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TRAVELS to the coast of ARABIA FELIX: AND FROM THENCE BY THE RED-SEA and EGYPT, to EURQl?j£$m h W. %— CONTAINING a short account of an expedition UNDERTAKEN AGAINST THE CAPE of GOOD HOPE. in a series of letters By HENRY ROOKE, Esc^. LATE MAJOR OF THE IOOth REGIMENT OF FOOT. SECOND EDITION, WITH ADDITIONS. LONDON: printed for R. BLAMIRE, IN THE STRAND, M DCC MXXIV. C O N T EN T S LETTER I. Departure from Spithead— Ifland of Madeira-Trade Winds Cape de Verd Iflands-Anchor in Porto Praya-Defcrip- tion of St. Jago and the Town of Praya. LETTER II. Attack made by Monfieur SufFrein— Difadvantages under which the Bri- ti(h tiili Fleet laboured-Enemy beat off-Englifh Fleet gives chafe. LETTER III. Departure from St. Jago-Crofs the Line--Trinidada--Object of the Expedition publickly notified -Capture of Dutch mips in Sal- danha Bay-Attack of the Cape judged inexpedient-Commodore returns to England——Arrival at Joanna. LETTER IV. Defcription of the Ifland of Joanna- Vifits paid by the Princes to the different /hips-Good accommodations procured for us by the Dukes-Singular worfhip addref- fed fed to Birds-Flying Fox or African Bat-Prepare to fail. LETTER V. Sicknefs in the Fleet-How accounted for-Fair Breeze for fome time -Long Calm-Contrary Mon- foon fets in-Put into Morebat Bay-Defcription thereof and of the Country-An Arabian Draw- ing-Room-Hookah-Fleets of Coafting Veffels. LETTER VI. Pa/Tage to Mocha-Defcription of that City-Kingdom of Sunnaa >-Military Genius of the Arabians— Exercife of their Cavalry -Gen- -Gentoos-Champooing-■ Oppreffive Government. LETTER VII. PalTage to Hodeida-Ifle of Camaran -Battle with the Budoos-- Cruelty of the Lafcars-Touch at Confidah-Arrive at Juddah- Defcription of that place. LETTER VIIL Turkifh Coffee Fleet-Their curious mode of Navigation-Journal kept on board the Mahaboube—Arrival at Suez. LETTER IX. Journey over the Defert to Grand Cairo with a Caravan-Wretched fate of fome Tome En slim Merchants-Cruel- ty of the Government of Cairo towards them--Firman of the Grand Sigiror--Unpleafint manner in which the Chridians are treated at Cairo. LETTER :.. ExciTftStrtl to the Pyramids--Their Size—■—Apartments in the largeft ---'-Sphynx---Situation of the anticnt City of Memphis-Ifland of Knotaa---Mikeaz--Ceremo - hy or" the opening of the Chnlitz --Defcription of Cairo and the form of Government there. -Il'^uA io amii sri; oJ oisrfi b9\ ->i LET T E R XI. Unpleafant Adventure with Muflapha tcy--Good Offices of Mr. R-- 4 b --In- •-Jnterpofition of Ibrahim Bey ■-The Paffage by Suez mod: favorable for fending Intelligence to India-Arabian Concert—Nightly Police of that City. LETTER XII. Paffage down the Nile to Rofetta Annual overflow of that River Fertility of Lower Egypt—Rofetta 1--Caltle of Bekier-Nicopolis --Alexandria-Ruinous ftate of the antient City-Pompey's Pillar —Cleopatra's Obelifk---Baths --Pharos--Alexander's Body pre- ferved there to the time of Auguf-tus. letter LETTER XIII. Sail from Alexandria-•—Touch at Rhodes——Defcription thereof-- Archipelago---Ifland of Candia --Tunis——Antient City of Carthage---Citterns---Aquasduct— Embark for Leghorn--—Arrival there. TRAVELS TO THE COAST of ARABIA FELIX, &c. LETTER L Porto Praya, April 13, 1781. dear friend, The guefs proved right which you formed when i parted with you on the Beach at Portfmouth, and the next morning's light brought with it a favorable wind. What a glorious fight was the confequence! near forty B mips mips of the line with above an hundred others getting under way, the breeze frehh, the morning clear and pleafant! did you ever behold fo noble a fpecta-cle ? perhaps it might ftrike me more forcibly, who was in the midft of that bufy fcene than you who was, i fup-pofe, a fpectator of it from the ramparts. i beheld it with a degree of enthufiafm; thofe itupendous bulwarks managed with fo much art, fuch regularity in the midfc of fo much apparent confufion, the alacrity of my brave companions who were going forth to aliert their own and their country's honor, the glorious events which fo fine a force might produce -> thefe and a thou-fand other reflections of the like nature were occalioned by this fublime fight. Thle grand fleet deftined for the relief of Gibraltar kept on it's courfe, while our little fquadron brought up at St. Helen's for a few hours the Commodore modore then made known his command by hoifting a broad pendant, which could not fly when the Admiral's flag was in light: we weighed again in the afternoon and proceeded down Channel: The wind continued fair, and paffing the Lizzard Lights on the third evening after our departure from Spithead, we entered the Bay of Bifcay famous for it's ftorms, but found it of a more mild nature than we expe The interior part of the country is occupied by Budoos, jackalls and wild dogs j all which defcend to prey on the fandy plains of Morebnt. Would you think, that of all countries, this unhappy place fhould be situated on the coaff of happy Arabia ? If one may judge of it from the fpecimen here.exhibited, no term was ever more mif-appiied, where the country is deftitute of every vegetable production, the natives of every rational enjoyment. Large fleets of Arabian veifels are daily pafling full of pilgrims going to Mecca, and merchandife brought from Mufcat, Buffora, and other places on the coait. being bound for Mocha and F 4 Juddah Juddah in the Red Sea; the pafTage to the former place from hence, is but about ten days; and the eafy tranfition to Europe by that route, will, I believe, induce me to feek cooler climes for the recovery of my health, to which thefe torrid ones are fo unfriendly : if I meet with an Arabian veffel that can accommodate me tolerably well for the fhort distance to Mocha, the India Company's Agent will put me in the proper channel to get up the Red Sea, or I may poflibly find an European Ship to convey me to Suez; from thence acrofs the Ifthmus of that name to Alexandria, is not above a fix day's journey, and I Shall then be on the borders of the Mediterranean fea, with daily opportunities of pafTing into Italy, or fome part of Europe. The hopes of regaining fo valuable a poSfeffion as health, can alone make me torm this wiSh, as I Shall give up my Indian Indian expedition with the greateft reluctance ; but as I retire from the fun, I flatter myfelf, I £hall receive daiiy benefit ; and that by the time I arrive in England, I (hall be fit for a campaign in the temperate Zone. Adieu. LETTER VI. Mocha, Dec. 30, 1781. dear friend, "Yo u will perceive by the date of this, that I have put into execution the defign, of which I gave fome hints in my latt, and am thus far in my way to Europe. I embarked about three weeks ago in an Arabian veffel that came into More-bat Bay for water, and was bound hither. My accommodations on board it, were not magnificent, but I had every thing that common wants required, and had an opportunity of learning ing of what disadvantage it is on many occafions to have too many of them ; it is true, " They prove a fource of pleafure when fupply'd Goldsmith. but 'vice versa of pain when unprovided for. I found myfelf rather uncomfortable at fir ft on that account, not being able to drink my tea, or make my meals quite fo much at my eafe as I was ufed to do; but feeing my copper-coloured fellow travellers happy with a little rice and water, and not dif-treffed for want of tables, chairs and napkins, I adopted their cuftoms more confonant to nature than my own, and foon reafoned myfelf into good humour, both with my situation and fare, and having a tolerable cabbin, was not in danger of fuffering from the fun by day, or the dews by night. The COAST OF ARABIA FELIX, &C. 77 The Noquedah or mafter of the veffel, by name Hamet Ali, was a venerable old man, with a long white beard, and had a benignity of countenance that prepoifeffed me in his favour; his people likewife feemed to be good honeff fellows, and I readily embarked on board his veffel, notwithstanding fome of my friends thought it rather an hazardous ftep, but I took care not to throw the temptation of booty in their way, taking with me fcarce any thing but my bedding and provilions, and giving them credit for fo much liberality of fentiment, as not to fufpedt any barm, becaufe I was not of their colour, or did not, like them, believe Mahommed to be the true prophet. However, I endeavoured to cultivate their good will as much as poffible; and on firft going on board, fat down with the Noquedah and his officers to fupper, the floor being both our table and chairs, on which we placed placed ourfelves in a circle, with a large bowl of rice in the middle, and fome fifh and dates before each perfon : here I likewife found that knives and forks were ufelefs instruments in eating, and that nature had accommodated us with what anfwered the fame purpofe: we plunged our hands into the bowl, rolled up an handful of rice into a ball, and conveyed it to our mouths in that form : our repafl was fhort, and to that fuc-ceeded coffee and warning, and on their parts prayer, in which they were very frequent and fervent, always going thro' the motions of it together, by fignal from a man advanced before them, and every evening they chaunted forth Alia Alia, and the praifes of Mahommed for an hour or two after fun-fet. Our veffel was one of the largeff of this kind, and had thirty hands on board : thefe craft are built very (harp at the head, and fail extremely faff, although they carry but one fail; they are are built of thin planks, fovvn or rather laced together with cord; their ropes being made of Kiar the filament which covers the cocoa-nut fhell, and their fails of cotton. In our paffage we Steered from headland to headland, and were never far from land, which along the whole extent of the coaff, appeared barren and rugged. As they take only three or four days water on board at a time, we were frequently obliged to put in at different places for a fupply, which made our paffage rather tedious, and what might have been done in eight days was, owing to that circumftance, protracted to a fortnight, when we arrived here. This city appears extremely beautiful as you approach it, being well built, and Standing clofe to the water's edge; the houfes are very lofty, and are, as well as the walls, forts, &c. covered with a chinam or Stucco, that gives a dazzling whitenefs to them. The harbour bour is femi-circular, and formed by two arms which run out into the fea to equal lengths, having a fort at each extremity. The circuit of the wall is two miles: there are feveral handfome mofques in the city; but that with the tower built in honor of Shadeli, who founded the town, and brought the coffee plant into the neighbourhood, is the principal one. The Englifh, French and Dutch have factories here ; the houfe of the former is a very large and handfome building, in which I am comfortably lodged, and have already received benefit from the falubrity of the air, and other refrefh-ments which I meet with. The climate is now temperate and pleafant, compared with what I have lately experienced, though the thermometer is generally up at 80. in the middle of the day, and at 77. in the mornings and evenings ; there are no fprings of frefh water in the town, but fome fome of a very good quality within a quarter of a mile amongft the groves of date trees : provisions, fruits and vegetables are in great abundance. Trade has much declined here of late years fince Europe has been fupplied with Coffee from the Weft-Indies, which article is the ftaple commodity of this country; it grows at a place called Be-telfaqui, fixty miles from hence, and is brought here on camels. That patient and docile animal, in thefe eaftern countries, mares with man in his toil, and tranfports his merchandife from place to place ; he kneels down at the command of his mafter to receive his load, and carries it with a flow and fteady pace acrofs dry and barren deferis, fup-porting thirft for feveral days together; nor is this animal ufeful only for the purpofes of carrying a rider or his burden, but likewife fupplies man both with food and raiment. G The The fineft breed of Arabian horfes 13 in this country, and has farnimcd us with thofe we make ufe of for the turf; they are here chiefly articles of luxury, ufed only in war, or for parade: the governor has a large flud oppofite to the houfe where I live, which affords me much pleafure, as I pay them frequent vifits; they are fmall, but finely Shaped, and extremely active. Of this I had an opportunity of judging yesterday, when the cavalry had a field-day in the great fquare, which, from the mode of exercife, called to my mind the idea of our antient tilts and tournaments. The lifts were furrounded by a great number of fpectators, and within were drawn up fifty horfemen ; they firft moved in a body, and performed feveral charges with great rapidity, then difperfed, fome took antagonifts, and practifed with them a mock fight with lances of ten or twelve yards in length, which they ail carried; others went fingly through their exercife with that we a- weapon, and the motions of attack and defence; the horfes were fumptuoufly caparifoned, being adorned with gold and filver trappings, bells hung round their necks, and rich houiings; the riders were in handfome Turkifh dreffes, with white turbans, and the whole formed to me a new and plealing fpec-tacle. There is a very martial fpirit amongfl the Arabians in general; and the constant Hate of warfare they are in with the Budoos, tend much to keep it up, Thefe roving Banditti, who are fpread over the whole country, occasionally form themfelves into numerous bodies for the purpofe of plunder, and often by their depredations bring down upon themfelves, the Sovereign of the country at the head of his army, who frequently finds great difficulty in driving them away. The The kingdom of Sunnaa, in which Stands this city, is iituated in the fin eft part of Arabia, and that, which, from its fertility, beft deferves the epithet we annex to it; the Arabians term this district Yemen: the Imaum or king of Sunnaa, refides at the metropolis of that name in the interior part of the country, ten days journey from hence, (a day's journey being twenty-five miles;) the two firft days you pafs through the fame flat and fandy plain as that which furrounds this place; but beyond that, the country is fertile, and well cultivated, being diversified with hill and dale: the town of Sunnaa Stands amongft mountains, and always enjoys a temperate climate. The circuit of the kingdom, they fay, is fix hundred miles: the Imaum has a large army in pay: he lives in great ftate at his capital, has a numerous ftud of very fine horfes, and his Seraglio is compofed of one hundred and fifty women. In this this blefiing of life, people may here indulge themfelves to what extent they pleafe, there being no limitation to the number of concubines, though only four wives are allowed; the feraglios are therefore commonly in proportion to the wealth of the matter, their concubines being flaves whom they pur-chafe. Their idea of beauty, as may eafily be fuppofed, differs as much from our's as their colour; the more jetty black the complexion of the female, the more fhe is admired; flat nofes and thick lips, are considered handfome; and therefore, the women of Abyflinia, which country is oppofite to this coaff, having thofe perfections in the highefl degree, fetch the greatefl price in the market; numbers of them are brought here, and fent to the other parts of Arabia every year for fale. Where a man has only a few women, they all live together in the fame houfe, within which, they are kept clofe pri-G 3 foners, loners, the jealoufy of the matter ha dly ever allowing them to ttir abroad, bat never on any account to be feen by or fpeak to another man. The Gentoos arc very numerous in this city; thefe are a particular feet of men that are fcattered throughout the Eatt, and are no lefs Simple in their life and manners than Singular in their doctrine. The founder of them was Brama who gave them their creed; they are distributed into what we term cajies, or communities of men who practife the lame occupation, and keep themfelves distinct from each other, they hold it the greatest of crimes to drink out of the fame veffel with one of another cafie or religion, never eat of any animal, or kill even a fly; this lenity is founded on their belief in the 7netempfychofis> which alfo induces them to feed all kinds of animals, not knowing but that the fouls of fome of their friends may have have taken up their abode in the bodies of them; fo that the dogs, cats, cows, pigeons, fowls, ccc. fubliif moftly by the charity of the Gentoos, the owners of them thinking it unneceffary to be at the expence of feeding them, when thefe good gentlemen are taught by their religion to take fo much care of them. Chefcron Hadjee the English Agent is of that tribe, he has large conver-fazionis every afternoon, compofed of his brother Banians, (the denomination given to fuch as are of the mercantile cajie) who lit round the room on cushions and take coffee with him ; they are of a lighter colour than any other people here, and fome of them might in looks pafs for fallow Europeans, they drefs in a long clofe-bodied muflin gown and a red turban made up in a form Something like a woman's bonnet j they cherifh one Single lock on G 4 the the crown of the head, {having all the reft, and generally have a red water ftuck in the middle of their forehead, which is a religious badge placed there by the priefts. I was witnefs yefterday to a curious ceremony, called in the Eafi champooing; coming accidentally into the apartment where my friend Chefcron, who is a little deformed droplical old man, generally lays reclined on cufhions, I beheld him ftretched out quite naked on the floor, and proitrate on his face, while his attendants were rubbing him; I was at firft apprehenlive, that the old fellow had fallen down in a fit, and thought they were trying to bring him to life again; they laid hold of his flefh in different parts, pinching and clawing him with great violence; I approached him with fome fear; when hearing me fpeak, he turned up his brown face with a fmile, by which I found found that all was right with him, and to my furprize heard, that this operation was looked on as ialutary, and extremely pleafant; it muft without doubt promote a circulation of the blood, and fupplenefs of the joints, every one of which they pull and pinch, but I hardly think we mall ever borrow this luxury from the Eaft. There are many rich merchants here, but as their wealth increafes, the Sovereign makes a demand for his (hare, which is as much as he chufes to alk for : when his wants are premng, he fends orders to the governor to demand a free gift of fo many dollars from the merchants, which they freely give, becaufe they dare not refufe : the governor alferfes them according to his own pleafure, dividing the fum to be raifed between Banians and Murfulmem In In travelling through different countries, the firft idea that fuggefts itfelf is, whether the laws and customs which prevail, are fuch as tend to make the people happy; and in forming this effimate, we are but too apt to meafure their feelings by our own, which is in fact to consider whether we fhould our-felves be happy in them, arguing on this principle, we muft of courfe draw our comparifon much to the disadvantage of that country, where the violation of property is fo cuftomary as it is here, and the intercourfe with the beau fexe is founded on tyranny and compulsion, instead of that delicacy and Sympathy of fentiment which forms thofe attachments with us. But to weigh the matter fairly, we Should pronounce, that if an Englishman would be miferable in Arabia Felix, an Arabian would be no lefs fo in England; the force of cuflom, climate and complexion, which makes men equally equally happy in different quarters of the globe, will not allow them to be tranfplanted, more than the fruits of the country, which can only flouriih in their proper foils. I believe the fofids of happinefs are pretty nearly the fame throughout the world, and that nature has in all places adapted the country and the natives of it to each other, Adieu. . LETTER VII. Juddah, March 6, 1782. dear friend, I know not whether the fa-tisfaction I had on arriving at this place, or that which I mall receive on quitting it, will be the greateft: the former proceeded from it's being the period of a tedious paffage from Mocha, the latter will arife from the pleafure one muft naturally feel, at leaving a place that has not the means of affording any. I embarked at Mocha in a trankey of the fame kind as that which conveyed veyed me from Morebat; and failing in the evening with a frefh breeze and rough fca, which I thought would fwal-low up my little veffel, reached Hodeida the next afternoon : that place is in the kingdom of Sunnaa; and being nearer to Betelfaqui than Mocha, fhips off much more coffee for Juddah: the mafler of the veffel detained me here two days, greatly again ft my own will and his profeflions before we fet off; he took at this place a pilot, as all the coafling veffels do; and being again embarked, we failed at midnight, and had a much higher fea than we experienced between Mocha and Hodeida; the fwell was fo great, that I doubted much whether our cockle fhell would be able to live in it; we were toffed about in a very alarming manner for twelve hours, and then arrived and anchored off the fmall ifland of Ca-maran, famous only for it's good water. We COAST OF ARABIA F£LIX, SCC. g$ We failed early the next morning. The breeze was at fir ft fair, but did not long continue fo; and almoft ever after, during our paffage, was contrary; and by that means it was protracted to eight and twenty days, though frequently performed in eight or ten. Our courfe lay along fhore betwixt the main land and a chain of little islands; with which, as likewife with rocks and fhoals the fea abounds in this part, and for that reafon it is the practice with all thefe veffels to anchor every evening. We generally brought up clofe to the fhore, and the land breeze Springing up about midnight, wafted to us the perfumes of Arabia, with which it was Strongly impregnated and very fragrant; the latter part of it, carried us off in the morning, and continued till eight, when it generally fell calm for two or three hours, and after that the northerly wind fet in, often often obliging us to anchor under the lee of the land by noon. It happened that one morning when we had been driven by ftrefs of weather into a lfnall bay called Birk Bay, the country around it being inhabited by the Budoos, the Noquedah fent his people on more to get water, for which it is always cuftomary to pay. The Budoos were as the people thought, rather too exorbitant in their demands, and not chufing to comply with them, they returned to make report to their mailer ; on hearing it, rage immediately feized him, and determined to have the water on his own terms, or perifli in the attempt, he buckled on his armour, and attended by his myrmidons, carrying their match-lock guns and lances, being twenty in number they rowed to the land : my Arabian fervant, who went on fhore with the firff party, and faw that the Budoos were difpofed for fighting, told me that I fhould certainly tainly fee a battle ; I accordingly looked on very anxioully, hoping that the fortune of the day would be on the fide of my friends, but Heaven ordained it otherwife ; for after a parley of about a quarter of an hour, with which the Budoos amufed them till near an hundred were affembled, they proceeded to the attack and routed the failors, who made a precipitate retreat, the Noquedah and two having fallen in the act.ion, and feveral being wounded; they contrived however to bring off their dead : and the croupe around the body of the Noquedah was truly moving ; the grief expreffed by all, tefliued the regard they bore him, but in none was fo ftrongly marked as in the furrowed face of an old flave, who looked on with iilent anguiSh, while a tear trickled down his cheek. The weather obliged us to pafs that and the following day in the difagree-H able able neighbourhood of our enemies; and my Arabian fervant Mahommed, in whofe composition fear was a principal ingredient, took great pains to reprefent to me how practicable a thing it would be, for the Budoos to cut us off in the night, fince they would not have above a Stone's throw to fwim; and being fo numerous, might eafily board the trankey when every body was afleep; I affented very readily to what he laid, and Strongly recommending to him to keep a good look out, doubted not but that his vigilance would render my repofe fecure. Throughout this affair I could not but admire the fpirit of my fellow travellers, altho' overpowered by numbers, they had unfortunately loft the day; and the generous forrow expreffed by them on the death of their leader, gave me a good opinion of .their humanity and feelings: but an act of favage cruelty COAST OF ARABIA FELIX, SiC. 99 cruelty they committed three days after, entirelv removed it. One of the failors died of his wounds, and at two o'clock they anchored near the land, and went on more to bury him; three Budoos of a different tribe from thofe they had fought with, came down to the beach out of curiofity, and flood by as Spectators of the ceremony,- which being ended, the failors, who were twelve in number, turned to thefe poor innocent fellows, told them that the man whom they had buried, was killed by fome Budoos, and in revenge facrificed thefe people to his manes, flabbing and mangling them in an horrid manner; they returned to the veffel exulting, and thinking they had performed a gallant action, feemed as they told their tale to demand from every one a fmile of approbation, but not being able to give them one, I afked Mahommed, who joined in the H 2 general general joy, how fucli an action could pleafe him; he replied, that they had done very right, for their Book ordered them always to kill an equal number of the fame kind of people as had killed any of their's: as a punishment to him for thefe tenets, I was not forry that he had again a night of fear and watching; for towards duSk we difcovered a large body of Budoos on the fhore; this put him on thorns, and the idea of being cut off, did not (I believe) fuffer him to get a wink of fleep all night. We left this bloody coaft on the morning following, and Stopping at a place called Confidah to get water, meeting with Strong gales irom north, which obliged us to remain at anchor for days together, but without any more adventures or blood-Shed, we arrived here. Tired with being cooped up lb long in a fmall velfel, and anxious to purfue my my route, I landed at this place with the hopes of leaving it in a day or two, and have been detained near fix weeks, waiting for the failing of the annual Suez fleet, recommended to me as the moft eligible, or indeed the only fafe mode of ?oing thither. When I fay of Juddah, that it is Terra fenza frutti & Popolo feiiza Fede, I believe I give you a pretty juft defcription of it, but to enter into a more minute one, 1 muff inform you that it is an old and ill-built town, furrounded by a broken and ruinous wall, having no fort, nor any guns mounted; it is fituated nearly mid-way betwixt Mocha and Suez, on the eaffern coaft of the Red Sea, and is a place of the greateft trade on it. The commerce between Arabia and Europe here meets, and is interchanged; the former fending her gums, drugs, coffee, &c. which are brought in fmall veffels from the whole H 3 extent extent of the coaft, as far as Buffora in the Periian Gulf, and from Europe come cloths, iron, furs and other articles, by way of Cairo. The revenue arifing from the duties on thefe is fhared by the Grand Signor and Xerif of Mecca, to whom this place jointly belongs: it was formerly tributary to the Grand Signor only; but the latter, whofe dominions furround it, feized on it. The affair however being compro-mifed between them, they now fliare the profits of the port: the former fends annually a Pacha to fupport his pretenfions, and collect the revenue; the latter deputes a governor who is termed the Vizir Xerif, and has the chief power and authority here: the man who at prefent in that capacity difpenfes law and juftice, is an Abyfti-nian eunuch, and was a Have in the late Xerif's familv. The The people here are not quite fo black as at Mocha, having a yellowish tinge in their complexions : their way of living is much the fame as there; they fit crofs-legged on the ground at their meals, waffi, pray, drink coffee, and fmoke Hookah five times in the day. There are feveral coffee-houfes which are always full 3 the common people there drinking their diSh of coffee together, as our's would their pot of beer at an alehoufe. The women feem to have rather more liberty than at Mocha, as I fee many of them walking about the ftreets; but the appearance they make is fo extraordinary, that at nrft I was doubtful in what genus to clafs them; they wear loofe cloth trowfers and yellow Huffar boots, have veils of white linen over their faces, reaching almoft to the ground, with only two fmall flits for the eyes, and wrap themfelves in a large loofe plaid H 4 of of coarfe cloth ; they have a variety of gold and filver trinkets round their arms and Ws. and wear necklaces of" final 1 pieces of money ilrung. All thefe make a jingle like bells as they walk; through one of their noftrils they wear a ring with a flat plate on it like a coat button and dye their hands red with an herb that grows in the country; they are as fond of fmoking Hookah as the men; and when they vifit, always take it along with them. Being near the fountain-head of their faith, the people here are great bigots to their religion, and of courfe inveterate enemies to the chriflians; any ifranger of that clafs is fure of being intuited in the Streets, unlefs he has a guard with him; they are not allowed to go out of the gate leading to Mecca; and in their drefs, muft be careful to avoid green or white, two colours fa-cred to Muffulmen; and even of thefe, fuck fneh only as are defcended from Ma-hommed, may wear the green turban; nor are we thought by them to be worthy the honor of mounting an liorfe; for they fay as our prophet contented himfelf with riding an afs, his followers have no right to be better mounted; but as the jack-afs is an animal whofe paces I don't much admire, I take my exercife on foot, and can only walk for a fhort way by the fea fide; though as the country around is all a defert, I do not regret that I cannot penetrate into it; the only circumstance from which I have received any satisfaction during my flay here, is the temperature 6f the air, which with fea bathing, has agreed very well with my northern constitution : the thermometer having generally been below 70. About a quarter of a mile north of the town is a white building called Eve's Eve's fepulchre; and they tell you that /he was certainly buried there, and that her grave is twenty feet in length, which they determine to have been the Standard height of mankind at that early period of the world; the two Arabick words oumana houa, Signifying Eve the mother of all are infcribed on the building; they go every Sabbath to pray there, but will not fuffer a christian to vifit it. The two moSt valuable productions of this country are balm of Gilead and Senna, the former is extracted from a tree which grows amongSf the mountains, the latter is a Shrub found near Mecca. Our merchants in India ufed to fend annually Ships from Bengal and other parts to Juddah, but the arbitrary impositions laid on the goods and the frauds they experienced from the people, people, has made them entirely dif-continue this commerce. A moft glaring inftance of villainy in the Prince of the country, and his Lord Lieutenant of .Juddah ftands fore-moft on the latter lift; they jointly bought the cargo of an Englifh (hip worth near .£.50,000, took the goods, and engaged to pay the money in a few days; but the Supercargo after repeated applications, was obliged to return to India, having only the Xerif's bill, payable the following fummer; accordingly he return* ed, was very prefling for the money, but met with no better fuccefs than before, and only received a frefh bill, with pofitive affurances that he fhould be paid the following year; it happened that before his return, both the Xerif and his Vizir were dead, and when he applied for payment of the bill to the reigning Xerif, who was fon to the former, he flatly re- fufed fufed to pay a fartliing, faying, that as the debt was incurred by his father, his fathei only was anfwerable for it, that it was true he was dead, but the body was at his fervice, and if it would be any Satisfaction to the creditors, he was very welcome to carry it to Bengal with him. A place, where the natural advantages are fo few and the moral defects fo great, cannot you may fuppofe, be a pleating one to fpend much time at; I promife you I am impatient to quit it, and turn my face northward. Adieu, LETTER VIII. Suez, April 25, 1782. dear friend, Should I tell you that I arrived here yefterday after a paffage of fix weeks from Juddah, without entering into a detail of the manner in which I performed that voyage, I mould do inju.tice to the Turkiffi mode of navigation on the Red Sea, and pay but a bad compliment to the Suez fleet whofe performances ought not to be paffed over in lilence. The conftruction and management of o the veffels are equally Singular, and I fear fear any defcription will fall infinitely fhort of the originals; they were, I believe, defigned by thofe who built them, to bear fome refemblance to mips, but having very few of the properties of thofe machines proceed on a principle totally different from any I before beheld ; that primum mobile to which fhips of other countries are indebted for their voyages is here of little ufe, and calms are more favorable than wind to forward their progrefs; for unlets the latter comes in a very fmall quantity they rarely chufe to ex-pofe their fails to it, and herein feem equally averfe to a fair as to a contrary wind, remaining at anchor till it fubfides into a calm; their bufy fcene then commences, the anchor is weighed, and the veffel put in motion by means of the boat with about twenty oars in it, towing till a breeze fprings up; when this begins to be more than what our feamen call a light air, they hurry to the fhore and let go their an- anchor, and for this purpofe always chufe a birth the mod environed by rocks and Shoals, never thinking themfelves fecure but when in the midft of danger -y their common time of anchoring was about two o'clock in the afternoon, for about that time the breeze generally freihened, and in proportion as that increafes they put out anchors till they have fix in the water, and two or three hawfers befides to tie them to the furrounding rocks: in this Situation did we frequently remain for days together; but in what they called good weather we had not above two anchors out, and if it fell calm after fun-fet they ventured to get one of them up, that they might be ready for the land breeze in the morning, which generally fprung up at two o'clock and blew till nine or ten, and as it hardly made a curl on the water fuited our mariners exactly, they always got under way with it as foon as as it was light and fometimes before* I believe without thefe land breezes, we fhould never have arrived at Suez, a circumffance that very frequently happens to many veffels of this annual fleet, for if they do not make good their paffage before the latter end of JVlay, ihe northerly winds blow fo constantly as to render it impoflible, for veffels that cannot work to windward, to get up the narrow channel from Tor to Suez. As we remained then everv afternoon at anchor near the fhore, nor ever ventured far from it when under way; you may fuppofe that, in the courfe of my voyage, I had Sufficient opportunity to make my obfervations both on the Red Sea famous in the facred hiflory, and likewife on the coaff of Arabia which was perpetually before my eyes; the latter being Arabia De-ferta, is literally what it's name implies j plies; the former prefented no appearance that jultifies the term given to it, proceeding as fome authors fay from a reddiih tinge on the waters, but no fuch did I ever take notice of: our climate was always clear and ferene, and became much more temperate as we moved northward, indeed the wind chiefly blowing from that quarter made the air cool: during the latter part of our paffage, it has blown very frefh at times, and obliged us once to remain at anchor eight days together in the fame place : our fleet has fuffered very much thereby ; and we are laying here at prefent in company with four other veffels, and are the only ones that have as yet got up : intelligence over land informs us of the lofs of four, driven from their anchors in the blowing weather, and wrecked; and that two others anchored near the fhore, were in the night boarded and plundered by the Budoos; one was wrecked a day or two 1 after after we left Ju-Jdah, fo that five of them being loft, and two plundered, near one third of the fleet is difpofed of that way; five are at Suez, and the Fed have not been heard of: you may be fure that I think myfelf fortunate in having arrived here among!! the firit, and efcaped all the perils of this curious voyage of about two hundred leagues; nor am I fo much iurprifed that we have been near fifty days in performing it, as that, considering their mode of manoeuvring, we mould be able to perform it at all. But to give you a more exact idea thereof, I will tranferibe for your perufal the journal I kept on board the Mahaboube, bound from Juddah to the port of Suez. The daily height of the thermometer 1 have not fet down for any particular hour, but have taken it always at the highest point it was at in the courfe of the day. March March 10. Embarked this afternoon on board the Mahaboube, a veffel of about five hundred tons burthen, laden with coffee and pilgrims returning from the Hadge, (the anuual feftival of the Muffulmen held at Mecca;) thefe lay intermingled on the deck; each perfon has a fmall fpace allotted to him where he fleeps, cooks his victuals, &c. The great cabbin and round-houfe are di-vided into fmall births for paffengers. This veffel is built very high at the poop, and fquare at the bows; it is fleered by a lingular contrivance; acrofs the deck between the mizen and the main malt is placed a large beam, which projects near twenty feet from the fhip's fides; to each end of the beam is fixed a fmall one twelve feet long, the centre thereof being tied to the end of the great beam, but fo as to allow it to move backwards and forwards: from one end of this fmall beam paffes a rope I 2 to to the rudder, and from the other end a rope to the helmfman, who fits at the aftermoft part of the poop and fleers. 11. Dropped down to the mouth of the channel, which is very narrow and difficult , anchored there at noon. In making fail, they hoift up the yards with the fails loofe • the lower yards being laid acrofs the decks while at anchor, the upper ones refting on the tops. The pilot is ftationed on the bowfprit from whence he gives directions to the helmfman. The fails are of (friped and figured cotton. The mips are painted dark brown, with figures and ornaments in white and red. 12. The fleet compofed of twenty-five fail of different forms and Sizes, weighed at fix A. M. and proceeded in company: they mean to keep together till they have pafled Yambo, which has lately lately been taken from the Xerif of Mecca by the, Budoos, who have large boats, and it is thought, mean to attack the fleet, or at leait any ftraegling fhips they meet with. Light air from fouth. Anchored at four P. M. Thermometer 82. Distance gone about twenty miles. 13. " Weighed at five A. M. Light air from weft fouth welt. Anchored at four P. M. pittance twenty miles. Thermometer 83. 14. Weighed at four A. M. with the land breeze. Calm at ten A. M. Towed till 12. Sea-breeze then fet in, and we anchored at two P. M. Dif-tance fixteen miles. Thermometer 85, 15. Weighed at four A. M. with the land breeze. Calm at nine. Towed moft part of the day, and anchored at i 3 four I 18 TRAVELS TO THE four P. M. Diftance Sixteen miles. Thermometer 88. 16. At anchor, wind north-weft. Thermometer 8o. 17. Sailed at feven A. M. with a land breeze. Calm at eleven. Light air from north-weft at noon. Anchored at four P. M. Diftance fifteen miles. 18. Sailed at fix A. M. with a light air. Calm at nine. Towed till noon, when breeze from north-weft fprung up, and we anchored at two P. M. Diftance 15 miles. Thermometer 80. 19. Sailed at four A. M. with the land breeze. Calm at eleven. Towed till noon, when light air from north-weft fprung up. Anchored at five P. M. Diftance twenty miles. Thermometer 82. 20.. Sailed at fix A. M. Anchored at two P. M. Wind welt Diftance twenty miles. Thermometer 83. 21. Sailed at four A. M. Anchored at two P. M. off Yambo, in company with the fleet, diftant about a mile from the town : it is a good look-ing place, has feveral mofques and a cattle. 22. At anchor. Wind blowing frefli from north-weft. Thermometer 79. Our boats pafs unmolefted backwards and forwards, between the fhips and the town for water and provifions. 23. At anchor. Wind north-weft. Thermometer 79. 24. At anchor. Wind north-wreft. Thermometer 80. 25. Sailed at fun-rife. Anchored at three P. M. Wind weft fouth weft. Thermometer 85%. 26. Sailed early with the land-breeze. Calm at nine A. M. Towed till noon. Sea-breeze fet in, anchored at three, ?. M. Thermometer 86. 27. Sailed at five A. M. Anchored at three P. M. off Gebel Heffani, a fmall ifland, being abreaft of Haura on the main land. Thermometer 84^. 28. Sailed with the land-breeze at five x^. M. Calm at ten. North wind fet in at noon. Anchored at four P. M. Thermometer 84. A thunder Storm at night. 29. Sailed at Six A. M. Anchored at four P. M. Thermometer 79. 30. Sailed at fix A. M. Anchored at five P. M. Light air Weil. Thermometer 83. 31. Sailed at feven A. M. Paf-fed through a narrow channel of about a mile in length, and not more than twice the breadth of the fhip, with rocks and fands on each fide: after the mips had palled through it, they fired guns for joy, it being confidered the molt dangerous part of the voyage. April 1. Sailed at feven A. M. Anchored at noon. Wind north weft. Thermometer 76. 2. Sailed at fix A. M. Anchored at four P. M. having paffed Shek Bermak, a fmall iiland at the extremity of a chain of fands and iflands that extend from Gebel Haffani thither. Thermometer 3. Sailed 3. Sailed at four A. M. and it being calm in the evening we flood on towing mod part of the night. Thermometer 85. 4. Calm till ten A. M. Wind fet in from north, anchored at eleven A. M. Thermometer Si. 5. Sailed at three A. M. Anchored at three P. M. Light air from wefb. Thermometer 83. 6. Sailed with the land breeze at one A. M. Anchored at three P. M, Thermometer 80. 7. Sailed at fix A. M. Anchored at five P. M. near Iflam. Several Arabs and camels came down to the beach, and fome people went from hence by land to Cairo, a journey of fourteen days. 8. Sailed with the land breeze at one A. M. Palled Moilah at five P. M. and the wind being fair and moderate, continued our courfe during the night, Handing over for Raz Mahom-med : the wind mifted at midnight to North, and drove us up into the Eaftern Fork of the fea almoif as far as Acaba. Thermometer 85. 9. Wind contrary, made little way and anchored at three P. M. Thermometer So. 10. Sailed at feven A. M. Light air at North Weft. Anchored at fix P. M. Thermometer 84. 11. Sailed at fix A. M. Paffcd the iilands Tyran and Senaffre. Anchored at two P. M. in a fmall bay called Sharm. Two or three hundred Arabs came down to the beach on camels. The The captain of our fhip fent his boat for the Scheik, and gave him prefents of coffee, &c. Our people feemed to have fome apprehenlions from thefe Arabs, loading their arms, and keeping watch all night. Thermometer 85. 12. Sailed at two A. M. with a fair wind, paffed Raz Mahommed at five A. M. which event they celebrated by firing guns. Paffed the ifle of Sheduan at feven A. M. and Tor, at one P. M. foon after came in fight of Mount Sinai and Horeb; the former is here called Taurofina: on it is a convent of Greek catholicks, to which many chriflians make pilgrimages; to enter it, you muff be hoifled in a bafket up a very high precipice on which it flands. Thermometer 84. we flood on during the night. 13. At one A. M. a breeze from north fet in, at day light we made for the ' fhore, COAST OF ARABIA FELIX, &C 12 C fhore, and anchored clofe to it. Thermometer 83. 14. At anchor. Wind blowing frefh from north. Thermometer at fun-rife 66. 15. At anchor, it blowing frem. Thermometer at fun-rife 62f. Two veffels which were anchored near us, drove afhore in the night, and went to pieces ; the people were with difficulty faved, fome of which we took on board. 16. At anchor, it blowing frefli. Thermometer at fun-rife 67. 17. At anchor. Wind North. Thermometer 75, at two P. M. 18. At anchor. Wind North. Thermometer at fun-rife 65, at two P. M. 80. Arabs and camels are daily pairing along the fliore. Some people from from a fhip (anchored near us) fet off to-day by land to Suez, a journey of five days on camels, 19. At anchor. Wind North. Thermometer at fun-rife 66 ; at two P. M. 74. 20. At anchor. Wind North. Thermometer at fun-rife 66 at two P. M. 74. 21. Sailed at fix A. M. with a fair wind, and at two P. M. paffed Burkit Pharoon, signifying Pharaoh's whirlpool. This they determine to be that part of the Red Sea which Mofes and the children of Ifrael croffed, as related in the Bible, when purfued by Pharoah, who they fay was drowned in that very fpot where this eddy is. Our people here killed a fheep, cut off it's head, which they fmoked with incenfe, and threw it into the fea, praying at the fame fame time. The high land on the Arabian fliore is called the Ilummum, from a fpring of boiling water on it. This place is half way between Tor and Suez. The wind continuing fair and moderate, we ftood on till eleven P. M. when it Shifted to Weft, and we anchored. 22. At anchor. Wind North. Thermometer at fun-rife 64. at two P. M. y6„ 23. Sailed at feven A. M. Anchored at eight P. M. Thermometer at two P. M. 75. Suez in fight from the maft-head at fun-fet. 24. Sailed at fun-rife. Anchored off Suez at four P. M. Thermometer 70. Suez, which was the Arfinoe of the antients, is fituated at the top of the Red Sea; it ftands furrounded by the Deleft, Defert, and is a flabby ill built place: the Ships anchor a league from the town, to which the channel that leads is very narrow, and has only nine or ten feet depth of water; for which reafon, the large fhips that are built here, muff be towed down to the road without malts, guns, or any thing in them ; there are eight of them laying here which have not been to Juddah this year; one of them is at leaff twelve hundred tons burthen, being as lofty as a hundred-gun fhip, though not longer than a frigate; fo that you may judge of the good proportion they obferve in the conftrucfion of their ihips; the timber of which they are all built, is brought from Syria by water to Cairo, and from thence on camels. This fleet fails for Juddah every year before the Hadge, flays there two or three months, and returns loaded with coffee: this is fo material an article in the diet of a Muffulman, that the prayers and and willies of them all are offered up for its fafety ; and I believe next to the lofs of their country, the lofs of their coffee would be molt feverelv felt by them : the greateit part of it is fent to Conflantinople, and other parts of Turkey, a fmall quantity only going to France and Italy. Suez is fo wretched a place, that although, as you may fuppofe, I am heartily tired of my Turkifh fhip, yet rather than flay on fliore, I prefer waiting on board till the Caravan lets cut for Cairo, which will be in two or three days. I mall not be a little pleafed when this paffage of the Defert is over, to which I look forward with a kind of dread from the heat and fatigue likely to attend it, the fcafon being advanced far beyond my expectations when I firfl turned my face towards Europe; but my health is much mended of late, and I flatter myfelf will be equal to the K fatigue fatigue of the journey; befides when I confider that it will be only of three days continuance, and all the remainder of my way will be fmooth and eafy, I fhall bear the inconvenience more patiently. Adieu. LETTER IX. Cairo, May i, 17S2. dear friend, I arrived at this place early yefterday morning after a moil dila-greeable journey acrofs the Defert, but fortunately a (fiorter one than ufual, having performed it in a day and an half. When I tell you that I came with a Caravan from Suez, I fhould like-wife tell you, that a Caravan in thefe countries, Signifies an affemblage of camels, horfes, mules, men and other animals, who are formed into large bo-K 2 dies dies for the fake of mutual protection; and as they travel in fome parts for two or three months together over wafte and barren deferts, which yield nothing for the fupport either of man or beaff, are obliged to take all neceffaries with them, and particularly water. It is on thefe occafions that they find the fuperior excellence of the camel to all other animals ; not only from its great Strength and unwearied perfeverance, but from that property it has of fuf-taining thirft for feveral days. Thofe annual caravans which go from Aleppo and Cairo to Mecca, are often compofed of thirty or forty thoufand people, and are under military government, an officer being appointed by the Grand Signer, called the Emir Hadge, who conducts and commands them; the order of march is regular, and by ranks; the difcipline is very exact, and a guard of Janiifaries with field-pieces form the efcort: they have regular times times of marching and halting, which is done by fignal. When they take up their ground for the night, tents are pitched, kitchens, cookfhops and coffee houfes are immediately erected, and a large camp is formed j every thing is as quickly packed, and the camels are loaded in the morning to be ready for gun-firing, which puts the whole body in motion. The caravan from Cairo performs its journey to Mecca in forty days, where having itaid about a month to celebrate the Hadgc, a festival in which both the interests of trade and religion are equally confulted, it returns in the fame order, flopping at Medina in the way back, to pay a visit to and make offerings at the fhrine of Ma-hommed, that having been the place of his interment, as Mecca was of his nativity. The The zeal (hewn by Muffulmen, and the toils and fufferings undergone by them for the fake of paying this compliment to their prophet, are wonderful ; they flock to Mecca from all parts of the Mahometan countries, and perform the moff, laborious journies: the poorer part of thefe pilgrims depend on charity for their fupport, which rarely yields them any thing better than a fcanty allowance of bread and water. Vanity, religion, fuperflition and commerce, are the four principal caufes of thefe annual pilgrimages. A Mufful-man that has been at Mecca, gains thereby a degree of credit and honor amongft his countrymen, with the term of Hadge added to his name whenever he is fpoke to; his attendance there once at leaft in his life is required by his creed : many vilit it in compliance with vows made at fome time of impending danger, or conditionally on the at- attainment of any defirable object; others who have led diffolute lives go there for abfolution, and with an intention to reform ; and others for the purpofes of traftick: all fancy themfelves the better for having been there, and from that conviction, perhaps many really become fo. But to return from Mahommed to my Suez caravan. This being under no regulations, was an irregular and itraggling body, confjfting of about one thoufand camels, and half as many men, and fet out about noon on the 28th of April, travelling on till eight at night: we then took up our ground; the camels eafed of their burthens, placed themfelves in circles round their food couchant with their legs under them, and the men in the fame order formed their meffes: the caravan was in motion by three the next morning, and travelled on without making one K 4 fin- fingle halt, even to give the camels water or food, till nine at night. You may from hence be able to form fome conjecture of the power of that animal ; the pace we went at, feemed to be nearly about four miles an hour, and this was continued for eighteen hours together. My travelling carriage was termed a Kufhob; to compare fmall things with great, I may lay that it refembles the body of a coach, with an opening between the two feats for the back of the camel on which it is placed longitudinally, fo that one feat hangs on one fide, the other on the other, and on each fits a perfon : I had a canopy over the top, in which I found lingular ufe, as the heat of the fun was intolerable \ and though I could not be conveyed in a manner more favorable to my feelings, laying along on mattraffes and pillows placed over the the feat; yet the uneafy motion of the camel, the heat of the weather, and the exceflive drought I experienced, rendered it the molt unpleafant journey I ever made; I took out my thermometer about two o'clock, and found it 92. but it foon rofe to 96. and fearful that if I kept it longer expofed to this air of fire, it would rife ftiil much higher, a light to which my fpirits were not equal, i put it by. Half dead with heat and fatigue, I was considering whether it would be poflible for me to fupport another day, which i expected we were to pafs in the fame way before we arrived at Cairo, when a Turk who came up from Juddah in the fame fhip with me, rode up to my carriage, afking me Chooft Bahar Nile? Do you fee the Nile? pointing at the fame time to a fpot not very far diftant, telling me immediately after, that we fhould get to the the walls of Mezr (the Turkifh name for Cairo,) that night, and go in next morning at fun-rife. I hardlv knew how to credit fo joyful a piece of news; but he continuing to affert it ferioufly, I at length believed him, and to me it was like a fentence of reprieve to a condemned man. We accordingly travelled on till near nine, and then came to a fmall village, where we put up for the night, and to my no fmall joy arrived here early the next morning. The diftance from Suez hither is eighty miles, and is always a three days journey for loaded camels, but our's belonging to Cairo, and being light, as the coffee they came for was not ready, made their journey in this Short time that I have mentioned. Having explained to you the mode of our travelling, it will not require many words to deScribe a country uniformly barren barren and fandy ibme part of the way lay through a narrow valley, which appeared to be the bed of the canal that was made tojoin the Mediterranean with the Red Sea, and came into the latter at Suez. A great number of petrified branches of trees, and pieces of wood are met with on the road, with here and there a carcafe on which the vultures prey, and in fome parts a few ftunted fhrubs. Every one in thefe journeys goes armed, as the caravans are frequently attacked and plundered by the wild Arabs, who ftrip the people, and leave them to perifh on the Defert, a circumftance that I am forry to fay, happened to feveral of our countrymen about three years ago in the following melancholy manner. A contraband trade had for fome years been carried on by Englifh people from India to Cairo, much to their advantage, rage, and as much to the prejudice of our commerce from thence to Europe. Several mips came annually to Suez with cargoes from India; and tho' there was a Firman of the Grand Signor's, to whom that port belongs, strictly forbidding all foreign fhips or christians to approach Suez, yet as the Pacha of Cairo and the Chief Bey found their interest in this illicit trade, they fuffered the Firman to fleep, which it did, till a new Pacha was fent from Constantinople with ftricSt orders to enforce it, whereon the following tragical adventure befell the Englishmen when they came next to Suez with their accustomed merchan-dife. Not aware of this change of men and meafures in Cairo they landed the cargoes of their mips at Suez, paid the duties, loaded the camels, and fet off: they travelled on the hrst day with fecu-rity, pleafing themfelves probably with the vifionary wealth which thefe goods were were to produce to them, and little thinking how fad a reverie the next morning's light would occafion. Scarce had they moved off the ground where they palled the night, when they were furrounded by a large body of men, plundered, wounded, stripped, and left naked on the Defert, the camels with all their effects, water and provisions being taken off by the robbers : in this piteous plight they confulted what was to be done, the only alternative being whether they fhould return to Suez or proceed to Cairo : they imprudently refolv-ed on the latter, whither the diftance was double of that to Suez, to which place two only of the company, wifer than the reft, made good their retreat; the others went towards Cairo, at the instance of a Commander of one of the fhips, who told them that he knew the way acrofs the Defert, and that by going straight to Cairo, and laying their their cafe before the government, they would Hand a better chance for recovering their goods. He gave the fir proof how bad his council was, for being foon fpent with heat and fatigue, he dropped and died. Being without their pilot, the reft had but little chance of finding their way acrofs the Defert, where there is hardly a track; indeed had they known it perfectly, it would have availed them little, naked and ex-pofed to the fcorching beams of an African fun in the month of Auguft, without a drop of water to allay the raging thirff they muft have experienced : all perifhed except one, who arrived fpent and fpeechlefs at fome Arab huts about a league from Cairo; the people there took a great deal of care of him, recovered him a little, and brought him hither; he could fcarcely articulate the name of the perfon to whofe houfe he wifhed to go, who hardly knew him, fo fo disfigured as he was with his fuffer-ings, which he did not get the better of for a twelvemonth. You will join with me, no doubt, in condemning the cruelty and weaknefs of a government that executes its laws under the malk of robbery, and inflicts punishment in the miferable manner I have above related; and fuch was the mode adopted by the Pacha and Bey to put in force the Firman of the Grand Signor; they themfelves in fact plundered the Caravan, by means of their Soldiers whom they fent on this errand, and appropriated the fpoil to their own ufe: they contrived likewife to get poffeffion of the Englifh Ships by an artifice of the fame dark nature, and im-prifoned the crews. The government of Cairo, which by openly feizing the effects of the people who who came there contrary to the orders of the Grand Signor, and contrary to the laws of their own country, would have acted properly, may justly ltand taxed of the greateft inhumanity for the conduct thev obferved \ and fearful that it might draw on them the refentment of the Englifh, who with a fingle Frigate could destroy their whole trade on the Red Sea, they obliged all the En-glifhmen who were then at Cairo, to bind themfelves under the penalty of a considerable fum, that no steps fhould be taken to revenge what had happened, making them find a merchant'who resided at Cairo to be furety for them. No christian fhips have come to Suez fince this affair: a Frigate with dif-patches from India came to Corfire about eighteen months ago; but the perfon charged with them being contraband, was imprifoned here by the Pacha, and fent to Conflantinople j for the the Firman not only forbids foreign mips, and particularly Englifh, from approaching the port of Suez, but all chriflians, declaring, " That the fea of " Suez was defigned for the noble pil-" grimage of Mecca • and that the port " thereof is a port of two illuftrious " cities, which are thofe that make u the light of the truth to fhine, and " the law of the prophet; and are efla-«« blifhed to promote religion andjuf-" tice, Mecca the enlightened, and " Medina the honoured j" wherefore, it foys, " let fuch chriflians as come there " be imprifoned, and their effects con-c* fifcated; and let no one endeavour to " fet them free." I have been thus, you fee, ignorantly running into a danger that I was not aware of, and am here on fufpicious ground ; but I am told that having come to Suez in a fhip of the country, and travelling in a private way, I mall efcape unnoticed, however, 1 promife you, my flay will not be long L unlcfs unlefs per force \ at all rifques I muft fee the Pyramids, and then I hope to quit Cairo, and Shortly after, the land of Egypt. The inferior Station which the Franks, as we are termed, hold in this country, has already difgufted me againft it: among other proofs thereof, is one of which I daily experience the humiliating effect, being obliged to ride about the city on a jack-afs, while the Muffulmen are mounted on moft beautiful Arab horfes: it is not only from being debarred the privilege of riding an horfe, though that is mortifying, but from the general oppreffun prevailing here, and the particular contempt in which the chriftians are held by thefe people, that I am furprized a Single one Should be found amongft them. But Avarice knows no prejudices; and man not contented contented with a fuffkiency, braves every thing to enrich himfelf, elteem-ing little the facrifice of each generous feeling, provided wealth does but follow. Adieu. l 2 letter LETTER X. Cairo, May j, 1782. dear friend, I s e t out from hence the day before yefferday, accompanied by a party of friends, to view the Pyramids. We left Cairo in the afternoon mounted on jack-aifes, which con-vey'd us to Bulac, the port belonging to this place, and there embarked on the Nile for Giza, a voyage of about a league; it Hands higher l 3 up up on the other fide of the river, and is oppofite to Old Cairo; fome travellers have alTerted that it is on the fcite of the antient Memphis, but without julf grounds. Being arrived there we found a houfe by the water-fide prepared for our reception and ffored with a plenteous fupply of viands and liquors, for which accommodations we were indebted to fome Italian gentlemen fettled at Cairo. Our firit, bufinefs was to find the Scheik of the tribe of Arabs inhabiting the environs of Giza and the Pyramids, to let him know our intentions of going thither in the morning, and fecure his company as a protection to us; accordingly we difpatched an embaffador who returned accompanied by the Scheik: fome of our party were well acquainted with with him us he had attended them before on the like occafion, and welcomed him into our prefence with a bumper of brandy, to which though a Muffulman he mowed no repugnance, but drank near a bottle, and after we had adjusted all preliminaries refpecting our next day's motions, he retired. It having been agreed that we mould fet off at three o'clock in the morning, the Scheik attended by an aid de camp, waited on us at that hour, and being provided with a number of wax candles, neceffary for examining the infide of the Pyramid, and all other requifites, we mounted our jack-affes. We arrived at the foot of the Pyramids at day-break, by which they opened to us all at once appearing ffill more vafc in that ambiguous light, and I know not whether L 4 my my attonifhment and fatisfaction were greater on thus Suddenly viewing thofe Stupendous fabricks, or afterwards in minutely examining their feveral parts and construction. After having gazed at them with wonder for fome time we prepared to pry into the inmoSt receSfes of the larger Pyramid, into which only of the three there is an entrance. Having lighted our candles we crept in at a fmall aperture in one of the Sides, about one fourth of the way up from the bafe of the Pyramid: crawling along on our hands and knees for fome way down a Hoping and rugged path, we came to the lower apartment, where difcovering nothing that engaged our curiofity we Soon left it, and afcended by a more regular paffage up to the great chamber: being arrived there, we found it a fpacious well- well-proportioned room, at one end is a tomb or farcophagus of Granite thought to have contained the body of the prince who built this Pyramid as his feoulchral monument: the chamber is lined with Granite throughout, the cieling being formed with nine long flones. This room is thirty-fix: feet long, eighteen feet wide, and twenty feet high; the farcophagus is feven feet long, four feet wide, and four feet deep. There is a room above this but no way to go up to it. There is likewife fuppofed to be one below that which we nrft went into, the way to it is by a deep kind of hole or well which probably leads down to the ifland, formed by the water of the Nile at the time of the annual inundation, according to Herodotus's account, who fays that there was a tomb on the ifland. Hav- Having attentively viewed thefe inner regions we crept out again, half choaked with duit and almoSt fuffo-cated with the clofenefs of the air: after a fhort repofe we fcaled the fides of the Pyramid, which have the appearance of a flight of ileps or rows of benches decreafing to a point; for the original fmoOth and polifhed fur-face having mouldered away; the Stones placed in regular rows, bear the form I defcribe, ferving by that means as Steps to the very fummit, from whence the view is extenlive and noble, taking in the Nile and fertile country on each fide of it's banks for a con-fiderable tract, numberlefs villages, Old Cairo, Giza, the pyramids of Sacara, where are the catacombs, &c. &c. Although there are pyramids without number Scattered all over the country, yet thefe are the three that we call em- emphatically the Pyramids, and are here termed El Haram di Giza from their vicinity to that place; they itand about nine miles from the banks of the Nile, and on the verge of the fertile country, being placed on elevated ground, up to the foot of which the water flows at the time of the annual inundation. They are of different fizes : The large one according to Greaves's mcafurement is 700 feet fquare, covering about eleven acres of ground; the inclined plane is equal to the bafe, fo that the angles and bafe make an equilateral triangle; the perpendicular height is 500 feet. The apex is thirteen feet fquare. The fecond Pyramid ftands on as much ground as the firit, but is forty feet lower. The The bafe of the fmalleft is 300 feet fquare, and it's perpendicular altitude is eighty feet. The ruins of their original furfaces lay round the bafes of the Pyramids, and diminish in a flight degree the effect of their grandeur; as in fome parts they form a mound covering a quarter of the Pyramid, which would appear much more noble if cleared of that rubbifh ; the original furfaces of the two larger appear to have been formed of common ffones, but that of the fmaller one was compofed of beautiful red granite, as may be feen by the broken heaps thereof laying fcat-tered around the bafe, and by fome fmall portions of the outer cruft remaining on the furface. Though Though an entrance has been dif-covered only into the larger of the three, yet molt probably there is a way into both the others, and like-wife apartments in them, fince Strabo tells us, that in the middle of the Pyramids, there is a ftone which may be taken out to open a paffage to the tombs. Attempts have been made, but without effect, to difcover an entrance into the fecond, a great breach appearing in one of the fides of it. No certain accounts are given either of the times when, or the kings by whom thefe extraordinary fabricks were built: Herodotus indeed fpeaks pofitivcly as to the founders of them, but other authors give different accounts, and the whole is uncertain: they are without doubt moft wonderful objects, coniidered both with regard gard to their antiquity, fize, and con-frruct-ion; the labour in railing them mud have been immenfe, as they are a folid mafs of ftones, with only a few fmall fpaces left to form thofe apartments where the bodies of the kings were laid: the materials were moft probably brought from Upper Egypt on floats to the very foot of them. Pliny tells us, that three hundred and fixteen thoufand men were employed twenty years in raifing the largeff, and that the three were com-pleated in iixty-eight years. Near to thefe are feveral fmaller pyramids; and round the area, on which the larger ones ftand, are a number of recef-fes and cells in the rock, with hieroglyphick infcriptions over their entrances. In front of the Pyramids towards the Nile, and where the grand approach proach to them appears formerly to have been, is placed the famous figure of the Sphynx, cut out of one Solid rock; the increafe of the foil and land has entirely buried the body, the head and neck now only appearing above the ground. The dimensions of this figure according to Pliny, were as follows : the circumference of the head one hundred and two feet; the length of the legs one hundred and thirteen feet; the height from the bottom of the belly to the fummit of the head iixty-three feet, and the head and neck twenty-feven feet. It is faid to have been the tomb of Amafis; but is more famous on account of the enigmatical oracles delivered from it to all who went thither to confult it, and from the ambiguous terms in which they were couched, have given rife to the proverbial expreflion, Sphynx s riddles, applied to any thing difficult to be be folved. At the top of the head, there was originally an hole, as like-wife on the back, from whence iffued the anfwers dictated by their prielts, who were placed within. The Situation of the antient city of Memphis, is determined to have been between the pyramids and catacombs of Sacara, which are ten miles distant from each other. Although this city was of fo great an extent, having been eighteen miles in circuit, yet not the lealt veitige of it now remains. We paffed the morning in Surveying the pyramids, ccc. and then rode back through a rich and fertile plain to Giza, from whence we ferried over to the ifland of Rhoida. It was here that fome authors affert Mofes to have been found among the rufhes by Pharaoh's daughter; whether that was the cafe cafe or net, I cannot pretend to determine j at prefent it is famous for a building called the Mikeaz, in whi ch is the Nilometer or pillar placed in the centre of a pool of water of the fame level with the river, having different gradations marked on it to determine the daily rife and fall of the Nile. As foon as it begins to rife, the officer fupcrintending the mea-furement of its altitude, reports the fame to the Pacha, and receives handfome prefents from him on that event, which is celebrated by publick rejoicings throughout the city; its daily height is likewife constantly proclaimed by publick criers, till it arrives at the wifhed-for point, when the mound of the canal, defigned to diitribute it's waters throughout the city, is cut with great folemnity and rejoicings, a virgin at the fame time being thrown into the river, as a prefent to Father Nile for his annual M vifit; vifit; but it is a virgin of clay placed on the top of the mound, and on cutting it, the figure fails into the water, and is, I fuppofe, as acceptable to his cold embrace as if it was flefli and blood. The city of Cairo then becomes a fcene of joy and feasting, they receive the river into their lfreets and fquares with the utmoff gladnefs, and boats and barges gaily adorned are feen rowing on lakes and canals, which the day before were dry land, it is then that this city muff appear in its great-eft glory; at prefent I can fay little for its magnificence, though its fize and population are very considerable; the circuit thereof is feven miles, the houfes exceflively high and Streets very narrow, not being wider than our alleys in London, and are always full of people ; mo St of them being mounted, ed, the Turks of fafhion on horfe-back, Chriflians and Plebeians on jack-affes: to the extreme height of the houfes they add every other contrivance poffible to exclude the fun, placing over from the tops of the houfes on one fide of the flreet to thofe of the other, canvas flrained on frames, whereby the Streets are very much darkened, and the fun totally excluded, one advantage in this hot country, but then on the other hand, by that means the air is rendered clofe and fuffocating. In a country where the iky is ever ferene and plenty dwells, diffufed throughout by the Nile, whofe pe-. riodical inundations produce rich har-velts, of all kinds of grain, and fruits, wafting up from the Mediterranean, the produce of other nations; one is prepared for a profpect of universal chearfulnefs and content ; but two M 2 curfes, curfes, the fevered that can poflibly befall a nation, turn this flattering outfide into real mifery; the mo ft oppreffive fyftem of tyranny in the world, and the deftrucfive ravages made by the plague, are two fources from whence flow the evils of this unfortunate country; the latter is a temporary one, the former invariably fubfifts, and from it the people know no refpite; while the latter rages, they lock themfelves up in their houfes and have no communication with each other, but houfes are no refuge againft the firft, and a defpotic Bey feizes on property, and deals out death according to his own pleafure and cap-rice. I hardly know how to explain to you the form of government here, it is of fo ftrange and complicated a nature : on one hand the Pacha or Vice-Roy fent by the Grand Signor, to whom whom the country is tributary, claims the fovereignty, on the other, the twenty-four Beys maintain their authority, each of whom exercifes an independant power, and by that means there are twenty-five established tyrants, every one of them difpenling juftice or injustice according to his pleafure, being under no controul. This government of the Beys is called likewife the Mamaluke government, or government of the Slaves, being formed of Mamaluke or Georgian Slaves, who are Sold when young into the families of the Beys and by them trained up to arms, amongfl whom, fuch as have mo ft fpirit and addrefs rife in their turns to be Beys; little attention being paid to the cultivation of the mind they are extremely ignorant, few of them being able to write or read. The election of a Bey is generally attended with bloodshed, M 3 for for as there are many who have pretentions, the fword commonly determines the right; Ibrahim Bey has placed himfelf at the head of the government, and by dint of a large army keeps the others in fome awe, enriching himfelf by rapine and plunder. In fhort, the fcene of oppreflion that cxills here is a difgrace to human nature, both in thofe who practife and thofe who fuffer it; but the languid and effeminate fpirit of the native Egyptians, having always made them a prey to foreign mailers, invites that tyranny which it wants the courage to retlft. Adieu. LETTER XL Cairo, DEAR FRIEND. I little imagined,'when. I made thofe obfervations in my latt, reflecting the oppreiiion and tyranny of this government, that I fhould in my own perfon fo foon give proofs of what I there advanced; but thus it happened, and the following adventure which I met with, may ferve to give you a tolerable idea of Egyptian equity. In one of my rides about the city, I was met by a party of Turkifh iol-M 4 diers, diers, who accofting me, and fome European friends who were of my party, faid, that by order of their matter Muftapha Bey, they were come in fearch of us, and that they muft immediately conduct us to him. We did not at all reliih this Salutation, and would gladly have been excufed the honour of paying a vifit to a Bey, but hiving no alternative, we proceeded quietly under their efcort. We were not, you may be fure, extremely comfortable in this Situation; and in our way endeavoured to divine the caufe of it, but in vain: we found we had nothing elfe to do than to fubmit patiently, and wait the event. Being arrived at the Bey's palace, my companions were fet at liberty, and /only was detained; one of my friends however Stayed with me to act: as interpreter; and plead my caufe. We were now ufhered into the prefence chamber, ber, and found this Potentate fitting crofs-legged on a carpet, fmoking a pipe feven or eight feet long;, he was a middle-aged man, rather corpulent, had a black and bufhy beard that reached below his brealt, and his countenance was handfome, although ftern and fevere; his myrmidons who were bearded like himfelf, flood in a circle round him, into the midfl of which we were introduced. The Bey, being informed that I was the perfon whom he had fum-moned, furveyed me attentively, and with an imperious tone of voice, pronounced my crime and my fentence in the fame breath, telling me, an Armenian merchant having reprefented to him, that an Englishman, who had palfed through Cairo two years before, owed him a fum of money, his orders were that I fhould immediately difcharge difcharge the debt incurred by my countryman. I heard with aftonifh-ment this extraordinary charge and verdict, and in reply endeavoured to explain the hardihip and injuitice of fuch a proceeding, telling him, that in the firir. place, I doubted much whether the debt claimed by the Armenian was juff, and in the fecond, fuppofing that it was, did not confider myfelf by any means bound to discharge it; but all endeavours to exculpate myfelf, on the principles of reafon or juifice were totally ufelefs, fmce he foon removed all my arguments by a fhort decifion, which was, that without further ceremony, I muff cither confent to pay the money or remain prifoner at his caille. I began then to enquire what the fum was, which the Armenian pretended to be due to him, and found it to be near five hundred pounds, at which which price, high as it was, I believe I fhould have been induced to have purchafed my liberty, had not my friend advifed me to the contrary, and given me hopes that it might be obtained without it, recommending to me rather to fuffer a temporary confinement than fubmit to fo flagrant an extortion. Accordingly I protefled againft paying the money, and was conducted under a guard into a room where I remained in arreft. It was about noon, the ufual time of dining in this country, and a very good pilau with mutton was ferved up to me; in fhort I was very civilly treated in my confinement, but flill it was a confinement, and as fuch, could not fail of being extremely unpleasant : my only hopes were founded in the good offices of Mr. R--- an Italian merchant, whole fervices to to me and many of my countrymen, who have been embroiled in affairs of the like nature here, deferve our warmeff gratitude. My apartment was pleafantly Situated, with a fine view of the Nile and a rich country; but I fhould have enjoyed the profpecf much more upon another occafion. On a kind of lawn, Shaded with trees, in front of the caffle, two or three hundred horfes flood at piquet, richly caparifoned, belonging to the Bey and his guards. His principal officers and flaves came to vifit me, and in talking over my cafe, they agreed that it was very hard, but to comfort me faid, that their mailer was a very good Prince, and would not keep me long confined. I found feveral of them pleafant liberal-minded men, and we converfed together gether very fociably through my Arabian Servant, who remained with me. The people in this country always ileep after dinner till near four o'clock, they then rife, walfi and pray f that time of prayer is called by them Ajfer, and is the common hour of viiiting; the Beys then give audience, and tranf-act bufinefs: Muifapha Bey now fent for me again, and feeming to be in p-ood humour, endeavoured to coax me into payment of the demand he made; but I continued firm in my refufal, on which he changed the fub-jecl, and fmiling, afked me if I fhould not like to be a Muffulman, telling me it was much better than being a Christian, and hinted that I fhould be very well off if I would become one of them, and fiay at Cairo, ufing likewife other arguments to effect my conversion, and all this in a jocu lar laughing laughing manner: while he was proceeding in his endeavours to bring me over to his faith, two officers came from Ibrahim Bey to procure my rcleafe. I have before told you that he is the chief Bey, and luckily Mr. R having very good in- tereff with him, had made application in my behalf, and in confequence thereof thefe two ambaffadors were fent to requcft that Muftapha Bey would deliver me up to them ; but he feemed by no means inclinable fo to do, and refuming his former ftern-nefs of look remained for fome time inexorable; till at length wrought on by their entreaties, he confented to let me p-o, obferving at the fame time that whenever he had an opportunity of making a little money, Ibrahim Bey always interfered and prevented him; a pretty obfervation ! From which you may infer, that they they look upon us as fair plunder, and do not give themfelves much trouble to find out a pretence on which to found their claims. The English feem particularly to have been victims to this fpecies of rapine, owing, I believe, to the facility with which they always fubmit to it: and many of our wealthy countrymen having returned by this road laden with the fpoils of India, thefe Beys have frequently fleeced them, allured by the temptation of that wealth, which thefe Nabobs are fo fond of difplaying: various are the inftances of extortions pracfifed on them. You may form an idea of all, when I mention one of a gentleman who palling by Suez in his way to England, that he might not be detained there by the Searching of his baggage, prevailed on the Cuftom- houSe houfe officers to difpenfe therewith, and only put their feals on his trunks to exempt them from being vifited till his arrival at Cairo, where being come, fatigued with his journey, and impatient to Shift himfelf, he would not wait for the infpection of the officers, but broke the feals to get his clothes, and paid a thoufand pounds for the luxury of a clean Shirt an hour before he otherwife would have had it. When I hear of the heavy Sines that have been levied on my countrymen in their palfage through Egypt, I con-fider myfelf very fortunate in being quit for a confinement of only a few hours and fifty pounds given in fees to different people employed in the talk of procuring my releafe. From Muitapha Bey's palace I was conducted to that of Ibrahim Bev, be- ing ing attended by an officer of the former who was fent with me. Ibrahim was fitting in a fmall apartment richly furnifhed, fmoking his pipe, and was accompanied by two other Turks ; he appeared to be between forty and fifty years of age, middlc-fized and handfome; he is reckoned a man of ability, indeed he has (hown himfelf to be fuch, by having managed with dexterity the complicated machine which he directs. He addreffed himfelf to Muffapha Bey's officer, inveighing feverely againff. the conduct of his matter, then turning to me, faid that I might depend on his protection during the remainder of my ttay in that country; and finding that my purpofe was to go down the Nile and to Alexandria, he gave me a pa ff-port to exempt me from any trouble or molettation I might receive on my paffage from his General Morad Bey, who was ttationed on the banks N of of the Nile with the army, for the purpofe of railing contributions on the country. Having made my proper acknowledgements to this Prince for his civilities I retired not a little rejoiced to have regained my liberty. Owing to this kind of rapine and extortion practifed by thefe potentates, and likewife to a Firman of the Grand Signor, which forbids European fhips to approach the port of Suez, this channel of communication betwixt Europe and India has been fhut for fome years paff; a circumffance extremely detrimental to us, hnce it is by far the mofl expeditious way of conveying intelligence, and by proper management might itill be made ufe of for that purpofe: fome prefents annually fent by the India Company to the ruling Bey, would enfure fafety to their fervants, who might pafs charged charged with difpatches; and when you hear that the pafTage has been made from London to Madrafs in fixty-three days by way of Suez, you will be farprized that fuch an advantage mould be overlooked, if poffible to be obtained; not that I think it would be advifeable to make it a common road for paffengers, or permit any other mips to go to Suez, but fmall packet boats for the purpofe of conveying difpatches 5 for otherwife a door would be opened to a contraband trade, which would prove extremely prejudicial to the commerce of the India Company, and the revenue of our o-overnment. Mr. R—■- received me on my return to his houfe with the ftrongeft txpreflions of joy and friendship, and I endeavoured to tedify to him with equal warmth how fenfible I was of N 2 the the fervice he had rendered me. This gentleman who polfeffes a mind fir too liberal for the country in which he reiides, has been fettled here for many years, and acquired an handfome fortune, though he has been frequently fqueezed by the Beys; at prefent he finds the advantage of paying one, to be protected again ft the extortions of the others : he is extremely attached to the Englim, and has often been of great fervice to them in this city. Hadge Corlim, who is a Turk, and one of the richeft merchants in Cairo had interceded in my behalf with Ibrahim Bey, at the inftance of his fon, who had been on a pilgrimage to Mecca, and came from Juddah in the fame ihip with me. The Father in celebration of the fon's return, gave a moft magnificent fete on the even- ing ing of the day of my captivity, and as foon as I was releafed, fent to invite me to partake of it, and I accordingly went. His company was very numerous, confiding of three or four hundred Turks, who were all fitting on fop has and benches, invoking their long pipes; the room in which they were affembled, was a Spacious and lofty hall, in the centre of which was a band of mufick com-pofed of five Turkifh indruments, and fome vocal performers; as there were no ladies in the affembly, you may fuppofc, it was not the mod lively party in trie world, but being new to me, was for that reafbri entertaining. Both on account of my nation, and my recent adventure with the Bey, I was a kind of fight to them, and they afked me numberlefs questions N 3 1 at at the fame time being extremely civil, and feveral of them, as a great compliment, taking their pipes out of their mouths, and offering them to me to fmoke; although the indelicacy of this cuftcm was fome what difgufting, yet in conformity to their manners, I took their pipes, fmoked two or three whiffs, and returned them i they look upon it as the ci-villeil: thing they can do to a Granger or viiitor, to offer him the difh of coffee they themfelves are fipping, or the pipe they are fmoking, which it would be the height of ill manners in any one to refufe. Our fup-per was ferved at twelve o'clock, and confided of fweet-meats, paftry and fherbets, ferved on lilver waiters placed on the carpet, around which we formed ourfelves in different parties of five or Six in each: we did not continue long at table, and immediately as our re- repair was finished, the company broke up. In walking home through the Streets, I could not but obferve the good police which feems to prevail here, each diftricr, or ward of the city is Shut up feparately within gates, and no one is ever fuffered to Stir out after dark without a lanthorn, on pain of being taken up and imprifoned; a pa-trole of Janiflaries goes the rounds frequently in the night; fo that I mould think with thefe precautions few enormities are ever committed. My late adventure has made me particularly impatient to quit this country, where perfonal property and per-fonal liberty are held fo light; and I Shall accordingly fet off to-morrow morning, having engaged a boat, and made all other neceSfary preparations N 4 for for my paffage down the Nile to Rofetta ; and I hear that I am not likely to meet with Morad Bey's army, as he has left that branch of the river along which I fhall pafs, fo that I flatter myfelf I fhall meet with no further hindrance or interruption in my journey. Adieu. LETTER XII. Alexandria. DEAR FRIEND, T h e paffage down the Nile from Cairo to Rofetta is charming: the verdure, fertility, and abundance of the Delta of Egypt highly pleating. By that name the Romans diitin« guifhed the country laying between the outward forks of the river, into which it divides a few miles below Cairo, and makes with the fea a figure refembling the Greek letter A. From thefe two prin- principal branches go Several others, interfecting the country that lays between; and this bounteous river, after Scattering plenty over the land, during a courfe of many hundred miles, empties itfelf into the fea by feven mouths: the two mod confiderable are thofe of Damiatta and Rofetta ; the former was the Odium Pathmeticum of the antients; the latter, the Odium Bol-bitinum. As the pyramids may judly be edeemed the mod wonderful of all the works of art, fo the Nile may be confidered as the greated natural cu-rioflty in this country. Nature to Supply her parSirnonious didribution of water from the heavens, has ordained an annual overflow of that river, to water and enrich the land, fo that perpetual plenty and verdure here flourish riill without the afliftancc of the clouds. Tibullus with regard to Egypt fays, Te propter nullos tellus tua poftulat imbres Arida ncc pluvio fupplicat herba Jovi. It's flocks to fatten and to fwell it's grain, This land from heav'n aiks not refrelhing rain. The Nile is faid to rife in the twelfth degree of North Latitude, at the foot of a great mountain, in the kingdom of Goyana, in Abyfiinia; hut this is rather matter of conjecture than certainty, no exact, accounts having hitherto been given of its fource; however fuppofing it to be fomewhere near the part I mentioned, its courfe being north and fouth, and emptying itfelf into the fea in the thirty-rirft degree of North Latitude, the whole extent thereof muft be about one thou-fand two hundred miles. The annual rife which it experiences is owing to the periodical rains that fall fall in Abyrlinia. The river begins to fwell at Cairo and in lower Egypt towards the latter end of June, and fifing gradually till the middle of September, decreafes afterwards during the months of October and November: the height which it attains varies in different years, and the plenty or fear-city of the crops is determined thereby, when it rifes to fix teen peeks (about thirty-two feet) the chalitz, which distributes the water through the city of Cairo, is opened, then, and not till then, the Grand Signor is entitled to his tribute ; nor do they wim to fee it much higher than that point, lince one extreme is as fatal to this country as the other; if there is a deficiency of water, many lands are deprived of the benefit thereof, if there is a fuper-abundance, it retires not foon enough for them to fow their corn. The river at this time fpreading itfclf over the country, on each fide of its bed for fe- Several leagues, appears like a fea; whatever parts lay fo remote as to be out of reach of the inundation, are watered by canals, and partly from its own beneficence, partly from what is borrowed of it by thefe canals, fo much is expended in its courfe that it has been conject ured, that not a tenth part of its water reaches the fea. The appearance which Egypt pre-fents at that feafon of the year, muff be verv lingular and curious to one who afcends an high building, and difcovers a vaft expanfe of water all around, with towns and villages rifing out of the flood, here and there a caufey, and numberlefs groves and fruit trees whofe tops only are visible. When the waters retire they leave a vaft quantity of fifh on the land, and at the fame time, what is much more valuable, a flime which acts as manure and fertilizes the fields. I3y this annual addi- addition of foil Egypt has been very much raifcd and enlarged in the courfe of years, and many places are now inland, which were formerly clofe to the fea, fuch particularly is Damiatta and as the mud of the Nile extends for fome leagues into the fea, and accumulates every year, this country by little and little increafes. The Arts, Mythology, and Natural Hirtory of Antient Egypt, form a fub-jecf fo worthy the attention and Ifudy of the curious, that they cannot have efcaped your's; I need not therefore dwell on the fuperffition or fingular worfhip formerly practifed here, ad-dreffed to bulls, ferpents, crocodiles, birds, fifh of different kinds, and even the pulfe and roots of the garden, all which they deified. I need not tell you that amongft other ufeful inventions for which we are indebted to to this country is paper, made of a plant called Papyrus, or Byblos, that grew near Memphis. You well know the miraculous effects afcribed by the poets to the plant Lotus, this was an Egyptian root, and ufed by way of bread. I will not recapitulate to you Subjects you arc well acquuainted with, but return to RoSetta, a very pleafint city fraud ing clofe to the Nile, in the midfl of gardens and orange groves. I took mules from thence, and riding clofe to the fea for about fifteen miles, came to the mod wefterly branch of the Nile, croffing it a little above the Oftium Canopicum, after which appeared the caftle of Bekier, (landing clofe to the fea on the fcitc of the an-tient Canopus, a city notorious for the debauchery and diffolutenefs that prevailed there -} travelling on a few miles miles further, through a Sandy country thickly planted with date-trees, I came to the ruins of the antient Nicopolis, fituated on an hill ; this city was built by Auguftus, and received its name in commemoration of a victory gained by him over Anthony; a league more brought me hither. The city of Alexandria founded by Alexander the Great, and afterwards fo much admired and adorned by the Romans, the refidencc of Cleopatra, and refuge of Anthony, once lamous for its magnificence, luxury, and learning, is now become an undiftin-guilhable heap of ruins ; baths, palaces, porticos, and amphitheatres lay promifcuoufly jumbled together. The lavage race of the Saracens when they took it, has reduced it to this mife-rable ftate; but a circumftance more to be lamented than any other, was the the destruction of the famous Ptole-mean Library, containing one hundred thoufand volumes. On taking the city, the general lent to the Caliph, to know his orders respecting thofe books, who returned for anfwer, by all means to burn them, for if they were agreeable to the Alcoran they were Superfluous, and if contrary to it, impious; accordingly the Muf-fulmen applied them to the purpofe of heating their baths, and it was fix months before they were confumed. Pompey's pillar is an object, the molt Striking of any now extant; it is fituated on an eminence a quarter of a mile to the fouthward of the walls, and is of red granite: the height oi the Shaft is ninety feet, and diameter thereof nine feet, the whole height of the column is one hundred and fourteen feet, the capital being of the Corinthian order. I muSf not omit O men- mentioning to you the manner by which fome Englifh mailers of fhips contrived to get to the top of it; they flew a kite over the pillar in fuch a direction, that when the firing was loofed to let it fall and the kite came to the ground, the firing lay acrofs the top of the pillar, by means of which they paffed ropes over, and making: fhrouds the fame as to the mafl of a fhip, they then went up, triumphantly drinking a bowl of punch on the fummit, and difcovering that there had formerly been a pedeflrian flatue on it, a piece of the foot remaining. There are two obelifks called Cleopatra's, having perhaps been part of the ornaments of her palace, which lfood near the fea fide, one of them is overthrown and lies half buried in the fand, the other is flill Handing, and is fixty-three feet high, on each fide are are hieroglyphicks. They fhew fome Subterranean apartments, and call them Catacombs, but I think it more probable from their form, that they were baths, and the increafe of the ground occalioned by the ruins, has buried them; fo great has been the havock that there is not another pile remaining, Sufficiently entire, to mark its original form or purpofe, even the Pharos, reckoned one of the wonders of the world, has nothing now to re-prefent it but a Turkifh fort built on the fame fpot, and probably out of its ruins. Many curious antiques, fuch as medals, rings, and fmall ftatues, have occasionally been picked up amongff the ruins, and numberlefs others of value might be found could permiffion be obtained to dig, but fo jealous are thefe people of the Christians, who O 2 they they luppofe have no other view in visiting thefe places but to find hidden treafures, that it is often dangerous to look at them. The prefent city does not (land ou the fcite of the antient Alexandria, but on a portion of ground that was called the Hepta-Stadium, and lay without the walls j it is a kind of Peninfula fituated between the two ports; that to the weftward was called by the antients the Portus Eunoftus, now the Old. Port, and is by far the beft, Turkifh veffels only are allowed to anchor there: the other called the New Port is for the Chriflians; at the extremity of one of the arms of which flood the famous Pharos. Hiflorians tell us that Alexander's body was embalmed, and buried in this this city in a coffin of gold, which (as one can ealily fuppofe) was taken away, and it was put into one of glafs, being preferved therein fo late as to the time of Augufius, who took a view of it in that ftate, adorned it with a golden crown, and wept over it. I have now been here near a month, a daily witnefs of the fad revolution that has taken place in men, manners, arts, and learning at Alexandria; too long a time to dwell on an unpleaiing picture. I embark to-morrow on board a fhip bound to Tunis, which will pais by Malta, and fet me on fliore at that ifland; the quarantine being Shorter than at any of the ports in Italy. I fhall be happy to communicate to you the account of my arrival there. Adieu. O 3 LETTER C 199 ] LETTER XIII. Lazaret of Leghorn, Auguft 15, 1782. DEAR FRIEND, Being at length landed in Europe I delay not a moment to impart an event fo pleafing, and at the fame time give you the fequel of my wanderings. I embarked on board a neutral veffel at Alexandria, the mailer of which inftead of Shaping a direct courfe for the port he was bound to, run up amongft the iflands of the Archipe-O 4 lago, lago, according to the practice of thofe Mediterranean failors, who always keep the land clofe aboard, and on the appearance of a black cloud make for the firif harbour that prefents itfelf. Had he carried me the tour of the Grecian iflands and fet me on more at thofe we paffed, I could have borne more patiently the tcdioufnefs of our voyage, but I confefs that a diftant view did not Sufficiently compenfate for that unpleafing circumstance; the only one I had an opportunity of vi-fiting was Rhodes, where we put in for a day or two. The famous Coloffus now no longer beifrides the entrance of the har-hour, no beautiful villas adorn its fhores, no palaces grace the city, no Romans now refide here; its natural beauties however Still remain, but in the hands of Turks, who are not much couch given to improvement, and prac-tife no arts but thofe of oppreffion, as the Christian inhabitants feverely feel. The town Still bears the marks of that memorable fiege it once fuftain-ed, when the knights of St, John of Jerufalem, headed by Villcrs de Lille Adam, Grand Mailer, made a gallant Stand again St the arms of Solyman the Magnificent, who besieged the place with two hundred thoufand men, and four hundred Ships; the brave garrifon confuting only of five thoufand foldiers, and fix hundred knights, was, after a fix months fiege, during which they had made frequent Tallies, and given incredible proofs of valour, obliged to capitu-late from a total want of provisions and every kind of Store; the knights afterwards fettled at Malta, given to them them by the Emperor Charles V. as fome kind of recompence for having vvith-held his afliiiance in fo critical a conjuncture. The farrounding country appeared extremely pleafint and fruitful, but the fhortnefs of our flay did not allow me to penetrate into it, or even vifit the fpot where that city ifood which the Romans fo much admired, and where they nfed to pafs their time in elegant retirement; it was fituated about a league to the northward of the prefent city, on a bank Hoping down to the fea, but few vef-tiges of it now remain. There is a convent of Catholick Monks at Rhodes, to whofe hofpitality all Chriflians who touch there are much indebted. After leaving this ifland we fleered for the ccafl of Candia, the antient Crete, Crete, and on approaching it discovered a very lofty mountain, that I conjectured to be mount Ida; we failed from one extremity of this ifland to the other, and were often very near the Shore. From Candia we Stretched on to the Capes of the Mo-rea and the ifle of Serigo, formerly Cythera, and then quitting the Archipelago, Stood over towards Malta; but as we had loSf light of land for a few days, and did not keep the beSf of reckonings, we mirfed that ifland; and contrary to my wiShes and expectations, I was carried on to Tunis, on the coaft of Barbary. In approaching that city we failed up a deep bay, anSwering exactly the defcription given of it by Virgil, in his iEneid. Eft Eft in fecefTu longo locus ; infula portum EfRcit objectu laterum : quibus omnis ab alto Frangitur inq. finus fcindit fefe unda reductos. Within a long recefs there lies a bay, An ifiand fhades it from the rolling fea, And forms a poft fecure for fhips to ride, Broke by the jutting land on either fide. Drvden. We came to an anchor at the upper end thereof, near the caftle of the Goletta, and paffed in the boat thro' a narrow canal into an extenfive baton, on which ffands Tunis; the water in it is fo mallow, that we were frequently aground in our paffage up to the city, which is twelve miles diftant from the road where the fhips lay. Though I can fay nothing in favour of the town, yet the country is pleafant and abounds in a great variety ricty of productions, moft of which are Shipped off for Europe. Trade and Piracy here enrich the people, the latter they carry on very fuccefs-fully again IT: all the petty States of the Mediterranean, whofe naval force is not fufhciently powerful to crufh them, they go in fmall gallies, mounting a few fwivels, to the number of fifty or fixty men in each, armed with firelocks and cutlaffes, and as thefe veffels fail extremely faff, and alfo row twenty or thirty oars, they are equally prepared to efcape or overtake as occaiion may require. Among other valuable articles brought in by the Coriairs are their prifoners, who are fold in the publick market, and fetch very high prices; thefe poor wretches then groan under a miferable Slavery during the remainder of their Jives, except fuch as not being fcru- pulous pulous in matters of faith, prefer Mahometan liberty to Christian bondage and become Muffulmen. But I aril told that the Haves are treated much better at Tunis than any where elfe, indeed the people themfelves are far more civilized than thofe of the other Barbary States, moft likely owing to the great commerce and intercourfe o they have with Europeans. I own I was much Struck with the liberty there enjoyed, and the Security with which one might travel about the country, circumstances very different from what I had met with in Arabia and Egypt, where, if you Stir but out of a town you are fure to be Stripped, and are lucky to efcape un-wounded and alive, but at Tunis you may take your horfe, and Stroll Srom one end of the kingdom to the other, which I fhould certainly have done, if if my conititution had been equal to combat with the heat of the climate; conceive what it mult have been when we Shut up windows and doors to exclude the air that in other countries we court, and when the thermometer expofed thereto role higher than 100. The Bagrada, Utica and Zowan are deferving notice, but my attention was confined to the fcite and ruins of the famous city of Carthage, which, from the luStre it once maintained, the ££-nerals it produced, and the three long and bloody wars it fu Stained again ft its more fuccefsful rival Rome; add to all thefe circumftances, that it is the fcene of the moft interesting part of the /Eneid, I could not but venerate as clalfick ground. The Englifh Confur, to whofe po-litenefs and hofpitality I was much indebted, debted, carried me to his country houfe at Merfa, about ten miles from Tunis, Handing on the fcite of part of the an-tient city of Carthage; J fpent a few days there with him very agreeably, and in the cool of the mornings and evenings amufed myfelf with (trolling about and tracing as well as I could the ruins and extent of that famous city: but the dreadful fen fence pronounced againft it in the Roman fenate, has been fo fully accomplished, that nothing now remains to give one an idea of it's antient grandeur. Piles of ruins may be feen all along the fhore from the-caftle of the Goletta to Cape Carthage, and fo on to Cape Gomert; and feveral appear under water, having the form of walls or wharfs, which the fea, by encroaching on the land has overwhelmed. Antient authors tell us, that this city was eighteen leagues in circuit; but that fpace is now covered with cornfields. fields, vineyards, and gardens, with here and there a mafs of ruins appearing. The Byrfa retains lfill the appearance of its former ftrength* the ground falling every way with a great declivity from the Aimmit, on which there is a ruin fomething in the lhape of a tower : fubterranean vaults are to be feen in every part of the country thereabouts. The molt perfect and curious remains of antiquity, are the citterns placed on an eminence to the northward of the Byrfa j thefe are large canals, that were defigned as refervoirs to fupply the city with water: there are fcventeen of them, each being one hundred feet in length, twenty in breadth, and ten deep; at one corner is a ruin, appearing to have been a dome, and moft probably there was the like at each or the other three corners; the aqueduct P which which brought the water to them was ninety miles in extent, anJ begun at the foot of a lofty mountain called Zowan ; it may be traced all the way by its ruins, and in fome places the arches frill remain entire. Several villages are fcattered about on the antient fcite of this city, viz. El Merfa clofe by the fea, Melcha under ground, thofe fubterranean apartments in which the people live, having formerly been vaults to the Carthaginian houfes that flood there: Daril-ihut near the Goletta, and Seedy Mo-faid flanding on the promontory called Cape Carthage, it is a pleafant hill covered with vineyards and plantations of olive trees, &c. but being facred on account of a Mahometan faint buried there, muft not be profaned by chrif-tian feet; a propos of thofe faints I ought to inform you, that the Mufful- men men canonize thofe to whom nature has denied reafon, paying them the greateft refpect when alive, and venerating them when dead; they walk about ftark naked, and whatever extravagancies they commit, are overlooked. You will not be furprized that fo little now remains of what was once fo vaft a city, when you conSider that the Romans after plundering, razed it, and that the fire which confumed it lafted feventeen days. Two other cities were afterwards built near the fame fpot, notwithstanding the edict of the Roman fenate, forbidding any revival of the name of Carthage, once fo odious to them; but both have Shared the fate of the firft, and few traces remain of either. P 2 The The river Bagrada famous in hif-tory for that ferpent of altonifhing iize flain on its banks by the army of Regulus, falls into the fea near Porta Farina, twenty miles to the northward of Cape Carthage; Utica is alfo lituated on it, whither Cato retired and killed himfelf. I cannot defcend from this great and interesting Subject to defcribe the modern State of that country formerly So eminent, or quit even the ruins of antient Carthage, to dwell on the prefent royal palaces of Bardo and Ma-nubia, looked on in Barbary to be chef d'ceuvres of art and magnificence; all comparifon between the prefent and paft would be painfull either to relate or hear, let me embark therefore at that port from whence Hanno, Hannibal and Hamilcar once led their victo- victorious fleets and armies, and going on board a Ragufan fnow, purfue my voyage along the coaffs of Sardinia and Corfica to this port, where, although a temporary prifoner, I fubmit patiently to my captivity, fince it is a condition annexed to my arrival in Europe, happy to have exchanged the barbarous climes of Afia and Africa, for regions of taffe, pleafure and refinement. Adieu. P 3 TRANS- TRANSLATION OF A FIRMAN of the OTTOMAN PORTE. IT is the Grand Signor's pleafure that no Chriftian veffel come to Suez, or trade from Juddah to Suez openly or fecretly. The lea of Suez was defigned for the noble pilgrimage of Mecca; fuch as amit in giving paf-P 4 fage fage to Chriftian veffels, or connive at it, or ufe not their utmoft endeavours to prevent it, are traitors to their religion, and to their Sovereign, and to all Muffulmen; and inch as have the prefumption to tranfgrefs, will find their punifhment both in this and the other world; and this exprefs command is on account of the important affairs of ftate, and of religion. Do as we command you, with fervor and zeal, let our royal mandate be thus pronounced of which this is the tenor. (Here follow the names of the Pachas, Beys, and Governors, to whom the Firman is addrejfed.j Be it known that the port of Suez, where the fhips anchor, is a port of two honoured cities, which are thofe that make the light of the truth to fhine Shine and the Law of the prophet, and are established to promote religion and jufcice, Mecca the enlightened, and Medina the honoured ; and may God enoble them to the end of the world. It hath never been cuftomary for any mips of foreign nations, or for the children of darknefs to come into the fea of Suez, nor for Engliifi or other Ships, to bring their cargoes beyond Juddah, till lately, when in the time of Ali Bey, a fmall Englifh veffel or two came to Suez, with prefents from a perfon unknown, for the faid Bey, and informed him, that they were come to feek a freight; and having once come there, the Englifh have therefore thought, that they could at all times do the fame, and they have come to Suez with their fhips laden with piece goods of India and other effects, in the time of the dcceafed deceafed Mahommed Bey, Father of Gold, who was likewife deceived by avarice, fome people pointing out to him certain advantages arifing therefrom; fo that, Englifh and oth:i fhips have repeatedly come to the port of Suez. Thefe matters have come to our royal ears, which we hold to be contrary to the policy of our kingdom, and to religion; and we do command that from henceforwards, none of the Chriftians come to or approach Suez, hereby abfolutely forbidding them. We have time after time, commanded them to return to their country, and have informed their ambaffador thereof, enjoining him to write to his Sovereign to forbid thefe fhips to come to Suez, it being contrary to to cuftom, and to our royal pleafure; and the ambaffador has fhown to us the the anfvers he has received from his Court, and from the India Company, wherein is declared, that all travellers and merchants are Strictly forbidden to approach or pafs by Suez; therefore if any mould difbbey this order, let them be imprifoned, and their effects confifcated, and let an account thereof be fent to our illustrious Porte. We have informed ourfelves from the wife men, and thofe who Study hiSlory, and have heard what has paffed in former times from the dark policy of the Christians, who will undergo all fatigues travelling by fea and land, and they take drawings of the countries through which they pafs, and keep them, that by help thereof, they jnay make themfelves mafters of the kingdoms as they have done in India and other places. Memorials have like-wife come to us on the part of the Xerif Xerif of Mecca, the much honoured, reprefenting, that thefe Chriifians above-named, not contented with their traf-fick to India, have taken coffee and other merchandize from Yemen, and carried it to Suez, to the great detriment of our port of Juddah. Seeing therefore what has happened, and our royal indignation being excited; particularly when we confider how things are in India, by means of the Chriflians, who for many years have undergone long voyages, and at firff declaring themfelves to be merchants, meaning no harm or treachery, deceived the Indians, who were fools, and did not underffand their fubtlety and craft, and thus have taken their cities, and reduced them to ilavery. And in the time of Talmon, with like craft, they entered the city of Damaf-cus, under the mafk of merchants, who do do no harm, and paying the full duties or even more. At that time it happened, that there were differences between Talmon and Labbafon, and the Chriflians turned them to their advantage, and made themfelves mafters of Damafcus and Jerufalem, and kept poffciiion of them for an hundred years, when Saladin appeared, to whom God give glory, and freed Damafcus and Jerufalem, killing the Chriflians without number. Befides, it is well known, how great an hatred they bear to MufTulmen on account of their religion, and feeing with an evil eye Jerufalem in our hands. Thofe therefore, who connive at the Chriftians coming to Suez, will be punifhed by God both in this and the other world. Permit by no means, Chriflian or other fhips to pafs and repafs by Suez, but take fuch as a flirt: them fecretly, and chaflife them as they deferve. Our 222 TRAVELS, &C. Our royal Sovereignty is powerful, and this is our Royal Mandate, when any Chriftian mips, and particularly the Englifh fhall come to the port of Suez, imprifon the captains, and all the people, fince they are rebels and offenders both againff their own government and our's, according to the declaration of their ambaffador, and according to the anfwer fent from his Court; and they deferve imprifonment and confifcation of their effects, which let them find, and let no one endeavour to fet them free. FINIS. ACCOUNT of the LOSS of the GROSVENOR Indiaman, commanded by Capt. John Coxon> On the 4th Auguft, 1782 (inferred from the Portuguese Defcription of the Coafl of Africa to have happened between 28? and 29? S.) with A Relation of the Events which befei Thofe Survivors who have reached England, viz, Robert Price, Thomas Lewis, John Warmington, and Barney Larey. Being the Report given in to The East-India Company by ALEXANDER DALRYMPLE, Efq. ^ttblt'Ojeu witii the approbation of the Court of Directors LONDON, 1785. Sold by C. Nourre, mid P. Elmsly, in the Strand; j, Seiyell, G«n&ill\ and J, L/VWj St, Martin's Church-Yard. 1 ADVERTISEMENT. Auguji 14, 1783. Tfc H E following Relation of the Lofs of the Grofvenor, and of the events which be-fel thofe furvivors who have reached En-gL -J, is the refult of my examination of Robert Price, Thomas Lewis, John Warmington, and Barney Larey, at the defire of Sir Henry Fletcher, the prefent Chairman of the Eaft-India Company. I took, in prefence of Capt. Burnet Aber-cromby, the examination of Price feperate-ly, and of Warmington and Larey together ; Lewis I examined by myfelf. After taking notes of Price's report, thefe notes were read to him, and he was defired to correct any miftakes that might have been made ; he did fo in fome circumffances, and in one particularly, which gave me a ffrong impref-fion of his precifion.—The note ftated, " that " the natives had but one fhoe and made great " fprings in hunting." On reading the notes to the boy he remarked, that " the fhoe he " had feen, but that their making great A 2 " fprings " fprings he had been told by the Dutch." His relation is marked with inverted commas, and the initial letters to the paragraphs diftinguiih the other authorities, where they all agreed in effentials, I have omitted the fignature, when crofs-queftioned they no where exprefsly differed from the Boy. I have not intentionally omitted any of hi* ideas or impreffions, nor have I added any of my own: it however gives me much fa-tisfaction to fee fo many efforts of generofity and mutual affiffance; perhaps in this there may be fome tincture from favourite opinions, as i cannot believe the world collectively half fo bad as it is fuppofed by fome, though I am ready to admit the depravity, of fuch individuals, ai great, as their own imagination can conceive the corruption of the whole to be. After I had reduced the different reports to one relation, I read the whole over before Capt. Abercromby, in prefence of the four perfons, defiring they would point out any miftake I might have made : they did fo in a few inftances, and added confidcrable elucidations, of which I have profited, and I afterwards wards read over to the boy, by himfelf, every thing taken from his relation. The dates muft not be considered as pre-cife : Here the boy totally fails me, after feperating from the Captain and Ladies ; till that event, their accounts agree nearly in time : The boy will not even give a conjecture of dates after, and the others do not pretend to be exact, and the different events are contradictory in time. Lewis reports, that the Dutch diftin-guifhedfour people beyond the Hottentots: iff, The Caffrees with whom he lived, feperated from the Llottentots by an uninhabited country. The Caffrees Country, as well as the adjacent part of the Hottentot country is fancl-downs to the fea, the habitations being at fome diftance inland. 2d, The Tambookers 7 Between which 3d, The Mambqokers. J is an uninhabited country. The Dutch party fent in queff. of the wreck, travelled into the Mambookers Country, croffing the uninhabited uninhabited country, which they firft. paffed after leaving the Captain and Ladies. The Dutch party was flopped by the Mambookers, " who if afked if they thought them fools, " to let them go through their *' Country.'* 4th, The Abonyas, Where the Dutch fuppofe the fhip was loft. From Manocl Mefqicita de Perejlrcllo I find that from Fiffjery Point in 29? 20' S. to the NEward towards Point St. Lucia in 28? 30'' S. the Land, is cliffs on the Shoar: both to the Northward atnd Southward of This Space the Coaft is Sand-Downs; fo that the Grof-venor, by the defcription of the Coaft where ihe was loft, muft have been wrecked between 28? 30' S. and 29? 20' S. I think the Point in light to the Northward of them was Point St. Lucia, and that therefore they were lpft nearly in 28? 30' S. It could not poflibly be in above 31? S. Latitude, as Lewis and Warmington report; for they all agree, thnt melancholy event happened in the Caffree Country, terminated on the South by Great Vifch River, in in about 30? S. Latitude, which they paffed in the latter part of their Journey from the wreck, in which Journey they employed three months before they came to the Ditch Farms near Sivartkops River in about 31 ? S. Latitude. In great part, their Calamities feem to have arifen from want of management with the Natives; 1 cannot therefore in my own mind doubt, that many Lives may yet be preferved amongff the Natives,as they treated the Individuals that fell fmgly amongft them, rather with kindnefs than brutality, although it was natural to expect that lo large a body of Europeans would raile appre-henfions; and Fear always produces Hof-tility. In this Confidence I cannot omit to recommend, that fome fmall Vcffell fhould be ordered to range the Coaft, from the Limits of the Dutch Farms to Dela Goa\ and, as this is a matter of Humanity in which the State is concerned, I am led to take notice, that the Swifts lately arrived from the Weji-Indies with Admiral Pigot, a fmall Veffell of 50 Tons and a remarkable fine Sailor, is the fitteft Veffel that can be imagined for this Service; Service j it being neceffary for the Veffel I to keep clofe to the fhoar, and to be able to make her way off in cafe of blowing weather. I fhall conclude with adding, that not only Humanity to the Survivors, but the Seafon require, that there fhould be no delay in difpatching this Veffel from England. The number of perfons on board is reported to have been 153 ; but this muff certainly be a miftake, for the Lift fent by C. Coxon from Trincomale only amounts to 139 including children: Capt. Talbot and his fuite are not indeed in that Lift; but the number which they can fpecify, including Capt. Talbot and two perfons who came aboard with him, and 29 Lafcars, does not exceed 142. AN A N ACCOUNT Of the LOSS of the GROSVENOR Indiaman, On the 4th of AUGUST, 1782, With a Relation of the Events which befel thofe Survivors who have reached England, viz. Robert Price, Thomas Lewis, John Warmington, and Barney Larey. O N 13th June the Ship left Trincomalc. They faw no land after leaving Ceylon till the 4th Auguft when the Ship was loft. At 8 P. M. of the 4th Auguft, by fea reckoning, when Thomas Lewis left the helm, the courfe was WN W with a fair wind; the Ship was then under double reefed topfails and foretop-gallant fail; maintop-gallant maft being down, their main-maft having been fifhed; the maft was faulty before they left Irincomali) and they met a hard gale of B wind wind after leaving that port. It was fifhed about 6 days before they ran aifioar, and the fame day they fiified their maft they faw a fmall brig, which was the only veffel they faw in their paffage after leaving Trinco-male. T L. In the middle watch the wind having come to the SW. the id mate had laid the fhip on the ftarboard tack, but the Captain came out and put the fhip about again ; He heard the Captain fay he was 300 miles from land by his account, which was the head moft*. T L. The wind having frefhened in the SW. and blowing hard in fqualls the Ship was under fore fail, fore ftayfail and mizen ft ay-fail, and ftanding, he believes, about NWbN about i paft 3 A.M. he was lent aloft to get down the foretop-gallant yard, he thought * The boy, Robert Price, fays that " whilft he waited ** at fupper, the Captain and Paflengers were talking they fhould fee the land to-morrow or next day : the Captain had been looking out with his glafs in the af-" ternoon, but he does not know whether he was look-l ing for the land or what." he he faw the land and came down to tell, but he was lent up again, as they would not believe him ; after the watch was relieved at 4 A. M. having been detained in getting down the top-gallant yard, when he came from aloft about f pafl 4 he faw the land plainly from deck, but the 3d mate who had relieved the 2d mate, the chief mate being fick, would not believe it, faying it was only the reflection of the fky, and would not put the Ship's head off to fea: Wm* Mixon quarter mafter went in and told the Captain, who came out and wore fhip immediately and in wearing fhe ftruck, they had juft time to call all hands once: the wind very foon fliifted and came off fhoar, when they hoiflcd up the fore topfaii and endeavoured to back off, but they only twifled the Ship's head off fhoar and her ftern upon the rocks; the water gaining upon them very faff, the fhip was foon full of water ; they cut away the mafts, the main-malt went prefently and drove a fliore, the Coffrees clambered upon it to get the iron and copper, the foremafl was a pretty while before it went, and they could not clear it of the ihip's fide, fhe re-£ 2 maincd mained with her head off fhoar till fhe went fo pieces, the fea breaking without her. They hoiffed out the yawl, but fhe was ftove immediately: they made a raft, but the 7 inch hawfer by which it was faft broke, and the raft drove afhoar with four men on it; three were drowned, viz. George Wellborn, midfhipman; Simon Griffiths, boatfwain's lit mate; Chriftopher Shear, poulterer; the 4th, Laur. Jonefqua, was faved, and got afhoar. As foon as the Ship was loft, two Lafcars fwam afhoar with a lead line, and made a haufer fan: to a large rock on the fhoar; they did not underftand aboard what they faid ; but Pandolpho having fwam afhoar foon after the Lafcars, called to them, and they hove the haufer tort. Many of the failors got afhoar by this haufer, and fome were drowned hi the attempt by the haufer's flackening, viz. John Woodward, Quarter-matter ; Thomas Gent lis, "j Val. Pyers, John Higgin3, Andrew Nowland, John Morrifon, Bartholomew Weft, Thomas Mayo, Francis Dogherty, Seamen; Jofeph Barklni was drowned in fwimming afhoar with Pandolpho j a lad, who came aboard with Capt. Talbot, was never feen after the Ship ftruck, and a black man, affiftant to the Captain's cook, was drowned in the fhip; all the reft of the crew but thefe 15 got afhoar; he, the boy, Robert Price, was forced off the haufer, and his head dallied againft the rock by a violent fea j the cut he received, of which the mark remains, was fo bad, that he was not able to help himfelf, and would have been drowned if Francis De Larfo had not taken hold of his hair, and pulled him out of the fea, and then others affifted to draw him up by the arms : this wound made him take lefs notice of what paffed whilft they kept by the wreck. P. About noon the fhip parted by the fore-chains, and about i P.M. by the main chains. Almoft ico perfons were aboard when the fhip parted : the fhip lay down very much, they got the Ladies out at the (larboard quarter gallery, the people Handing on the ffarboard fide of the fhip, and when fhe parted the fide funk down into the fea with them all upon it, and floated into fhallow water, when the the failors helped the Ladies and children on fhoar, the body of the wreck breaking off the fwell. Capt. Talbot of the navy who was a paffenger, and fome others, came afhoar on the fore part of the fhip. They made a'tent of a new mizen top-fail for the Ladies, &c. on the flattifh part of the rock, where they found plenty of frelh water gufhing out amongft the rocks. The fhip was'loft juft to the northward of a rocky point, where was a high furf; the coaft was rocky, llanting up, and a-top flat withgrafs, in fome places very high, which the natives are then accuftomed to burn ; beyond, the country hilly and woody: <« a little *' to the fouthward of where the fhip was caft :dag\ river to look for Mr. Lillburne, &c. Caulker's mate, left at Great Vifch River. Captain's ileward, dead and buried at Sundays Rivery p. W. & L. Boatfwain's yeomnn, dead (at river Nye [or cK-ly] Feancon told t L.) ; - gone to Copenhagen in the Launvig, left at Cape. » - left in ijl uninhabited country near the inhabited country. L. left about 4 days after coming into ► Seamen, 2d inhabited country. L, left at Great Vifch River, dead (found by W.) dead \ .,A , - - (Feancon told TL.) dead J left at Great Vifch River, The other party confided of 22 perfons,* viz. In the enumeration they make only 20. Joha John Warmington, Thomas Lewis, Mr. Shaw, Mr. Trotter, S Mr. Williams, Mr. Taylor, John SinTman, Wm. Hubberly, Wm. Ellis »o Edw. Croaker, James Srockdale, John Hyncs, Will. Fruel, Cha* Berry, <5 James Simpfon, R. Fitzgerald, Jacob Angel, John Blain, John Howes, 30 John Brown, Boatfwain's 2d mate Seaman 2d mate, j now in England. 4th ditto, PafTcnger, Ditto, left at a river in ift uninhabited country (Hubberly told TL. ift who died.) left by Hubberly at the river where Mr. Williams was killed dead (Hubberly told TL. that he was driven into a river and killed by tne Caffrees.) dead (Hubberly told 7L. that he would not eat after Mr. Williams's death, and died 2 days after.) Servant to Mr. Williams, dead (Hubberly told TL.) was left by Warmington at a river in ill uninhabited country. gone to Copenhagen. left at fame river as Mr. Shaw, left at 3d River to Eafiwd of Great Vijd> River (which is a large liver at high-water.) left at fame river as Mr. Shaw, gone to Copenhagen. left in fands rruntry before they came to Sifditf'jt river. Ditto to Mr. Shaw, Servant to Col. James, •diiclurged foldicrs. ► Seamen. daJ. left at fame river with Mr. Shaw d.ad (7"X>. found him dead in a hut) left at fame river with Mr. Shaw (Hubberly told TL. v/v id who died about 3 days, iftet Shaw.) left 3t a river. Mate Mafter Law was firfl: carried by William Thomfon, midlliipman, and then by each of the party in company by turns; and when they were knocked up, Mr. Lillburne faid, he would fave the boy's life, or lofe his own. " The firlf party continued on the fea coaft, *' the natives ftill about them, but dropping " off little by little. The natives minded " nothing but metal, one of the Coffrees " took a watch (Hubberly told him) and then " broke the watch with a ftone, and picked " the pieces out with their lance, and ftuck t( them in their hair: this was up a pretty " large fait water river.*" " They met a black Portuguefe, rather li young than old, in a houfe by a fait water " river near the fea, "f" he had two Coffree st women with him, his houfe was byitfelf, " but there was a Coffree village [of 5 huts] near: this Portuguefe had no cows, but " he gave them three fifti which he cooked " for them, together with what ftiell filh * River Nye, or =K-Iy. " they ( w ) u they had picked up, and fome white roots " like potatoes." This was about 3 days after entering the fecond inhabited country. L. The other party went inland, and were 3 days out of light of the fea, they were 4 days without feeing any inhabitants, tho' they faw fome old huts and many wild beafts, elephants, tygers, &c. being diifrelfed for provifions, they returned to the coalf, where they fed on fhell rim, and fared pretty well when they came up with a dead whale, of which they faw 3 or 4. They did not eat of the firfl: or fecond, having no knife, but made a fhift afterwards to cut it with a fpike nail, till Warmington found a knife in a boat upfet on the fhoar. IV. In about 3 weeks or a month after parting with the Captain and Ladies, they came into a fandy country, by this time they were fepcrated into fmall parties. The party in which Thomas Lewis was confifted of about eleven perfons; Hubberly told him Mr. Shaw was the firfl: who died, and in about 3 days after, John Howes died : Lewis came on alone, and came up with the Carpenter, &c. near a deep narrow river: E al at the end of 49 days, from leaving the fhip, according to the Carpenter's account (but Larey fays he had loft his knotched ftick 10 days before) Capt. Talbot's fervant Ifaac, who had been his coaxfwain, and Patrick Burn ftoped at the river, he fwam back and told them to make a cattamaran and he would fwim it over which he did and brought them a-crofs. T L. Two days after he joined them, the Carpenter Thomas Page died and was buried in the fand. T L, Afterwards he came to another river, where he joined feveral i here he eat a piece of dead whale which made him fick: from hence he went back feven days by himfelf and met James Sims," John Brown, and Edward Croaker; John Blain was lying dead in a hut: he propofed to go back to the natives: Brown was not able to come, but he and the other two went back till they came to the river where he had met the Carpenter; then, his companions would go no farther j he fwam acrofs at low water; next morning he faw two of the Natives on the fea fide j they feemed travelling; (hey looked at him and pointed to go along with them, but they were • Qj, James Simpfon. were going another way, i. e. to the weft-ward; the fame afternoon he faw three Girls on the fhoar, they took him home about i or 11 mile from the Coaft, there were about 6 huts in the Krawl; the men were broiling meat; they all came round him; he made figns for fomething to eat; thy gave him a little milk, but took his mufcles from him, and afterwards drove him away, throwing ftones at him; he went to another Krawl about \ mile diflant, and they gave him fome milk; he flaid there all night under the trees, and next morning went to another Krawl, and then came back to the hrff Krawl, and found there Francifco Feancon and S. Paro, who had come through the country, and not along the coaft; they ftaid at that Krawl, and he went to another about i a mile from the firft Krawl, and ftaid with the Coffrees three months, taking care of their calves, and gathering wood. When he had been about three weeks with the Coffrees, William Hubberly, Mr. Shaw's fervant, came there; he told him all his companions were dead: Mr. Williams was driven into a river and killed by the natives E 2 throwing ( 2S ) throwing ftones on him; Mr. Taylor would eat none after, and in two days died. About 16 or 18 days after Hubberly came, Feancon and Paro left the hutts; after a month's abfence Feancon returned and told him that Paro was dead, alfo that Thomfon the midihipman, Parker and Burne were dead : the boy, from the information of De Larib, who went in queft of the wreck, fays, that Feancon and Paro had come within 3 days journey of the Dutch farms,- when they returned: Feancon was 9 days in the defert without water but his own urine, and then Paro died. The Hottentots fent by Daniel King from the Dutch Farms Sivartkops, brought them thro' the Country, and on the 15th Jan. 1783 10 or 11 days after fetting out from the Krawl, he met, at Sondags River, the waggons going towards the wreck, with Jeremiah Evans, and Francifco De Larfo, who had been 28 days from Landrofs van Svuelkndam, they wanted him to have returned with them, but he would not, thinking he had already fuffered enough. T L. He, Lewis, ftaid at Kat Skyppers houfe ItSwartkops two months jnear it is the rlril houfe houfe belonging to Chriftian Feroos, ta which John Potoie brought the others who had travelled along the coaft, and in the neighbourhood is Daniel Kings a Hanoverian, with whom the boy remained. T L. The Dutch and Caffrees are on bad terms, Dan. King had all his cattle carried off by them not long ago. ¥ The Lafcars and Mrs. Hofea's maid left them at firft ; Mrs. Logic's maid told him the Captain had left Mr. and Mrs.Logie and Mr. and Mrs. Hofea behind. The Lafcars and black maids were left at Landrofs