Page:Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile - In the Years 1768, 1769, 1770, 1771, 1772, and 1773 volume 4.djvu/656

 028 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER

room, the door of which opened to the lobby where his fol- diers or fervants were. There was a flave very richly dref- fed, who had a fmall bafket with oranges in his hand, who came out at another door, as if from the Bey, and faid to me, " Here, Yagoube, here is fonne fruit for you."

In that country it is not the value of the prefent, but the charadter and power of the perfon that fends it, that creates the value ; 20,000 men that flept in Cairo that night would have thought the day the Bey gave them at an audience the worft orange in that bafket the happieft one in their life. It is a mark of friendfliip and protecflion, and the bell of all afTurances. Well accuftomed to ceremonies of this kind,. I took a lingle orange, bowing low to the man that gave it me, who whifpered me, " Put your hand to the bottom, the bed fruit is there, the whole is for you, it is fi"om the Bey." A purfe was exceedingly vifible. It was a large crimfon one wrought with gold, not netted or tranfpaient as ours are, but liker a flocking. I lifted it out ; there were a confiderable number of fequins in it ; I put it to my mouth and kifTed it, in refpe(5l from whence it came, and faid to the young man that held the baflcet, " This is, indeed, the beft fruit, at leaft commonly thought fo, but it is forbid- den fruit for me. The Bey's prote(5tion and favour is more agreeable to me than a thoufand fuch purfes would be."

The fervant fhewed a prodigious furprife. In fliort, no- thing can be more incredible to a Turk, whatever his qua- lity may be, than to think that any man can refufe moriey offered him. Although I exprefled myfelf with the utmoil gratitude and humility, finding it impofTible to prevail up- 'on me, the thing appeared fo extraordinary, that a beggar

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