GOVERNMENT OF THE SHERIFFS. 171 



leb, by his superior skill and intrigue, and by the 

 great reputation which he had acquired for wisdom 

 and valour, supplanted him in the government. 



During the first years of his reign the slaves and 

 eunuchs began to indulge in their former disorderly 

 behaviour and acts of oppression; but the new 

 sheriff soon freed himself from their influence, and 

 acquired at length a firmer authority over Hejaz than 

 any of his predecessors had ever enjoyed. His 

 nephews, the sons of Serour, attempted to wrest 

 from him the reins of power, but without success. 

 His government, on the whole, was lenient and 

 cautious, although his extreme avarice betrayed 

 him into many acts of individual oppression. The 

 whole of his private household consisted of fifty or 

 sixty servants and officers, and as many slaves and 

 eunuchs. His harem contained a small establish- 

 ment of wives, being about two dozen of Abyssinians, 

 and twice that number of female attendants to wait 

 upon them and nurse their children. When in the 

 full enjoyment of his power, he possessed a con- 

 siderable influence over.the Bedouin tribes of Hejaz, 

 but without any direct authority. 



The income of the sheriff is derived chiefly from 

 the customs paid at Jidda and Yembo, which were 

 much increased by Ghaleb, who had also engrossed 

 a large share of the commerce to himself, having 

 eighty dows constantly engaged in the coflTee trade. 

 He also levied a tax upon all cattle and provisions, 

 carried either to the coast for exportation, or into 

 the interior of the country. The other branches of 

 his revenues were the profits realized from the sale 

 of provisions at Mecca ; a capitation-tax on all Per- 

 sian hajjis ; presents, both gratuitous and compul- 

 sory ; part of the money sent from Constantinople 

 for the use of the temple ; and rents to a consider- 

 able amount from landed property, consisting of 

 gardens around Taif, and plantations in many of the 

 lieighbouring wadis ; besides houses and caravansa» 



