30O TRAVELS IN AFRICA, 
7. A number of prefents are daily and hourly received from 
all the great people of the country, as well as from the mer^ 
chants who come on bufinefs, and thofe who folicit offices. The 
merchants generally prefent fome kind of manufadure for 
clothing, fuch as light woollen cloth, carpets, arms, &c. and 
the people of the country, camels, flaves male and female,yoi/'<^J", 
oxen, £heep, &.c. 
8. But one of the mofl: confiderable articles of revenue is the 
tribute of the Arabs who breed oxen, horfes, camels, fheepv 
Thofe who breed horfes fhould bring to the monarch all the males 
which are yearly produced by their mares ; but this I am told they 
often contrive to avoid. The cuftomary tribute of the Arabs who 
breed oxen, or Bukhara^ as they are called, is one tenth *. But 
when I was there, they having negleded paying it for two 
years, the Sultan fent a body of troops, who feized all they could 
lay hands on, to the number of twelve thoufand oxen. If ths 
tribute were regularly paid, it might amount to four thoufand 
oxen per annum : but thefe Arabs live in tents, and co;afer 
quently change their habitations frequently, and when they feel 
themfelves united, are not much inclined' to pay tribute. Thofe 
who breed camels fhould alfo pay a tenth of their property 
yearly; and I have underftood that they acquit themfelves of the 
obligation with more regularity than the former.. Thefe alfo 
however are fometimes rebellious, and then nothing is received 
from them. Two tribes, Mahria and Mahmid^ were at war 
* A great tribute is alfo paid in butter. 
during 
