^18 
BOTHER'EM BAY. 
Februarys. — Mr. Hardy was gone by four: we saw him quit the 
large passage, and enter the smaller, which had a bad appearance. 
The wind has got round to the southward, so it is to be hoped he 
will find a passage somewhere, as we should have considerable 
difficulty in beating back to Howie. Mr. Maxfield came on board 
to breakfast, and informed us that the Assaye had sprung a leak, 
and made six inches of water in an hour. 
February 5. — Mr. Hardy returned in the evening, and reported 
that he had found no passage through which the Panther could 
possibly be taken. He had been at Suakin, and had seen the 
Turkish Dola, from whom he brought as presents to me two 
bullocks, ten sheep, ten fowls, and a basket of vegetables, which 
were most acceptable, as our live stock was reduced to a few fowls. 
A Dola of the Bedowee also resides there, who was considerably 
alarmed at the report of an English ship's coming, under an idea 
that she meant to attack the island. He therefore proposed to 
seize the boat and crew. This indeed would have been a more dif- 
ficult matter than he supposed, as the seven sailors with Mr. Hardy 
had musquets and plenty of ball cartridge. The Turkish Dola, 
however, prevented any thing unpleasant. He assured the Bedo- 
wee that he knew the English well, that he had frequently seen 
their ships at Jidda, and that they never did any harm to any one. 
They, however, were still uneasy, and said, the English never came 
before, why should they do so now? At length they swore Unus 
on the Koran, that all the people in the Panther were good people, 
and meant no harm to Suakin. This he did willingly, and instantly 
all was friendship. Mr. Hardy stated our situation, and the Dola 
sent us two pilots to bring us clear of the dangers. He sent a very 
