of the army under the Sultan's son, and that the advancing
guard was near. The soldiers arrived in the middle of the country of the
Achtouks and camped in the city of Tebouhonaikt near the river Alras. There
was a day's march between them and Tiznit. The inhabitants, frightened,
sent deputies to the other districts, saying:

"Come and help us, for the Sultan's son has come and ordered us to build
him a fort in the space of one month or he will fall upon us, cut a
passage, and destroy our city." The tribes around Tiznit assembled and
marched against the royal army. The Sultan's son stayed twenty-two days at
Tebouhonaikt, then he crossed the river Alras and marched against the
rebels. He surrounded Tiznit on all sides. The inhabitants made a sortie,
engaged in battle, and fought till the morning star. At the fall of day the
battle recommenced. The royal army was defeated and driven across the river
Alras. The son of the Sultan killed eight rebels and thirty-five horses,
but many of his soldiers fell. He retreated to Morocco.

VII

Information about the country of Taragoust: This is a unique district
situated near the source of the Ourd-Sous. It is distant from Taroundant
about a day and a half's march. When a young man becomes of age his father
buys him a gun and a sabre. The market is in the middle of the country. But
no man goes there without his weapons. The sheiks judge each one in the
market for four months in the year in turn and during their period of
office. They decided who was guilty and demanded price of blood for those
killed in the market. One of them said:

"I will give nothing. Find the murderer. He will give you the price of
blood."

The sheik replied: "Pay attention. Give us part of your goods."

"I will give you nothing," he answered.

In this way they quarrelled, until they began fighting with guns. Each
tried to steal the other's horses and oxen in the night and kill the owner.
They kept acting this way toward each other until Ben-Nacer came to examine
the villages where so many crimes were committed, and he reestablished
peace and order.

VIII

Concerning guns and sabres: They were all brought into the city of Adjadir
in the government of Sidi Mahomet-ben-Abd-Alla. They introduced guns,
poniards, sabres, English powder, and everything one can mention from the
country of the Christians. Sidi Mahomet-ben-Abd-Allah sent there his
khalifah, called Ettaleb Calih. He busied himself during his