JIDDA. 
331 
The danger will certainly lessen every year, with the decay of 
the Arabian trade ; and will be nearly annihilated, if Abyssinia and 
Sennaar should be supplied directly from Europe and India, and the 
British obtain permission from the government in Egypt, to send 
their Indian manufactures to Suez. Hitherto this has not been 
permitted, in consequence of the influence of the Sheriffe of Mecca 
at Constantinople, who obtained an order, that all vessels bound for 
Egypt should stop at Jidda, and pay a duty there. To confirm this 
arrangement, the Sheriffe obliged the merchants to unship their 
goods, and remove them to other dows, so that the vessels, which 
navigated the lower part of the gulf, were different from those 
which navigated the upper ; and the seamen were so ignorant of 
that part of the sea in which they were unaccustomed to sail, that 
they dared not venture into it, however willing they might be to 
escape the payment of duties at Jidda. 
Many of the richest merchants have already retired from a place 
where trade is every day decHning, and where their lives are per- 
petually in danger. Jelani would, I believe, be rejoiced to fol* 
low their example, but the Vizier has no intention of permitting 
so rich a prey to escape, and therefore watches him so closely, that 
a removal of his family is impracticable, and he would not wish 
to leave them behind. He may make terms with the Wahabee, 
and thereby secure his property, in case of their success ; but this 
must be done secretly, or he would share the fate of bis father, 
who perished by poison. 
The English formerly carried on a considerable trade with Jidda, 
but it gradually declined, in consequence of the extortions of the 
Sheriffe and his servants, under the name of presents, and, for 
VOL. la. u u 
