of high-minded, proud, hereditary, punctilious nobility. It was impofible, therefore, too much lowlinefs and humility could please there.

"Mr Murray, the ambaffador at Conftantinople, in the firman obtain ed from the grand fignior, had qualified me with the diftinction of BeyAdze, which means, not an English nobleman (a peer) but a noble Englishman, and he bad added likewife, that I was a fervant of the king of Great Britain. All the letters of recommendation, very many and powerful, from Cairo and Jidda, had conftantly echoed this to every part to which they were addrefled. They announced that I was not a man, fuch as ordinarily came to them, to live upon their charity, but had ample means of my own, and each profeffed himself guarantee of that fact, and that they themselves on all occafions were ready to provide for me, by anfwering my demands.

"The only request of thefe letters was fafety and protection to my perfon. It was aentioned that I was a phyfician, to introduce a conciliatory circumftance, that I was above practifing for gain. That all I did was from the fear of God, from charity, and the love of mankind. I was a phyfician in the city, a foldier in the field, a courtier every where, demeaning myfelf, as confcious that I was not unworthy of being a companion to the first of their nobility, and the king's franger and gueft, which is there a character, as it was with eaf. ern nations of old, to which a certain fort of confideration is due. It was. in vain to compare myfelf with them in any kind of learning, as they have none; mufic they have as little; in eating and drinking they were indeed infinitely my fuperiors; but in one, accomplishment that came naturally into comparifon, which was hotfemanfhip, I ftudicufly established my fuperiority.

66

My long refidence among the

Arabs had given me more than ordinary facility in managing the horse; I had brought my own faddle and bridle with me, and, as the reader will find, bought my horse of the Baharnagash in the first days of my journey, fuch a one as was neceffary to carry me, and him I trained carefully, and ftudied from the beginning. The Abyfiaians, as the reader will hereafter fee, are the worst horsemen in the world. Their horfes are bad, not equal to our Welsh or our Scotch galloways. Their furniture is worse. They know not the use of fire-arms on horseback; they had never feen a double-barrelled gun, nor did they know that its effect was limited to two discharges, but that it might have been fired on to infinity. All this gave me an evident fuperiority.

1

To this I may add, that, being in the prime of life, of no ungracious figure, having an accidental knack, which is not a trifle, of putting on the drefs, and fpeaking the language eafily and gracefully, I cultivated with the utmoft affiduity the friendship of the fair fex. by the most modeft, refpectful diftant attendance, and obfequioufnefs in public, abating just as much of that in private as fuited their humour and inclinations. I foon acquired a great fupport from thefe at court; jealoufy is not a paffion of the Abyflinians, who are in the contrary extreme, even to indifference.

"Befides the money I had with me, I had a credit of L. 400 upon Youfef Cabil, governor of Jidda. I had another upon a Turkish merchant there. I had strong and general recommendations, if I fhould want fupplies, upon Metical Aga, fuift minifter to the flierriffe of Mecca. This, well managed, was enough; but when I met my countrymen, the captains of the English ships from India, they added additional ftrength to my fi nances; they would have poured gold upon re to facilitate a journey they fo much defired upon feveral accounts.

Captain

Captain Thornhill of the Bengal Merchant, and Captain Thomas Price of the Lion, took the conduct of my money-affairs under their direction. Their Saraf, or broker, had in his hands all the commerce that produ ced the revenues of Abyffinia, toge gether with great part of the correfpondence of the eaft; and, by a lucky accident for me, Captain Price ftaid all winter with the Lion at Jidda; nay, fo kind and anxious was he as to fend over a fervant from Jidda on purpose, upon a report having been raised that I was flain by the ufurper Socinios, though it was only one of my fervants, and the fervant of Metical Aga, who were murdered by that monfter, as is faid, with his own hand. Twice he fent over filver to me whan I had plenty of gold, and wanted that metal only to apply it in furniture and workmanship. I do not pretend to fay but fometimes these fupplies failed me, often by my neg. ligence in not applying in proper time, fometimes by the abfence of merchants, who were all Mahometans, conftantly engaged in bufinefs and in journies, and more efpecially on the king's retiring to Tigre, after the battle of Limjour, when I was abandoned during the ufurpation of the unworthy Socinios. It was then I had recourfe to Petros and the Greeks, but more for their convenience than my own, and very feldom from neceflity. This opulence enabled me to treat upon equal footing, to do favours as well as to receive them. "Every mountebank-trick was a great accomplishment there, fuch as making fquibs, crackers, and rockets. There was no ftation in the country to which by thefe accomplishments I might not have pretended, had I been mad enough to have ever directed my thoughts that way; and I am certain, that in vain I might have folicited leave to return, had not a melancholy, defpondency, the amor patria, feized

me, and my health fo far declined as apparently to threaten death; but I was not even then permitted to leave Abyffinia till under a very folemn oath I promifed to return.

"This manner of conducting myfelf had likewife its difadvantages. The reader will fee the times, without their being pointed out to him, iu the courfe of the narrative. It had very near occafioned me to be murdered at Mafuah, but it was the means of preferving me at Gondar, by putting me above being infulted or queftioned by priests, the fatal rock upon which all other European travellers had split: It would have occafioned my death at Sennaar, had I not been fo prudent as to difguife and lay afide the independent carriage in time. Why thould I not now fpeak as I really think, or why be guilty of ingratitude which my heart disclaims. I efcaped by the providence and protection of heaven; and fo little store do I fet upon the advantage of my own experience, that I am fatisfied, were I to attempt the fame journey again, it would not avail me a ftraw, or hinder me from perifhing miferably, as others have done, though perhaps a different way.

"I have only to add, that, were it probable, as in my decayed state of health it is not, that I fhould live to fee a fecond edition of this work, all well-founded, judicious remarks fuggefted fhould be gratefully and carefully attended to; but I do folemnly declare to the public in general, that I never will refute or anfwer any cavils, captious, or idle objections, fuch as every new publication feems unavoidably to give birth to, nor ever reply to thofe witticifms and criticims that appear in news-papers and periodical writings. What I have written I have written. My readers have before them, in the prefent volumes, all that I fhall ever fay, direci ly or indirectly, upon the fubject;

and

and I do, without one moment's anxiety, truft my defence to an impar

tial, well-informed, and judicions public."

Account of Cairo, and the

T was in the beginning of July (1768) we arrived at Cairo, recommended to the very hofpitable houfe of Julian and Bertran, to whom I imparted my refolution of pursuing my journey into Abynia,

The wildness of the intention feem. ed to strike them greatly, on which account they endeavoured all they could to perfuade me against it, but, upon feeing me refolved, offered kindly their most effectual fervices.

As the government of Cairo hath always been jealous of this enterprise I had undertaken, and a regular prohibition had been often made by the Porte, among indifferent people, I pretended, that my deftination was to India, and no one conceived any thing wrong in that.

This intention was not long kept Lecret, (nothing can be concealed at Cairo): All nations, Jews, Turks, Moors, Cophts, and Franks, are conftantly upon the inquiry, as much after things that concern other peoples

bufinefs as their own.

The plan I adopted was to appear in public as feldom as poflible, unless difguifed; and I foon was confidered as a Fakir, or Dervich, moderately killed in magic, and who cared for nothing but study and books.

This reputation opened me, priwately, a channel for purchafing many Arabic manufcripts, which the knowledge of the language enabled me to chufe, free from the load of trash that is generally impofed upon Chriftian purchafers.

The part of Cairo where the French are fettled is exceedingly commodious, and fit for retirement. It confits of one long ftreet, where all the

Author's reception there *.

merchants of that nation live toge. ther. It is fhut at one end, by large gates, where there is a guard, and thefe are kept conftantly clofe in the time of the plague.

I have always confidered the French at Cairo, as a number of honeft, polished, and industrious men, by fome fatality condemned to the gallies; and I muft own, never did a fet of people bear their continual vexations with more fortitude and manlinefs.

cal, oppreffive, avaricious fet of inferBut a more brutal, unjuft, tyranninal mifcreants, there is not on earth, than are the members of the government of Cairo.

The government of Cairo is much merit when explained, but I never praised by fame. It may perhaps have could understand it, and therefore cannot explain it,

The Beys are understood to be vefted with the fovereign power of the country; yet fometimes a Kaya commands abfolutely, and, though of an inferior rank, he makes his fervants, Beys or Sovereigns.

There are perhaps four hundred in habitants in Cairo, who have absolute and adminifter what they call juftice, in their own way, and according to their own views.

power,

Fortunately in my time this many. headed monfter was no more, there was but one Ali Bey, and there was neither inferior nor, fuperior jurifdic tion exercifed, but by his officers only.

The inftant that I arrived at Cairo was perhaps the only one in which I ever could have been allowed, fingle

and

and unprotected as I was, to have made my intended journey.

Ali Bey, lately known in Europe by various narratives of the laft tranfactions of his life, after having undergone many changes of fortune, and been banished by his rivals from his capital, at laft had enjoyed the fatisfaction of a return, and of making himself abfolute in Cairo.

The Porte had conftantly been adverse to him, and he cherished the ftrongest resentment in his heart. He wifhed nothing fo much as to contribate his part to rend the Ottoman empre to pieces.

A favourable opportunity prefented tfelf in the Ruffian war, and Ali Bey was prepared to go all lengths in fupport of that power. But never was there an expedition fo fuccefsful and fo diftant, where the officers were lefs inftructed from the cabinet, more ignorant of the countries, more given to useless parade, or more intoxicated with pleasure, than the Ruffians on the Mediterranean then were.

After the defeat, and burning of the Turkish fquadron, upon the coaft of Afia Minor, there was not a fail appeared that did not do them hom age. They were properly and advantageoufly fituated at Paros, or rather, I mean, a fquadron of thips of one half their number, would have been properly placed there.

The number of Bafhas and Governors in Caramania, very feldom in their allegiance to the Porte, were then in actual rebellion; great part of Syria was in the fame fituation, down. to Tripoli and Sidon; and thence Shekh Daher, from Acre to the plains of Efdraclon, and to the very frontiers of Egypt.

With circumftances fo favourable, and a force fo triumphant, Egypt and Syria would probably have fallen difmembered from the Ottoman empire. But it was very plain, that the Ruffian commanders were not provided with inftructions, and had no idea VOL. XI. No. 65.

Tt

how far their victory might have carried them, or how to manage those they had conquered.

They had no confidential correfpondence with Ali Bey, though they might have fafely trufted him as he would have trutted them; but neither of them were provided with proper negotiators, nor did they ever underftand one another till it was too late, and till their enemies, taking advan tage of their tardiness, had rendered the firft and great scheme impoffible.

Carlo Rozetti, a Venetian merch ant, a young man of capacity and intrigue, had for fome years governed the Bey abfolutely. Had fuch a man been on board the fleet with a commiffion, after receiving inftructions from Petersburgh, the Ottoman eme pire in Egypt was at an end..

The Bey, with all his good fenfe and underflanding, was ftill a mamaluke, and had the principles of a slave. Three men of different religions poffefied his confidence and governed his councils all at a time. The one was a Greek, the other a Jew, and the third an Egyptian Copht, his fecretary. It would have required a great deal of difcernment and penetration to have determined which of thefe was the most worthless, or moft likely to betray him.

The fecretary, whofe name was Rifk, had the addrefs to fupplant the other two at the time they thought themfelves at the pinnacle of their glory; over-awing every Turk, and robbing every Chriftian, the Greek was banished from Egypt, and the Jew baftinadoed to death. Such is the tenure of Egyptian ministers.

Rifk profeffed aftrology, and the Bey, like all other Turks, believed in it implicitely, and to this folly he facrificed his own good understanding; and Rifk, probably in pay to Cou ftantinople, led him from one wila fcheme to another, till he undid him by the stars.

The apparatus of inftruments that

were

were opened at the custom-houfe of Alexandria, prepoffeffed Rifk in favour of my fuperior knowledge in aftroloBy:

The Jew, who was master of the custom-house, was not only ordered to refrain from touching or taking them out of their places (a great mortification to a Turkish cuftom-house, where every thing is handed about and fhewn) but an order from the Bey alfo arrived that they should be fent to me without duty or fees, because they were not merchandise,

I was very thankful for that favour, not for the fake of faving the dues at the custom-house, but becaufe I was excufed from having them taken out of their cafes by rough and violent hands, which certainly would have broken fomething.

Risk waited upon me next day, and let me know from whom, the favour came; on which we all thought this was a hint for a prefent; and accordingly, as I had other bufinefs with the Bey, I had prepared a very handfome one.

:

But I was exceedingly aflonifhed when, defiring to know the time when it was to be offered, it not only was refufed, but fome few trifles were fent as a prefent from the fecretary with this meffage That, when I had "repofed, he would vifit me, defire "to fee me make use of thefe in"struments; and, in the mean time, that I might reft confident, that nobody durft any way moleft me "while in Cairo, for I was under "the immediate protection of the " Bey."

He added alfo, "That if I wanted any thing I should fend my Arme"nian fervant, Arab Keer, to him, "without troubling myfelf to communicate my neceffities to the "French, or trust my concerns to their "Dragomen."

Although I had lived for many years in friendship and in conftant good understanding with both Turks

and Moors, there was fomething more polite and confiderate in this than I could account for.

I had not feen the Bey, it was not therefore any particular address, or any prepoffeffion in my favour, with which thefe people are very apt to be taken at first fight, that could account for this; I was an abfolute ftranger; I therefore opened myfelf entirely to my landlord, Mr Bertran.

I told him my apprehenfion of too much fair weather in the beginning, which, in these climates, generally leads to a ftorm in the end; on which account, I fufpected fome design; Mr Bertran kindly promifed to found Rifk for me.

འ

At the fame time, he cautioned me equally against offending him,or trusting myfelf in his hands, as being a man capable of the blackest designs, and mercilefs in the execution of them.

It was not long before Rifk's curiofity gave him a fair opportunity. He inquired of Bertran as to my knowledge of the flars; and my friend, who then faw perfectly the drift of all his conduct, fo prepoffeffed him in favour of my fuperior science, that he communicated to him in the inftant the great expectations he had formed, to be enabled by me to forefee the deftiny of the Bey; the fuccefs of the war, and, in particular, whether or not he fhould make him, felf master of Mecca; to conquer which place, he was about to dispatch his flave and fon-in-law, Mahomet Bey Abou Dahab, at the head of an army conducting the pilgrims.

Bertran communicated this to me with great tokens of joy: for my own part, I did not greatly like the profeffion of fortune-telling, where bastinado or impaling might be the reward of being mistaken.

But I was told I had most credulous people to deal with, and that there was nothing for it but efcaping as long as poilible, before the iffue of

any