Page 130 - Travels in Arabia (Vol 2)_Neat

VII.] GULF OF ’AKABAH. Ill

we had on a former occasion assisted him

to repair. Contrary to what I have remarked
in the behaviour of some Orientals, especially
the Arabs who dwell in towns, and who refer
all assistance received from a Christian to
the direct interference of Providence, whose
mere agent they consider him to be, the Be-
dowins, and even these fishermen, were at
all times exceedingly grateful for any bene­
factions they received from us. On another
occasion we preserved a boat from being

wrecked, and, some months afterwards, when
Captain Moresby was walking along the
beach at Wej-h, an old man accosted him, and,
after many salams, stated himself to be the
owner of the bark we had rescued. He had
brought two sheep and a bag of dollars for the
Captain’s acceptance; and, to relieve himself
from his importunities, he was compelled to
accept of the former.
The whole group assembled- round us exhi­
bited every appearance of poverty and dis­
tress. Notwithstanding the severity of the

weather, a young girl, about eight years of
age, had no other covering than a single piece
of tattered cloth thrown over her body; yet