118 CIVIL HISTORY AND 



and a poll tax, and from duties payable on articles 

 of merchandise. Coffee affords a very considerable 

 income, as the crown is entitled to receive a fourth 

 part of the selling price before it can be put on board 

 ship for exportation. The different departments 

 vary in their contributions according to circum- 

 stances. Niebuhr learned that Mocha, in the sum- 

 mer season, when vessels from India arrive and de- 

 part, paid 7000 crowns per month — at other times 

 onlv 4000 ; Loheia yielded 3000 crowns ; Hodeida, 

 1400; Beit el Fakih, 3600; and Zebid 1400.* It is 

 difficult to obtain accurate knowledge either of the 

 revenue or expenditure of the Arabian princes. 

 Strangers are obliged to use great caution in putting 

 questions on this subject, otherwise their curiosity 

 may cost them their head. Oraki, a Jew, and sur- 

 veyor-general of buildings, the person whom the 

 Danish traveller consulted, estimated the income 

 of Mahadi at 830,000 crowns, or 188,306/., a month ; 

 but in consequence of the temporary loss of Kataba, 

 Aden, Abu Arish, Taas, and some other provinces, 

 it was reduced nearly one-half. 



The military force of Sanaa, though not precisely 

 known, consisted, according to Niebuhr, of about 

 4000 infantry and 1000 cavalry. The chief com- 

 mand of the army was intrusted to four sheiks ; and 

 under them were many nakibs, or officers of an in- 

 ferior class, some of whom had been raised from the 

 condition of slaves. Nakib is the highest title that 

 the sovereign can confer, that of sheik being hered- 

 itary, and peculiar to petty princes or independent 

 Arabs. In times of peace the military are employed 

 as state pageants, or engaged in civil occupations. 

 The cavalry attend the imam or the dowlah to the 

 mosque, wherever their head-quarters may happen 

 to be ; and, after conducting their master home, 

 they exercise themselves in arras and horsemanship, 



* The German crown is equal to 4s. 6|d. nearlyr 



