VIII. 
ALEXANDRIA TO COS. 425 
chart belonging to one of the Ragusans, ascer- chap. 
tained her position, Lat. 34''. 50', French Long. 
48'*. As the pilots on board, being out of sight 
of land, knew nothing of her situation, he sent 
the chart, with a respectful message, to the 
Captain, telling him the ship's latitude, and her 
probable distance from Rhodes, Finica Bay, 
Cyprus, &c. Upon this, he was summoned, with 
the Ragusan, into the cabin, and immediately 
asked, how he could pretend to know where the 
ship then was? Having stated that he had 
ascertained this by means of a sextant found in 
a drawer of the ward-room, and a calculation of 
the ship's course according to the common 
observations daily made on board English and 
other ships, the Ragusan was despatched to 
bring the thing called sextant instantly before 
the Captain. This instrument being altogether 
incomprehensible to him, he contented himself 
with viewing it in every direction, except that 
in which it might be used ; and, stroking his 
long beard, said to the Ragusan, " Thus it is 
always with these poor djowrs (infidels), they 
can make nothing out without some peeping 
contrivance of this kind : now we, Turks, 
require no sextants — ivc, (pointing with his 
finger to his forehead) we Vsav^^- our sextants 
Aere." 
