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138 Duties of [CH. be liable to pay kharaj. The consul could not help him, and would withdraw his protection from both the man and the woman. A Frenchman is forbidden to marry in the Levant. If he dared to do so, within two months of the publication of such marriage the consul must order the parties to sail for France, and the order must be obeyed. Everyone is free to trade by wholesale or retail, but the French must be authorised by a certificate of the Chamber of Commerce at Marseille, and after 10 years must return to France. Subjects of other nations can stay as long as they please. Any European, wherever he may come from is bound to appear before his consul, and explain his reasons for coming. If he turns out to be a mere vagabond the consul is fully furnished with instructions how to get rid of him as soon as possible, and send him back to Europe. The master of a vessel arriving from abroad must on landing, even before he calls on his correspondents, go to the consul and inform him whence he comes, what is his business, and give him the letters he brings ; and a day or two before he leaves he must do the same. He must show the consul his papers : if he makes a difficulty about bringing them ashore the consul sends his chancellor to examine them on board. In Syria, where vessels generally anchor on the beach, the consuls cannot oblige the masters to bring their papers ashore, lest they should be obliged suddenly to hoist sail and leave the shore, for fear of a disaster. Every ship's captain ought to be fully acquainted with his duties, but mistakes or misdoings have perhaps graver con-sequences in Turkey than elsewhere; the consuls ought therefore to watch their proceedings very narrowly, to avoid continual complaints from the Turks, in whose service the vessels are chiefly employed for the transport of merchandise, passengers and pilgrims : the misconduct of merchant captains

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