MOCHA. 
423 
dry on the other side of the wall. The flames were stopped by the 
stone houses, as these people drove out the window frames, and 
kept pouring water on the walls. The Arabs did nothing but look 
on, with the Dola at their head. 
September 17. — On the 16th another American sailed with half 
a cargo, having no more money. Burns, a seaman, who had run away 
from an American, and turned Mussulmaun, applied to my servant 
to get him off. I consented, and Captain Barton was so good as to 
send his boat, and take him at night on board the brig. Thus the 
Dola loses his converts as fast as he gets them ; for, of nearly one 
hundred that have turned within these five years, there are now 
only five remaining. Early in the morning we had a slight shock of 
an earthquake ; it was single, and seemed to proceed from the east 
to the west. 
September 20.— On the 1 8th Scid Akil sailed to the northward ; 
for what purpose I could not conjecture. I heard he had been pro- 
posing to some of the Samaulies to assist him in getting possession of 
some place opposite to build a town ; but this was probably only a 
pretext to conceal his real intentions. He must have had some secret 
plans, for it could never answer to keep a vessel of eight hundred tons, 
like the Peggy, in the Red Sea, a whole season, for the purposes of 
trade ; particularly as she had nothing on board but ammunition 
and arms. The Wahabee dows infest Camaran, and are continually 
cruizing off Jidda. Some dows that sailed from this place returned. 
On the evening of the 19th, I was taxed by an Arab, who spoke 
English, with an intention of taking Mocha: it was done in a 
laughing way, and I replied in the same manner, that it was not 
worth having ; and that I would not have it if they would give it 
