24 HISTORY.

maamle,* the sheikh of his village had his last

ox seized, the fellah declaring himself incapable

of paying. The beast was slaughtered and divided

into forty parts : the butcher received the head

and skin for his trouble, and the remaining forty

parts were sold at one maamle each, to the in-

habitants of the village promiscuously. The meat,

as may be supposed, was quickly sold at this low

price. The poor peasant now appeared with a com-

plaint before the Defturdar, assuring him that the ox

was worth more than forty maamle. The Deftur-

dar proceeded with all speed to the village, to in-

vestigate the matter on the spot. Having convinc-

ed himself of the truth, he ordered the sheikh, the

butcher, and all those persons who had bought a

portion of the confiscated ox, to be called together, and reproached the sheikh, in presence of all for

his unlawful conduct. The butcher now received

the order to slaughter the sheikh and to divide his body into forty parts. Every former purchaser was

obliged to buy a part at a price of one maamle, and

to carry the flesh home with him. The money was handed over to the Fellah as an indemnification for

the ox which had been taken from him.

At the feast of the Baerara f all the servants and

* A coin which is no longer current, but was equal to two

piastres ten para, about twelve and a half kreuzer current = eight pence of English money. Tr. t A solemn feast kept by the Moslemin ; the great Baeram, com- mences on the 10th of Dhu Ihajia ; the little Baeram is held at the

close of the fast Ramadhan.—Tn.