CH A P . IV . MOBZOUK. 183 nourishing food ; even many of the natives were very ill, and it was quite rare to see a healthy looking person. I remained a week in bed, and arose from it quite a skeleton; Belford was still in a very dangerous state. One night, as we were all sitting pensively on our mat, our friend Yussuf, the Mamluke, came in, and addressing Mr. Ritchie, said, “ Yussuf, you and Said are my friends ; Mukni has behaved to you as he has done to us, and hopes you may die that he may secure to himself all your goods. You seem very melancholy, and never speak; answer me one question, do you want money?” Mr. Ritchie having acknowledged that he did, Yussuf rejoined, •“ I do not myself possess any, but I will go and borrow some for you : how much do you require ?” Twenty dollars being the sum named by Mr. Ritchie, our kind friend went out, and soon after returned, bringing us thirty! an act of generosity so unlooked for, that we were wholly incapable of thanking him as he deserved. This seasonable supply enabled us to buy good food, and to make some amends for our late privations. We soon became in better health, and Mr. Ritchie’s spirits began to brighten up. Belford, on his recovery, assisted me to make a little flag-staff with a topmast, on which we placed rigging and a small vane instead of colours, Mr. Ritchie not wishing to hoist our little union jack. This contrivance brought us many visitors, who were much entertained at seeing the vane turn round; but the greatest part of them hinted pretty plainly, that we must be fools for wishing to see what quarter the wind came from, which they could not possibly imagine to be of the least consequence to us. A t this season, Scorpions were very numerous in all the houses, and I think more particularly so in ours. I had acquired, at Tripoli, a knack of catching without receiving harm from them, and in consequence had the
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