54 TRAVELS IN AFRICA, 
muft put one of us to death. If you will put him to death, 
here are ten thoufand fequins.". Said and done inftantly. 
Each Bey appoints his Cafhefs or lieutenants. Thefe officers 
prefide each over a town or village, collecting the revenues, and 
judging fmall caufes ; but an appeal lies to the Bey. The Beys 
and Cafhefs are, from their ignorance, conftrained to employ 
Copts as accomptants in adjufting and receiving the revenues, 
that duty being of an intricate nature, and requiring great 
local knowlege. The authority of a Cafhef is as arbitrary 
as that of a Bey. 
Revenue of Egypt. 
The more confiderable fources of revenue, as well of the 
Porte at this day, as of the Chalife while the fovereignty re- 
mained with the Arabs, are nearly coeval in their inftitution 
with Mohammedifm itfelf. 
The innovations which have fince had place derive their 
authority from the difpenfmg power of the fovereign, or are 
reconciled with the primitive inftitutes by the ingenuity of the 
legal profeffors. 
The moft antient tribute due from the fubjeit to government 
was the zecchdt^ a tenth of all the permanent produdions of 
the earth. According to its original eftablifhment, this did not 
afFe£t property under a certain value, and was exigible of an 
unbeliever in a twofold proportion. It was impofed by Mo- 
hammed 
