50 
MEMOIR OF BRUCE. 
India trade, but it bad long fallen into decay. At 
tbe period of his arrival the place was in a disturbed 
state, in consequence of the Naib having monopolized 
the customs of the port, and refused to surrender 
any portion of them, either to the Pasha of Jidda 
or the king of Abyssinia. This dispute had nearly 
proved fatal to Bruce, and deliberations were held 
whether he should not be put to death and his 
property divided among them; hut the advice of 
Achmet, nephew to the Naib, prevailed ; and it was 
agreed that the fate of “ the English prince” should 
be placed at his disposal. With this personage 
Bruce contrived to ingratiate himself, chiefly through 
the influence of his sincere friend Mahomet Gibberti, 
Who had been sent by the Pasha of Jidda to 
demand payment of the tribute ; and also to request 
Has Michael, prime minister of Abyssinia and 
governor of the great province of Tigre, to lend his 
aid in compelling the refractory Naib of Massuah 
to perform his engagement. 
The good will of Achmet was easily secured by 
the compliment of a brace of pistols, and by the 
adroit representation of Gibberti, who had impressed 
his mind with magnificent ideas of Bruce’s im- 
portance, and of the amazing wealth and power of 
his nation. But it proved a more difficult task to 
conciliate the old Naib, who was as remarkable for 
his malicious cruelty as for his insatiable avarice. 
On his return from Arkeeko, Bruce had an interview 
with him, to deliver his firman and letters of safety 
It soon becume evident that the design of this func- 
