e entrance of the mine, to
prevent the natives from getting access to it. In the bed of the
river, near the sea, is a mine of silver; the ore is in very small
particles, like lead-coloured sand, intermixed with mud. I sent a
small quantity of this to England to be analysed; and it produced,
as I was informed, just enough to pay the expenses of analysation.
I sent also several specimens of gold and silver ore, which I
collected in various parts of Suse; but I apprehend that sufficient
attention was not paid to them, and they also scarcely paid for the
analysation. I sent also to the Honourable Mr. Greville, brother to
the late Earl of Warwick, a great many basaltick and other stones,
collected in the mountains of Barbary, which that gentleman
considered valuable. After remaining two days at Messa, I returned
to Shtuka. I was again urged to form an establishment at Tomie;
but, limited as my connection was in England, I did not feel
competent to the undertaking, and was obliged, reluctantly indeed,
but finally, to decline it.

[Footnote 120: Sejin Messa signifies the prison of Messa.]

The garden of Delemy, where we encamped, is stocked with very fine
147 vines from the mountains of Idautenan,[121] a mountainous and
independent country, a few miles north of Santa Cruz; these grapes
were of the black or purple kind, as big as an ordinary-sized
walnut, and very sweet flavoured, as much superior to the finest
Spanish grapes, as the latter are superior to the natural grown
grapes of England. Large pomegranates, exquisitely sweet, the
grains very large, and the seed small, brought from Terodant; figs,
peaches, apricots, strawberries, oranges, citrons of an enormous
size, water-melons, weighing fifty pounds each, four of which were
a camel load, together with culinary vegetables of every
description. This garden was watered by a well, having what is
called a Persian wheel, worked by a horse, having pots all round
the perpendicular wheel, which, as they turn round, discharge their
contents into a trough, which communicated to the garden, and laid
148 the beds under water. This is the general mode of irrigation
throughout west and south Barbary, as well as in Sudan.

[Footnote 121: The mountains of Idautenan divide the province
of Haha from Suse: t