-3 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



ready flied at Mafuah, for the purpofe of rapine, and he be- 

 lieved a curfe and poverty had followed it ; that it was im- 

 poflible for thofe who had heard the firing of thofe fhips to 

 conjecture whether I had letters to Abyffiniaor not ; that it 

 would be better to confider whether I was held in efleem 

 by the captains of thofe fhips, as half of the guns they fired 

 in compliment to me, was fufficient to deftroy them all, and 

 lay Arkeeko and Mafuah as defolate as Michael Suhul had 

 threatned to do ; nor could that vengeance coft any of the 

 fhips, coming next year to Jidda, a day's failing out of their 

 way ; and there being plenty of water when they reached 

 Arkeeko at the fouth-weft of the bay, all this deflruction 

 might be efFe&ed in one afternoon, and repeated once a- 

 year without difficulty, danger, or expence, while they were 

 watering, 



Ac h met, therefore, declared it was his refolution that I 

 fhould be received with marks of confideration, till upon 

 infpec"ting my letters, and converfing with me, they might 

 ice what fort of man I was, and upon what errand I was 

 come ; but even if I was a trader, and no priefl or Frank, 

 fuch as came to difturb the peace of the country, he would 

 not then confent to any perfonal injury being done me ; if 

 I was indeed a priefl, or one of thofe Franks, Gcbennim, they 

 might fend me to hell if they chofe ; but he, for his part, 

 -would not, even then have any thing to do with it. 



Before our vefTel appeared, they came to thefe conclu- 

 fions ; and though I have fuppofed that hoifting the colours 

 and faluting me with guns had brought mc into this dan- 

 ger, on the other hand it may be faid, perhaps with greater 



realbn. 



