﻿OF HINZUAN, OR JOHANNA. 8t 



found such excellent morality : we saw nothing bet- 

 ter ainong the Romish trumpery in the church at Ma- 

 deira. When \vc came to Abdullah's house, we were 

 conducted through a small court-yard into ah open 

 room, on each side of which was a large and conve- 

 nient sofa, and above it a high bed-place in a dark 

 recess, over which a chintz counterpoint hung down 

 from '.he ceiling. This is the general form of the besc 

 rooms in the island ; and most of the tolerable houses 

 have a similar apartment on the opposite side of the 

 court, that there may be at all hours a place in the 

 shade for dinner or for repose. We were entertained 

 with ripe dates from Yemen, and the milk of cocoa- 

 nuts; but the heat of the room, which seemed accessible 

 to all who chose to enter it, and the scent of musk, or 

 civet, with which it was perfumed, soon made us 

 desirous of breathing a purer air ; nor could I be 

 detained long by the Arabic manuscripts, which, 

 the Governor produced, but which appeared of lit- 

 tle use, and consequently of no value, except to such 

 as love mere curiosities. One of them, indeed, relat- 

 ing to the penal law of the Mohammedans, I would 

 gladly have purchased at a just price ; but he knew not 

 what to ask ; and I knew that better books on that sub- 

 ject might be procured in Bengal. He then offered 

 me a black boy for one of my Alhrans, and pressed 

 me to barter an Indian dress, which he had seen en 

 board the ship, for a cow and calf. The golden 

 slippers attracted him most, since his wife, he said, 

 would like to wear them ; and, for that reason, I 

 made him a present of them ; but had destined rhe 

 book and the robe for his superior. No high opi- 

 nion could be formed of Sayyad Abdullah, who 

 seemed very eager for gain, and very servile where 

 he expected it. 



Our next visit was to Shaikh Salim, the king'.-; 

 eldest son -, and if we had seen him first, the state 

 Vol. II. G 



