236 AN ATTEMPTED CONVERSION COMPROMISE. 
tion, or seem to accept it, if only for a few days, to 
deliver ourselves from present danger. My col- 
leagues, and particularly Dr. Barth, indignantly 
and passionately resisted. For my part, I looked 
upon the affair with a little more calm, the same 
thing having occurred to me on a former occasion 
in these deserts. I told our people that we would 
pay the tribute imposed by the Mahometan law on 
infidels, or for our passage through the country, or 
else that we would take our chance and return. 
Upon this our servants exclaimed, with tears in their 
eyes, " To return would be certain death ! " There 
was now nothing left for me to do but to say, with 
my colleagues, that we would wait patiently for 
death, but that to change our religion was im- 
possible. 
Although, of course, the threats that were made 
against us could not but produce considerable un- 
easiness, I always felt pretty sure that the Sheikhs 
did not exactly mean what they said, and would 
come at last, as had the others, to a money com- 
promise. Yet, during the absence of our people, 
who took the message that we were ready to die for 
the honour of our country and religion, I passed, as 
did my friends the Germans, a most distressing half 
hour. Every sound we heard seemed to be that of 
people approaching to attack us. At length we 
heard voices through the darkness. Our ambassa- 
dors were coming back with the message : " It is 
arranged, 0 Consuls, that you shall pay a certain 
