194 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



The whole town was in terror at the influx of fo many 

 barbarians, who knew no law whatever. They brought a 

 thoufand camels loaded with wheat to tranfport to Mecca. 

 Every body fliut their doors, and I among the reft, whilfl the 

 Bey fent to me to remove into the caftlc. But I had no 

 fear, and refolved to make an experiment, after hearing 

 thefe were people of Nimmer, whether I could trull them in 

 the defert or not. However, I fent all my inftruments, my 

 money, and the beft of my baggage, my medicines and 

 memorandums, into a chamber in the caftle : after the door 

 was locked, and the key brought to me, the Bey ordered to 

 nail up pieces of wood acrofs it, and fet a centinel to watch 

 it all day, and two in the night. 



I was next morning down at the port looking for {hells 

 in the fea, when a fervant of mine came to me in apparent 

 fright and hurry. He told me the Ababde had found out 

 that Abdel Gin, my Arab, was an Atoimi, their enemy, and that 

 they had either cut his throat, or were about to do it ; but, 

 by the fury with which they feized him, in his fight, he 

 could not believe they would fpare him a minute. 



He very providently brought me a horfe, upon which I 

 mounted immediately, feeing there was no time to be loft; 

 and in the fhhing-drefs, in which I was, with a red turban a- 

 bout my head, I galloped as hard as the horfe could carry 

 me through the town. If I was alarmed myfelf, I did 

 not fail to alarm many others. They all thought it was 

 fomething behind, not any thing before me, that occafion- 

 ed this fpeed. I only told my fervant at palling, to fend 

 two of my people on horfeback after me, and that the Bey 

 would lend them horfes. 



I WAS 



