292 
A DEFINITE ARRANGEMENT. 
lAth. — As may be imagined, I passed an unquiet 
night, disturbed by the most gloomy forebodings. 
It now appeared to me that all the amenity of the 
Sultan had been assumed, in order that he might 
first get all he could out of us by gentle means, pre- 
vious to resorting to threats and bullying. As to 
resistance, it is, of course, impossible, if imperative 
demands be made. In the morning En-Noor sent 
a message, to the effect that he could not see us un- 
less we had made up our minds to give him the 
seven hundred dollars. He is getting more and 
more bold and impertinent. I deputed Mahommed 
Tunisee and the Sfaxee to him as negotiators. 
They are to offer a present of five hundred dollars ; 
that is to say, three hundred for the escort to Zin- 
der, and the remaining two hundred after the sign- 
ing of the treaty. With some difficulty the matter 
was for the present arranged, by the sacrifice of 
another hundred dollars as a present to the cour- 
tiers of the great man, in order that they might in- 
duce him to be so kind as to accept of the remaining 
five hundred ! My agents were greatly assisted by 
the Wakeel ofMakersee of Mourzuk. I consented 
to the arrangement on En-Noor's writing a letter to 
her Majesty's Government, promising protection to 
British travellers for the future ; and thus ended this 
new, and I may say, flagrant series of exactions. Pos- 
sibly, had I been alone, I might have been able to 
hold out longer and more successfully; but it is 
somewhat embarrassing to act with persons who 
