Autobiography of James Silk Buckingham Volume 2; Including His Voyages, Travels, Adventures, Speculations, Successes and Failures, Faithfully and Frankly Narrated Interspersed with Characteristic Sketches of Public Men, with Whom He Has Had Intercourse, D (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated.1855 Excerpt: ... CHAP. XX. Mercantile want of confidence in the Egyptian Pasha.--Relinquishment of the Red Sea trade for the present.--Appointment to the command of an Arab frigate, the Humayoon Shah, for a voyage to China.--Information given against me to the Solicitor-General.--Visits to the Chief Secretary and the Governor.--Wish of Sir Evan Nepeau to make me an American.--Absurdity and injustice of the licensing system.--Causes of this singular and unjust legislature.--Correspondence with the Bombay Government.--Refusal to allow me to remain in India.--Example of punishment without due cause.--Permission at length given to return to Egypt.--Heavy pecuniary losses sustained thereby. During all the round of pleasure which I enjoyed from the hospitality and kindness of my numerous friends, the special object of my visit to Bombay was never forgotten; but I still found such reluctance among the British merchants there to trust anything to the honour of Mohammed Al i Pasha, without a fixed treaty that should ensure them protection and light duties on their commerce, that it was vain to persevere further in any attempt to induce them to enter, for the present at least, on the Egyptian trade by way of the Red Sea. I therefore 360 COMMAND AN AEAB FRIGATE. thought it my duty to look about for some employment here, and soon obtained it. Among the native merchants to whom I had been introduced by the friends with whom I was residing, was a Persian, named Mohammed Ali Khan, who was agent for the Imaum of Muscat, and from him I received an appointment to the command of a new frigate belonging to that Arab prince, which had just been built at the Portuguese port of Damaun, to the north of Bombay, and had arrived here to be fitted out for a voyage to China on the Imaum's account. This...