CHAP. III. 
MOKZOUK. 
105 
A report had been circulated that Mr. Eitchie was married to 
the King of England's daughter, and that I recently had married 
his Majesty's niece. As Mohammed affected to be acquainted 
with all our affairs, we always denied our high connexions in such 
a manner as to confirm, rather than to contradict, the reports. Our 
wealth he imagined to be very considerable, until he found we 
ceased to eat meat, and then his suspicions of our real situation 
were awakened. As he became excessively importunate in his 
questions, I at last undertook to frighten him, and after one or two 
preparatory conversations, got him out on the sand one night when 
there was no moon. I began talking of King Solomon and his 
seal, and related to him as many horrible stories of ghosts as 1 
could conjure up. I told him that Mr. Eitchie and myself were 
Freemasons, and that we understood the writing which was on 
our Lord Solomon's seal. On this subject I also invented tales, to 
convince him that Freemasons were acquainted with every thing. 
I took him home wdth me, and (Mr. Eitchie being on that evening 
pretty well) desired him to mention some words to me, which I 
would, with his hand over my mouth, convey across the room. I 
accordingly spelt the words with my fingers, and Mr. Eitchie, to 
Mohammed's great astonishment, repeated them aloud. A few 
repetitions of this plan made a sensible alteration in our inquisitive 
friend, who, from that time, gradually ceased to intrude on us. 
Mohammed was particularly proud of his high blood (being a 
Mamluke), boasting that his father (though an unbeliever) was a 
very great man, and much in the confidence of the King of Naples, 
whose revenues he collected, and had a large army under his orders. 
He also recollected his having fine laced clothes, and riding a horse. 
We were often much puzzled to guess who tliis great personage 
could be, when one evening, by way of surprising and delighting 
p 
