Ismael Son of a shereef; God illumine
and preserve him.
God assist his commanders, and give victory to his forces and
armies, Amen! To the captain of Tangier, Kirke, _peace be to those
who follow the right way[219]_; this by way of preface. Your letter
came to the lofty place of our residence, and we understand what
your discourse contained. As for the asking a cessation of arms by
sea; know, that it was not treated of between us till this present
time. Neither did we make truce with you concerning any thing but
Tangier alone. When you came to our illustrious house, we treated
with you about that matter for four years, and if you had sojourned
there yourself, no Muselman would ever have gone into that town
hostilely against you, but merely as a peaceable merchant.
[Footnote 219: This is a sentence which frequently occurs in
the Koran, but when used in epistolary correspondence with
Christians (for it is never used by Muhamedans between
themselves), it bears the appearance of a salutation, but the
allusion is to Muhamedans, who _these people think_ are the
only men who follow the true path or right way; it is, however,
a compliment to all who _think themselves_ in the right way.]
As to a cessation of arms by sea, it was not negociated by us,
neither did we discourse about it; but, when you desired it of us,
386 we wrote to your Master in England, saying, If you desire a
cessation of arms by sea, and are willing to receive a firm peace
from us, send us two understanding men, of the chief of the Divan
of England, by whom the peace of all the Christians here may be
confirmed; and, when they shall arrive at the lofty place of our
residence, and sit before us, whatsoever they shall hear from us,
by way of agreement, shall be acceded to! And we have given you
security, at sea, for four months, viz. from the time we sent you
our letter to Tangier, till the day that there shall come an answer
from your Master, and until the arrival of the two ambassadors
aforementioned, after the aforesaid manner. As for those men who in
thy letter thou didst say were taken at sea: I neither know nor
have heard any thing of them. Your discourse about that matter
having been with Aly ben Abdallah, and he administered justice (to
you) upon the Muselmen who had taken these men prisoners for the
sake of him, for whom you made your complaint to us; and he
returned the Christians to you, and imprisoned the sailors for
capturing them. Now, if there shall happen to be a peace between me
and you at sea, as there is for four years by land, through your
mediation, and by reason of your coming to us, I will hang them,
and blot out their footsteps, and be revenged on them with the most
severe revenge.
Our servant Muhamed ben Hadu Aater, who came from your presence,
told us that lions are scarce in your country, and that they are in
387 high estimation, with you. When your servant came to us, he found
we had two small young lions, wherefore by him we send them to you.
And know, that we have received by our servants from your Master,
_three_ coach-horses, now a coach requires _four_ horses to draw
it, wherefore you must needs send us another good one of the same
kind and size, that they may draw the coach with four horses.
Oblige us in this by all means. Farewell: we depend upon it.
Written 7th of the sacred month _Du El Kadah_, in the year of the
Hejra, ninety-three and a thousand, (A.D. 1682.)