'190 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



I had orders from Shckh Hamam to lodge in the caftle. 

 But a few hours before my arrival, Hufiein Bey Abou Kerfh 

 landed from Mecca, and Jidda, and he had taken up the 

 apartments which were deftined for me. He was one of 

 thofe Beys whom Ali Bey had defeated, and driven from 

 Cairo. He was called Abou Ksr/h, i. e. Father Belly, from be- 

 ing immoderately fat ; his adverfity had brought him a lit- 

 tle into fhapes. My fervants, who had gone before, think- 

 ing that a friend of the Bey in power was better than an 

 enemy outlawed, and banifhed by him, had inadvertently 

 put fome of my baggage into the caftle j nil when this po- 

 tentate was taking poilefiion. Swords were immediately 

 drawn, death and deftruction threatened to my poor fer- 

 vants, who fled and hid themfelves till I arrived. 



Upon their complaint, I told them they had acted im- 

 properly; that a fovereign was afevereign all the world over; 

 and it was not my bufinefs to make a difference, whether 

 he was in power or not. I eafily procured a houfe, and 

 fent a janifTary-of the four that had joined us from Cairo,, 

 with my compliments to the Bey, deiiring reftitution of my 

 baggage, and that he would excufe the ignorance of my 

 fervants, who did not know that he was at Cofleir ; but 

 only, having the firman of the Grand Signior, and letters 

 from the Bey and Pert of janifTavies of Cairo, they pre- 

 sumed that I had a right to lodge there, if he had not taken 

 xip the quarters. 



It happened, that an intimate friend of mine, Mahomet 

 Toral, captain of one of the large Cairo mips, trading to 

 Arabia, was a companion of this Mullein Bey, and had car- 

 ried him to fee Captain Thornhill, and fome cf our Englifh 



2 captains 



