CHAP. IV. 
MORZOUK. 
183 
nourishing food ; even many of the natives were very ill, and it 
was quite rare to see a health}^ looking person. I remained a week 
in bed, and arose from it quite a skeleton ; Belford was still in a 
very dangerous state. 
One night, as we were all sitting pensively on our mat, our 
friend Yussuf, the Mamluke, came in, and addressing Mr. Ritchie, 
said, 
" Yussuf, you and Said are my friends ; Mukni has behaved to 
you as he has done to us, and hopes you may die that he may secure 
to himself ail your goods. You seem very melancholy, and never 
speak ; answer me one question, do you want money ?" Mr. Ritchie 
having acknowledged that he did, Yussuf rejoined, ' I do not my- 
self possess any, but I will go and borrow some for you : how much 
do you require ?" Twenty dollars being the sum named by Mr. 
Ritchie, our kind friend went out, and soon after returned, bringing 
us thirty ! an act of generosity so unlooked for, that we were wholly 
incapable of thanking him as he deserved. This seasonable supply 
enabled us to buy good food, and to make some amends for our late 
privations. We soon became in better health, and Mr. Ritchie's 
spirits began to brighten up. 
Belford, on his recovery, assisted me to make a Httle flag-staff 
with a topmast, on which we placed rigging and a small vane 
instead of colours, Mr. Ritchie not wishing to hoist our little union 
jack. This contrivance brought us many visitors, who were much 
entertained at seeing the vane turn round ; but the greatest part 
of them hinted pretty plainly, that we must be fools for wishing to 
see what quarter the wind came from, which they could not possibly 
imagine to be of the least consequence to us. At this season, Scor- 
pions were very numerous in all the houses, and I think more par- 
ticularly so in ours. I had acquired, at Tripoh, a knack of catching 
without receiving harm from them, and in consequence had the 
