80 COMMERCE OF SANTA CRUZ ABOLISHED.

Santa Cruz should no longer remain open to European commerce. The prince remained some days after this notification at Maroco j an annual stipend was allowed him and he was sent to (the Bled Shereef, L e, the country of princes, viz.)

Tafilelt, and had apartments allotted him in the Imperial Palace at that place, which is very magnificent and extensive. It is built of marble collected for the most part from the Kaser Farawan or ruins of Pharaoh, an ancient city now in ruins, contiguous to the sanctuary of Muley Dris Zerone, east of the city of Mequinas, on the western declivity of the Atlas ; this marble was transported across the mountains of Atlas on camels, a distance of fifteen journies to Tafilelt. The inhabitants of this part of Bled Eljereed live principally on dates, which abound so in this country that the fruit of one plantation is commonly sold for 1000 dollars, producing 1500 camel load of dates, or 4500 quintals ; there are thirty-five species of this rich fruit, of which the butuhe is unquestionably the best and the most wholesome ; it is rich, of a fine flavour, and sweet as honey : the buscre is also good ; but so dry and full of saccharine matter that it resembles a lump ofsugar. Undoubtedly if this country were in the hands of Europeans they would extract sugar, perhaps as much as 1501b. from a camel load of dates weighing 3001b. The adamoh is the date that is imported to this country ; it is the best for keeping, but at Tafilelt they use it only for tlie cattle, considering it an unwholesome kind and heavy of digestion. The country