Chap. XXVIII. INTERVIEW WITH THE VIZIER. 247 
only regretting that the rest of Mr. Richardson's 
people had already gone away. 
After all these communications, fraught with op- 
pressive anxiety, I received a most splendid supper as 
well from the sheikh as from the vizier, and, after the 
various exertions of the day, enjoyed a quiet night's 
rest in my clean cottage. 
Thus strengthened, I went the next morning to pay 
my respects to the vizier, taking with me a small 
present of my own, the principal attractions of which 
lay in a thick twisted lace of silk of very handsome 
workmanship, which I had had made in Tripoli, and a 
leathern letter-case of red colour, which I had brought 
with me from Europe. Destitute as I was of any 
means, and not quite sure as yet whether Her Bri- 
tannic Majesty's Government would authorize me to 
carry out the objects of the mission, I did not deem it 
expedient to assume too much importance, but simply 
told the vizier that, though the director of the mis- 
sion had not been fortunate enough to convey to him 
and the sheikh with his own mouth the sentiments 
of the British Government, yet I hoped that, even in 
this respect, these endeavours would not be quite in 
vain, although at the present moment our means were 
so exhausted that, even for executing our scientific 
plans, we were entirely dependent on their kindness. 
The same reserve I maintained in my interview 
with the sheikh on the morning of Friday, when I 
laid little stress upon the object of our mission (to 
obtain security of commerce for English merchants), 
R 4 
