M a h o m e t B e y being about to depart.to give battle to his
father-in-law, I thought it was no longer convenient forme
to flay at Cairo; I went therefore the laft time to the Bey,
Who prefled me very much To go to the camp with him. I
was fufficiently cured, however, o f any more Don Quixotte
undertakings. I excufed myfelf with every mark o f gratitude
and profeffion o f attachment.; and I fhall never forget
his daft words, as the handfomeft thing ever Laid.to me, and
in the politeft manner. “ You won’t go, fays he, and be a
foldier: What will you do at home ? You are not an India
merchant ?” I faid, “ No.” “ Have you -no other trade nor
occupation but that o f travelling ?” I faid, “ that was my
occupation.” “ Ali.Bey, my father-in-law, replied he, often
obferved there was never fuch a people as the Englilh ; no
other nation on earth could be compared to them?, and none
had lb many great .men in all profeflions by fea and land:
I never underftood this till now, that I fee it mult be fo,
when your king.cannot find other employment for fuch a
man as you, but-lending'him to periih by hunger and thirll
in the fands, or to have his throat cut b y the lawlefs barbarians
o f the defert.”
I s a w that the march o f the Bey was a fignal for all E-
gypt’s being prefently in diforder, and I did not delay a moment
to fet out for Alexandria, where I arrived without any
thing remarkable. There I found my ihip ready; and
the day after, w alkin g on the key, I was accofted by a
friend o f mine, a Turk, a man o f feme confequence. - He
told me it was whifpered that the Beys had met, and that
A li Bey had been totally defeated, wounded, and taken.
“ We are friends, fays h e ; you are a Chriftian; and this
connexion o f the Bey With the Ruffians has exafperated the
4 lower
lower fort o f people greatly againil you all. What is a day
or two to you, now you are going at any rate ? Be advifed ;
go on board your ihip early in the afternoon, and make
your captain haul out beyond the Diamond*, for mifchief
is at hand.” My captain was as ready as I ; and we accordin
g ly hauled out beyond the Diamond. The weather was
fo clear, and the wind fo d irea ly fair, that, contrary to cu-
ftom, we fet fail that very night, after being witneffes that
the mifchief had begun, by the number o f lights and repeated
firings o f mulkets \yé heard from the town.
OtjR veifel fprung a leak o ff Derna oh the coaft, where I
was once before ihipwrecked. The wind being contrary,,
we put about fhip, and flood before it for Cyprus, our veil'd
filled apace, and we were intending to put a cable round her
waift when the leak .was found. A violent ftorm overtook
us the night after. I apprehend our ihip was old, and the
captain was again much alarmed, but thé Wind calmed next
day. I was exceedingly diftreiled with the Guinea-worm
in my leg, when the captain came and fat down by my bed,-
fide. “ Now the matter is over, fays he, w ill you tell me
one thing ? it is mere curiofity ;. I w ill not let any one:
know.” “ Before 1 tell you, faid I, I dare fay you will not ;
what is it f” “ How many o f thofe things, y o u know, fays-
he, winking, have you on board ?” “ Upon the word o f a
man, faid I, I do not know what you mean.” “ Ces morts 1
thefe dead men ! how many have you in thefe trunks ?■ for
laft night the crew was going to throw all your boxes overboard.”
“ I can tell, you, captain, faid I, that you and they
V ol. IV.. 4. N 3 had?
The Diamond is a fmall rock, juft without the harbour o f A lexandria ; when ihips at*
rive-there, they^are cleared out,.and.never moleited. further by. thc.cuftomhouie-.