The two Turkish provinces have all the involved machinery of Turkish civil and military administration. There are plenty of offices and office-holders and constant changes in both. Each province has a governor-general or _Wali_ and (outside of the governor’s sandjak) each district has its _mutaserrif-pasha_ either of the first or second class—those one has to deal with generally prove to be of the latter. Then there are _Kaimakams_ for smaller districts or cities, and finally _mudirs_ for villages. At the seat of government, called the _Serai_, there is an administrative council, including the _Näib_ or _kadi_, corresponding to chief-justice; the _defterdar_ or secretary of finance; the _mufti_ or public interpreter of Moslem law; the _nakib_, etc., etc., etc. There are several courts of justice of different rank; the custom-house administration is on the _e pluribus unum_ plan and _ne plus ultra_ system. Besides these there are the “Regie des tabacs” or the tobacco-monopoly, the post and telegraph administration, the sanitary offices, the salt-inspectors, and, at Kerbela, the Tarif of corpses levied on imported pilgrims. To describe all these satisfactorily would require a volume. XIII THE CITIES AND VILLAGES OF TURKISH-ARABIA Kuweit,[39] on the gulf a little south of the river delta, will in all probability—before long, rise in importance and be as well known as Suez or Port Said. It has the finest harbor in all Eastern Arabia, and is an important town of from 10,000 to 12,000 inhabitants. Here will probably be the terminus of the proposed railroads to bind India and the gulf to Europe by the shortest route. The whole country round about being practically desert, the place is entirely dependent on its trade for support. It possesses more bagalows (sailing-vessels) than any port in the gulf; is remarkably cleanly; has some very well-built houses and an extensive dockyard for boat building. The town and tribe are nominally under Turkish subjection, although protection is the better word, and it is rumored that Kuweit will soon be as much in the hands of the English as is Bahrein.