6,2o TRAVELS TO DISCOVER
great prefumption for me to name them." — " By no means, if I can I will do it ; if not, I will tell you fo."
I SAW by the Bey's manner of fpeaking that I had rifen confiderably in chara6ter in his opinion fuice my refufal of the money. " I have,- Sir, faid I, a number of countrymen, brave, rich, and honefl, that trade in India, where my king has great dominions." He faid, as half to himfelf, " True, we know that." " Now there are many of thefe that come to Jidda. I left there eleven large flaips belonging to them, who, according to treaty, pay high duties to the cuftom- houfe, and, from the didates of their own generofity and magnificence, giveJarge prefents to the prince and to his fervants for protedlion; but the fherrifFe of Mecca has of late laid duty upon duty, and extortion upon extortion, till the Englifh are at the point of giving up the trade altoge- ther." " Ibn Cahaba, fays he, (which is, fon of a wh — re,) he paid for that v/hen I was at Mecca." The Bey took Mecca," fays a man at my flioulder, " Why, fays the Bey, when they fay you are fuch a brave nation, why don't you beat down Jidda about his ears ? Have you no guns in your Ihips ?" " Our fliips, Sir, faid I, are all armed for war; flout vefTels, full of brave officers and fl-cilful feamen : Jidda, and much flronger places than Jidda, could not refifl one of them an hour. But Jidda is no part of our dominions ; and, in countries belonging to flranger princes we cany our- felves lowly, and trade in peace, and never ufe force till o- bliged to it in our own defence." " And what would you have me to do ?" fays he. " Our people, replied I, have ta- ken a thing into their head which I am fatisfied they are well founded in : They fay, that if you would permit them to bring their fhips and merchandize to Suez, 4 and
