1875.] Extracts from an Arabic worlc relating to Aden. 227 



Account of Customs Duties. 

 Truly the duties were introduced in the days of the Beni Zurria, and 

 they say that the first who invented them was a certain Jew named Khalaj 

 El Mahawendi, whose rules were conformed to until his death On the 

 baliar of pepper a duty of 8 dinars was taken, besides a sliowabi or convoy 

 tax of 1 dinar, and 2 dinars on its leaving the Custom House ; on a pack- 

 age of indigo, 4 dinars sliowabi tax, and on its leaving the Custom House 

 a quarter dinar ; on a baliar of assafcetida 8 dinars, and on a baliar of cher- 

 ry bark 3i dinars ; on a baliar of tabashir they levied 20f dinars, and 1 

 dinar shoivabi ; on JJd el-dafu (aloes wood) half the value was taken ; 

 and on & frasila of camphor 25f dinars ; on a baliar of cardamoms 7 dinars ; 

 on 2k frasila of cloves 10 dinars and showabi 1 dinar, and from a frasila of 

 10 maunds they take 20 tbs. ; on a frasila of saffron 3^ dinars ; on a baliar 

 of flax 7^ dinars, and when a ship is sold the vendor pays a fee of 10 per 

 cent. ; on iron they take half the value, a tax introduced in the da} r s of the 

 Dowla Saif El Islam Taghtagin bin Eiyub, who first took it from Abi El 

 Hussun El Baghdadi, or, as some say, from a certain Kirawani in the year 

 59S ; on house owners a fourth part and some say a third and 2 dinars 

 for notification ; on a baliar of madder 12 dinars, introduced in the days of 

 the Dowla Malik El Maiz Ismail bin Taghtagin, before whose time the 

 duty was 2 dinars, or as some say 3 ; and on a baliar of tamarinds 3 joz ; 

 and on ten Mokalib or chemises 2\ dinars ; on 10 goats three-quarter of a 

 jaiz ; on each sheep a quarter ; and on each horse when it enters the town 

 50 dinars, introduced in the reign of Malik Nasir Eiyub bin Taghtagin bin 

 Eiyub ; on each horse when exported by sea they take 70 dinars ; and on 

 each slave 2 dinars, and when one is taken out through the gate half a 

 dinar ; on slave children from Sindapur 8 dinars and 1 dinar sliowabi ; and 

 they take on these children when passed out half a dinar each, which goes 

 to the liquor contractor ; on a piece of silk of Zebid manufacture half a 

 dinar and Ijaiz; on white cloth one-eighth ; on dark coloured clothes 3 

 carats; on plaid waistcloths a quarter and Ijaiz, and per score of coverlets 

 (or cloaks) four dinars; per score of handwoven fabrics 2\ dinars, and the 

 same on scarves ; per score of unbleached Indian cloths 2| dinars ; on large 

 striked linens 2 joz and 2 carats, and on small ditto 2 jaiz and If aids ; on 

 every bag of millet one-eighth, and God knows and orders. 



Account of the introduction of the Showdli Tax. 

 The Kings of the Beni Zurria were unacquainted with vessels of war, 

 and remained so until the arrival in Yemen of SUums-ul- dowla Turan Shah 

 bin Eiyub, who brought with him some war vessels. After him Othman 

 bin Ali El Zanzibili El Tukriti became ruler of Aden, and the war vessels 

 remained with him until he lied and Seif El Islam Taghtagin bin Eivub 



