Which waihed the ihores o f their conquefts, and came, at
the fame time, within two days journey o f the Mediterranean.
To my endeavours it is owing that fo many ingenious gem
tlemen have had an opportunity, o f lending their hands to
perfeft the chart o f that fea, which I hope is now in great
forwardnefs. It would perhaps, too, have been more generous
and liberal-minded in them, had they honoured the
author o f the liberty and fafety they enjoyed, with at leaft
a w ord o f their approbation. Prifons and chains, ranfoms,
torments, and perhaps death itfelf, were the calamities they
efcaped by m y ’ preparing their way, and to this would have
been added the m ifcarriage o f their defign and their undertaking
likewife*.
Copy
* N ot one ihip has ever yet entered the Red Sea, as I am informed) without a copy of m y
la t e r and fit man.
Copy o f M r B r u c e ’ s Letter to the Gentlemen trading to the
Red Sea from the Britiih Settlements B o m b a y and B E N G
A L .
C a i r o , i/? February, 1773.
G e n t l e m e n ,
A T the defire o f feveral o f the gentlemen trading tb
Jidda in the year 1769, 1 have fpoken' to the Bey o f Cairo
(Mahomet Bey,) that he w ould give permiflion for b ringin
g the India fliips direftly to Suez, without Hopping at Jidda,
where they were conftantly ill-treated b y theiherriffe,and
neither payments punctual nor their effefts in fafety. Mahomet
Bey exprciled all the defire polfible to have this
fpeedily executed. He difpatched this exprefs, in which I
inclofe you the terms o f agreement, with a tranflation from
the Arabic original. You will fee he renounces all prefents,
which, however, it w ill be always prudent to give. ■ Moderate
ones will ferve, provided he behaves faithfully and
generoufly, as I believe firmly he will. He feeks 8 per' cent.'
cuiloms, and leaves it in your option to pay this in goods
or money, and 50 patackas anchorage for each v e lle l; this
is for the captain o f the port o f Suez.
■“ A r r i v e d at Suez,- you will do well to give notice to
any o f the houfes you chufe to addrefs yourfelves to. There
are three French houfes o f note h e r e ; Meifi Napollon
and Co. MefiC Rofa and Co. and Mcifi l’Anglade and Co. ;
and thefe three are rich houfes, in great credit, and with
whom you are very fafe. There is alfo an Italian houfe o f
4 L 2 credit