few days previous to the
publication of his interesting account of a mission to Ashantee,
that he had by every means in his power endeavoured, but
ineffectually, to get this manuscript _decyphered_ and translated
into English; that he had sent it to several persons, who had
retained it in their hands a considerable time, but had returned it
without a decypher, or even a complete translation. When delivered
into my hands, I transmitted him a _decypher_, and a translation
immediately. The following is my translation, which, in that
gentleman's account of Ashantee, is coupled with another
translation, _not perspicuous, but unintelligible_; for which see
Bowdich's "Account of a Mission to Ashantee," Appendix, No. 2.

The original Arabic document, of which I have given a decypher in
407 the work before mentioned, is, (for the information of gentlemen
desirous of referring to the same,) deposited in the British
Museum. There are also, in the same work on Ashantee, several
papers decyphered by me, of certain routes in Africa. Now I think
it expedient here, to declare to the public, that whenever the
British Government, the Court of Admiralty, or private individuals,
have stood in need of translations, and decyphers from the Arabic,
they have invariably found it expedient, ultimately, to apply to me
for the same, after having, however, endeavoured ineffectually to
procure their information at the Universities, the Post Office, and
elsewhere: but as this declaration may appear to many incredible, I
will mention three instances in elucidation of this my assertion,
which, as they are all on record, will place this fact beyond
doubt.

1st. A vessel under Marocco colours, was, during last war, taken by
a British cruiser, and sent or brought into Plymouth, or other
port, in England. The captain and the ship were detained a
considerable time here; the former, at length, whose patience
became exhausted, expostulated at his detention, and insisted on
being released, if no interpreter in this commercial nation could
be found competent to translate his passport. _Mr. Slade, an
eminent proctor in Doctors' Commons_, then applied to me, after a
detention of, I believe, two months, and I translated the passport.
408 Mr. Slade very liberally told me, that whatever I chose t