An African Despot 
other governors when they came to pay the an¬ 
nual tribute and render homage to their suzerain. 
In this way Areh was established in his usurpa¬ 
tion. He also grew rapidly in wealth and power 
through the favorable situation of Ejahyay for 
commerce. There were two routes from the in¬ 
terior to the coast, one through Ebaddan, a large 
city twenty miles to the south and another through 
Ejahyay. In both of these towns caravans from 
the coast met caravans from the interior and as 
each caravan paid revenue at the gate which it 
entered, there was double the revenue which 
would have come from caravans passing through 
only. By placing bands of armed men at differ¬ 
ent points, Areh compelled all the caravans to 
come to Ejahyay. In this way he obtained an 
immense annual income. But he drew upon 
himself the hatred of the Ebaddan people and of 
other rival towns, and he would have been 
crushed, if it had not been for a very remarkable 
intervention of divine providence. The ruler of 
Ebaddan had grown so rich through the slave 
trade that his house was covered with cowries; 
and he hired many adventurers to join him in an 
attempt to destroy Ejahyay. He so completely 
cut off all communication with the outside world 
that Areh and his men were made desperate by 
