punishment on him; but by the interpofition of those 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 lealt valuable articles. He earneftly 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 house, under the custody of a strong guard.

We breakfafted 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 distance in their front. Carpets were fpread in. the intermediate fpace for our reception, Here we feated ourselves, after making our obeifance 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.

Just 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 stolen 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 fhaik'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 cafe 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 queftion, 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 evafion. 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 shaik 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, be proceeded to decide. But he could hardly find utterance for his or. ders, which were to arrest and

flog

that was now wanting to complete our fatisfaction, was the recovery of our lotles, which he would fee effected; and our journey to Cairo, which he wore fhould be accomplished without any injury being offered to an hair of our heads.

Our ignorance of the Arabian language obliged us to have recourfe to our interpreter, for an acknowledgment of thefe favours. But, at the fame time, it faved us the confusion of appearing at a lofs for a fuitable reply. We fheltered ourfelves under this fortunate circumftance, which, in a great meafure, left our patron to conceive a gratitude, which words would have but poorly expreffed.

A metlenger now arrived with, two thanks and my chreefe, from the vizier. The other haul, he faid, he had parted with; and the piftols he had given to Ally. Once more, therefore, was the wretched Ally produced before the court; and on denying the receipt of them, the battinado was again inflicted on him. Befides the articles which had been reftored, there were ftill a filver urn, a pair of gold kneebuckles, and a quantity of valuable linen to be accounted for. Not to fpeak of the money which they obtained from us, under various pretences. But thefe were faid to have fallen to Mahomet's fhare in the diviñon; and his robbery and death were made a plea of by the family, to fatisfy us for our lofs. The thaik would not hear of this apology, which he termed falie and evafive. And fooner than we thould fuffer by that family, he declared, that he would first order their fubftance to be difpofed of,

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our loffes, Ally and the rest of them fhould be fold as flaves, to make up the fum. It was now time for us to interfere. The matter was exceeding the bounds to which we meant to push it; and policy, as well as humanity, prompted us to drop. it. Our principal aim was to get from Ghinnah, under a proper protection. Our perfecutors had been chaftifed, and it was preferable for us to put up with fome inconvenience, rather than run the risk of being detained here, in the purfuit of full redress. On this account we liftened to the mediation of the hakeem, and fome of the courtiers, who befeeched us to withdraw our claim to all but eighty dollars of the remaining debt, which Ally night raise from the camels he poffeffed. Our acquiefcence in this propofal gained us credit,with all prefent, and drew a particular compliment from the worthy fhaik; who protefted, that he could not but admire our generofity, though it was, exercifed at the expence of their national character. The reader, perhaps, may agree with us, that we ought not to have fubfcribed to this infinuation, as fuch a man as was then before us; was enough to redeem his nation from obloquy.

The court now broke up, and we were difmiffed, not a little pleafed with this mode of adminiftering juftice. The punishment inflicted upon robbers in other countries, fuppreffes the growth of them in the general opinion. But when we reflect on the frequent robberies that are committed in our own, it feems doubtful, whether

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the

the feverity of the fentence anfwers the expected end. As a fmall token of our refpect, on our return home, we made up fuch a prefent as we judged would be moft acceptable to a man of his turn of mind, and fent it to the fhaik by Ibrahim. It confifted of a couple of fine hauls, an Indian carpet, and a palampore, and an handfome fabre and cafe of piftols. The fabre and piftols, though articles of the greatest value, he returned, and fent us many thanks for our remembrance of him in the reft, which he faid he would keep for our fake. He alfo told Ibrahim, that he had directed a merchant to furnish us with camels for our journey, as the river was too perilous for us to venture on."

The reader will undoubtedly be forry to hear of the death of this good old man. Egypt was then in a state of convulfion, and in one of their revolutions his head was taken off. But fuch events are matters of courfe in Africa and Afia.

The good old fhaik abovementioned, and who from circumftances is fuppofed to be the fame fo favourably fpoken of by Dr. Pococke, in his Travels, delivered Mr. Irwin and his fellowfufferers to the care of Hadgee Uttalah, the mafter of his camels; with a charge to convey them and their baggage fafely to Cairo: adding, that, fhould the least complaint be made against his conduct, he should answer it with his head; and he was ordered not to return without a letter under their hands and feals, to advife the fhaik of their fafety. To fecure his fidelity beyond the reach of

temptation, the fhaik alfo directed, that the family of Hadgee Uttalah fhould be placed under a guard, as the fureft hoftage for his integrity.

On September 4, at 11 o'clock at night, as the most private hour, the English travellers left Ghinnah, where, notwithstanding the redrefs they had received, they found their baggage reduced to one half of the bulk they brought into the town. Their journey lay through the defert of Thebais, with eighteen camels for the accommodation of them, their baggage, attendants, and guard. On the third day of their journey in this defert, they met with an adventure fufficiently alarming, which we shall give in the author's own words, firft premifing that they had halted to dine.

"At half past three o'clock we were mounted again, and going through the fame valley, in about an hour, reached the bottom of another fteep mountain. We were obliged to lead our camels up, and in about half an hour gained the fummit, where we found a plain' near two miles in length, over which we rode. At fix o'clock, we came to the extremity of the mountain, when our advanced guard alarmed us with the news of a party of camels being in the vale. As it was a fufpicious place to encounter any of our own fpecies, we all took to our arms, and affembled on the defcent, which was fo craggy, and fo perpendicular, that, finall as our numbers were, we were enabled by our fituation to have coped with a multitude of enemies. The ftrangers had obferved our motions, and drew up in a body below to wait the refult.

We counted no less than thirty camels, and deduced therefom, that we thould have two to one against us, in cafe of hoftilities. To gain intelligence, however, of the difpofition of the ftrangers, Hadgee Uttalah himself defcended into the valley. He ventured himfelf unarmed, as a token of peace; and we were not a little impatient to behold the interview which was about to take place. We were deeply interefied in its event; and, circumstanced as we were, it is not furprising that we should doubt of its fuccefs. But we were happily deceived in our ideas. No fooner had Hadgee Uttalah approached the new party, than he was recognized by one among them, who ran with open arms to receive him, He was prefently encompatted by the reft; and we could difcern that he was ferved with coffee and bread. This staggered us in our opinion of these people's profeflion; and we began to conceive that they might be travellers like ourselves, who, in these critical times, had explored the defert, in preference to the river. And we were now confirmed in this conceit by the figns which Hadgee made to us to defcend. Thefe figns were interpreted to us by our Arabs, who told us there was nothing to fear. We obeyed, therefore, and went down the hill in as good order as the path would admit of. We were met at the foot of it by Hadgee, who conveyed us and our baggage to a spot at fome diftance from the ftrangers, and then returned to them. Many were the embraces and congratulations that were exchanged between the Arabs on both fides. The first thing we

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learned was, that water is to be procured in this valley, which has induced our gentry to halt here and replenith our tkins. We arrived here at half paft fix o'clock, so that our laft ftage was three hours, or feven miles.

While Hadgee Uttalah was engaged in an earnest converfation with the leader of the other party, Ibrahim and Abdul Ruffar came to us with looks of furprize, and informed us, that they had ditcovered the strangers to be what we at first apprehended-a band of robbers. That they had overheard one of them boast, that this band took the forty camels near Cofire during our ftay in that town-an anecdote which I before mentioned

and that, on the banks of the Nile, they had plundered a caravan but a few days ago, with the fpoils of which they were now returning to their own country! It may be imagined that we were not a little, ftartled at this intelligence. The novelty of the circumstance did not diminish its unpleafantnefs; and our fituation was as alarning as uncommon: but our minds were prefently relieved by the assurances of Hadgee Uttalah, who now joined us. He made no scruple to acquaint us with the profeffion of the robbers; but added, that they had as much regard for their word as other people. They happily knew him, which was indeed the faving of an effufion of blood. For, on the fcore of friendship, they had pledged their word to him, that they would not meditate the leaft wrong againft us. We might trust them implicitly, for the wild Arabs had never been known to break

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