T RAV

TAXESAMONG THE ARtABS.33Jcity, subject the cominunity to the inconvenience of the punishment~bove related. It. is but candid to put each side of the case intolight.'fo collect the revenueaa above stated, anAlcaid is sent with a considerable.force taa districbannuaIly; and while upon this service, he.arid his troops a}~eJllaintained,by,thepeople to whom they are sent, inpfuvisionsandforage,whopay six blanquils a-day to each soldier.This,. ofcourse makes itthe interest of the districttopay at Jeast whatis justly due, and therehy get :ridof these burthensome inmates of col..;leètorsas spe.e.dily as .possible. But that of the officers and soldiersrUlls.in acounterdirectioq,. and tellsthem, that the longer final settle..melit,is,(1eferred,:the better for. th.cm.Hence arises violence on the partofthêlatter to excite exàsperatioh on that of the former, unti] driveninto somewhat tbatmay be construed resistance and reported Tebellion.The soldiery avail themselves ofthat pretence, and seize aIl they haveforgovermnent andt}lemselves, for the revenue and trouble of ooHeo-,.tion. Certainly the union of the judicial military and fiscal offices isa combinationmost formidable to property at large. Thus the Tangiel'squadron (of cavalry) now here, and with which the British missionis toreturn,had lately lost two imen and four horses in action with the1\.rab8 of Sus, sixhundred miles. from their home, before they couldfulfil the object whereon they were sent-.the levy of the taxes :andatlength, 'after a resistance of two months, they droveaway aIl the cattleand rahsaièked the matamores (subterraneous granaries hereafter to bedescrihed)·.of the: clistrict.Although. a111~rah wH] fightagainst an Arab as if he were of a differen.tbelief ontbe sùbject ofreligion, and with aU theacharrtement, too,of'wllich near néighbourhoodstlpplies fllel to kindle the sacred Bame,no dependence can he placed npon the .militia of a. vicinity for thecollection o'f revenue.For in thi5 case the community ofinterest cries2u2