fully chronicled all. He often spoke to me on the subject of the government of Syria. He said that there was no opportunity for the people to rise out of their present condition, while they are ruled by officers who have no sympathy with them, no love for the country, and no object but to enrich themselves.
The Arabs, under the present system of irregular taxation, do not attempt to cultivate the land as they would do if they were encouraged and protected by the Government. In many parts of the country a man will not run the risk of improving his estate. He will not plant new olive-trees, nor extend his orchards and vineyards, nor employ many laborers, for fear of exciting the rapacity of the Governor of his district; for if a man is supposed to be rich, excuses are readily invented to impoverish him; debts are coined, or false accusations are made against him, and he is thrown into prison till he pays the supposed debt or a large fine. In one particular instance the Governor of a certain Moslem village, having exceeded even the usual bounds of exaction, a united complaint was made to the Pasha by the indignant villagers. The Pasha, for the sake of appearances, immediately appointed a new Governor. He tried and imprisoned the offender for a few days; but soon made arrangements with him and set him free, after having accepted as a bribe a large proportion of the property which the Ex-Governor had so unjustly obtained!
I have heard of many similar transactions, and sometimes the actors have been well known to me, so that I have had an opportunity of hearing both sides of the story. Nearly all the Turks with whom I came in contact seemed to glory in successful intrigue, and were generally shrewd and clever. They had little or no sympathy with the Arabs, and apparently no true patriotism. There are very few Turks in Palestine, except civil officers and their employés, military officers, and soldiers. They are looked upon always as foreigners.
