event of any disturbance; and our arms and ammunition being very superior to those of the Sultan, we should have stood a good siege had we been attacked. Mukni’s treacherous intentions were, in the meantime, too apparent to allow of our feeling quite at ease, though he frequently came to visit us, and still professed the same friendship for us as before. One of our amusements on these occasions was to fire pistols at a mark at the end of the room. He was very fond of this kind of practice, and appeared to understand our arms; but we happily always succeeded in firing much better than himself or his followers; a circumstance of which, at this time, we were glad to have an opportunity of convincing him. I had some very small pistols, which he much admired, and he had given me frequent hints of his desire to purchase them, even many months prior to this period, but I did not choose to understand him. Mr. Ritchie agreed in the propriety of keeping our arms loaded and ready, and we frequently went into our yard to practise at a mark. Mukni was at this time even more courteous and civil than usual; indeed so much so, that he overshot his mark, and confirmed us in our determination to be prepared for him. One of his Eunuchs who came to ask for medicine for a woman of the castle who wanted to bear children, hinted to us, that Mukni was preparing for a sudden escape, and that much mischief was apprehended before he turned his back on Morzouk. We could not be indifferent to this caution, and therefore lay all night with our pistols under our heads, and our other arms in readiness, conceiving we might soon be called upon to make use of them. In this state we continued for some days, Mr. Ritchie lying on one side of the large room, I on the other, and Belford in a small room adjoining.—One night, at about 12 o’clock, I was awakened by Mr. Ritchie’s crying out in Arabic, “Who are you?” “Lyon, there is a man on the house top.” We all instantly started up; and I, being the most active of our emaciated party, was pushed up to the roof, while Mr. Ritchie and Belford ran to our yard, to cut off the retreat of the intruder. I saw no one, however, and though I ran along the tops of some neighbouring houses, could make no discovery. Our old Mamluke was sleeping on the top of his house, and rose instantly with his gun in his hand, to assist in the search. Meanwhile we all shouted to our neighbours, begging their assistance to look for any strangers who might endeavour to get on their terraces. In an instant all our friends were up, and on the look out; but, after the strictest examination, no person could be found.