THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 



2 73 



their lawful bufinefs, were plundered, terrified, and detain- 

 ed. He therefore intimated to him, that if any fuch thing 

 happened to me, he fhould not write or complain, but he 

 would fend and punifh the affront at the very gates of Mec- 

 ca. This was very unpleafant language to the Vizir, be- 

 caufe it was now publicly known, that Mahomet Bey Abou 

 Dahab was preparing next year to march againft Mecca, 

 for fome offence the Bey had taken at the Sherriffe. There 

 was alfo another letter to him from Ibrahim Sikakeen, 

 chief of the merchants at Cairo, ordering him to furnifh me 

 with a thoufand fequins for my prefent ufe, and, if more 

 were needed, to take my bill. 



These contents of the trunk were fo unexpected, that Ca- 

 bil the Vizir thought he had gone too far, and called my 

 fervant in a violent hurry, upbraiding him, for not telling 

 who I was. The fervant defended himfelf, by faying, that 

 neither he, nor his people about him, would fo much as re- 

 gard a word that he fpoke ; and the cadi of Medina's prin- 

 cipal fervant, who had come with the wheat, told the Vizir 

 plainly to his face, that he had given him warning enough, 

 if his pride would have fuffered him to hear it. 



All was now wrong, my fervant was ordered to nail up 

 the hinges, but he declared it would be the laft action of 

 his life ; that nobody opened baggage that way, but with 

 Intention of ftealing, when the keys could be got ; and, 

 as there were many rich things in the trunk, intended as 

 prefents to the Sherriffe, and Metical Aga, which might 

 have been taken out, by the hinges being forced off before 

 he came, he warned his hands of the whole procedure, but 

 Vol. I. Mm knew 



