Chap. XLIX. THE LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR. 
371 
ing these presents, and presenting my humble com- 
pliments, I declared myself unable to pay my respects 
personally to the lieutenant-governor, unless he re- 
stored my pistol, which was all that was wanting of 
the things which had been taken from me at Mele ; 
and after some negotiation, it was agreed upon that 
he should deliver to me the pistol as soon as I presented 
myself, without my even saying a word about it. 
I therefore went in the afternoon with Bu-Bakr to 
see him, and found a rather affable man, a little 
beyond middle age, simply dressed in a dark-blue 
tobe, which had lost a good deal of its former lustre. 
Having saluted him, I explained to him how improper 
treatment and want of sufficient food had induced 
me to retrace my steps, after having convinced myself 
that I was not welcome in the country ; for I assured 
him that it was our utmost desire to be friends with 
all the princes of the earth, and to make them ac- 
quainted with us, and that, although I had known 
that the ruler of the country himself was absent, I 
had not hesitated in paying them a visit, as I had 
been given to understand that it would be possible to 
join him in the expedition. He excused his country- 
men on the ground that they, not being acquainted 
with our character, had treated me as they would 
have done a person belonging to their own tribe 
who had transgressed the rules of the country. He 
then restored me my pistol before all the people, and 
desired me to await patiently the arrival of the 
sultan. 
B B 2 
