The dromedary, which had bolted in the Desert, was brought into
Suez the day after my arrival, but my pelisse and my pistols, which
had been attached to the saddle, had disappeared. These articles
were treasures of great importance to me at that time, and I moved
the Governor of the town to make all possible exertions for their
recovery. He acceded to my wishes as well as he could, and very
obligingly imprisoned the first seven poor fellows he could lay his
hands on.
At first the Governor acted in the matter from no other motive than
that of courtesy to an English traveller, but afterwards, and when
he saw the value which I set upon the lost property, he pushed his
measures with a degree of alacrity and heat, which seemed to show
that he felt a personal interest in the matter. It was supposed
either that he expected a large present in the event of succeeding,
or that he was striving by all means to trace the property, in
order that he might lay his hands on it after my departure.
I went out sailing for some hours, and when I returned I was
horrified to find that two men had been bastinadoed by order of the
Governor, with a view to force them to a confession of their theft.
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