great prefumption for me to name them.’ — “ By no means,
i f I can I will do i t ; i f not, I w ill tell you fo.”
i s a w b y the Bey’s manner o f fpeaking .that I had rifen
confiderably in charadter in his opinion fince my refufal o f
the money. “ I have, Sir, faid I, a number o f countrymen,
. brave, rich, and honeft, that trade in India, where my k in g
has great dominions.” He faid, as h a lf to himfelf, “ True,
we know that.” “ Now there are many o f thefe that come
to Jidda. I left there eleven large fhips belonging to them,
who, according to treaty, pay high duties to the cuftom-
houfe, .and, from th e dictates of their own generofity
And magnificence, give large prefents to the prince and
to his fervants for protection; hut the -fherriffe o f Mecca has
.of late laid duty upon duty, and extortion upon extortion,
till the Englifhare at the point o f giv ing up thetrade altogether.
“ Ibn Cahaba,fays he, (which is, fon o f a wh— re,) he
paid for ,that when. I w as atMecca.” The Bey took Mecca,” ,
la ys a man at my Ihoulder. ■“ Why, fays the Bey, when
th e y fay you are filch'a brave nation, w h y don’t you beat
•down Jidda about his ears ? Have you no guns in your
ihips ? Our fhips., Sir, faid I, are all armed for w a r ; flout
veffels, fu ll o f hrave officers and fkilfui feamen : Jidda, and
much fironger places than Jidda, could not refill one o f
th em an hour. But Jidda is no part o f our dominions ; and,
an countries belonging to ftranger princes we cart.y our-
felves lowly, and trade -in peace, and never ufe force till o-
bliged to it,in our oyrn defence.” “ And what would you
have me to do ?” fays he. “ Our people, replied I, have taken
a thing into their head which I am fatisfied they
are well founded in,: They fay, that i f you would permit
them to bring their fhips and merchandize to Suez,
4 and
and! n ot to Jidda, they might then depend upon your
word, that, i f they were punitual in fulfilling their engagements,
they fhould never find you failing in yours.”
“ That they fhall never have* to fay o fm e , fays the Bey;: all
this is to my advantage. But y o u do not tell, me what I
am. to do for you?” “ Be fteady, Sir, faid I;, in your promife;
it is now late,, but I-will come again to fettle the duties with
you ; and be allured, that when it:is known at home, what,
at my private defira, you have-done for my country in general,
it w ill be the greateft honour that ever a prince conferred
on me in my life.” “ Why, let it be fo, fays he, bring,
coffee;- fee you admit, him whenever he calls y, bring a.eaf-
tan*.” - Coffee was accordingly brought, and I was cloath-
ed. in my caftan. I went down- flairs with my barracan
hid. under it, and. was received with greater re fp e& b y the
bye-ftanders than when I came u p ; the man was. the Tame,
But it was the caftan that made the difference. My friend
the Sarach and his banditti were ready at the door with
a mule, w h ich had. gilt: ftirrups, and. was finely caparis
foned- :
I went .back:with fu ll as muchTpced asTcame, but free-
from thofe falutations o f the quarter-flaff, which I ftill felt
upon.my haunches. The fcale o f politenefs was now turned
in my fa v o u r ; and to fhew their refpedt for me, the fol--
diers knocked down every perfon they- overtook in the -
.greets, giving-him firft a blow with the quarter-flaff upon
the head, then afking him, why he did not get out o f the
way ? All my people, at St George:had given.me.over forloft,.
I t is a loofe garment like a night-gown j it is a gift-of ceremonyr aad mark of favour.