DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4020#0142
J3o TRAVELS IN EGYPT
demand ; so that we seized our fire-arms, and presenting them to him with
courage, we threatened to lay him dead upon the spot, if he did not instantly
put down his gun.
The order was too urgent, and too well supported for his refilling to obey.
He uncocked his gun without the least difficulty, and begged us to be allured
that he had no ill intention against us. "I only meant it, says he, against the
reys." We gave him to understand, that whoever offended our reys ofsended us.
He did not speak a word after that, seeing well that he could get nothing from
us.
The Arabs, who had followed us to the barque, began then tobestir them-
selves. They demanded the backsisch^ which had been promised them. Our
answer was short. We shewed them our arms, and let them know, that what we
had to give was within the barque. They appeared confounded, and did
not insill any longer.' They said, however, that if they had known it before,
they mould have found the way to prevent us from reaching the barque, till we
had satisned them.
I n being run away with by the horse, I had lost the papers that contained the
measures and destgns of the antiquities of Luxxor. I did not take notice of it at
the time ; I perceived it at Carnac, and sent immediately the valet to seek for
them, with orders to offer the backffch to any one that mould have found them.
I was still at the ruins when he came back to tell me, that he had not been able
to get any tidings of them. I was very much concerned at it ; and saw no
possibility of repairing this loss.
Some one, however, had found these papers, which theschech had seized, in
order to make his advantage of them. He had taken care not to shew them at
first. He was persuaded, that we mould think ourselves at any time very happy
in being able to purchase them again j and he was willing to try beforehand other
methods, to get something from us. When he saw that he could obtain nothing
he at last shewed the papers, and offered to restore them for twenty sevillans.
I gave him for answer that I advised him to keep them ; that I had no longer
any need of them ; and that I had found the paper which I was the mosf. felici-
tous about. I forbad the valet to talk to him any more about it, and ordered the
reys to unfasten the barque, and to put off from shore.
They immediately began to execute this order ; but the schech, who did not
find his account in it, fell, with some Arabs, upon the sailor, who was untying
the cord, and hindered him from performing his office. We ran to his ailisfancc.
We applied, on the right hand and the left, such rough blows with the butt ends
of our guns, that the schech and the Arabs were obliged to quit their hold. The
barque got after that into the current, and we went on as if we were no longer
anxious about the papers.
This was not what the schech wanted. He continued to follow us along
the shore till the night began to come on. He then cried out to us to put to
land;
demand ; so that we seized our fire-arms, and presenting them to him with
courage, we threatened to lay him dead upon the spot, if he did not instantly
put down his gun.
The order was too urgent, and too well supported for his refilling to obey.
He uncocked his gun without the least difficulty, and begged us to be allured
that he had no ill intention against us. "I only meant it, says he, against the
reys." We gave him to understand, that whoever offended our reys ofsended us.
He did not speak a word after that, seeing well that he could get nothing from
us.
The Arabs, who had followed us to the barque, began then tobestir them-
selves. They demanded the backsisch^ which had been promised them. Our
answer was short. We shewed them our arms, and let them know, that what we
had to give was within the barque. They appeared confounded, and did
not insill any longer.' They said, however, that if they had known it before,
they mould have found the way to prevent us from reaching the barque, till we
had satisned them.
I n being run away with by the horse, I had lost the papers that contained the
measures and destgns of the antiquities of Luxxor. I did not take notice of it at
the time ; I perceived it at Carnac, and sent immediately the valet to seek for
them, with orders to offer the backffch to any one that mould have found them.
I was still at the ruins when he came back to tell me, that he had not been able
to get any tidings of them. I was very much concerned at it ; and saw no
possibility of repairing this loss.
Some one, however, had found these papers, which theschech had seized, in
order to make his advantage of them. He had taken care not to shew them at
first. He was persuaded, that we mould think ourselves at any time very happy
in being able to purchase them again j and he was willing to try beforehand other
methods, to get something from us. When he saw that he could obtain nothing
he at last shewed the papers, and offered to restore them for twenty sevillans.
I gave him for answer that I advised him to keep them ; that I had no longer
any need of them ; and that I had found the paper which I was the mosf. felici-
tous about. I forbad the valet to talk to him any more about it, and ordered the
reys to unfasten the barque, and to put off from shore.
They immediately began to execute this order ; but the schech, who did not
find his account in it, fell, with some Arabs, upon the sailor, who was untying
the cord, and hindered him from performing his office. We ran to his ailisfancc.
We applied, on the right hand and the left, such rough blows with the butt ends
of our guns, that the schech and the Arabs were obliged to quit their hold. The
barque got after that into the current, and we went on as if we were no longer
anxious about the papers.
This was not what the schech wanted. He continued to follow us along
the shore till the night began to come on. He then cried out to us to put to
land;