Wilkinson, John Gardner: Topographie of Thebes, and general view of Egypt: being a short account of the principal objects worthy of notice in the valley of the Nile, to the second cataracte and Wadi Samneh, with the Fyoom, Oases and eastern desert, from Sooez to Bertenice (London, 1835)

278 SALARIES OF THE GOVERNORS. [Chap. V.

purses* (reduced from 300); of the nazer, 60 to
84 purses annually; of the kashef, from 300 to GOO
piastres a month; of the Qymaqam from 125 to 150
piastres (reduced from 200) a month ; of the shekh
el Meshykh, 200 piastres a month; and of the
embasher or mobasher, 6J purses (reduced from
12 and 18 purses) annually; the Copt scribe
receiving one fodtha from every real of the taxes
levied in the year.

These are paid from the government treasury; and
the only person who has a direct and legal claim on
the peasant is the shekh beled, who takes the pro-
duce of one in every twenty-five feddans, with pre-
sents of different kinds according to the means or
fears of the donor.

It is the invariable maxim of a Turk never to
refusef a gift; and the fellah has long since learnt
the necessity of courting the good-will or depre-
cating the displeasure of his rulers by occasional
peace-offerings, which, though their object is
known, have generally a momentary effect, and
perhaps relieve him from some oppressive exaction.
In many instances, severity is practised purposely
to elicit these boons; but their reward depends
on the caprice of the receiver, and is generally

* A purse is about 11. 3s. English. Since writing this, the
value of the purse has been reduced to about 6/., owing to the
deterioration of the coin of Egypt.

f Not from respect to an Eastern custom, .but from avarice;
for a present has often been returned as not suiting the receiver,
who yet asked for another in its stead.