226 Extracts from an Arcibic wotJc relating to Aden. [Dec. 



a stick upright before him, and when he fancies he sees anything, on the 

 sea he marks it off on the stick, and if it is a bird or other such thing it 

 moves to the right or left, or rises up or descends, and then he knows it is 

 not a ship ; but if the object remain steadfast in a line with the notch on 

 the stick, he knows for certain that it is a ship, and he signals to his com- 

 panion who shouts " Hirya," and signals to the next watchman, who bails 

 the hulk " O slave in the ship." Then the hulk sends news of the arrival 

 to the Governor of the town, and the messenger after leaving the presence 

 of the Governor, informs the officers at the Custom House, and after doing 

 this he shouts with a loud voice from the top of the hill " Hirya, Hirya, 

 Hirya." And when the inhabitants hear the shouts, they ascend the hills 

 and mount the roofs of their houses and gaze to the right and left- If the 

 watchman's signal turn out correct, they give him for each ship one dinar 

 mulki and the same amount from the customs ; but if he gave a false notice, 

 he gets ten stripes. When the ship draws near, the bearers of good tidings 

 go in boats to meet the ships, and as they approach, they salute the Na- 

 Jchoda and ask him whence he has come, and the Naldioda asks them about 

 the country and who the Governor is, and the state of the market ; and 

 every one in the ship who has relatives or friends in the country asks con- 

 cerning them, and receives good news or condolences as the case may be. 

 Then they place something before him and write the name of the NalcJioda 

 and the names of the merchants. The clerk also notes down everything in 

 the ship of the goods and cloths, and gives them the paper, and the bearers 

 of good news get into their boat to return to their shore. All of them then 

 go in a body to the Governor and give him the clerk's manifest, in which 

 are written the names of the merchants, &c, and they give, an account of 

 the ship, whence it has come, and what merchandize it has brought. When 

 they leave the Governor they go about the town acquainting those whose 

 friends have arrived of their near meeting, and they receive the reward of 

 good news from each. When the vessel arrives in harbour and anchors, the 

 Naib of the Sultan comes on board, and the examiner also, and he searches 

 man after man, examining even their turbaus, hair, sleeves, trousers, and 

 under their armpits ; and in the same way a matron searches the women. 

 When the merchants land the next day, they bring their personal baggage, 

 and after three days they land their cloth and merchandize at the Custom 

 House, where they open every package and count piece by piece ; and if 

 the merchandize is saleable by weight, they weigh it in a steel-yard, and 

 the Sheik assesses all the articles very heavily indeed until nothing is left ; 

 the merchants swearing by God Almighty that they have acted straightfor- 

 wardly before the Sheiks. Ibn Mojawir says at such times despondency 

 comes over the merchant, and grief kills him, and he remains in the valley 

 of death at having been treated in such a way as to lose both blessedness 

 and salvation. 



