644 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



cretion. He then hurried them on board a veffel, giving 

 Michael and the Baharnagafti notice that they were gone in 

 fafety, and that he had obeyed the king's orders in all re- 

 fpects. Michael was at that time in the ftricteft friendfhip 

 with the Naybe, who was his principal inftrument in coL- 

 lecting fire-arms in Arabia to ftrengthen him in the quar- 

 rel he was then meditating againft his fovereign. 



On the 8th of February 1744 the priefts and their guides 

 failed from Mafuah ; and they did not arrive at Jidda till 

 the 14th of April. There they found that the mips for Cairo 

 were gone, and that they had loft the monfoon ; and, as no 

 misfortune comes fingle, the Sherriffe of Mecca made a de- 

 mand upon them for as much money as they had paid the 

 Naybe ; and, upon refufal, he put Abdelcader in prifon, 

 nor was he releafed for a twelvemonth after, when the 

 money was fent from Abyflinia; and it was then agreed, 

 that 75 ounces of gold* mould in all future times be 

 paid for leave of pa0age to thofe who went to Cairo to fetch 

 the Abuna ; and 90 ounces a-piece to the Sherriffe, and to 

 the Naybe, for allowing him to pafs when chofen, and 

 furniihing him with neceffaries during his flay in their re- 

 fpective government ; and this is the agreement that fubfifts, 

 to this day. 



In this interim, Likianos of Azazo, one of the priefts,. 

 weary of the journey and of his religion, and having quar- 

 relled with AMulla,. renounced the Chriftian faith, and em- 

 braced that of Mahomet ; and Theodoras, Abdulla, and Ha- 

 met Ali, being the only three remaining, hired a veilel at 

 Jidda to carry them to the port of Suez, the bottom of the 



Arabic 



* About one. hundred and tighty-fix pounds, an ounce of gold at a medium being 10 crowns. 



