24 5 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



oned * the mod barbarous of any upon the Red Sea, and 

 the janiiTaries keep pace with them, in every kind of malice 

 and violence. We did not go afhore all that day, becaufe 

 we had heard a number of ihots, and had received intelli- 

 gence from fhore, that the janiflaries and town's people, 

 for a week, had been fighting together ; I was very unwil- 

 ling to interfere, wifhing that they might have all leifure 

 to extirpate one another, if poflible ; and my Rais feemed 

 moll heartily to join .me in my wifhes. 



In the evening, the captain of the port came on board, 

 and brought two janiflaries with him, whom, with lbme dif- 

 ficulty, I fuffered to enter the vefTel. Their nrft demand 

 was gun-powder, which I pofitively refufed. I then afked 

 them how many were killed in the eight days they had 

 been engaged ? They anfwered, with fome indifference, not 

 many, about a hundred every day, or a few lefs or more, 

 chiefly Arabs. We heard afterwards, when we came on 

 fhore, one only had been wounded, and that a foldier, by a 

 fall from his horfe. They infilled upon bringing the vef- 

 fel into the port ; but I told them, on the contrary, that ha- 

 ving no bufinefs at Yambo, and being by no means under 

 the guns of their caflle, I was at liberty to put to fea with- 

 out coming afhore at all ; therefore, if they did not leave us, 

 as the wind was favourable, I would fail, and, by force, carry 

 them to Jidda. The janiflaries began to talk, as their cuflom is, 

 in a very blufiering and warlike tone; but I, who knew my 

 interefl at Jidda, and the force in my own hand ; that my 



vefTel 



* Vide Irvine's letters. 



