32 MEMOIR OF BURCKHARDT. 



at an advantageous price at the ports of Natolia or 

 Tarsus, then only would she proceed to Acre. 



Finding complaints and remonstrances in vain, 

 Burckhardt endavoured to make himself as comfort- 

 able as he could, and studied to cultivate the good 

 graces of his fellow travellers. He introduced 

 himself among them as an Indian Mahommedan 

 merchant, who had lived from his early years in 

 England, and was now on his way home ; a story 

 which appeared credible enough to the passengers, 

 as well as to the ship's company. Numerous ques- 

 tions were put relative to India ; and whenever he 

 was called for a specimen of the Hindu language, 

 he answered in the worst dialect of the Swiss-Ger- 

 man, which in its guttural sounds rivalled the 

 harshest utterance of Arabic. 



Every evening, they assembled upon deck to 

 smoke their pipes and enjoy the cooling sea-breeze. 

 Story-telling was their principal amusement, and of 

 course our traveller was called upon to narrate to his 

 companions the wonders of the farthest east, — of 

 the Great Mogul, and the riches of his court, — of 

 the suttees^ or widows burning themselves, — of the 

 Chinese wall, the great porcelain tower, &c. A 

 Tripolitan merchant, in his turn, recounted the 

 wonders of Soudan, — of one nation continually at 

 war with its neighbours, — of a nation of speaking 

 sheep, — of another of necromancers, who had lately 

 defeated a whole army which the King of Bornou 

 sent against them. In course of these conversations, 

 Burckhardt learned with certainty that the yearly 



