THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 291 



greater. I afked them if I mould obtain from the Bey of 

 Cairo permiflion for their mips to come down to Suez, whi- 

 ther there were merchants in India who would venture 

 to undertake that voyage ? Captain Thornhill promifed, 

 for his part, that the very feafon after fuch permiffion 

 mould arrive in India, he would difpatch his fhip the Ben- 

 gal Merchant, under command of his mate Captain Greig, 

 to whofe capacity and worth all his countrymen bore very 

 ready teftimony, and of which I myfelf had formed a very 

 good opinion, from the feveral converfations we had to- 

 gether. This fcheme was concerted between me and Cap- 

 tain Thornhill only ; and tho' it mull be confeffed it had 

 the appearance of an airy one, (fince it was not to be at- 

 tempted, till I had returned through Abyffinia and Nubia, 

 againft which there were many thoufand chances,) it was 

 executed, notwithstanding, in the very manner in which it 

 had been planned, as will be after ftated. 



The kindnefs and attention of my ^countrymen did not 

 leave me as long as I was on more. They all did me the 

 honour to attend me to the water edge. If others have ex- 

 perienced pride and premmption, from gentlemen of the 

 Eaft-Indies, I was moll happily exempted from even the ap- 

 pearance of it at Jidda. Happy it would have been for me,, 

 if I had been more neglected. 



All the quay of Jidda was lined with people to fee the 

 Englifh falute, and along with my veffel there parted, at the 

 fame time, one bound to Mafuah, which carried Mahomet 

 Abd el cader, Governor of Dahalac, over to his government, 



O o 2 Dahalac 



a 



