THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 249 



vefTel was afloat, and could be under weigh in an inftant, 

 never was lei's difpofed to be bullied, than at that moment. 

 They alked me a thoufand queftions, whether I was a Ma- 

 maluke, whether I was a Turk, or whether I was an Arab, 

 and why I did not give them fpirits and tobacco ? To all 

 which I anfwered, only, that they mould know to-morrow 

 who I was ; then I ordered the Emir Bahar, the captain of 

 the port, to carry them afhore at his peril, or I would take 

 their arms from them, and confine them on board all night. 



The Rais gave the captain of the port a private hint, to 

 -take care what they did, for they might lofc their lives ; 

 and that private caution, underftood in a different way per- 

 haps than was meant, had effect upon the foldiers, to make 

 them withdraw immediately. When they went away, I 

 begged the Emir Bahar to make my compliments to his 

 mailers, Haifan and Huffein, Agas, to know what time I 

 fhould wait upon them to-morrow ; and dcfired him, in 

 the mean time, to keep his foldiers afhore, as I was not dif- 

 pofed to be troubled with their infolence. 



Soon after they went, we heard a great firing, and faw 

 lights all over the town ; and the Rais propofed to me ro 

 flip immediately, and fet fail, from which meafure I was not 

 at all averfe. But, as he laid, we had a better anchoring 

 place under the mofque of the Shekh, and, befides, tint 

 there we would be in a place of fxfety, by reafon of the ho- 

 linefs of' the faint, and that at our own choice might even 

 put to fea in a moment, or flay till to-morrow, as we were 

 in no fort of doubt of being able to repel, force by force, if 

 attacked, we got under weigh for a few hundred yards, 

 Vol. I. I i and 



