Page 97 - Early English Adventurers in the Middle East_Neat

ENGLISH CAPTIVES IN ARABIA 97

Turks and detaining them there as hostages for Sharpeigh
and his associates in misfortune. Re jib Aga, when he
heard how he had been outwitted, used “ vile words ” to
Sharpeigh, but did not dare to make any further hostile
move.
The strain after this relaxed to a certain extent and some
trading transactions were carried through. But the main
purpose of the visit, the establishment of a factory, was as
far off realization as ever. It was, therefore, determined
with Rejib Aga’s consent to despatch Jourdain and a
colleague named Glasscock overland to Mocha to make a
personal application to the pasha for the requisite per­
mission. The journey to-day is one which would be accom­
panied by considerable peril for Europeans, and at that
time it must have been exceptionally dangerous, owing to
the disturbed state of the country, which was in the throes
of one of the periodic rebellions common to it. No incident
of importance, however, marked the progress of the travel­
lers. They arrived at Sana early in June, 1609, but only to
discover that their expedition was fruitless, as the pasha
resolutely declined to entertain the question of a factory.
When they had exhausted their powers of persuasion they
proceeded to Mocha, to find that the ships, with Sharpeigh
at liberty and in command, had come on from Aden and had
established themselves ashore with the friendly acquies­
cence of the local authorities. The extensive freedom
which his coimtrymen permitted themselves in this enemy’s
territory astounded and alarmed Jourdain, who thought it
very censurable in view of what had already happened.
“ But,” he remarks with a shrewd insight into national
character, “it is a general rule with the English that if
they have but a parcel of fair words given them, (they think)
Q