COMMUNICATIONS. 
71 
Feb. iith. The next morning, a Council of fix of the prin- 
cipal inhabitants, with the Governor as Prefident, aflembled in 
Mr. Lucas's tent, (for the Governor's own houfe was near the fea, 
at the diftanceof fix miles from Mefurata)andunanimoufly agreed 
that a letter {hould be written by the Governor, and ligned by 
himfelf and by all the Members of the Council, to affure the hof- 
tile Arabs, that fuch of their camels and of their people, as they 
might fend at the requeft of the Shereef, fliould neither be de- 
tained or molefted within the jurifdidion of Mefurata. This 
letter, accompanied by one from the Shereef, in which he de- 
fired to be furniflied with 120 camels for the carriage of his 
goods, was accordingly fent on that very day, by an exprefs, to 
a rebel province, in which he had many friends, and which is 
called Gouady. 
Feb. 14th. In three days from the time of his departure, the 
exprefs returned, and brought with him a reply, in which the 
Arabs obferved that, as the country was in arms, they could not 
with prvidence truft their camels from under their own protection, 
much lefs could they fpare their people, 
Notwithftanding this anfwer, the Shereef Fouwad conceived 
that the refufal of the Arabs was folely didated by a diftrufl of 
the 
