278 
TRAVELS IN' NORTHERN AFRICA. 
CHAP. VII. 
The small red and black West India bean, so well known in Eng- 
land, is here named Ain el deek, cAjjJ! ^ (or cock's eye,) and is 
the half Kharouba. The boxes containing the gold weights have 
also a small spoon for the dust, and a trying stone. — The measures 
at present in use are, Ghefeese, 24 Khail ; half ditto ; Webba Fez- 
zan, 8 Kail ; half ditto ; Kail, 8 Saas, equal to 8 quarts ; Saa, a quart. 
This last measure is divided into halves and thirds, for which there 
are small baskets made to contain that quantity ; these are, by 
particular ways of placing the hand, again divided into fourths and 
sixths. The current money of the country is a Spanish dollar ; 
the smaller payments are made in corn. A comparative idea of the 
value of the above measures may be obtained by knowing that one 
dollar is generally worth one kail and a half, or three gallons of 
corn. A quart, or saa, is therefore worth fivepence. Dates average 
twenty-four kail, or a ghefeese for a dollar. 
The government of Fezzan was once hereditary, in a black 
family, which above 500 years since took possession of the country. 
They were Shreefs, and of a tribe near Fez, in the kingdom of 
Morocco ; but the intrigues of Mukni have succeeded in destroying 
them all, and the pubhc offices, government, and revenues have 
assumed entirely another form. IMukni is absolute while in his 
hired government, though in Tripoh he is considered only as a 
private individual. He derives his power from a few armed 
followers, of whom I have spoken, and from the fear which the 
people have of the Bashaw in their present state of weakness ; 
but above all, from the great dread they have of himself He 
governs with a rod of iron, punishes most severely, and his 
opinion is the law ; money is his chief aim, and he leaves no 
means untried to extort it from his miserably oppressed subjects. 
No one has the least voice in the state but himself, and such of 
his favourites as have gained some ascendency qver him ; but their 
