92 
DUTIES ON SLAVES. 
which the bride was riding, and saluted her, as is 
the custom, with the discharge of his firelock. 
Upon this she remembered, and looloed to him. 
The new bridegroom, enraged at this marked pre- 
ference, noticing that she had not greeted any one 
else, and thinking possibly that he was playing the 
part of a dupe, instantly fell upon his bride and slew 
her. He had scarcely done so when the brothers of 
the woman came up and shot him down ; so that the 
first husband compassed ample vengeance without 
endangering himself in the slightest degree. This 
is an instance of Arab cunning. 
A subject of considerable importance was brought 
under my attention at Mourzuk. It appears that 
whilst the objects of legitimate commerce, in being 
exported from the interior to Fezzan and Tripoli, 
pay double duties — that is, twelve and a-half per 
cent in each place — slaves pay no transit duty 
whatever in this regency of Barbary if they are 
destined for the Constantinople market, and even if 
sold in Tripoli or Fezzan only pay once a duty of 
ten mahboubs per head. It frequently happens 
besides that the Turkish merchants, who embark 
with their slaves for Constantinople, sell a con- 
siderable number on the way. On arriving at their 
destination, they pretend that such as are missing 
from their register have died ; and in this manner 
they contrive to evade the payment of all duty 
whatever. It has been attempted to get the impost 
of ten mahboubs paid in Mourzuk, and likewise to 
