Upon the arrival of the Arab of Aboussebah (whom I
have mentioned in Note 6.) at Santa Cruz on his way to
Mogadore, with Nicholas, Nemham, and Nelson, the Governor
of that city and district wished to take possession
of the Christians in order to send them to the Emperor:
but the Arab refused to part with them, not considering
himself a subject of the Emperor, or under the controul
of any of the rulers of Barbary; and he accordingly
escaped out of the city with his property by night; but
before he reached Mogadore he was overtaken by two
soldiers whom the Governor had dispatched after him, and
who accompanied him and the Christians to me.
The Arab then declared to me that it never was his
intention to take his slaves to the Emperor, that he had
bought them in the Desert in the hopes of making some
profit by their ransom, and that, if he succeeded in this
object, he would return, and endeavour to bring the others
up to Mogadore. Upon this I bargained with him for
the purchase of them; ftut refusing to accept the highest
sum which it was in my power to offer him, he left me,
pretending that he had resolved to take his slaves to Fez,
where the Emperor then was. Fearful of trusting the
men again in his power, I objected to his taking them from
under my protection, unless they were entrusted to the
care of a Moorish soldier; but the Governor of Mogadore
refused to grant him a soldier for that purpose. Thus
circumstanced, he was at length compelled to accept the
proffered ransom.
The dissatisfaction which the Arab felt at the result of
his journey, and at the interference of the Governors of
Santa Cruz and Mogadore, was, I fear, the cause why the
rest of the Charles's crew were not subsequently brought
up to be ransomed ; but it could not be helped. D.
Note 48, p. 68.
. The sale of Adams at Wed-Noon to Bel-Cossim-Abdallah
was mentioned to me by him at Mogadore; Adams
observing that he had been bought by Bel-Cossim verj’-
cheap, the latter having paid no more for him than the
value of seventy dollars in barter.
This part of the Narrative was further confirmed by Bel-
Cossim himself; who having arrived at Mogadore some
time after Adams had been ransomed, called upon me,
and requested permission to see him. Bel-Cossim then
shewed a great regard for him, and told me that he had been
unwilling to part with him, when he was ransomed. D,