Various persons give the population of Zinder at 25,000 or 30,000 souls. Let us take the number at 20,000. The military force consists of cavalry and foot--two thousand cavalry having swords, spears, and shields; and eight or nine thousand bowmen, having only bows and arrows. This force is commanded by one Shroma Dan Magram, who receives the enormous pay of half the land taxes of some fifty towns and villages in the circle of the province of Zinder. The officers of the Sultan of Zinder are mostly slaves. The principal personages are Shroma Dan Magram; the Kady, Tahir; the Bash Kateb, or Secretary, Dang Gambara; the chief of the Treasury, Nanomi; of the Custom-house, Fokana. There are four officers of the Treasury, and four of the Custom-house; and, moreover, four Viziers, the principal of whom is Mustapha Gadalina. The Arabs do not pay any custom duties, but all the blacks and the Kailouees and Fullans pay as follows:-- A camel, laden or unladen -- 5000 wadâs. An ass " " -- 100 " An ox " " -- 100 " There is no duty on goods, and, whether the camels are laden with rich burnouses or salt, it is all the same thing. Camels are very cheap in this country, and the best of all will not fetch more than 40,000 wadâs, or about sixteen Spanish dollars. The Shereef is to purchase ours, four of them for 120,000 wadâs; they cost about three times the sum in Mourzuk. Horses are not quite so cheap; the best will fetch 100,000 wadâs.[14] The exchange here is the same as in Kanou; 2500 wadâs is the value of the large dollar, or douro ghaleet, as it is called amongst the Moorish and Arab merchants. [14] See p. 216. CHAPTER XII. Presents from Officials--Mode of treating Camels--Prices--Cowrie Money--Shereef Interpreter--Visits--Harem--Houses--Grand Vizier--Picturesque Dances--Tuaricks at Zinder--Kohlans and Fullans--Province of Zinder--Account of its Rebellions--Trees--Details on the Slave-trade--Prices--Mode of obtaining Slaves--Abject Respect of the Sultan--Visits--Interview with the Sarkee--The Presence--Curious Mode of administering Justice--Barbarous Punishments--Hyænas--Gurasu--Fighis--Place of Execution--Tree of Death--Hyæna Dens--Dancing. _Jan. 17th._--The Sultan this morning sent me an ox. I made him my personal friend by giving him the powder and shot, in spite of the servant of Haj Beshir from Kuka. The Shereef is excessively generous; whether at his own cost or that of Kuka I do not know. I suppose the latter, as he had orders from head-quarters to supply us with everything. He sends rice, honey, fowls, eggs, milk, tomatas, and all things in abundance. I repeat, for the third time, that the world is turned upside down, so far as the supply of provisions and hospitality is concerned. It is true that the Tuaricks are desperately poor, and their generosity must always be very limited.