335 
JIDDA. 
many years before the expedition into the Red Sea, not a vessel 
had arrived, except the Surprise, Captain Gilmore, which the Vizier 
immediately plundered, but which Admiral Blanket as quickly 
obliged him to restore. From that time, till the arrival of the OHve, 
the English flag had not been seen in Jidda. The Sheriffe has had 
time to meditate on his folly, and Jelani assured me that he was at 
last inclined to be reasonable in his demands. 
There was at Jidda only one renegado, a Frenchman of some abi- 
lities, whom we found of use in assisting Andrew to interpret for us. 
The Vizier treated him with great contempt, observing to us, that 
he was only a common seaman ; but the lower orders had a respect 
for him as a physieiaUj and he added a trifle to his allowance by his 
medical practice. I enquired of him after the English renegadoes 
who had quitted Mocha; he coolly replied, that they were gone 
to the devil different ways ; that two had been killed in battle, 
one had been blown to pieces by the bursting of a gun, some had 
deserted to the Wahabee; and Thomas, whom I had known at 
Mocha, had gone up with the Sheriffe to Mecca, and had not since 
been heard of. 
It would certainly be the interest of any merchant who may 
hereafter visit Jidda to employ Jelani, although Hammed Nasser is 
the British agent, on account of the great weight which his large 
property gives him among the other merchants, and the real res- 
pectability of his character. The duties proposed by the Vizier 
amount to about eight per cent, and the presents to himself, the 
Emir Bahar, and their servants, to about four more ; but I am by 
no means sure that a merchant could depend upon having no other 
demands made on him, when he was once in the harbour, whence 
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