-02 'TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



port. The Rais had bufinefs down the Gulf at Tor, and 

 he had fpoken to the Bey, to recommend him to me. I had 

 no bufinefs at Tor, but as we had grown into a kind of 

 friendfhip, from frequent converfation, and as he was, ac- 

 cording to his own word, a great faint, like my laft boat- 

 man, a character that I thought I could perfectly manage, 

 I propofed to the Bey, that he and I mould contribute fome- 

 thing to make it worth this Captain's pains, to take our 

 friends the Turks on board, and carry them to Yambo, that 

 they might not be deprived of that bleffmg which would 

 refult from their vifit to the Prophet's tomb, and which they 

 had toiled fo much to earn. I promifed, in that cafe, to 

 hire his veffel at fo much a month upon its return from 

 Yambo ; and, as I had then formed a refolution of making a 

 furvey of the Red Sea to the Straits of Babelmandeb, the 

 Rais was to take his directions from me, till I pleafed 

 to difmifs him. 



Nothing was more agreeable to the views of all parties 

 than this. The Bey promifed to ftay till they failed, and I 

 engaged to take him after he returned ; and as the captain, 

 in quality of a faint, aiTured us, that any rock that flood in 

 our way in the voyage, would either jump afide, or become 

 foft like a fpunge, as it had often happened before, both 

 the Turks and we were now allured of a voyage without 

 danger. 



All was fettled to our mutual fatisfaction, when, unluc- 

 kily, the Turks going down to their boat, met Sidi HaiTan, 

 whom, with reafon, they thought the author of all their 

 misfortunes. The whole twenty-four drew their fwcrds, 

 and, without feeking fabres from Perfia^ as he had done, 



2 they 



