‘A Pilgrimage to Nejd, the cradle of the Arab race. A visit to the court of the Arab Emir, and "Our Persian Campaign."' [‎267] (324/334)

CH. XI.]
The Revenue.
267
of the town, order is kept by the Bedouins,
with whom the Emir lives a portion of each year.
He is then neither more nor less himself than
a Bedouin, throws off his shoes and town finery,
arms himself with a lance, and leads a wandering
life in the Nefud. He commonly does this at the
commencement of spring, and spring is the season
of his wars. Then with the extreme heat of summer
he returns to Hail. The tribute paid by each town
and village to the Emir is assessed according to its
wealth in date palms, and the sheep kept byitscitizens
with the Bedouins. Four khrush for each tree is, I
believe, the amount, trees under seven years old being
exempt. At Hail this is levied by the Emir's officers,
but elsewhere by the local sheykhs, who are responsi
ble for its due collection. At J of and Meskakeh, which
are still in the position of territory newly annexed,
Ibn Rashid is represented by a vakil Elected representative or attorney, acting in legal matters such as contracting marriage, inheritance, or business; a high-ranking legal official; could also refer to a custodian or administrator. , or lieutenant,
who levies the tax in coin, Turkish money being
the recognised medium of exchange everywhere.
Without pretending to anything at all like accuracy
we made a calculation that the Emir's revenue from
all sources of tribute and tax may amount to
£60,000 yearly, and that the annual passage of the
pilgrimage through his dominions may bring
£20,000 to £30,000 more to his exchequer.
With regard to his expenditure, it is perhaps
easier to calculate. He pays a small sum yearly in
tribute to the Sherif of Medina, partly as a religious
offering, partly to insure immunity for his outlying