'A voyage from England to India, in the year 1754, and an historical narrative of the operations of the squadron and army in India, under the command of Vice-Admiral Watson and Colonel Clive, in the years 1755, 1756, 1757 ... Also a journey from Persia to England by an unusual route. With an appendix, containing an account of the diseases prevalent in Admiral Watson's squadron, etc.' [‎225] (264/562)

f 2 25 ]
r" abortive, I am very fnre he would be greatly pleafed if you fpared
his delicacy fo far as to make the propofal yourfelves of goins by fome
« other route.'* Mr. Robingfon ingenuoufly added, " that every other gen
tleman upon the ifland was clearly of opinion, that we ought to go bv
water to Bajfora, and he had reafon to think the Baron was not to be ex
cepted out of this number, however fcrupulous he might be of delivering
his fentiments." He defired however that the hints which he had cyiven
might be kept a fecret from the Baron. Immediately, a fhort confultation
was held between us on our prefent fituation; and the fame evening with
the general confent of the whole party, I opened to the Baron, that 44 as
fo exorbitant a fum had been demanded by the Arab, as the time of our con
tinuance at Grane, before the arrival of the Caravan, would alfo be very
uncertain, as well as difagreeable, and as from what had pafled, it was very
probable we might ftill be fubjedled to farther impofition; I therefore
fubmitted to him, whether he did not think our failing to Bajfora, the
moft eligible route." The Baron feemed greatly pleafed with the propofal,
and adopted it without any hefication. He was fo obliging as ftill to infift
on our acceptance of the two horfes, he had intended for our ufe, and pro-
pofed fending them with our baggage, and one of our fervants, in a Trankey
to BaJfora \ we were to follow in one of his armed Gallivats, This night 's
Converfation ended, in our making him moft hearty acknowledgment? for
the whole of his friendly and polite behaviour towards us; and in his
giving the ftrongeft aflurances of the earneft defire he had of contributing
to our eafe and fatisfadion. 5
The next morning a boat arrived from Bajfora, with a letter from Mr.
Shaw, addreffed to Mr. Doidge : the following is an extraft. " I flattered
44 myfelf that I fhould have had the fatisfadion of your company, for a
few days at leaft at Bajfora ; but from the doubtful manner in which you
44 wrote laft, I know not whether I may now exped that plealure. I pre-
44 fume your intentions may be to proceed over the Defert by the way of
44 Crane which doubtlefs will be more expeditious, though in my humble
44 opinion not fo fecure, as by the way of Baghdad. BeHdes, a Caravan is
« to fet out from this laft place in thirty-five or forty days, diredly over the
44 Defert for Aleppo. It is certain alfo, that the Defert is not fafe at prefent
without a Caravan or fome proper efcort, for yefterday I had advices from
Baghdad, that an Englijh gentleman, one Barton, coming poft from Aleppo
44 to this place with a few camels, was plundered fome days ago by the
44 roving Arabs, who have of late in particular, greatly infefted the Defert j
and you mull have heard at Bombay, that one Captain Ivers, goino- hence
to Aleppo, in September laft, was in like manner plundered.
I he tenor of this letter confirmed us ftill more in the refolution we
had taken of proceeding by the way of Bajfora. So that on Wednefday the
i^th, we embarked our oaggage, and the two horfes the Baron had given
g s 0 u5,