152 M E M O I R S e/' M^ 
friends, and hare given fomc anfwer to the letters they brought 
him; but on the contrary, they found by the gellures of the 
people, that they had reafon to fuipedl them 5 upon this, two 
of the merchant's company, beUeving that the want of aprefent 
to the Ei'iiy was the caufe thereof, tefolved to venture on a 
\ifit to him, and taking the Janizary and one fervant, they 
carried him a prefent of two pieces of red cloath and four of 
preen, and feveral other things 5 being come, he welcomed 
them to his tent, and placed the one on his right hand, and the 
other on his left J Mdkctrj was a young man, not above 25, 
and of good features, and a moft excellent horfeman 3 Hamet 
Shideedy the other prince, was more elderly, as about 40 years 
of age, and was not in the tent, but fate under a palm-tree 
near it j he treated them with coffee, camel's flefh and dates, 
and enquired of their journey, and the caufe of their comings 
they told him it was only curiofity to fee thofe ruins 5 he faid, 
that formerly Solomon Ibn el 2>oud built a city in that place, 
which, being deftroyed, was built again by a ftrange people, 
and he believed that the merchants, undcrftanding the infcrip- 
tions on the pillars, came in fearch of treafure, he having but 
fix moons before found a pot of Corra Cruffes ^ after this he 
went out of the tent, leaving them fmoaking tobacco, and 
told the Janizary and fervant, that never till then had any 
Franks been at that place, and that now they knew the way 
thro' the defart, they might inform the 'Turks to their ruin and 
deftruftion, fo that it would be convenient for them to deflroy 
all the merchants; only that they coming as friends, he would 
have 4GC0 dollars as a prefent, clfc he would hang them and 
the two Franks up, and go nght the reft; this meffage being 
brour»ht them, they wifhed they could have excufcd themfclves 
from this embaffy, and anfwered they could fay nothing \o 
that demand, not knowing the minds of the reft, but if he 
would permit them to go and fpeak with them, they would 
return an anfwer; upon this, he threatened prefent death, but 
at length gave leave to the Janizary to carry a letter to their 
companions, wherein they 1 hewed the danger they were iji, 
and the price fet on them; viz. 4000 dollars, one half in 
money, and the other half in goods, as fwords, cloths, tents, c^r. 
which the F.viir promifed to value at their worth; upon this 
they made up in ooods and money to the value of 15CO dollars 
which was all they could, and about fun-fet the Emir returned 
their two friends; and thus, on account of this ufage they 
could not view thcfc ruins, As far as they could conclude 
from 
