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 force all the caravans to
take that route. This would have acted as a check upon the slave-trade;
but the influence of the Gadamsee merchants was too great to allow the
measure to be carried out. It is most important that the legitimate
trade should not be burdened with double custom-dues, and it is to be
hoped that the influence of the British Government will be used to bring
about some reform in this matter. We should bear in mind, that as most
of the goods and merchandise passing through Fezzan are only in transit,
they are therefore legally subject to a duty of no more than three per
cent.
I have paid as much attention to this subject of the encouragement of
the legitimate trade as my time and other occupations would allow me. It
will be as well to make a note here on another point, though it may seem
out of place,--the existence of sulphur in the Syrtis. There appears no
doubt that this substance can be procured at the foot of a mountain
called Gebel Sinoube, about six miles from the sea at the innermost
point of the Syrtis. A considerable quantity is obtained by the Arabs
near this mountain, about eighteen camel-hours south-west from a place
on the coast called Maktar, the eastern limits of the district Syrt.
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