and Captain Court; concerning whom he made particular inquiries. While we were taking coffee together, I asked him several questions respecting my former acquaintances at Massowa and Dahalac, and found from his replies that they remained much in the same situation as when I left them, excepting the Nayib, who had been greatly mortified by the late diminution of his authority. He spoke very highly of the Kaimakan Mustapha Aga, and assured me that every thing had gone on well since the dismissal of the Jidda soldiers, a measure which had been adopted, in consequence of some serious dissensions which had arisen between them and the inhabitants. I found also that intelligence had been received respecting the English expedition against the Johassim Arabs, and the destruction of Ras el Kire, which, as the Dola informed me, had given rise to considerable alarm lest we might intend a similar expedition against Massowa. I quieted his fears on this head, but avoided giving him any insight into my future intentions, through fear that they might transpire among the natives of the coast; but I afterwards found that this precaution was needless, as the people on board the gelve did not dare to hazard the slightest communication with the shore, owing to the settled state of affairs among the tribes.
As the Dola was anxious to return to Massowa, on account of a Mahomedan festival which was at this time celebrating, I immediately prepared an answer in Arabic to Mustapha Aga, thanking him for his attentions, and stating that it was my intention to be at Massowa in fourteen days; at which time I expected the Ras's people down to meet me. The Dola departed with this letter on the eleventh.
While the gelve was getting under sail, we witnessed an extraordinary instance of skill in diving. In the attempt to weigh the anchor the cable parted, when one of the natives instantly flung himself into the water, dived, and with the utmost resolution dexterously fastened the two broken ends of the cable, a task which he completed in about two minutes, in so effectual a manner, that the anchor was immediately drawn by it out of the ground. The man after this daring exploit rose perfectly unconcerned, and without any apparent fatigue. Some
