THE SOURCE OF THENILE . 635 
- Copy of Mr Bruce’s Letter to the Gentlemen trading to the 
Red Sea from the Britifh Settlements Bombay and Ben- 
GAL. 
| | Cairo, ft February, 1773. 
(GENTLEMEN, $447) 
T the defire of .feveral of the gentlemen trading to 
£\ Jidda in the year 1769,1 have fpoken to the Bey of Cai- 
ro (Mahomet Bey,) that he would give permiffion for bring- 
ing the India fhips directly to Suez, without {topping at Jid- 
da,where they were conftantly ill-treated by thefherriffe,and 
neither payments punctual nor their effects in fafety. Ma- 
homet Bey exprefled all the defire poflible to have this 
{peedily executed. He difpatched this exprefs, in which I 
dnclofe you the terms of agreement, with atranflation from 
the Arabic-original. You will fee he renounces all prefents, 
which, however, it will be always prudent to give. Mo- 
derate ones will ferve, provided he behaves faithfully and 
generoully, as I believe firmly he will. He feeks 8 per ceat. 
. “euftoms, and leaves it in your option to pay this in goods 
or money, and so patackas anchorage for each veflel ; this 
is for the captain of the port of Suez. 
“ ARRIVED at Suez, you will do well to give notice to 
any of the houfes you chufe to addrefs yourfelves to. There 
are three French houfes of note heré; Mefl. Napollon 
‘and Co. Meff) Rofa and Co. and Meff. l’Anglade and Co. ; 
and thefe three are rich houfes, in great credit, and with 
whom you are very fafe. There is alfo an Italian houfe of 
A Lis2 credit 
