4 
JOURNEY FROM 
sence, we found His Highness seated, with all due solemnity, at the 
farther end of the apartment, attended by his third son. Sidy Ali, by 
Keis Morat*, who acted as interpreter, and by other principal 
officers of the Court. A formidable line of well-armed black soldiers 
were ranged along the walls of the room, who stood exactly like so 
many statues, each with a loaded blunderbuss, held with the muzzle 
pointed downwards ; and close to the Bashaw’s person was a trusty 
black slave, who held in readiness His Highness’s pistols. The in- 
troduction of armed soldiers into the presence-chamber of a Sove- 
reign was rather a novel sight to Europeans, and may be taken as an 
example of the extremely barbarous state in which the Kegency of 
Tripoly, wdth all its recent improvements, must still be admitted to 
remain. 
The High Admiral, Keis Morat, in the name of our party, made 
known to the Bashaw the friendly disposition of the King of England 
towards His Highness ; in testimony of which he was requested to ac- 
cept the present of four brass field-pieces, with their accoutrements, 
which we had brought with us on board the Adventure ; and he was 
then requested to extend his protection to our party in their passage 
through his extensive dominions. Every assistance was freely offered 
on the part of the Bashaw, who expressed himself, in return, highly 
satisfied with the friendly assurances of His Majesty ; and the neces- 
* Reis MorM, we believe, is a Scotchman, and was formeidy mate of a merchant vessel; 
but having embraced the Mahometan faith, and entered the service of the Bashaw, has 
now, through his naval skill and abilities, arrived at the head of his profession, and is 
much considered by His Highness. 
