﻿102 REMARKS ON THE ISLAND 



been sovereign of Yemen, might have been expanded 

 into rational projects proportioned to the extent of 

 his dominions I answered, that I was imperfectly 

 acquainted with the commerce of India ; but that I 

 would, report the substance, of his conversation, and 

 would ever bear testimony of his noble zeal for 

 the good of his country, and to the mildness with 

 which he governed it. As I had no inclination to 

 pass a second night in the island, I requested leave 

 to return without waiting for bearers : he seemed very 

 sincere in pressing me to lengthen my visit, but 

 had too much Arabian politeness to be impor- 

 tunate. We therefore parted j and at the request 

 of Tumurii, who assured me that little time would 

 be lost in showing attention to one of the wor- 

 thiest men in Hinzuan, I made a visit to the Go- 

 vernor of the town, whose name was Mutekka : his 

 manners were very pleasing, and he showed me 

 some letters from the officers of the Brilliant, 

 which appeared to flow warm from the heart, and 

 contained the strongest eloge of his courtesy and 

 liberality. He insisted on filling my basket with 

 some of the finest pomegranates I had ever seen ; 

 and 'I left the town, impressed with a very favourable 

 opinion of the king and his governor. When I 

 reascended the hill, attended by many of the na- 

 tives, one of them told me in Arabic^ that I was 

 going to receive the highest mark of distinction 

 that it was in the king's power to show me ; 

 and he had scarce ended, when I heard the report 

 pf a single gun : Shaikh Ahmed had saluted me 

 with the whole of his ordnance. I waved my hat, 

 and said Allah Acbar : the people shouted, and 1 

 continued my journey, not without fear of inconve- 

 nience from excessive heat, and the fatigue of climb- 

 ing rocks. The walk, however, was not on the 

 whole unpleasant : I sometimes rested in the valleys, 

 and forded all the rivulets/ which refreshed me with 



