g advertised by him of the danger he was in, I laid claim
to him, without knowing the difficulties which this way of proceeding
would bring upon me. The governor sent me word that my servant should be
restored to me upon payment of sixty piastres; and being answered by me
that I had not a penny for myself, and therefore could not pay sixty
piastres to redeem my servant, he informed me by a renegade Jew, who
negotiated the whole affair, that either I must produce the money or
receive a hundred blows of the battoon. Knowing that those orders are
without appeal, and always punctually executed, I prepared myself to
receive the correction I was threatened with, but unexpectedly found the
people so charitable as to lend me the money. By several other threats
of the same kind they drew from us about six hundred crowns.

On the 24th of June we embarked in two galleys for Suaquem, where the
bassa resided. His brother, who was his deputy at Mazna, made us promise
before we went that we would not mention the money he had squeezed from
us. The season was not very proper for sailing, and our provisions were
but short. In a little time we began to feel the want of better stores,
and thought ourselves happy in meeting with a gelve, which, though small,
was a much better sailer than our vessel, in which I was sent to Suaquem
to procure camels and provisions. I was not much at my ease, alone among
six Mahometans, and could not help apprehending that some zealous pilgrim
of Mecca might lay hold on this opportunity, in the heat of his devotion,
of sacrificing me to his prophet.

These apprehensions were without ground. I contracted an acquaintance,
which was soon improved into a friendship, with these people; they
offered me part of their provisions, and I gave them some of mine. As we
were in a place abounding with oysters--some of which were large and good
to eat, others more smooth and shining, in which pearls are found--they
gave me some of those they gathered; but whether it happened by trifling
our time away in oyster-catching, or whether the wind was not favourable,
we came to Suaquem later than the vessel I had left, in which were seven
of my companions.

As they had first landed, they had suffered the first transports of the
bassa's passion, who was a violent, tyrannical man, and would have killed
his own brother for the least advantage--a temper which made him fly into
the utmost rage at seeing us poor, tattered, and a