged to pay a certain 
gumruk to the prince of Aghadez. The relations of 
the lesser Sheikhs of Aheer with the paramount 
sultan are of this kind. When a sultan dies, or is 
displaced, they assemble like the College of Cardi- 
nals, or rather like the old Polish nobility, to elect 
a new one. It is the law that this Sultan of Agha- 
dez must be a stranger. When once chosen he is 
invested with something like absolute authority 
VOL. I. X 
