They Sold It To Us For Twenty Ryals
The Quintal, Or 103 Pounds English; But We Were Told Afterwards That
They Sold It To Others For Twelve, Which May Very Well Be, Considering
Its Abundance, And The Ease With Which It Is Made.
The date tree
produces ripe fruit twice a-year, one harvest being in July while we
were there.
Dates are a principal part of their sustenance, being very
pleasant in taste. When thoroughly ripe, the dates are laid in a heap on
a sloping skin, whence runs a liquor into earthen pots set in the earth
to receive it. This is their date wine, with which they sometimes get
drunk. When thus drained, the stones are taken out, and the dates are
packed up very hard in skins, in which they will keep a long time. They
sometimes gather them before they are completely ripe, and dry them
after taking out the stones. These are the best of all, and eat as if
they were candied. They will not keep whole. In every valley where dates
grow, the king has a deputy during the harvest, who sees all gathered
and brought to an appointed place, no one daring to touch a date on pain
of death without order, or other severe punishment. After all are
gathered, the deputy divides the produce in three equal parts; one for
the king, one for the Arabs, and one for the cafrs; which are
distributed, but not alike to each.
Socotora has abundance of civet cats,[215] which are taken in traps in
the mountains by the cafrs, who sell them for twelve-pence each.
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