MOCHA. 
371 
been for the misconduct of the commander of a small vessel, who, 
during the Egyptian expedition, stopped at the same place, and 
tried to force the chief to bring water on board, without being paid 
for it. On receiving a civil refusal to this unreasonable request, he 
sent his people on shore to storm the town. The inhabitants laid 
an ambush, and cut them all off. The chief immediately wrote a 
letter to Mr. Pringle, which I saw ; in it he professed his good will 
towards the English, and cited his conduct towards the wrecked 
mariners as a proof of his not wishing to injure that nation, but 
stated, that it was out of his power to oblige his people to comply 
with the unreasonable request of the Captain, and that the destruc- 
tion of the assailants was only owing to their own misconduct. I 
fear that this is not a solitary instance, and that, on every side of 
Africa, the natives have occasionally had reason to consider a 
stranger and an enemy as the same thing. 
In their persons the Samaulies are neither Negroes nor Arabs. 
They have woolly hair, drawn out into points, in every direction, 
but their noses are not flat. They are finely limbed, with a very 
dark skin, and beautifully white teeth. The expression of their 
countenance is neither fierce, nor unpleasing. I consulted several 
of the respectable merchants of Aden and Mocha, respecting the 
possibility of penetrating into the interior of Africa, by the cara- 
vans, which return from Berbera, and they uniformly agreed that, 
by securing the friendship of one of the Samauli chiefs, and 
learning the language, an European might, in his own character, 
make the journey in safety. It would certainly however be more 
wise that he should pass for a Mussulmaun, but not for an Arab, a 
nation whom they detest. I think it probable that a trade is carried 
