TRIBUTE. 61 into the Chaaba than some two hours' journey from hence ; but well do the measures of precaution, daily taken, show the light in which these people are viewed. Not only, every night, do the Turkish cavalry, Schaigies, and Magrabins bivouack outside the main camp and keep strict watch, but the infantry also place strong guards at the thorn bulwark, one half of this force being under arms before, the other after midnight. Most nights the Pascha himself goes, with his rabut, patrolling, and this, wielded by no light hand, plays all night, not on the soldiers' backs alone, but on the officers also, when anything is found out of order.

Doubtless, all this is most necessary, for leaders as well as soldiers are just the men to sleep all night long, and leave it to "Allah kerim " whether the enemy are to surprise them or not.

These bivouacks were not without their accidents. During one a Magrabin's musket burst in his hands, and not only was the inside of one hand carried away, but part of the fore-arm shot off, and so lacerated, that most of the bones and sinews were laid bare and torn. As another surgeon wished to amputate at once, the Sheik Selim brought him to my brother : he put it to rights as far as he could, sewed up and plastered it, ordering constant cold bandagings, though he had little hopes of the lacerated parts uniting, as the accident happened yesterday, though the wounded man only came to him to-day at noon. When Joseph visited him this evening, no cold applications had been used ; the patient fancied he must eat* first, and as he had no food of his own, thought we might, perhaps, send him some ;— a pleasant reward to my brother for all the pains he had already taken ubout him, and for which he had not received even a single word of thanks from any party.

A considerable number of the soldiers have been sent out to hasten the bringing in of the tribute, as in their presence each Scheik makes greater exertions, and it is possible they may pick up some knowledge of his country. We now at length discovered that each tribe under tulba pays 20 piastres each male (children not counted), and a tenth of all beasts and produce of all kinds. This tribute is not great, but still it will be heavily felt, and diflicult to raise in those lands, where all trade is carried on by barter ngainst cotton cloths. What taxes these tribes may have hereafter to pay,