Chap. II. 



FEAB OF THIEVES. 



29 



city, but has no trade, and is altogether in a most 

 dilapidated condition. The walls were completely 

 overrun with wild shrubs, and in many places were 

 crumbling into ruins. It had evidently seen better 

 and more prosperous days, which had long ago passed 

 by. The boatmen informed me that this part of the 

 country abounded in thieves and robbers, and that 

 they must not all go to bed at night, otherwise 

 something would be stolen from the boat before 

 morning. 



We reached the city about three o'clock in the 

 afternoon. The morning had been cold and rainy, 

 and the boatmen, who were all wet to the skin, 

 refused to proceed further that day. I was therefore 

 obliged to make up my mind to stay there all that 

 night, and a more disagreeable one I never spent. 

 After dark my servants and the boatmen told stories 

 of celebrated pirates and robbers, until they frightened 

 themselves, and almost made me believe myself to be 

 in dangerous company. The wind was very high, 

 and, as it whistled amongst the ruinous ramparts, the 

 sound was dismal enough ; and what added still more 

 to our discomfort, the rain beat through the roof of 

 our boat, and kept dripping upon our beds. 



Before retiring to sleep it had been arranged that 

 my coolie and one of the boatmen were to sit and 

 keep watch during the night for our protection from 

 thieves. The coolie's station was inside the boat, 

 where I was, and the other man was to keep watch 

 in the after-part of the boat, where the cooking de- 

 partment was carried on. How long these sentries 



