He Received Me Politely, Invited Me Repeatedly To His House, And,
In The Course Of Further Explanation, Became Acquainted With My Wants,
And The Steps I Had Taken To Relieve Them.
He happened at this time to
be preparing for a journey to Medina with Tousoun Pasha, and was sending
Back all his unnecessary baggage to Cairo; with this he was also
desirous to transmit to his family his last year's savings, amounting to
three thousand piastres (about 100l.), and he was so kind as to offer me
the money for a bill upon Cairo, payable at sight; an advantage which,
he well knew, the merchants of Djidda never insure to those who take
their bills. Such an offer would not be considered as conferring
[p.6] any obligation in the commercial towns of Europe; but in the East,
and under the circumstances in which I was placed, it was extraordinary.
Yahya Effendi added, that some of his friends had given me a flattering
character while at Cairo, and that he could not, therefore, entertain
the slightest doubt of my solvency and respectability, in which opinion
he had been confirmed on reading the letter of credit I had brought with
me. As the issue of my application to the Pasha at Tayf was uncertain, I
readily and gratefully accepted Yahya's proposal; the money was
immediately paid to me, the bills drawn, and a few days after, my
obliging friend departed with Tousoun Pasha for Medina, where I had the
pleasure of seeing him again early in the following year.
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