MOCHA. 
99 
were found. Captain Vashon had mentioned to Mr. Pringle the 
certificate respecting the Cananore ships belonging to the Seid, and 
was assured it was a gross falsity, accordingly he gave the paper 
to Mr. Pringle to show the Council, thereby to prove what a rascal 
the Seid was. On its being produced, his confusion was very great, 
and he attempted to deny his hand writing, his signature being in 
English characters ; Mr. Pringle, however, proved it, by producing 
a great many other papers signed by him in the same manner, with 
his signature in Arabic underneath. He was now completely con- 
victed, and received a severe reprimand from the Bas Kateb and 
Kadi, the other two Members in Council. Since this transaction the 
Seid declares he will not go to Bombay, and has been proposing to 
the Americans to take him to the Isle of France. I presume he 
is now so angry with the English, that he wishes to get assistance 
against them from that place. The Americans having asked him 
one thousand rupees for his passage, which he would not pay, I 
afterwards heard that he determined upon sailing in his own dow 
for Muscat. 
When the Fox was aground, application was made to the Imaum's 
minister for their boats, which was positively refused ; and we were 
subsequently informed that he expressed his hopes she would not 
get off, as then he should obtain her guns and powder. This expec- 
tation was in consequence of a claim made here, that all wrecks 
belong to the Imaum. The Forte frigate was, on a similar occasion, 
given to the Sheriffe of Mecca by Admiral Blanket: this they con- 
sider as a precedent. In this, however, he would have been mistaken. 
She would not have gone to pieces ; and a battery with two hun- 
dred men would have commanded the town, and secured a safe 
VOL. II. 0 
