﻿88 REMARKS ON THE ISLAND 



make Sayyad Ahmed only a morning visit. He sung 

 a hymn or two in Arabic, and accompanied his drawl- 

 ing, though pathetic, psalmody with a kind of man- 

 doline, which he touched with an awkward quill : the 

 instrument was very imperfect, but seemed to give 

 him delight. The names of the strings were written 

 on it in Arabian or Indian figures, simple and com- 

 pounded ; but I could not think them worth copying t 

 He gave Captain Williamson, who wished to present 

 some literary curiosities to the library at Dublin, a 

 small roll containing a hymn in Arabic letters, but in 

 the language of Mombaza, which was mixed with 

 Arabic; but it hardly deserved examination, since the 

 study of languages has little intrinsic value, and is 

 only useful as the instrument of real knowledge, which 

 we can scarce expect from the poets of the Mozam- 

 bique. Ahmed would, I believe, have heard our En* 

 ropcan airs (I alwavs except French melody) with rap- 

 ture, for his favourite tune was a common Irish jig, 

 with which he seemed wonderfully affected. 



4 



On our return to the beach I thought of visiting 

 old Aizvi, according to my promise, and prince Salim, 

 whose character I had not then discovered : I resolved 

 for that purpose to stay on shore alone, our dinner 

 with Gibu having been fixed at an early hour. Ahvi 

 showed me his manuscripts, which chiefly related to 

 the ceremonies and ordinances of his own religion ; 

 and one of them, which I had formerly seen in Eu- 

 rope, was a collection of sublime and elegant hymns 

 in praise of Mohammed, with explanatory notes in the, 

 margin. I requested him to read one of them after 

 the manner of the Arabs ; and he chanted it in a strain 

 by no means unpleasingj but I am persuaded that he 

 understood it very imperfectly. The room, which 

 was open to the street, was presemly crowded with vi- 

 siters, most of whom were Muftis, or Expounders, 

 of the Law 3 and Alwi 9 desirous perhaps to djsplay 



