in g for you to T e a w a a n d with that he put his arm to
lay hold o f me by the breafl. I faid to him, “ Off hands, you
ruf f i a na nd, taking him by the arm, I gave him fuch a
pnffi that he had very near fallen backward ; on which he
cried o,ut, in great fury, “ Give me fifty patakas (about twelve
guineas) or I’ll ham-ftring you this inftant.” I had always
piftols in my pocket for an extremity; but I could not con-
fider this drunkard, though armed, to have reduced me to
that fituation; 1 therefore immediately clofed upon him,
and, catching him by the throat; gave him a violent wrench
backward, which threw him upon the ground. 1 then took
his fword out o f his hand ; and in the inftant my black fer*
vant Soliman appeared, who had ftaid behind converting
with fome acquaintance in the ftreet. Several other black
companions;‘o f this rafcal likewife appeared ; part feemed
to defend, and part to intercede for him, but none Co condemn
him. Soliman, however, infilled upon C affyinghim before
the k in g with his drawn fword in his hand. But how
were we furprifed, when the k in g ’s anfwer to our complaint
w a s , ' “ That the man was drunk, and that the people in
that country were not ufed to fee franks, like me, w alking
in the ftreet.” He then gave Soliman a lharp reproof for
having the prefumption, as he called it, to difarm one of
his fervants in his palace, and-immediately Ordered his
fword to be reilorcd him.
We were retiring fu ll o f thoughts what might be the
eccafion o f this reception, when we were , m et by Kittou,
Adelan’s brother, who was left with the cafe o f the town.
I. told the whole affair. He heard me very attentively, and.
with, apparent concern. “ It is all the k in g ’s fa u lt ; every
Have
llaffe does what he pleafes, faid he. If 1 mention this
to Adelari, he w ill order the drunkard’s head to be ftruck off
b e fo reihe pal’ace-gate. But it is better for you that nothing,
o f this kind happen while you are here. Mahomet Abou
Kalec is daily expefted, and all thefe things will be put upon
another footing. In the mean time, keep at home as
much as poffible, and never go out without two or three
black people along with you, fervants, or others. While
you are in my brother’s houfe, as you now are, and we alive,
there is no body dares moleil you, and you are perfect! y at
liberty to refufe’ or admit any perfon you pieafe, whether
they come from the k in g or not, by only faying, Adelan
forbids you. I w ill anfwer for the reft. The lefs you
come here the better, and never venture into the ftreet at
At this inftant a meffage from the k in g called him in-
I went away, better fatisfied than before, becaufe I now.
had learned there was a place in that town where I could
remain in fafety, and I. was refolved there to await the
arrival o f Abou Kalec, to whom I looked up as to the
means Providence was to ufe to free me from the defigns
the k in g was apparently meditating againft me. I was
more confirmed in the belief o f thefe bad intentions, by a.
eonverfation he had with. Hagi Belal, to whom he faid,.
That he was very credibly informed I had along with
me above 2000 ounces o f gold, befides a quantity o f
lilver, and rich embroideries from India, from which
laft place, and not from Cairo, I was come as a merchant,,
and not a phylician. I refolved, therefore, to keep clofe at
home, and to put into fome. form the . obfervations that
LhacL: