5i8 LECTURES AND ESSAYS [1880- 



an escort from the Shereef. And this is the great road 

 of the country, not merely the pilgrim route, but the 

 main commercial highway, over which perhaps a third 

 part of the imports of Jeddah (which are variously 

 estimated at from two to three millions sterling per 

 annum) is conveyed by camel transport, to the great 

 profit of the Bedouins themselves. 



The Medina road, which is hardly less important, is 

 in a far more insecure state. Within the last year there 

 has been more than one serious collision upon it between 

 the Arabs and the authorities, and on one occasion a 

 Shereef, a near relation of the Prince of Mecca, was 

 seized and insulted. On this route merchants do not 

 venture to remit specie, but, contrary to the usual 

 practice of Arabian commerce, effect their payments by 

 bills. And the characteristic thing is, that the people 

 do not expect the Turks to mend matters, but hope that 

 the Arabs will be better kept in hand when the High 

 Shereef Hosein, who has been but two years in power, 

 has established his prestige among the Bedouins, who are 

 not yet disposed to pay him the same respect that was 

 accorded to the &quot; iron hand &quot; of his predecessor, Abdullah. 

 If the Turks fail so completely in the discharge of the one 

 public service which they seriously attempt, what, it 

 will be asked, do they really have from the Hejaz ? The 

 answer is very simple. A certain number of officials 

 have their own private opportunities of pillage ; and as 

 all officers are very often changed, the great men in Con 

 stantinople who have nominations in their hands receive 

 a good deal of baksheesh. 



A man coming out here, say as Nazir of the Jeddah 

 custom-house, has paid a good many thousand pounds 

 for his post, and is perfectly aware that at any moment 

 some other scoundrel who has money to spend on bribes 

 may arrive from Constantinople with an appointment 

 to displace him, and turn him out of his bureau without 

 a moment s warning. He is, therefore, bound to pillage 



