574 Mr. G. C. Houghton's Account of an ancient Arabic Grave-stone. 



(he is called both) who built the tanks. It is immediately opposite to the prin- 

 cipal mosque, and by the natives constantly kept moist with oil." Vol. 2, 

 page 41-2. 



January 14, 1805. Dhalac el Kibeer. 



" At daylight I (Mr. Salt) went with Abdallah and the two Europeans to 

 the northern mosque, for the purpose of getting possession of some of the 

 monumental stones mentioned in my former account. The best finished 

 inscriptions were engraved on stones too heavy to carry away. I therefore 

 made choice of two of the most perfect, carved in different characters, that 

 were portable, and, wrapping them up very carefully, proceeded back to our 

 lodgings, not quite satisfied, I own, with the propriety of what I was about. 



"Our proceedings having been observed, by the time we reached the house 

 a crowd had assembled, among which were several principal inhabitants. I 

 immediately perceived that they were acquainted with what we had been 

 doing, and that they wished to examine the contents of our bags, which we 

 evaded and got our plunder safe into the yard. The crowd now began to 

 encrease, and I heard them debating the matter rather warmly on the out- 

 side. Soon afterwards they came into the yard in a body, with Seied Yusuff 

 and the Nayib's messenger at their head ; there were also among the fore- 

 most the Sheik-el Belled, and the Sheik of the mosque. Abdallah being 

 called, they began a most lamentable complaint against our proceedings ; 

 said these stones were sacred to the dead, and that the Nayib had positively 

 forbidden that any of them should be removed. The Nayib's man, how- 

 ever, who was spokesman, said nothing as from himself, but premised 

 every sentence with " Thus do they infer." The Seied Yusuff also (having 

 been previously bribed) kept a becoming silence. So I cut the matter 

 short, by telling them that they might rest assured that I should do nothing 

 but what the Nayib approved, and that I should not think of arguing with 

 them on the subject (whom it did not at all concern), but would settle the 

 matter with their superior when we arrived at Massowah. This I told them 

 was my determination, and forbad Abdallah to interpret another word on the 

 subject. The only fear now was that we should not get any animal to carry 

 them away. As soon, therefore, as tranquillity was a little restored, we took 

 an opportunity of making rather a larger present than we had intended to 

 the two sheiks, and distributed the remainder of our tobacco among the 

 lower order. This completely removed their scruples, and they imme- 



