Mahomet Bey being about to depart to give battle to his father-in-law, I thought it was no longer convenient for me to stay at Cairo; I went therefore the last time to the Bey, who pressed me very much to go to the camp with him. I was sufficiently cured, however, of any more Don Quixotte undertakings. I excused myself with every mark of gratitude and profession of attachment; and I shall never forget his last words, as the handsomest thing ever said to me, and in the politest manner. "You won't go, says he, and be a soldier: What will you do at home? You are not an India merchant?" I said, "No." "Have you no other trade nor occupation but that of travelling?" I said, "that was my occupation." "Ali Bey, my father-in-law, replied he, often observed there was never such a people as the English; no other nation on earth could be compared to them, and none had so many great men in all professions by sea and land: I never understood this till now, that I see it must be so, when your king cannot find other employment for such a man as you, but sending him to perish by hunger and thirst in the sands, or to have his throat cut by the lawless barbarians of the desert."
I saw that the march of the Bey was a signal for all Egypt's being presently in disorder, and I did not delay a moment to set out for Alexandria, where I arrived without any thing remarkable. There I found my ship ready; and the day after, walking on the key, I was accosted by a friend of mine, a Turk, a man of some consequence. He told me it was whispered that the Beys had met, and that Ali Bey had been totally defeated, wounded, and taken. "We are friends, says he; you are a Christian; and this connection of the Bey with the Russians has exasperated thelower sort of people greatly against you all. What is a day or two to you, now you are going at any rate? Be advised; go on board your ship early in the afternoon, and make your captain haul out beyond the Diamond[57], for mischief is at hand." My captain was as ready as I; and we accordingly hauled out beyond the Diamond. The weather was so clear, and the wind so directly fair, that, contrary to custom, we set sail that very night, after being witnesses that the mischief had begun, by the number of lights and repeated firings of muskets we heard from the town.
Our vessel sprung a leak off Derna on the coast, where I was once before shipwrecked. The wind being contrary, we put about ship, and stood before it for Cyprus, our vessel filled apace, and we were intending to put a cable round her waist when the leak was found. A violent storm overtook us the night after. I apprehend our ship was old, and the captain was again much alarmed, but the wind calmed next day. I was exceedingly distressed with the Guinea-worm in my leg, when the captain came and sat down by my bed-side. "Now the matter is over, says he, will you tell me one thing? it is mere curiosity; I will not let any one know." "Before I tell you, said I, I dare say you will not; what is it?" "How many of those things, you know, says he, winking, have you on board?" "Upon the word of a man, said I, I do not know what you mean." "Ces morts! these dead men! how many have you in these trunks? for last night the crew was going to throw all your boxes over-board." "I can tell you, captain, said I, that you and theyhad better been in bed sick of a fever, than been guilty of that unprovoked violence. 'Brutal comme un Provençal,' is a proverb even in your own country; I would not wish to have such a confirmation of the truth of it. But there are my keys, in case another gale should come, choose out of my trunks the one that, according to your idea, and theirs, is likeliest to have a dead man in it, and then take another; and the first one you find, throw them all overboard." I forced him to open two of the chests, and, lucky it was, as I believe, for off the island of Malta we had another violent gale, but which did us no damage. At last, after a passage of about three weeks, we landed happily at Marseilles.
Nullum numen abest si sit prudentia; sed Te,Nos facimus, Fortuna Deum, cæloque locamus.Juven.
Nullum numen abest si sit prudentia; sed Te,Nos facimus, Fortuna Deum, cæloque locamus.Juven.
Nullum numen abest si sit prudentia; sed Te,Nos facimus, Fortuna Deum, cæloque locamus.Juven.
Nullum numen abest si sit prudentia; sed Te,
Nos facimus, Fortuna Deum, cæloque locamus.
Juven.