THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 485 



From Mafuah, Poncet croiTed the Red Sea to Jidda, paffing 

 the ifland Dahalac and Kotumba], a high rock, the name of 

 which is not known to many navigators. 



Had old Murat, Mufa, and Hagi Ali, happened at that 

 time to have been upon fome mercantile errand to Cairo, 

 there is no doubt but they wouldhave been prefened and be- 

 come ambafiadors to France. They would have gone there, 

 perplexed the minilter and the conful with a thoufand lies 

 and contrivances, which the French never would have been 

 able to unravel; they would have promifed everything; ob- 

 tained from the king fome confiderable fum of money, on 

 which they would have undertaken to fend the embaffy in 

 any form that was prefcribed, and, after their return home, 

 never been heard cf more. But thofc worthies were, pro- 

 bably, all employed at this time ; therefore the only thing 

 Poncet could do was to bring Murat, lince he was to pro- 

 cure at all events an ambailador. 



He had been a cook to a French merchant at Aleppo ; 

 was a maker of brandy at Mafuah ; and probably his uncle 

 old Murat's fervant at the time. But he was not the worfe 

 ambafTador for this. Old Murat, Hagi Ali, and Mufa, had 

 perhaps been alfo cooks and fervants in their time. Pru- 

 dence, fobriety, and good conduct, Ikill in languages, and 

 acquaintance, with countries recommended them afterwards 

 to higher trulls. Old Murat probably meant that his ne- 

 phew fhould begin his apprenticeship with that embaily to 

 France; and M. Poncet, to ihcreafe his confequence, and ful- 

 fil the commillion the conful gave him, allowed him to in- 

 vent all the reft. 



Pqxcet, 



