5yS travels to discover 



there is no time to lofe, faid I, allow me to give you mine. 

 It has appeared to ine, that often, fmce we began this jour- 

 ney, we have been prefcrved by vifible inftances of God's 

 protedion, when we fliould have loft our lives if we had 

 gone by the rules of our own judgment only. We are, it is 

 true, of diiTerent religions, but all worlhip the fame God. 

 Suppofe the prefent cafe fliould be a trial, whether we truft 

 really in God's protedion, or whether we believe our fafe- 

 ty owing to our own forefight and courage. If the man's 

 life be now taken away, to-morrow we may meet the Biflia- 

 reen, and then we fhall all refled upon the folly of our precau- 

 tion. For my own part, my conftant creed is, that I am in 

 God's hands, whether in the houfe or in the defert ; and not 

 in thofe of the Bilhareen, or of any lawlefs fpoiler. I have 

 a clear confcience, and am engaged in no unlawful purfuit, 

 feeking on foot my way home, feeding on bread and water, 

 and have done, nor defign, wrong to no man. We are well 

 armed, are nine in number, and have twice as many fire- 

 locks, many of thefe with double- barrels, and others of a fize 

 never before feen by Arabs, armies of whom have been de- 

 feated with fewer: we are ragged and tattered in our clothes, 

 and no prize to any one, nor do I think we fhall be found 

 a party of pleafure for any fet of wild young men, to leave 

 their own homes, with javelins and lances to way-lay us at 

 the well for fport and diverfion, fince gain and profit arc cut 

 of the queflion. But this I declare to you, if ever we meet 

 thefe Arabs, if the ground is fuch as has been near all the 

 wells we have come to, I will fight the Biiliareen boldly 

 and chearfully, without a doubt of beating them with eafe. 

 I do not fay my feelings would be the fame if my confcience 

 was loaded with that moft heinous and horrid crime, mur- 

 der 



