And anecdotes. Sfi9 Agriculture,— Mitferes.

The agriculturists, in all the Arab province throughout this empire, have subterraneous caverns or apartments, generally in the form of a cone, for the preservation of their corn during a scarcity or famine. During my residence in this country, I have investigated the method, and have learned the art of constructing these depositories of grain. They season them before the corn is deposited. They should not be constructed in a clay sdil. In these mitferes throughout the Arab provinces of Duquella, Temsena, Shawiya, &c. they preserve the corn sound during thirty years. I have been present at the opening of them after the corn had been deposited twenty-one years. It was perfectly sound. When these depositories are opened, ea<5h family take a portion of the grain, so as to distribute the whole immediately ; otherwise, in a few months, if not consumed, it acquires a peculiar bad flavour, which is called the mitfere twang. To prevent this, an Arab, on opening on€ of these depositaries, lends corn to all his neighbours, and in his turn he receives it bck again, when they respectively open theirs. It i Unnecessary to expatiate on the expediency of constructing rnitferes in a country oftentimes vi-.

sited by locusts, the plague, drought, or inUndattioUi There would be a manifest policy in estatoshing similar granaries in our colony in South Africa, where I understand they ai'e visited by z