DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4592#0184
184 GOVERNOR OF AKABAH.
make a present in money to each officer of the for-
tress. During our stay at Akabah we had encamped
outside the walls, and lodged in our own tent. "We
had paid for a guard every night. In addition to this,
we had paid for every thing and every kind of service
we had received while in the place, even to the wa-
ter we had used from the fortress. All this, by the
way, had amounted to a considerable little sum.
Now with this last piece of mean extortion, we posi-
tively refused to comply. Our refusal, too, was made
known in terms, which, if not the most conciliatory,
were perfectly independent. The little govcrnor
showed anger, and declared we might go, but he
would give us no official protection. If we would
give the officers a present in money, he would give
us a letter to the governor of Hebron, which would
require Hessein to bring back to him a written certifi-
cate of our safe arrival there. We told him we had
the pacha's firman, and needed no letter from him;
and farther assured him that we should write to the
American consul at Cairo, and have the conduct of
the governor of Akabah reported to the pacha. At
this he tamed down considerably; on which, wc took
our leave of him, desiring never to sec his face again.
All travelers who had preceded us, spoke of this gov-
ernor as a consummate scoundrel; and from what we
saw of him, we saw no cause to lessen the charge.
He will sponge out of travelers who come that way,
all the money he can get.
At about 11 A. M., we took up our line of march,
our course lying up the great valley of Arabah, ex-
tending northerly from the Gulf of Akabah, towards
make a present in money to each officer of the for-
tress. During our stay at Akabah we had encamped
outside the walls, and lodged in our own tent. "We
had paid for a guard every night. In addition to this,
we had paid for every thing and every kind of service
we had received while in the place, even to the wa-
ter we had used from the fortress. All this, by the
way, had amounted to a considerable little sum.
Now with this last piece of mean extortion, we posi-
tively refused to comply. Our refusal, too, was made
known in terms, which, if not the most conciliatory,
were perfectly independent. The little govcrnor
showed anger, and declared we might go, but he
would give us no official protection. If we would
give the officers a present in money, he would give
us a letter to the governor of Hebron, which would
require Hessein to bring back to him a written certifi-
cate of our safe arrival there. We told him we had
the pacha's firman, and needed no letter from him;
and farther assured him that we should write to the
American consul at Cairo, and have the conduct of
the governor of Akabah reported to the pacha. At
this he tamed down considerably; on which, wc took
our leave of him, desiring never to sec his face again.
All travelers who had preceded us, spoke of this gov-
ernor as a consummate scoundrel; and from what we
saw of him, we saw no cause to lessen the charge.
He will sponge out of travelers who come that way,
all the money he can get.
At about 11 A. M., we took up our line of march,
our course lying up the great valley of Arabah, ex-
tending northerly from the Gulf of Akabah, towards