AND LOWER EGYPT. 37 



the furniture only of narrow minds, but totally un- 

 worthy of the military character, to whose talents 

 and intrepidity were confided the floating batteries 

 destined to waft along the ocean terror to the ene- 

 mies of the state, and protection to commerce ; as 

 if a simple omission in a point of civility, which 

 ought to be carefully distinguished from an insult, 

 did not rather degrade the person guilty of it, than 

 him who had a right to expect it. Many will re- 

 collect the phlegm of a Dutch officer's reply, in 

 the East Indies, to Bougainville, who put the 

 question to him, What form of salute he was to 

 receive, in case his ship should render the proper 

 honours to the Dutch fort ? tf When I pull off 

 " my hat to any one," answered the Dutchman, 

 *' it is orr my part a mark of politeness which I 

 " think due to him ; but I do not wait to inform 

 " myself beforehand whether he is, in return, to 

 " uncover his head," 



Be this as it may, we were obliged to comply 

 with the custom ; and as soon as the Atalanta had 

 cast anchor in the port of Palermo, an officer was 

 dispatched with compliments to the Sicilian vice- 

 roy, and to settle with him the grand question of 

 salutes. It was agreed that the frigate should salute 

 by firing fifteen guns, and that the citadel should 

 return it by the like number. This arrangement 

 being made, we fired our salute ; but two hours 



d 3 elapsed 



