We determined to land.
To approach the sweet shore after a tedious voyage, and then to be
suddenly and unexpectedly prohibited from landing--this is so
maddening to the temper, that no one who had ever experienced the
trial would say that even the most violent impatience of such
restraint is wholly inexcusable. I am not going to pretend,
however, that the course which we chose to adopt on the occasion
can be perfectly justified. The impropriety of a traveller's
setting at naught the regulations of a foreign State is clear
enough, and the bad taste of compassing such a purpose by mere
gasconading is still more glaringly plain. I knew perfectly well
that if the Pasha understood his duty, and had energy enough to
perform it, he would order out a file of soldiers the moment we
landed, and cause us both to be shot upon the beach, without
allowing more contact than might be absolutely necessary for the
purpose of making us stand fire; but I also firmly believed that
the Pasha would not see the befitting line of conduct nearly so
well as I did, and that even if he did know his duty, he would
hardly succeed in finding resolution enough to perform it.
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