THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 27 



die like, who are but fubjeds in refpect to the Beys yet ex- 

 ercife unlimited jurifdi&ion over the people in the city, and 

 appoint others to do the fame over villages in the country. 



There are perhaps four hundred inhabitants in Cairo, who 

 have abfolute power, and adminifter what they call juftic'e, 

 in their own way, and according to their own views. 



Fortunately m my time this many-headed monfter was 

 no more, there was but one Ali Bey, and there was neither 

 inferior nor fuperior jurifdiction exercifed, but by his offi- 

 cers only. This happy ftate did not lad long. In order to 

 be a Bey, the perfon muft have been a Have, and bought for 

 money, at a market. Every Bey has a great number of fer- 

 vants, Haves to him, as he was to others before ; thefe are 

 his guards, and thefe he promotes to places in his houfe- 

 hold, according as they are qualified, 



The .firft of thefe domeflic charges is that of hafnadar, 

 or treasurer, who governs his whole hcufthold; and when- 

 ever his mailer the Bey dies, whatever number of children 

 he may have, they never fucceed him ; but this man mar- 

 ries his wife, and inherits his dignity and fortune. 



The Bey is old, the wife is young, fo is the hafnadar, upon 

 whom fhe depends for every thing, and whom me muft 

 look upon as the preemptive hufband ; and thofe people 

 who conceal, or confine their women, and are jealous, up- 

 on the moll remote occafion, never feel, any jealoufy for the 

 probable confequences of this pafilon, from the exiiience of 

 Inch , connection, 



n 2 -fr- 



