470 
ARKEKO. 
to detain us. After enquiring into the full extent of the Nayib s 
demands, the charge of twelve dollars was made out by the Dola and 
the Nayib's son, for which 1 gave a draft on Currum Chund. The 
Nayib now, without assigning any reason whatever, declared he 
would have twenty- two dollars ; provoked at this new and unex- 
pected instance of knavery, I replied in Arabic, before his son and 
the Dola, that if he said so he told an untruth, for that I would not, 
on any account, pay a single dollar more. In the midst of the 
wrangling which this occasioned, the ship most fortunately moved 
towards Arkeko, * Upon the Nayib's demanding the reason of 
this, I replied, " Captain Court is coming to see that I am safe, and 
though, if he finds that all is well, he will immediately go away, yet, 
he will return in ten days for intelligence which I have agreed to 
send him from Dixan." The Nayib's son replied in a haughty 
tone, " Let him come;" but his coming was not equally pleasing to 
the Dola and the inhabitants of the place ; for the former immedi- 
ately went out in great alarm, taking the Nayib's son with him, and 
made so forcible a representation of his fears, that in a few minutes, 
without more words, every thing was prepared, and we set off. 
" After I had mounted the mule, and had proceeded a few yards, 
Captain Rudland and his ass were completely hustled by the 
members of the divan, one of whom had actually employed a boy 
to steal his fowling piece ; he only escaped by urging forward his 
beast, and pouring forth in Arabic all the abuse that he could 
muster on the occasion. Of Arkeko I have little to say ; it is an 
* This, as we found on our return, was merelj?^ accidental, tiie ship having been 
driven from her anchor by a partial Simoom. It was one of the many lucky coinci- 
dences, that occurred in the course of our expedition. 
