AND LOWER EGYPT. 1 69 



the courteous and generous behaviour of the emir, 

 I presented him with a fowling-piece, and a small 

 provision of gunpowder ; he made great diffi- 

 culties of accepting my present, but concluded 

 with taking it ; and as soon as he returned home 

 he sent me some sheep, and other provisions for 

 my voyage. 



The evening before our departure from Den- 

 deraj the aoth of June, we were obliged to have 

 a sharp look-out in our boat. Some robbers had 

 been strolling about during the night on the 

 banks of the Nile, and they appeared to be pre- 

 paring to attack us. I was lulled into a profound 

 slumber. All at once I was awakened by fright- 

 ful outcries. Our Egyptian sailors, who had ap- 

 parently perceived the robbers advancing too near, 

 could hit upon no better expedient for our de- 

 fence, than that of roaring out with all their 

 might. I could not divine the cause of this tu- 

 mult ; and I did not know at first whether the 

 boat was sinking, whether it was consuming by 

 fire, or v/hether the highwaymen were taking 

 possession of it. Two of my companions were 

 on the watch ; but it was a long time before I 

 was able to settle the countersigns : they em- 

 ployed themselves in stopping the mouths of the 

 sailors with fisty-cufFs, who had prevented, by 

 their clamours, their seizing two men on the point 



of 



