them; that it was their misfortune in fpite of their importunities to to be confidered by these people as men of vaft wealth, whofe trunks were filled with gold, precious ftones, and rich merchandize, on which it was their custom to levy a tax. It was in vain to expoftulate, the dependants of the fhaik were yet to receive their mite; and he declared in a determined tone, that he could not pretend to fend them in fafety to the Nile, until he received orders from the bey of Cairo, unless the people were fatisfied with a donation of twenty-five dollars. When his demand was fatisfied, the clouds which loured on his countenance difpelled in a moment, and with infinite good humour he ordered the camels at the door to take up their baggage. After his departure, it was found that inftead of twelve camels, as by agreement, he had only provided ten, and he had grace enough to avoid another interview, by fending his fon to accompany them instead of attending himfelf. Misfortune however ftill purfued them. The young fhaik found means in the courfe of their journey to feparate them from the reft of the caravan, and after they had fuffered innumerable fatigues, he had the impudence to propofe to leave them at Banute, a town confiderably short of Ghinnah. This circumftance (fays Mr. Irwin) was too barefaced not to alarm us, and we determined to push on, through an almoft infupportable heat. This refolution was confirmed by Abdul Ruffar, our Arabian fervant, who was entitled to credit from his paft behaviour. Accordingly, at two o'clock, we mounted our camels, we wait until the evening, and moved on, in the most fultry day I had ever felt in the Eaft. We foon rejoined the merchant's camels, which had taken fhelter under a thorn-tree at fome distance, and were ready to attend us. While united with this body, we did not fear going aftray; and purfued our courfe, under a full fecurity of being on the road to Ghinnah. We had no water, but what our earthen guglets contained; and this was foon expended. It is impoffible to defcribe what fuffered from heat and thirft during this ftage. A mouthful or two of dirty water, which one of our guards gave me, made me forget for the moment his recent infolence; and all our former apprehenfions were infenfibly fwallowed up in the more painful idea of falling victims to thirst. Our tongues actually became parched to our palates; and we were obliged to wet them every now and then, with fpirituous liquors, to prevent fuffocation from the clouds of duft which continual whirlwinds threw around us. This expedient was but tranfitory, and ferved indeed to increase the rage of thirst. It was our common misfortune alfo to labour under a violent complaint in our bowels; and to the want of the bad water that occafioned it-a want which we had lamented in the most earnest manner-our prefervation was probably owing. I was fo afflicted myfelf with this diforder, that I could fcarcely fit my camel through excefs of pain. The wind and duft had equally affected our fight, fo that we wandered on in agony and darknefs. There is no doubt that Qur miles. After five days journey through thefe deferts, they at length arrived at Ghinnah, on the banks of the Nile, where, they again found themselves in much worfe hands than at Cofire. Their landlord and the vizier of the city leagued together, and by fundry artifices and farcical pleas of difficulties, contrived to detain them from their voyage down the river, and to drain them of their money and every va luable article, even to their arms and wearing apparel, that they faw in their poffeffion: thefe extortions they were obliged to fubmit to, finding by experience that among these people refiftance never produced redrefs. After hav. ing been kept prifoners by their landlord, fubject to a barefaced courfe of depredation, they were at length happily refcued from thefe plunderers, by the long-expected arrival of the fhaik Ul Arab, whofe character and behaviour Mr. Irwin thus defcribes: our Arabian companions partook This ftage was fix hours, or fifteen in fome measure of our futterings; but they were too much accustomed to the fun, to feel all the effects of his fury; and we had fome reafon to fufpect, that their stock of water lafted long after ours had failed us. To crown this fcene of diftrefs, we at length overtook the fhaik, who, we learnt, had been difappointed in replenishing his fkins, by the appearance of wild Arabs about the fprings. This news founded like the knell of death in our ears; not from the neighbourhood of these robbers, who were once fo formidable to our fears, but from the abfence of a fluid, on which we fuppofed our lives to depend. Faint and fpiritlefs, therefore, we toiled on until eight o'clock at night, when we halted, without having encountered any foe in the way. But far different was this halting-place from any other we had come to. Without a draught of water to moisten our throats, it was impracticable to force down a morfel of bread; and the pain and weariness under which our bodies laboured, were too extreme to admit of a momentary repofe. Overwhelmed with hunger, thirft, and fatigue, we fat ourselves upon the ground, and revolved our melancholy fituation in filence. Every fkin was alternately ranfacked by us for water, and not an article left untried that was likely to produce the least moisture. My companions and I had unluckily recourfe to raw onions, which were among the baggage. But no fooner had we tafted of this potent root, than we repented of our rafhnefs. The effect was quite contrary to our hopes; and our drought was irritated to the highest degree. His Ifman Abu Ally, the great fhaik of the Arabs-for fuch we would render the fhaik Ul Arab-is a fhort fat man, of about five feet two inches high, and turned, as we learn, of feventy five. eyes are grey, and his complexion very fair; but, what at once gives him a fingular and more youthful look, his beard, which is very bushy, is coloured of a bright yel low. This exterior may not feem the most promifing, and might create diftafte, if the benevolence that beams from his countenance, were not foremost to fecure the heart of the beholder. Neither can the thrillnefs of his voice, which is harsh and diffonant, de ftroy froy the beauty of the fentiments, which it is made ufe of to convey. He is still active, for a man of his fize and age; and his fpirits are fo good, that were it not for the ravage that time has made among his teeth, he might pafs for a younger man by twenty years at leaft. Except the viziers of Yambo and Ghinnah, whom we had found to be villains by fad experience, we had hitherto dealt with the drofs of the nation. It was referved for this moment, for us to meet with the polite gentleman and the honest man, comprized in the perfon where they ought to be found, in the reprefentative of his people. We had quickly cause to find, that we had not given the fhaik too much credit for his integrity. His impatience to acquit himfelf in our opinion, of any connivance at the conduct of his fervants, could fcarcely be restrained by the forms of civility, which precluded bufinefs during our repaft. But no fooner was it ended, than he shifted the converfation, and came directly to the point which we were fo much concerned in. He lamented the treatment which we had undergone, and which could only have happened in his abfence; and he vehemently reprobated the behaviour of his officers, which he was determined to punish in the moft exemplary manner. After a few leading queftions, which tended to confirm the report that had been made to him touching our ftory, he profeffed, that his return to Ghinnah had been haftened on our account. That he had come purposely to do us ftri&t justice on our perfecutors, and to difpatch us under a fafe conduct to Cairo. As a proof of his fincerity, he ordered Ally, the brother of Mahomet, their landlord, and a partaker in the fpoil, to be brought before him. He had been previously taken into cuftody, and was waiting without, to be examined. With this fellow came Sauker, one of the rogues who had affifted to plunder us, and who of his own accord produced the things which had fallen to his fhare, in the divifion of the fpoils. He laid them at the fhaik's feet; and with the greateft effrontery declared, that he had taken them, only to fecure them from the thieves of the houfe: and that his truth might be deduced from his care of our property. Though his offence was palpable, this ftep was fufficient to fkreen him from punishment in a country, where retribution is all that is required by the profecutor, and where juftice is generally to be appeafed by pecuniary fines. But the ill-advifed Ally did not escape in this manner. He boldly denied having robbed us of money or valuables, and was loudly exclaiming at the injuftice of the accufation, when the fhaik raised his voice, and a dozen Abyffinian flaves fuddenly feized on the culprit, and hurried him out of the punishment on him; but by the interpofition of thofe about him, in which we joined, he remitted it for the prefent; and directed Ally to be led home, that he might produce the goods. Our triumph was complete. One of our ancient enemies had atoned for his crime, in a manner that outwent the most fanguine idea of revenge. The other was humbled at our feet. He furvived indeed: but it was only to abafe himself before us, and to depend upon our moderation for his fecurity! In about half an hour Ally returned, and produced a few of the least valuable articles. He earnestly requested until the morning to deliver up the reft, and to repay us the money that he had cheated us out of. This was granted him at our defire, and the prifoner committed to his own houfe, under the cuftody of a ftrong guard. We breakfasted betimes, and at seven o'clock went to the fhaik's house. The court were already affembled in an open fpot before the house, which was fhaded by an high wall from the morning fun. Here we found the fhaik encompaffed by his great men, with a number of foldiers and attendants at fome diftance in their front. Carpets were spread in the intermediate fpace for our reception. Here we feated ourselves, after making our obeisance to the fhaik, and waited in filence the iffue of the trial. Next to the fhaik's right hand was placed his nephew, and, as we understand, his declared fucceffor in the government. Juft before we came in, the culprit Ally had undergone a fevere baftinado, on again proving re fractory; and the hakeem was fent to fearch his house for the ftolen goods. This occafioned a pause in the proceedings, which were interrupted by the fudden appearance of the vizier, who, to our great aftonishment, took a feat which was vacant next to the shaik's nephew. This confidence was unexpected, and filled us with unfavourable prognoftics of the event of our fuit. But our doubts were of fhort continuance. He had entered unregarded by his mafter, and was talking with great eafe to thofe about him, when the fhaik turned about, and in a folemn tone asked him for the fhauls and things, which he had received from the English gentlemen. The whole frame of this gay courtier was evidently difcompofed by this question. He had probably laid his account with our fuppreffing the part he had taken against us, after the high hand with which he had once ftopped the accufation of Abdul Ruffar, and was unprepared with an evasion. His countenance inftantly was dif robed of its pleafantry; his limbs trembled, and his tongue faultered in framing a reply, the fubftance of which was, that he was a ftranger to the matter with which he was charged. We were afhamed of the meannefs of a man of his rank, but the wrath of the fhaik was wound up to the highest pitch at the hearing of this falsehood. He was confirmed of the guilt from the fymptoms which the offender difplayed; and without calling any fresh evidence to corroborate it, he proceeded to decide. But he could hardly find utterance for his orders, which were to arrest and flog flog the vizier immediately. A number of flaves ftarted from the croud, to execute his orders. The aftonished minifter could not believe his ears, and would fain have perfuaded himself that the affair was a jeft. He was prefently convinced of his mistake. The officers of justice laid vio. lent hands upon his perfon, tum bled him from his proud feat, and in a rude manner hurried him away, in fpite of his outcries and fruitless refiftance. This behaviour ferved only to exafperate the fhaik. His eyes flashed with the honeft indignation which lighted his bofom; his ftrength could fcarcely fupport the agitations of mind; and after fome effort, he raised himself from his carpet, and repeated his commands in a voice, that ftruck terror into the breafts of all prefent. He was immediately furrounded by a croud of his courtiers, who kiffed his hands, embraced his knees, and interceded with him for the pardon of the vizier. These nobles took no share in the paffions of their monarch, and were only attentive to exculpate one of their body, though at the expence of honour and juftice. I muft own that I was concerned at the fearful fituation of a man, who had never been guilty of any actual violence towards us, and whose greatest trefpass was the receipt of prefents, on his affurances of protection, when he permitted our being plundered by our inhofpitable hoft and his adherents. Thefe, however, were crimes of the deepest dye, in the eyes of the good old fhaik. When we directed Ibrahim to plead for the inoffenfive conduct of the vizier towards us, VOL. XXIII. he would not hear of any apology for a villain, who had fo little the honour of his country at heart, as to injure its character by winking at the mal-treatment of ftrangers. He could the lefs overlook it in a fervant of his own, and added, that it was at our inftance only, he would remit the punishment due to his enormity. The mortification nevertheless was referved for the vizier, that he fhould be brought before us, difarrayed of his gay apparel, his hands bound behind him, and a chain faftened about his neck. In this miferable plight, he was told of the obligation he was under to our generous application; and led home by a guard, to produce his ill gotten acquifition, as his only hope of fafety. We obferved a general murmur among the grandees, at the compliment which was paid us on this occafion. The difgrace of one of their body excited no friendly fentiments towards us; and not a few menacing looks were thrown upon us from the circle. On the other hand, the fhaik harangued them in a fenfible and pathetic fpeech, on the honour of their nation. He caft the most juft and fevere reproaches on the character of the abfent minifter, and warned them in future, against fuch inhuman practices towards Chriftians and ftrangers. He then turned to us with the kindet afpect, and reaffured us of his protection. He attributed the commiffion of the offence to the neglect of the hakeem of Ghinnah, who had flum. bered like an unwary centinel on his duty. For this he had been difcharged from his office, and a flave of his own been fent to take E care |