MOCHA. 
131 
The conduct of the young Imaum on his father's death was 
yery conciliating to his subjects; a great portion of the taxes 
were in different provinces remitted for the ensuing year, all past 
otFences forgiven, and liberal largesses distributed among his 
adherents, which served to give a very favourable impression both 
of his talents and his disposition. His whole behaviour indeed, 
throughout the arduous struggle in which he had been engaged, 
evidently evinced a superior degree of sagacity and more judg- 
ment than might have been expected from the education which 
he had received, as Arabs of high rank, however important may 
be the s^ituations they are destined to fill, are generally taught to 
place little reliance on their own abilities, and to trust too 
exclusively, perhaps, to the aid of providence for their support. 
During our stay at Mocha I employed myself occasionally in 
gaining information respecting the countries of Efat and Hurrur, 
situated to the south-eastward of that portion of Abyssinia to which 
I was about to proceed, and the result of my enquiries proved 
even more interesting than I had reason to expect. Among the 
strangers resident at Mocha I met with a respectable old 
man, named Hadjee Abdelkauder, an inhabitant of Hurrur, then 
acting as commercial agent to the Sultaun of that country. This 
man was one of the best informed and most liberal-minded 
Mahomedans I have ever been acquainted with, though he did not 
appear to be particularly fitted for the situation he held, owing to 
his possessing a strange carelessness with respect to pecuniary 
concerns, very uncommon among his countrymen. He had read 
a great deal for an Arab ; his powers of comprehension and personal 
activity were very extraordinary for his years, (which I conceiya 
s 
