The Answer Was That The Necessity Of Commerce Confined Us To
The Gloomy Rock.
He used some obliging expressions about desiring our
friendship, and having considerable respect for a people who built, he
understood, large ships.
I took the opportunity of praising Harar in
cautious phrase, and especially of regretting that its coffee was not
better known amongst the Franks. The small wizen-faced man smiled, as
Moslems say, the smile of Umar [43]: seeing his brow relax for the first
time, I told him that, being now restored to health, we requested his
commands for Aden. He signified consent with a nod, and the Gerad, with
many compliments, gave me a letter addressed to the Political Resident,
and requested me to take charge of a mule as a present. I then arose,
recited a short prayer, the gist of which was that the Amir's days and
reign might be long in the land, and that the faces of his foes might be
blackened here and hereafter, bent over his hand and retired. Returning to
the Gerad's levee-hut, I saw by the countenances of my two attendants that
they were not a little anxious about the interview, and comforted them
with the whispered word "Achha"--"all right!"
Presently appeared the Gerad, accompanied by two men, who brought my
servants' arms, and the revolver which I had sent to the prince. This was
a _contretemps_. It was clearly impossible to take back the present,
besides which, I suspected some finesse to discover my feelings towards
him:
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