YALE UNIVERSITY
LIBRARY

Bought with the income
ofthe
ALFRED E. PERKINS FUND

CAMP of HASSAW, A BEBOTPIK CHIEF.

LETTERS

FROM THE EAST.

JOHN CARNE, Esq.
OF QUEEN'S COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE.

LONDON:
HENRY COLBURN, NEW BURLINGTON STREET
1826.

LONDON :
PRINTED BY S. AND R. BENTLEY, DORSET STEEET.

¦^

TO

SIR WALTER SCOTT, BART.

THIS VOLUME

IS, BY HIS PERMISSION,

INSCRIBED,

WITH EVERY SENTIMENT OF THE HIGHEST RESPECT,

BY THE AUTHOR.

ADVERTISEMENT.
A portion of the foUowing work has already appeared
in the New Monthly Magazine. The Letters from
Greece are now first printed.

CONTENTS.

LETTER I.

Voyage from Marseilles to Pera. — Island of Zea. —
Grecian coast. — Pass the Dardanelles. — Turkish vil
lages. — View of Constantinople. — Anchor at Buyuk-
der^. — The Seraglio. — Land at Galata. — Massacre of
the Greeks. — Beautiful village of Therapia. — Execu
tion of two Greeks of rank. — Purchase-money of a
beautiful slave. — Fine presence of the Turkish race. —
Their indolence. — Character of the Turks. — Thei
ruling passion. — Feast of Beiram. — Game of the jer-
rid  Cemetery. — Boats of the Bosphorus. — Visit to
the Islands of Chalet and Prinkipo. — Picturesque sce
nery. — Tour of the walls of Constantinople. — Anec
dote of Mahmoud II. — Sacred fish. — The Atmeidan
or great square. — Exterior of the mosque of Saint So
phia. — Gate of the Seraglio. — The Bezestein bazaar.
— ^WLat merchants and pilgrims are seen in the
bazaars. — The Author and his friends arrested by
Turkish soldiers near Therapia. — Romantic appear
ance of their camp. — Hospitable reception in the
Pacha's tent. — Curious account of the whirling der
vishes. — Procession of the reigning Sultan described. Page I — 25

CONTENTS.

LETTER II.

The howling dervishes at Scutari. — Wandering der
vishes and Santons. — Conclusion of the fast of Rama
dan, when the Beiram commences. — Illuminated mi
narets. — ChUdren extremely beautiful. — Population
of Constantinople and the suburbs. — Devotion of the
Turks.— Their life and habits unvarying. — Table and
domestic economy .^ — The Greek quarter of the Fanal
deserted. — Affecting events at Parga. — Massacre at
Smyrna. — Aqueducts of Justinian and Boui'gas. —
Forest of Belgrade. — Delightful scenery of the shores
of the Bosphorus. — Condition of Turkish women. —
Effects of opium, and of a blind indulgence in it. —
Tobacco and coffee of exceUent quality. — Palace of
the British Embassador. — EngUsh ladies of distinc
tion. — Honourable conduct of the common Turks in
the Capital. — Amusing anecdote. — Nuinber and cha
racter of the Janizaries. — Death of Sultan Selim III.
Page 26—45
LETTER III.
The Author saUs from Constantinople. — The site of
Abydos. — A young traveUer perishes of a fever,
brought on by the exertion of swimming across to
Sestos. — Englishmen who established a cotton manu
factory at Tebriz — The Author's servant Michele
Milovich. — His zeaJ. — Appeai-ance ofthe Isle of Scio.
— Visit the Consul's house in that fine Island.— Cha
racter of the Sciotes. — General massacre in Scio. 
Twenty thousand Sciotes perished. — Supposed school
of Homer. — Con\eiit of Nehahmonce. — Productions
of Scio. — Fine climate. — Quit the Island. — Arri\;J at
Smyrna. — Intermarriages of Europeans with the
Smyrniotes. — Oriental burying-gi-ound. — ViUas of
European merchants at Bournabat. — Storks ; pigeons
flying round the remains of Balbec. — Table d'hote 

CONTENTS. ix
Crew of a Ragusan ship put to death. — The beau iddal
exempliiied in a Greek face. — Curiosity and versati
lity of the Greeks. — Calm conduct on the approach
of a violent death. — Heart-rending anecdote of a Gre
cian wife. — Passage to Alexandi-ia. — Boarded by
the Greek squadron. — FeUow-passengers described. —
View of Alexandria. — Pompey's piUar seen above the
city. Page 46 — 66.
LETTER IV.
The Author lands in Egypt. — Insects and flies. — Song
of a Turk. — Hire donkeys for an excursion. — Pompey's
pUlar of the Corinthian order. — Height of Cleopatra's
Needle ; its hieroglyphics. — Ruins of the ancient
Alexandria. — Resort of the Frank coffee-houses. —
Fortifications of the city. — Mahmoud Aly, the Vice
roy or Pacha, massacres the Beys of the Mamelukes.
— Canal of Cleopatra completed. — Personal appear
ance of the Viceroy of Egypt. — Wages paid for the
forced labour of Egyptians and Arabs. — Description
of Rosetta. — Nuptials of the Consul's daughter at Da-
mietta. — Eastern etiquette. — The Author navigates
the river Nile. — VUlages and Minarets on its shores.
— The town of Foua. — The Muezzin's caU to prayers.
— StiU waters of the NUe. — Excellence of the provi
sions served on board. — Passengers in the bark de
scribed. — The aged Reis commanding the vessel faUs
overboard, and is drowned in the NUe. Page 67 — 79.
An Arab vUlage of unbui-nt brick ; dinner obtained in it.
— Name? of the Arabs imprinted on their wrist 
Their cookery  ^Enter Boulac, the port of 6rand
Cairo. — Sorrow of the Ul-fated Reis's famUy. — Strong
emotions of the Arabs. — Visit to Mr. Salt, the Con
sul-general  Ancient look of Grand Cairo. Mounds
of rubbish around it  Population. — Ai'chitecture and
economy of this capital  Style of living of the Eu
ropean inhabitants  Fruits and luxuries  Clouted

X CONTENTS.
cream vended as a substitute for butter — Cutting of
the bank of the NUe, August 16th. — Concourse and
festival on this occasion witnessed by the Author —
Gushing of the waters through the opening in the
dykes  Largesse thrown into the torrent by the
Kiaya Bey causes the drowning of some of the scram
blers. — Blessing of this annual flood. — Cairo gradu
aUy flooded by this great national and agricultural
operation. Page 68 — 90.
LETTER V.
Burial-gi-ound of the Mamelukes  The tombs of the
Caliphs  Mystery of an Egyptian wedding. — Ancient
waU of Cairo. — Mount Mokatam, and the Citadel. —
NaiTow pass, skirted by rocks, in which the three
hundred Beys were slain when on a visit to the Cita
del. — Conduct of Ibrahim Pacha. — Asses hired by the
hour. — The descent to Joseph's WeU. — Hall and
Granaries of Joseph. — The Author accompanies yi.
Caviglia to the Pyramids. — Gizeh. The aUaying of
thirst a primary object. — Causeways across the inun
dated country .^ — Distant view of the Pyramids. — Sups
in a cavern — M. CavigUa's excavations. — Subten-a-
neous communication sought for. — The enormous
Sphynx. — The Author ascends the great Pyramid. —
Beholds the desert and the course of the Nile. —
Height of the Pyramids ; first impression on the mind
on seeing them. — Descends into the great PjTamid.
— Celebrated Sarcophagus. — Belzoni's chamber in the
rock. — An Arabian Santon residing at the PyrSnids.
— The sacred trees. — Sunset beheld in the Desert. 
Bedouins. — Reflections on the Author's intended route
and its perils. — The Pyramids of Saccara in sight. 
Bathing, — The inundation extended. — Agi-iculture. 
An Ai-ab funeral. — Market at Cairo for the sale of
Circassian women — High value. — Family of a rich
Jew visited by the Author. Paee 91  112

CONTENTS. xi
LETTER VI.
Departure from Grand Cairo for Upper Egypt — Sail in
a cangia on the NUe. — Town of Benesuef. — Pure
atmosphere in an Oriental coimtry  Civilities of a
Turkish officer  Town of Miniet ; sugar manufac
tory of Mr. Brine  His EngUsh garden — Indolence
of the Africans  Death of INIr. Brine  Monfalut 
Alm& dancing-girls. — Siout the provincial capital 
Girg^. A Greek doctor of Ibrahim's army at Sen
naar. — The second Beiram. — A Coptic convent. — Pre
cipitous shore of the NUe. — The sceptical barber. —
Visit to the temple of Tentyra. — Hieroglyphics. —
The Zodiac removed from Tentyra to Paris. — Mode
of propitiating the waters when the overflowing is
scanty. Page 113 — 124
Ken^h, a commercial town of Upper Egypt. — Supposed
site of Coptos. — Ancient columns remored to support
a viUage mosque. — Devoutness of the people  Fune
ral at Koft. — Scenery ; range of Libyan and Arabian
mountains on either side of the Nile. — Luxor : ruins
of the great Temple. — Twelve enormous granite
figures fixed by the water's edge. — Obelisks, with a
fine specimen of hieroglyphics  French residents at
Luxor  Suleiman Aga, commandant at Esneh.^Stu-
pendous ruins of Thebes. — Dimensions of the Temple
of Karnac. — The avenue of Sphynxes. — Magnificent
portiio. — The Thebais. — Obelisk broken down by
Drouetti. — Superstition ofthe Arabs respecting these
ruins. — Night-sceneof great interest. ' Page 125 — 135.
LETTER VII.
The Autiof visits the Meirinonium. — The hieroglyphics
warlike. — Columnar statues of Osiris  Great statue
at Kurnu.— Ruins of Medinet Abou.— Elegant palace.
— The Temple. — Cemetery of Thebes. — Devastations
as to the ancient mummies. — The ^olqssi of Memnon,

xii CONTENTS.
seated amidst the inundation. — Heat nearly insuffer
able. — Grradual change of complexion, untU black is
found the general colour. — Temple of Etfu or ApoUi-
nopolis. — Greek adventurer. — Early marriages. — ^Es-
sonan and the site of Syend — Island of Elephantine.
Observation regarding Palestine. — Visit to the Isle
of PhiloB. — Its lonely situation in the NUe near to the
desert. — Importunities of a Berebere. Delay in Ele
phantine. — The Cataracts insignificant. — Return to
Thebes. — Deserted monastery. — Tombs of the Kings ;
curious chiseUed and painted aUegories on the walls
of the fourteen chambers. — Renegades in Ibrahim
Pacha's army. — The Arabian Nights' Entertainments
inspected by two Arabs. — Fakir, or Arab priest, de
scribed. — The dying girl. — 'What feelings of pity are
excited by such impressive scenes. Page 136 — 154.
LETTER VIH.
Arrival at Aboutig6. — Author's ride to Monfalut. — ^An
Arab fair. — Hamlet of Copts within an inclosure of
walls. — Books in the Coptic character. — Enters the
city of Siout. — Caravan of black slaves for the market
of Cairo. — Game at quarter-staff. — Radamouni. —
Ruins of Hermopolis. — Antino^ buUt bj- Hadrian. —
Lands near Saccara. — View from the top of these py
ramids. — Renovated verdure on the faU ofthe inunda
tion — Climate too sultry for continued land-journeys.
— Resides in the house of M. AsseUn at Cairo. —
French Mamelukes seen in this city, who formerly
preserved the Pacha's Ufe. — Tomb of Bui-ckhardt. 
Tales of wonder told in the coffee-houses of Cairo. 
TraveUing narrators of stories. — Daughter of the
Swedish Consul shot by a fanatic soldier. — Passage
of caravans through Cairo towards Mecca, highly in
teresting — Books scarce — Singular exhibition of
droUeiy.— The Pacha's palace at Shonbra  A Frank
physician is readUy admitted into a Harem.— Pleasant

CONTENTS. xiu
site of Old Cairo— Hadgis, or pUgrims. — Ordeal
experienced at the warm-baths of Cairo. — European
party which accompanies the Author to visit Mount
SinaL Page 155—171
LETTER IX.
Sensations felt in traveUing on a camel. — Life of the
wandering Arabs not without a strong charm and in
terest  ^A Gorman missionary from Cambridge carry
ing bibles to Mount Sinai, in terror of a night attack.
— Arrival at Suez. — Shore of the Red Sea.— The fish
deUcious  Pools caUed the fountains of Moses 
Varied scenery of the desert in plain and mountain. —
Valley of Paran and its fountain  Singing of a Ger
man servant displeasing to the Arabs  Dews at
night  Group of Arabs ; their songs  Salutation by
passengers in the desert. — Tea, a luxury desirable in
these deserts — WUd glen. — Costume of the Arabs. —
Grandeur of scenery around the convent of Sinai 
Winding valley in the approach to Mount Sinai  ,
This mount not conspicuous above the neighbouring
mountains. — They reach the convent of Saint Cathe
rine. — Welcomed by Jouma, their Arab guide. — Tra
vellers hauled up by the monks with ropes cast from
the window. — Reflections on the comparative nature
of human happiness. — Matins of the Greek monks. —
Their table, health and innocence. — Fine church and
tomb of St. Catherine, which merely contains a waxen
image.^Rich altar. — Curious manuscript deUvered
up to the Sultan. — The Monks fear assassination by
the Arabs. — Bread and cakes cast out to propitiate
them. — Buonaparte's present of two pieces of cannon
for the convent's defence. Page 156' — 191
LETTER X.
Tradition as to Moses. — Aged Monk. — The four sum
mits of Mount Sinai  Enthusiasm of the missionaiT

Xiv CONTENTS:
on ascending the Mount — Monastery from which the •'
Arabs expeUed the inmates — ^Night spent in its de
serted chambers  They ascend St. Catherine's, sur
mised to be Mount Horeb. — Rock of Meribah ; local
evidence of the miracle  The Author and party cap
tured by Bedouins on their return to the convent, in
which they had left their arms  Anxious night passed
near the fire of the sleeping captors  The three tra
veUers carried off to the wilderness of Paran  Mount
Paran described  The chief, Hassan, conducts them
through the narrow defiles of Paran  Hospitable
entertainment by Hassan's friends  Black goat —
VoUeys fired upon the Monks in their secure convent.
— Remarkable prints.— Secluded life ofthe Monks. Page 192—209.
LETTER XI.
The party reach Hassan's encampment-^J^ealousy which
the tribe entertained of the Monks of St. Catherine.
— Imaginary Book of Might — The two wives of Has
san  Manners of the Bedouins  Their friendship for
each other. — The captives are visited by the younger
wife of the chief. — The Missionary fearful of her
visits  Ibrahim, an Arab chief, intercedes for the
prisoners with Saleh, the chief of the whole territory.
— Council of thirty Sheiks assembles. — Hassan over-
persuaded to set them free. — Saleh's curious dispatch
to Cairo. — Hassan conveys the Uberated party to
Cairo. — Hassan run away with by a camel  Scene of
the miraculous passage of the Red Sea  VaUey of
Hirondel. — Locusts described — Rejoined by Michel,
and Franco, the German servant  Meet with pUgi'inis
returning from Mecca  They ford the Red Sea to
Suez  The plan which had been formed for their
rescue — Kind reception by the Aga at Suez. — Lights
of a caravan at night — In ten days reach Cairo 
Hassan preserved from vengeance ; amicable partiijg-

CONTENTS. XV
 Sail in a cangia for Alexandria  HospitaUty of
Mr. Lee, the Consul at Alexandria. The Author
departs for Palestine. Page 210-r-227
LETTER XII.
The Author saUs from Alexandria — Voyage of a Rabbi
to Palestine when on the point of death — Indifference
of a Turk to the inconveniences of the voyage-
Mount Carmel in sight. — Lands at Caifa. — CathoUc
priest expeUed from the ruined convent. — Procures
a passport for Acre. — Meets the Missionary at Acre,
who proceeds with the Author to Tyre. — Lodges in a
lonely khan. — Population of Tyre — Proceeds to Si
don. — MarUius, the house of Lady H. Stanhope  Her
domestic economy  Her spirit changed since she
quitted Palmyra  Her influence. — Her former ad
venturous journey when she became Queen of Pal
myra. — She shuns EngUsh society. — French artist shot
by Arabs, — ^Arrival at Beirout, a pleasant town of
Syria  ^War betwixt the Pachas of Acre and Damas
cus. — Mr. A. the EngUsh Consul  Granite piUars
seen along the margin of the sea. — Faccardine, a
Prince of the Druses. — The rainy season  Visit paid
to the Emir Busheer ; personal description of this ru
ler of Mount Lebanon. — Prophecy which is credited
respecting the conversion of Christians to the faith
of Mahomet. — Feasting at Beirout  The Author
repairs to the town of DaUl Camar  Race of th^
Druses  Convents of Lebanon  Returns to Tyre. —
Passes a night in a viUage near Acre, in the Sheik's
house. Page 228— ;248.
LETTER Xin. \ , .
The Author ascends Mount Carmel. — The River Ki- ,,,s
shon, and plain, of Esdraelon. — Mounts Tabor and
Hermon seen in front. — F^rtiUty of Palestine. — In-

xvi CONTENTS.
vitation given him by Arab Gipsies. — Populatipn of
Nazareth is Christian. — Church and convent of Spa
nish priests. — The workshop of Joseph. — School which
was attended by the Saviour. — -Table of rock. — Pre
cipice ; Tradition regarding it. — Romantic seclusion
of this town. — Flat top of Mount Tabor. — Cana, and
its vessels for water. — Fish of the Lake of Tiberias. —
Site of Caesarea. — Ai-rival at Jaffa. — Anecdote of the
Consul, Signor Damiani. — Residence of Simon Peter
the tanner. — Convent at Ramha. — First prospect ob- -^
tained of Jerusalem. — Oriental luxuries exchanged
for a ceU in the Convent. — The Author perambulates
the environs. — Rocky vaUey of Hinnom. — Mount of
Olives. — ^VaUey of Jehoshaphat. — The Armenian
quarter. — The Convent receives great presents from
PUgrims. — The Jewish quarter of the city. — Popula
tion of the Holy City. — Mount OUvet higher than
Zion. — The Modern Tower of David. — Situation of "
Mount Calvary. — BeautifiU Mosque of Omar. — Site
of Solomon's Temple.— Christians not permitted to
approach it. — The Mosque of David. — Father Giu
seppe and the Franciscan Monks. — ^Visit to the Holy
Sepulchre. — The sacred tomb. — Paintings of the \s-
cension, and Appearance to Mary in the garden.-^
Demeanour of the PUgrims. Page 249 — 268
LETTER XIV.
The ascent to Mount CiUvary. — The summit is crowned
by the sacred Church. — Spot on which stood the
Cross. — Night spent in the Church. — Solemn music.
— Impressiveness of the place after midnight. — Com
putation of the number of PUgrims. — Audience of tlie
Armenian Patriarch. — Procession of the three ordei-s
of Monks round the tomb. — Altercation near the Holy
Sepulchre. — Father Paolo Tiliungi. — ^The Author
proceeds to Bethlehem. — Monastery of St. EUas. —

CONTENTS. xvii
Site of the stable in which the Redeemer was born. —
The study of St. Jerome. — SheUs of mother of pearl.
— Reservoirs formed by Solomon. — Hebron ; cave in
which Abraham and Isaac were interred. — Tedium
evinced by the Monks at Jerusalem. — Visit to the
Dead Sea not permitted. — The pool of Bethesda. —
Judgement-haU of PUate. — Historical considerations
respecting the real site of certain ancient spots  Re-
voltiag ceremony.— The Fountain of Silo€  Magni
ficent cavern. — Anecdotes. Page 269 — 286
LETTER XV.
View of the Dead Sea from Jerusalem. — The brook
Kedron. — Circuit of the City. — Topography of the
ancient and modern town. — The garden of Gethse
mane. — Church buUt by the Empress Helena. — PUlar
of Absalom. — ViUage of SUoa. — Mount of Judgement.
— ^Tombs of the Kings. — General appearance of Jeru
salem. — Nature of the neighbouring hiUs. — The WU
derness. — Danger of a charcoal fire. — Franciscan
Convent. — VaUey of Elah. — Scenes of the ancient
engagements. — The Governor of the City visited by
the Author. — Visit to Bethphage and Bethany. —
Tomb of Lazarus. — The River Jordan. — Condition of
the Jews. Page 287—306
LETTER XVI.
HiU and Cave of Engedi. — The WUderness of Ziph
traversed without a guard. — The Author visits the
Cave of Engedi, inhabited by Ibrahim, an Aijab. —
Convent of St. Saba. — Character and conversation of
Michel. — Cakes kept at the Convent to appease the
Arabs. — Occupation of a venerable Greek. — Foxes;
a large bird shot. — A human body covered with
bitumen. — The Author proceeds by night towards
the Dead Sea. — Passes an Arab encampment. — Sug-
b

xviii CONTENTS
ceeds in reaching the Dead Sea. — Its wild and gloomy
aspect. — Mountains of Judaea and Arabia Petraea. —
Length arid breadth of the Lake. — Awful precipiees ' '^
around the Dead Sea."— Distant view of Jericho. — -
Desert. — Arrival at Jericho. — Fountain. — Quarantina
Mountain. — Description of the Jordan. — Retum to
Jerusalem. — Ibrahim rewarded. Page 307 — 326
LETTER XVII.
PrivUeges of the CathoUc and Greek Monks. — Proces
sion to the tomb of Lazarus. — Pilgrims. — HiU of
Michmash. — Sepulchres of the Jews. — Reflections on
the modern Jews. — A zealous Monk, and a soUtary
Greek. — Scene of the death of Hezekiah. — Situation
of the Mosques. — VUlage of Lazarea. — Second visit to
the Monks of St. Saba. — The Monastery described. —
Ibrahim, and the Cave of Engedi. — Caves in the WU
derness of Ziph, and bones there discovered. — The
Greek Monks. — Money paid for the purchase of
images, and for entertainment. — SoUtude of the
Monks. — Party of Armenians. — Feast of Easter.^
Ceremony of the Holy Light. — The SjTiagogue. —
Jewish ceremony. Page 327 — 352
LETTER XVIII.
The war prevents an immediate visit to Damascus. — Ef
fects of the war remarked upon at Acre. — A trench
dug to strengthen the Fortifications. — Cruelty of
Djezzar. — History of the Jewish Minister, put to
death by Selim Pacha. — Khan at Ebilen^. — Field
where the Disciples plucked the ears of com. —
Mount of Beatitudes. — Town of Tiberias. — Jews, who
retire in advanced years to die in Palestine  Lake
of Tiberias. — Passage of the Jordan through the Lake.
—Mountain of Bet huUa— Castle and Rock of Safet.

CONTENTS. xix
—Friendly reception by a Shiek, when benighted.—
Pipe of the Syrian shepherds. — Town of Hasbeia. —
Action ; viUage of Rasheia destroyed. — HiU of GibI
Sheich covered with snow. — Damascus seen peering
over an extensive wood. Page 353 — 373
LETTER XIX.
The Author visits the Spanish Convent. — Resides in
Damascus. — Its extent. — Manners and costume of
the Inhabitants. — Luxury. — Exquisite fruit and con
serves. — Mourning in the Cemeteries. — The Great
Bazaar. — Christian traveUers not aUowed to enter
the Mosque. — Want of wines. — Rich commodities. —
Kiosque. — Plain of Damascus. — The River Barrady.
— Architecture and pavement  Chaboiceau, a phy
sician. — Amount of Christian population. — Amusing
anecdote of a barber. — The Coffee-houses described.—
CathoUc Convent. — Pacha of Damascus. — Mountain
of Ashloon, and road to Palmyra. — Attractions of an
Eastem cUmate, and influence of its manners. — Cos
tume of the Arabs. — Departure for Balbec. Page 374 — 392
LETTER XX.
VUlage of Zibolan^. — Demetrius, a Greek servant. —
Ruins of Balbec. — Dimensions of the Temple. — Co
rinthian Capitals. — Sculptures. — Circular marble edi
fice. — The ancient quarry. — Sunrise, splendid amidst
the ruins. — LaUa Rookh contains a faithfiU descrip
tion. — Ascent of Lebanon. — The Author revisits
Beirout. — Plunder during the warfare. — Silverj^horn
worn by the women of Lebanon.^Young Swiss MiS'
sionary, his unlucky adventures. — Remarks upon the
missions to the East.— Bishop Eusebius. — TraveUing
enthusiasm of a Roman Count.— Missionary's endea
vour to convert the Prince of the Druses. — Snow on
Mount Lebanon.— Beauty of Mount Carmel. Page 393—41 1

XX CONTENTS.
LETTER XXL
Healthiness of Syria.— Longevity.— Emir Bueheer, Priilce
of the Druses, and his troops.— His admiration
of Sir Sydney Smyth, and of Lady H. Stanhope. —
Character of this " Queen of the East."— The Dra
goman in love with her Ladyship's companion. — ^Un
guarded behaviour of an EngUsh traveUer. — Conversa
tion of Lady Stanhope. — Her encounter with the Arab
Sheik. — Fete given by her at Palmyra. — Tax upon
travellers who visit the ruins. — Arab soothsayer. —
VUla of MarUius.. — Its stud. — Generosity and hos
pitality of the iUustrious Lady. — Her eccentricity. —
Two EngUsh Ladies visit her. — Christians forbidden
to approach Mecca. — ViUage of Antoura, in which Mr.
Wortley Montague resided. Page 412 — 435
LETTER XXII.
The Author's distre.ssing voyage in an open boat. — Ar
rives off Cyprus. — Port of Larnica. — The European
Consuls. — Excesses committed in Cyprus. — The Con
sul prepares to defend his house. — A Greek constrain
ed to embrace Islamism. — Tragical situation of a
Greek famUy. — Visit to the interior of the Island. —
Cytherean groves, and viUage of Cytherea. — Monas
tery of St. Chrysostom. — Castle in ruin. — The Author
received at Nicosia by Archbishop Cyprian. — Affect
ing anecdote of this K-elate — Mosque of Nicosia;
the Imaun expounding the Koran. — The Governor's
palace. — Cruel execution of the principal Greek in
habitants. — Boast of a Sclavonian soldier.  Women
of Cj^rus. — Audience of the Governor. — His violence
in discourse. — Visit paid to a General of the Eo-v-p-
tians.— Image of the Vfrgin in the Greek Convent.—
The Author's fareweU to the Ul-fated Cyprian. 
Massacre of the Archbishop and his c)iief Clergy. Page 136—463

CONTENTS. xxi
LETTER XXIII.
The Author proceeds to the ancient Idalium. — Isolated
famUy of Lepers. — Return to Larnica. — The Consul.
and his FamUy. — Demetrie's hoard of reUques. — The
Author parts from his traveUing acquaintance. —
SaUs from Cyprus. — Companions on ship-board. —
Deraetrio, a devout Sclavonian. — Long and boisterous
voyage. — Want of searStore. — Monks fearful during
the storm. — A calm. — Despair of the passengers. —
DeUght experienced on landing in the Island of
Rhodes. — CathoUc Convent. — Fortifications of the
city. — The town and harbour. — Superb cUmate. —
Charg4s-d' affaires. — EngUsh Captain, who embarks
Turkish troops. — Sentiments of a Spanish Monk. —
VUlas. — Scenery of Rhodes. —The rose and myrtle. —
Population and extent. — Cheap Uving. Page 464 — 485
LETTER XXIV.
Mountain in the Island of Rhodes  The Author's per
ambulation. — Deceitful moment of tranqvdUity. — He
sets saU. — Embayed, amidst islets and rocks  Lands
at Navarino. — Island and Castle of Sphacteria. —
French Officers defeat an attempt of the Turks from
Modon to surprise the Fortress of Navarino. — Wines
of the Morea. — Turkish garrison put to the sword. —
Description of Neo Castro, and of Sphacteria.— The
Author proceeds into the Interior. — Unfortunate
Sciote refugees. — Their miserable plight. — Popula
rity of the French merchants. — ViUage magistrate,
want of repose after fatigue. — Depopulated Turkish
vUlage.^Messenian vaUey described. — Monastery
and vUlages.— Site of Messene. Page 486—507
LETTER XXV,
Mount Ithom(5.— Peril and wanderings. — The Author
takes shelter m a lone cottage — Eagerness of the

xxii CONTENTS.
country people to plunder the Turks.— Mainotes. —
The Eurotas. — Mountain prospect. — Cruel acts. — In-
vitatioii from some Mainotes refiised.— Grates of Tri
poUzza. — Party at night.-r-Lodging procured in the
house of a soldier.^The Author removes to the
house of. Kyr NIcoIm. — Description of Tripolizza. —
Palace of a slaughtered Turk. — Turkish orphans. —
Extraordinary capture of Tripolizza. — ^Greek Senate.
— Approach of Raschid Pacha. — Costume ofthe Greek
soldiers. — The Mosques and Minarets. — MUitary
Priests. — The Koran burned. — French surgeon. —
Resemblance of the Mainotes to the Scotch Idand-
ers. — The Italian artiUerist, his character. — Lively
detail of a Coffee-house. — ^Beautiful women from the
Greek Islands. Page 508^529
LETTER XXVI.
Distressing scenes at Tripolizza. — Unfortunate Aga. —
European volunteers. — Death of an enthusiastic Eng
lishman. — History of a Turkisli widow. — Excesses in
Tripolizza. — The Author's visit to the plain- of Man-
tinea. — Site of Mantinea. — Climate. — English gen
tleman's adventures. — Greek merchants. — Coloco-
troni. — Courschid Pacha's ladies ransomed. Page 530 — 552
LETTER XXVII.
Advance of Courschid Pacha, to Argos. — Alarm of the
Government. — Turkish etiquette overthi-own. — Si
tuation of the Tufks. — Supineness of the Turkish
army. — Resolve of BoboUna, a Greek lady, to slay
her sister. — Timely firmness of Colocotroni. — The
Aga AU Cochi.— Visit to the Palace of a Turkish
Commander. — The Author quits Tripolizza.— Argos
burnt. — Plamlet in the mountains. — FUght of the
Turkish widow.— Author's louto to the Coast de
scribed.— He sails for Zantc— Wretched condition

APPENDIX. xxiii
of traveUers in the Lazaretto. — Release from Qua
rantine — Pai-ting with the faithful Michel.— The
Author's an-ival in England. Page 552—578

APPENDIX.
Visit to Palmyra, communicated by a Friend of the Au
thor. — The traveUer quits Damascus. — The Desert
described. — ^Achmed, his Arab guide. — Mountain of
Ashloon. — Arabs and their flocks. — Their costume.—
Reception at Carieteen. — Halt in the Desert. — Cool
ness of the nights. — Arrival at Palmyra. — The great
Scheik. — The celebrated ruins explored. — Their re
semblance to those of Thebes. — ^Estimated circum
ference of the ancient edifices. — Height and dia
meter ofthe columns. — Historical disquisition respect
ing the era when this city was buUt. — Tadmor —
King Rezon  SepiUchral monuments. — Mummies. —
The Castle HUl.— VaUey of Salt.— Sulphureous
springs. — Supper of goats'-flesh. — Brandy not for
bidden by the Prophet. — Account of the Bedouin
tribe, and the Scheik of Palmyra. — Beauty of the
Palmyrene women. — The great Lady. — FareweU
view of the Temple of the Sun. — Return to Damascus. Page 579—593

Iri the press,
BY THE SAME AUTHOR,
LETTERS,
WRITTEN DURING A TOUR THROUGH
SWITZERLAND AND ITALY,
IN THE YEAR, 1825.

LETTERS

FROM

THE EAST.

LETTER I.
CONSTANTINOPLE.

We arrived at Pera near Constantinople,
after a very good passage of eighteen days
from Marseilles, without much incident. The
worst part of it was a calm of four days, that
came on as we lost sight of Sardinia : during
which the utter want of interest and variety
brought a most wearying vacuity upon the
mind, as we sat upon the deck, sick, gazing only
on the sea and sky, and the waste of waters
heaving around. On the fifth day a beautiful
breeze sprang'up, and sickness and weariness
fled away. The Morea came in sight, and we

2 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
saw a sunset equal to some I have seen in
England. But one lovely evening, the island
of Zea was on one side, and a very pretty
Greek town of white houses with flat roofs on
its declivity, and a church at the bottom, with
its town, just like one of our country village
churches : the high and romantic land of
Greece, very barren, was on the other side;
over which the sun sank gradually with in
describable splendour. But the twilight here
is much shorter than with us ; nor do the hues
of sunset, though more delicate and soft, linger
so long in the sky. The range of Grecian
country, terminating in the capes Colonna and
Negropont, was extremely lofty, and the hills
finely wooded ; and far in the back-ground
were mountains covered with snow. The is
lands of Mitylene^ Ipsara, and at last Tenedos,
came in sight, with the land of Troy. But the
land of the East, to whieh we were fast ap-
proaehing, now became the great object of in
terest; and the entrance of the Dardanelles
at last opened ; a vessel or two preceding us,
when a gun from the fort told us that all was
not peace. We were ordered, from a Turkish
frigate, into a position near the shore. The
captain concealed his money. Two boats
boarded us on both sides with soldiers and

CONSTANTINOPLE 3
several officers ; but thOy only came to know
if we had any design to assist the Greeks with
stores or ammunition, and they at last gave us
permission to depart.
After some hours' stay we proceeded up the
Dardanelles, Europe on one side and Asia on
the other : and soon Turkey opened on us with
its loveliest scenery. I do not know if I can
convey a proper idea of it, — it is so different
from that of Europe. What gives a peculiar
beauty to the Turkish towns and villages, is
their being so embosomed in trees. You al
ways see these of the liveliest verdure, hang
ing over and shading the greatest part of the
houses. The habitations are rather low, and
built generaUy of wood, with gently sloping
roofs ; they are either of a red, white, or lead
colour, with windows of framework of wood.
The neat white minaret of the mosque rises
eminent amidst every village. The country
was rich in many parts with corn, which had
been already cut; and a cool kiosque was
seen, shaded with its luxuriance of wood. But
all this only whetted my impatience to behold
Stamboul, as the Turks call it; and night came
down again to augment it. For the last few
days the sky had become more beautiful, of a
most delicate blue, bounded near the horizon by
B 2

4 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
a ridge of white clouds ; and the last day of our
voyage was particularly fine, when a gentle
breeze brought us towards the capital of the
East. The first view rather disappoints you ;
the surrounding -shores are not striking, and
you are inclined to ask, where is the magnifi
cence of Constantinople ? But when you enter
the; canal, and turn the point where stands the
seraglio, and the site of the city, being built on
declivities, rises higher, so that houses appear
to range on houses — and Pera and Galata,
with the immense dark grove of cypress on
the place of graves that crowns the hill, open
to your view — you are struck with admiration.
The houses of wood, of which the city is chief
ly built, have indeed nothing grand in their
appearance; three-fourths of the fronts are
taken up with windows. But it is the novel
and beautiful blending of trees and verdure
with every part; the innumerable minarets,
some with gilded tops that glitter in the sun ;
and the superior mosques, of a nobler appear
ance, and towering above all other buildings,
— which impress the mind of a stranger with
feelings unknown at the sight of any other
European city.
Our vessel being bound for Odessa, pro
ceeded up the river to the village of Buyuk-

CONSTANTINOPLE.

der6, a few miles distant, celebrated for its
beauty. This afforded an excellent opportu
nity to view the scenery ; and few who have
once done this can ever forget it. -Each side
of the river — a noble stream, of a mile, or
sometimes half that in width — was thickly co
vered with habitations. In one part was a
mosque of the purest white marble, most richly
ornamented and gilded, and the dark cypress
around it. On the left, a summer seraglio of
the Sultan, with its small pleasure-ground,
stretched along the shore. The hills on the
European side, descending nearly close to the
river, and prettily wooded, yet so small that
they looked in miniature ; and the little Turk
ish houses, standing in the river, or hanging in
parapets over it, or thrown back in a retiring
wood, — put you in mind of what you had
imagined of Chinese scenery and dwellings.
My view often wandered with delight over the
Asiatic side, as the scene of future pleasures.
f'At last," I said to myself, " my long-cherish
ed hopes are accomplished; it is all oriental that
I see : but my expectations are surpassed."
After casting anchor at Buyukder^, the cap
tain procured a boat to carry us back to Con
stantinople. One Turkish rower only had to
pull against a strong wind for some miles; it was

6 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
most laborious work for him, though well paid :
it was the fast of Ramadan; and the poor fellow
pointed to his stomach very expressively, to
signify he had eaten nothing all day. It was
evening as we entered the basin of Constanti
nople ; and it was like a scene of enchantment.
The seraglio, in part a range of white buildings,
beautifully figured in front, with hanging roofs
of a lead colour, but without any magnificence
of architecture, stood close to the water's edge;
behind was a rich and moveless mass of cypress,
varied by the vast domains of the palace, which
occasionally glittered through or rose over it.
On the left was Scutari, one of the suburbs on
the Asiatic side, with its white mosques : and
as we drew nearer the landing-place, large
boats, with Turks of all ranks and dresses,
passed rapidly by.
We were not aware of the tumults and mas
sacres of which Constantinople had been the
scene. It was not safe for an European to pass
through Pera and Galata without a janizary.
On landing at the latter suburb, we entered a
coffee-house: but the Turks, with impressive
gestures, warned us away. Not only the sol
diers, but all the populace, bore arras: the
very boys had their pistols and ataghau, and
had learned to dip their hands in blood. Al-

CONSTANTINOPLE. 7
most every day some dreadful atrocity was
acted. There was no mercy for the Greek,
wherever discovered : no home could shelter
him, save the palaces of the ambassadors. The
windows of the lofty apartment where we
lodged, looked down on a cemetery, with its
cypress-grove. As soon as evening set in, the
firing of musquets and pistols commenced
around it, and was kept up at intervals through
the night : this rendered it very unsafe to walk
there after sunset. Of the Greek boyars, or
noblemen, scarcely one now remains. Those
who were not slain in the tumults have fled
from their homes, and left their families and
possessions at the mercy of the Turks. The
village of Therapia on tbe Bosphorus was cele
brated alike for the beaiuty of its women and
the uncommon loveliness of its situation. It
was a luxury to a stranger in the cool of even
ing to see the Greek ladies and princesses
walking there, with theif raven hair scarcely
confined, and the rich veil turned aside ; their
classic features and fine forms harmonizing
well with the exquisite scenery around. But
now every path is silent ther6, and their palaces
are deserted.
As I sat one afternoon beneath the portico
of tbe Palace of the Janizaries in Constan-

8 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
tinople, two Greeks, of a superior class, were
brought in under a guard. It was impossible
not to be moved at such a scene. They were
both elderly men ; and as they walked with a
firm step, their looks were placid and resigned.
Their fate was inevitable ; their retreat had
been discovered, and they were torn from their
families to die. Indeed it was singular to ob
serve the resignation, approaching to apathy,
with which the Greeks in general met their
fate. One unfortunate man had made his
escape ; but so strong was his desire after a
few weeks to see his family again, that he
ventured back. The very evening of his return
he was discovered in Galata, and dragged forth.
The Greek knelt down, folded his arms on his
breast tranquilly, without any change of fea
ture, and was instantly shot. I passed by the
body of this man twice afterwards : the Turks,
as was their frequent practice after beheading,
had fixed the head between the knees in an
upright position, so that its ghastly aspect was
sure to meet the eye of the passenger. The
Musulmen certainly excel all other people in
their dexterity in taking off" the head at one
blow. Afterwards, at Smyrna, I went early
one (morning to the execution of twenty-three
Greeks, who were put to death in this way with

CONSTANTINOPLE. 9
little pain. But the scene was closed before I
arrived at the spot, where the bodies were then
lying in a heap. It was truly shocking to see
how cheap human life was held. The women
were better off" in this respect: but woe to
those who had any beauty ! they always found
their way to the harems of the Turks, to be
come their slaves and mistresses ; while the
plain ones were cared nothing about. A young
and very lovely Greek was offiered for sale by
an Armenian merchant at Constantinople for
twenty thousand piastres, (about six hundred
pounds). One of the pashas owed him that
sum, and sent him this lady, who had become
his captive, as payment, with directions that
he must sell her for the full amount. The sex
were, indeed, sadly degraded at this period.
At the storming of Hivaly, a Greek town on
the coast of Asia Minor, the Turks having put
all the men to the sword, and secured the few
beauties for their seraglios, sold the rest of the
women for fifty piastres, or thirty shillings,
a-piece. In several of the warehouses of the
English merchants at Smyrna, the ladies were
crowded together, of all kinds, ranks, ages,
and charms, too happy to escape the hands of
the true believers, never daring to quit their
retreat, and supplied with food by the genero-

10 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
sity of their protectors. — But to return to
Stamboul. How entire a change from the
freedom and gaiety of France, which we had
so lately left ! The women you moot have a
most repulsive appearance : a huge cloak hangs
down to their feet, and a thick white veil
covers the upper part of the face ; — the pallid
hue of the small part exposed, with the dark
eyes peering earnestly over the veil, gives them
just the appearance of corpses.
The various costumes of the Turks have much
interest for a stranger. They are certainly, in
personal appearance, the finest people in Eu
rope, and their figures are much set off" by their
magnificent dress. During the feast of Beiram,
when every man, from the prince to the pea
sant, puts on his best apparel, nothing could
be more striking than the infinite variety and
splendour of their dresses. The beauty of the
Turks is peculiar ; the features have a general
bluntness, without " points or angles." The
thick and heavy eyebrow covers a full, round,
and dark eye ; the nose straight, and the chin
round, with a very handsome mouth. They
walk extremely erect ; and their large limbs,
their slow pace, and flowing garments, give
them a very majestic air. They will sit on
benches spread with soft carpets, in the open

CONSTANTINOPLE. 11
air, a great part of the day ; and you see some
of them reclining so moveless, with their head
and noble white beard resting on their bosoms,
and clothed in a light pink or white drapery,
that they bring to mind the scene of the ancient
Roman senators, when the Goths first rushed
into the Forum and took their tranquil forms
for statues. But nothing can exceed their in
dolence : they hold a string of beads in their
hands of diff'erent colours, to play with like
children, from mere inanity of thought, during
the intervals of smoking.
From the extreme tranquillity and regularity
of their lives, and their freedom from strong
passions, derangement is a very rare circum
stance with this people. We one day visited
the house for lunatics, the only one in the city.
It possessed a spacious court, with a fountain
and trees in the middle ; and the cells were
ranged around. The persons confined were
very few ; and the madness of each was quiet
and meditative, if such an expression is allow
able. There was no violence or strong emo
tion of any kind manifested. One old man
was happy to play his guitar and sing to any
visitor. Love can have little power on the mind with
a people among whom the free association of

12 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
the sexes, or the knowledge of each other, is
forbid by custom. For ambition, or the rest
less desire to rise in the world, whether to
riches or fame, the Turk certainly cares less
than any other being. The pride of family, or
the trouble of sustaining it, aff"ects him little,
there being no orders of nobility amongst them.
Give him his Arab horses, his splendid arms,
his pipe and coff'ee, his seat in the shade, — and
the Turk is in general contented with the state
which Alia has assigned him. The pleasures
of the table have few charms for him, for no
other nation can equal his temperance at table.
But his idol, his ruling passion, is beauty ; for
this he will pay any price. He will procure
this from every nation : when the first wife of
his fancy begins to lose the freshness of her
charms, he will seek another more seductive ;
no matter whether Persian, Circassian, Greek,
or Armenian. How admirably the prophet has
adapted his paradise to the passions of his
countrymen! The banks of roses on which
the true believer sinks down, the palm, the
orange, and the trees of perfume waving their
eternal shadows over him, the fountains which
gush away with a sound as of melody — all
would be tame and unavailing, but for the

CONSTANTINOPLE. 13
maids of immortal beauty, who await him
there. The feast of Beiram having commenced, we
went to see the celebrated game of the jerrid,
or hurling the blunt javelin; forming a party of
six gentlemen, and attended by three janizaries.
The coffiee-houses in the suburbs of the city
are often beautifully situated and shaded : near
one of these were a number of little cars, very
gaudily painted and canopied, with carpets in
them ; where the Turk reclined at his ease,
and was drawn by the hand, by means of a
long pole affixed. The weather was very hot ;
and our path was through the immense burial-
ground on the summit of the hill, covered with
its dark mass of noble cypress-trees. The
tomb-stones were narrow, four or five feet
high, with a turban of stone carved on the top
of each, and adorned with various inscriptions,
many of which, as well as the monument,
were richly gilded.
You could not help contrasting this Eastern
cemetery with that most interesting one at
Paris, of P^re La Chaise. There all was taste,
elegance, and tenderness : the beds of flowers
and garlands that adorned the neat mauso
leums of white marble, on which the sun shone

14 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
— or the darker monuments which stood apart,
shrouded by the cypress — all kept so clean arid
sacred, that a survivor might delight to retire
there to- mourn. Here there was a deep and
impenetrable gloom, and a stillness well suited
to it. You saw only here and there a female
figure sitting on the earth, and mourning at
the tomb of her husband or son : but her grief
had no voice ; and her face then partly un-
shrouded, with its pallid hue, looked as little
enchanting as death itself.
On emerging from this vast cemetery, we
descended the hill, and entered a small wood,
where groups of Turks were seated in the shade,
or beneath awnings, smoking and conversing,
or amused with a buff"oon. The field of action
presented a scene truly interesting and oriental.
It formed a kind of amphitheatre, the steep de
clivity of which was covered with innumerable
spectators, who sat in rows on the ground,
their turbaned heads, of all the colours of the
rainbow, rising in ridges one over the other to
the summit. Above these, on the brow of the
hill, were pitched a number of tents; and beside
them stood several open carriages, filled with
Turkish ladies, yet veiled. The Sultan was in
a kiosque that overlooked the field, before
which were ranged his guards, uncommonly

CONSTANTINOPLE. 16
fine men, all in wbite dresses. A number of
beautiful Arabian coursers, richly caparisoned
and held by grooms, stood around,, and gave a
variety to the scene. In a small valley below
were the combatants with the jerrid. The
wild Turkish music struck up, and the game
was warmly engaged in. The dexterity of the
players was admirable ; starting at full speed
in all directions, they threw the jerrid with
infinite skill, and warded off" their antagonist's,
or caught it as it flew.
Though there are no carriages here, yet the
Turkish boats, in which you are borne rapidly
to any part of the shores of the Bosphorus, are
an exceeding luxury. They are very light,
and finely carved within, and often gilded.
You are pestered, the moment you arrive at
the water's edge, with innumerable applica
tions. The boatmen are admirable rowers : so
many of them have the privilege of being the
prophet's cousins, that the green turban is
quite common among them. We embarked
one fine morning to visit the islands of Chalet,
Prinkipo, and others, seven milesi from the
city. The scenery they contain is really ex
quisite. There is a convent in each : a recluse
could never wish for a lovelier retirement. A
party of the natives were seated in the shade

16 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
of a large tree, smoking and sipping coff'ee. It
would be worth while to know how far a Turk.
is sensible of the picturesque ; he certainly has
the range of the finest parts of the world.
But it is quite amusing sometimes to see him
seated beneath the portico of a coffee-house,
that overlooks scenes which have no equal :
with his little cup of coff'ee or sherbet, whieh
he sips at intervals, musing between, or eating
sweetmeats with childish fondness ; while his
deep external solemnity, his formidable weapons
and lofty demeanour, affiord a singular contrast.
On landing at Prinkipo, we were surround
ed by a number of unfortunate Greeks, who
were truly objects of sympathy and pity.
They had not taken any part in the revolution ;
but, being not wholly free from suspicion, were
sent here by the Turkish government to await
their doom. What this would be they knew
not : they put the most eager questions to us :
the deep dejection of their countenances, for
most of them looked pale and wretched,
shewed how bitter was the state of suspense
in which they were held ; and it was not in
our power to give them any consolation.
We set out very early one morning, a party
of six, to make the tour of the walls of Con
stantinople. It was a very sultry and cloud-

CONSTANTINOPLE. 17
less day; but any fatigue would have been
repaid by such a promenade. The country
in the immediate neighbourhood it is vain to
attempt to describe. These ancient walls have
a most noble and venerable appearance ; they
are about forty feet high in many parts, with
their towers quite shrouded with ivy. But it
was in vain we attempted to discover the place
of the breach by which the Turks entered.
The whole circuit of the walls is eighteen
miles ; but the line towards the sea is not so
lofty. About a mile off', on the plain, is the
lofty mound, where Mahmoud planted his
standard, and first beheld the city ; and, trans
ported with its beauty, swore by the prophet
never to stir thence till it was his own. It is
directly opposite the gate of Tophcani, whence
the unfortunate Constantine made his last
sally, and, being mortally wounded, was borne
to a shaded spot near by, where he expired.
There was an Armenian coff'ee-house at this
place, outside the wall : we entered it, and
soon felt the reality of Oriental luxury. When
exhausted by heat and fatigue, to irecline on
soft cushions by the side of a fountain, to
drink Arabian coffee or sherbet, and take the
Argill6e, where the smoke, after passing
through a vase of water, comes cooled through

18 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
a soft and curling tube to the mouth— all this
acts on the senses with a powerful charm.
We afterwards came to the ruins of a small
Greek church lately destroyed, which had been
held in peculiar veneration, on account of some
sacred fish preserved there in a pool with infinite
care. At the storming of the city by Mahmoud,
the wall near which this church stood was con
sidered impregnable. One of the Greek priests
was frying some fish, secure in his situation.
On a messenger entering with the news that
the Turks were forcing their way in, " I would
as soon believe," exclaimed the priest, ." that
these fish would leap out of the pan, and swim
about the room, as such an impossible event."
Strange to say, the thing actually happened ;
and thfese sacred fish were preserved till lately
inviolable, but they too have fallen, with their
masters, before the sacrilegious Turks. While
we were there, two poor Greeks drew nigh,
with marks of the deepest reverence ; and one
of them shed tears at sight of the ruins. We
then took a boat and landed not far from the
Atmeidaii, or chief square of the city : here
stands the splendid mosque of Sultan Mah
moud ; but no European at that time was
allowed to enter the mosques, and we could
only gaze on the outside of Saint Sophia. On

CONSTANTINOPLE. 19
passing by one of the gates of the seraglio, it
stood open and afforded a glimpse at the rich
gardens within : but this was forbidden ground.
At the foot of the gate laya number of heads
of the wretched Greeks, and the boys were
tumbling them about like footballs. Near this
was a large fountain of a strikingly rich and
elegant appearance, carved and gilded on the
four sides, with several streams of water gush
ing out. The care shown by this people to
provide the luxury of water for the traveller
cannot be too highly praised, and prevails all
over the East. At intervals along the roads
and within the city are erected neaf stone
fountains, placed, if possible, in the shade of
trees : with a tin vessel suspended by a chain,
to drink out of. We entered next the great
bazaar, called the Bezestein. The bazaars are
places of high interest to lounge in. Each
trade has its own street and department. The
circular roof, by which also the light enters,
soreens them from the heat. It is a great treat
to sit beside one of the merchants on his ele
vated seat, and observe the variety of people
of various ranks and costumes who pass before
you. The Persian, the Armenian, the Nubian,
and the Tartar merchants, arrived with cara
vans from the most distant parts of Asia ; pil-
c 2

20 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
grims from Mecca, with their green turbans,
and toil-worn yet haughty features — for each
devotee holds his head higher after that enter
prise ; Dervishes, who traverse all parts of the
empire, some half naked, others decked in
various ornaments. The Turkish merchant
comes here at an early hour, mounts into his
little shop, sits in his soft slippers, with his
pipe in his hand, and is supplied with coffee
at intervals from the seller close by : he never
asks for custom, but waits tranquilly till ap
plied to. Thus he remains till sunset.
We spent a few days very delightfully at
Therapia, at the house of Mr, L. ; where a very
singular adventure befel us. After sunset we
set out on a long walk with Mr. and Mrs. L.
and ascended the hill above the village. After
enjoying a good while the wide and exquisite
scenery which the path commanded — the
whole channel of the Bosphorus, the Black
Sea, and the Seven-hilled city in the distance
— we proposed to return direct home ; but the
lady preferred descending to the water-side,
and to return by a more agreeable and circuit
ous path. The tents of the Turkish soldiers,
wild and irregular troops lately arrived from
Asia Minor, were scattered on the declivities
around ; and it was certainly not prudent to

CONSTANTINOPLE. 21
be walking at so late an hour, and without a
guard. We had nearly gained the foot of the
hill when we were challenged by a sentinel
from a bank above ; several others soon came
up, and arrested our progress. They conduct
ed us to the tent of their chief, in the middle of
which he was reclining on a carpet ; but the
entire ignorance of each other's language ren
dered the interview useless. The scene was
very striking. The group of tents stood on a
lofty bank at the water's edge, and the watch-
fires at the entrance of each threw a vivid glare
around: the whole was overspread by a noble
group of trees, through the massy foliage of
which the moonlight scarcely penetrated. We
were then ordered to a spot outside the
tent, where the ropes crossing formed a sort
of barrier. They most probably took us for
Greeks; for soon after leaving Therapia a
party of soldiers came there in search of two
Greek gentlemen and a lady ; and our com
panion's dress, in a light blue turban and black
veil, favoured this idea. The chief at last
allowed us to enter his tent, where he again
endeavoured to examine us. He was a bold-
looking man, with a handsorae black beard
and very graceful gesture. His tent was dimly
lighted by a large lamp, made of fine oiled

22 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
cotton; and many of his soldiers, wild-looking
fellows, and variously armed, formed a circle
round. At last they brought coff'ee and pipes,
the pledges of peace, helping the lady last, (as
an inferior being in their eyes,) who throughout
had shown great coolness and presence of
raind. We had no prospect now but of spend
ing the night here; and the idea was any
thing but pleasant. Mr. L, at last thought of
sending a message to Georgi, a French servant
in Therapia, who spoke Turkish. The chief in
the mean time grew more friendly; he drew
from beneath his pillow his beautiful Damas
cus sabre, two-edged for about half the blade's
length, and inscribed with characters from the
Koran. After a long delay Georgi at last arrived,
and soon explained who we were ; but the bey
insisted on sending us under a guard before
the Pacha, who with his army was encamped
in the beautiful valley of Buyukder6, about
two miles distant. Four soldiers attended us ;
and as we drew near the camp, it presented a
scene truly interesting. The white tents in
one part were ranged close to th^ edge of an
inlet of the Bosphorus ; and the light of their
watch-fires, spread over the waters, mingled
with the most soft and cloudless moonlight.
As we advanced into the wood, large groups

CONSTANTINOPLE. 23
of soldiers were seated smoking beneath the
trees, and almost shrouded by their deep
shade. Farther on in the valley, this camp of
seven thousand troops was lighted by nume
rous lines of fires ; or the blaze of the pine-
torch suspended from the trees. We reached
at last the tent of the Pacha, who was absent
from the camp : but his chief officer, the Kiaia
Bey, was there, with two more officers of rank.
The tent was lined with crimson silk, and
floored with a rich Persian carpet. The chief
behaved in a very polite manner ; apologized
for his people having arrested us ; but advised
us never to walk out late again without a
guard, in such disturbed times, as he could
not be answerable for the behaviour of the
irregular troops. Delicious Arabian coff'ee
was then introduced in small china cups,
placed in another cup of chased silver, accord
ing to the eastern custom. The spectacle
around was truly barbaric; some large pine-
torches, hung from the trees, were fiercely
burning before the tent, and their light was
thrown over the variously-coloured and splen
did dresses of a number of soldiers ranged
around ; while at a short distance, amongst the
trees, the wild yet sweet Turkish music was
played, accompanied with singing. The general

24 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
ordered a guard of six soldiers to accompany
us back to Therapia, where we arrived at a
late hour.
The mosque of the whirling dervishes afforded
a singular exhibition during the feast of Beiram.
Taking off our shoes at the entrance, we
mingled among the assemblage of Turks that
was seated on the floor. There was a great
deal of simplicity and elegance in the build
ing : a large circular space in the middle was
inclosed by a railing, within which were near
twenty dervishes. Above was a gallery, with
a front of gilt lattice-work, which held a great
number of spectators as well as the musicians.
The devotions, if so they may be called, began
with the chanting some parts of the Koran, by
a dervise in the gallery, whose voice gradually
became louder, and the dervishes below began
to walk round in a circle, slowly, with their
arms folded. At last the music struck up a
lively strain ; and one of them, advancing into
the middle of the circle, began to spin round
like a top. They all threw off the outer gar
ment, and in their white vest set to spinning,
with their arms extended in a line with the
top of their heads, and their eyes closed. It is
really incredible how they could endure such
an incessant motion for such a length of time.

CONSTANTINOPLE. 25
it being continued for more than an hour, with
two or three intervals of rest of a few minutes
each. Though so many in a small space, and
the vest of each flung out like a parachute, they
did not come in contact with each other.
The same day we had the pleasure of seeing
the Sultan go in procession to the mosque.
He landed from his splendid barge at the en
trance of the fort, and advanced slowly on
a most beautiful charger, surrounded by his
guards and chief officers on foot. First came
the janizaries in red ; then the soldiers, who
wore magnificent plumes of white feathers, in
the form of a crescent, fixed on their gilded
helmets : these carried battle-axes richly
adorned. Immediately around the Sultan were
his body-guards, uncommonly fine men, their
turban and whole dress of the purest white.
He himself is a very handsome man, with a
mild and melancholy aspect, about forty years
of age.

26 LETTERS FROM TUE EAST.

LETTER 11.

CONSTANTINOl'LE.

We took boat one afternoon, with two Eng
lish gentlemen, for Scutari, to see the howling
Dervishes. The mosque was very plain ; having
taken our seats in the gallery, we waited for
some time, while the dervishes were engaged
in drinking, as our guard, a captain of the
janizaries, informed us, to excite themselves
to go through the strange exhibition that fol
lowed . A young man of the order then mounted
on a flight of steps without the door, and sum
moned, in a very loud and mournful voice, for
nearly half an hour, the faithful to attend. The
dervishes all entered, and, ranged in a long
line, began to rock their bodies to and fro in
simultaneous movement. But this motion soon
became more rapid, and Alia and Mohammed,
at first pronounced in a low and sad tone, burst

CONSTANTINOPLE. 27
from their lips with violence. They then all
threw off their outer garments, sprang from the
ground, and threw their arms furiously about.
As their imaginations became more heated,
some stripped themselves nearly naked, others
foamed at the mouth; one or two old men,
exhausted, sank on the ground, and the cries
of God and the Prophet might be heard afar
off. It was a singular spectacle of enthusiasm
and hypocrisy combined ; but what ensued was
more disgusting, for they took red-hot irons
and applied them to their legs and feet, and
other parts of their bodies, still howling out
amidst their pain the name of the Eternal, in
whose honour, they would have their credulous
assembly believe, they suffered all this. A
great part of the dervishes are notorious liber
tines and profligates, as the better informed
Turks are often heard to call them. They
consist of various orders ; some live in monas-
tei'ies, others lead a wandering life through
different parts of the empire, chiefly subsisting
on the hospitality of the faithful. In the island
of Cyprus I met with a young dervise of this
kind ; his features were fair and effeminate, and
his long hair fell in ringlets on his neck and
bosom ; on the latter he wore several pieces of
stained glass, fancifully disposed ; his appear-

28 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
ance betokened any thing but devotion. Others
are to be seen roving about with thick dishe
velled hair, wild looks, and half naked ; these
profess poverty and self-denial, and are held
most in reverence by the people. Many of these
men, however, are sincere teachers and exam
ples of their religion, and lead the life of pil
grims, or fix on some secluded spot, where
they live abstemiously, and repay with their
counsels the simple presents of the people.
The most eminent of them are termed Santons,
and have handsome monuments built on their
graves in the shade of trees, which are ever
after regarded with peculiar veneration.
The fast of Ramadan ended a few days ago.
As rigidly kept as that of the Jews : — the Turk
finds it severe enough to remain from one sun
set to the next without a morsel ; then coffee
and his pipe are indeed his solace, for these
are permitted. With what tumultuous joy did
the believers deport themselves in a coffee
house not far from the English palace ! They
danced wildly in groups to the sound of the
guitar and tambour, embraced one another as
they talked of the night near at hand, when
the first appearance of the new moon should
announce that Ramadan was over, and Beiram
was begun. It came at last; on that night

CONSTANTINOPLE. 29
•every minaret of the grand mosques was illu
mined from top to bottom with innumerable
rows of lamps. You could distinguish those of
Achmed, Suleimanieh, and St. Sophia ; it was
a peculiar and splendid sight ; and the vast
city and its people seemed to be hushed in the
stillness of midnight, waiting for the signal of
festivity. The Imauns from the tops of the
highest minarets eagerly bent their looks to
catch the first glimpse of the new moon ; the
moment it was perceived, loud and joyful
shouts, which spread instantly all over the city,
announced that the hour of indulgence was
eome, and full compensation for all their de
nials. It was really pleasing to observe, the
next day, the looks of kindness and almost fra-
tornal feeling which they cast on each other.
The poor man is often seen at this period to
take the hand, and kiss the cheek of the rich
and haughty, who returns the salutation as to
his equal, a brother in the glorious faith of
their Prophet, a co-heir to the privileges of
his Paradise. Delight was pictured in every
countenance ; every one put on his finest ap
parel, and the sound of music was heard on
every side, mingled with songs in honour of
their religion. We are too apt to divest the
Turks of domestic virtues, yet one cannot but

30 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
be struck with their extreme fondness for their
children ; beautiful beings they often are, be
yond those of auy other country. In Damascus,
I have many times stopped in the streets to
gaze at children of six or eight years of age,
whose extreme loveliness it was impossible not
to admire; — and afterwards in Tripolitza, I
cannot forget how the love of a Turkish lady
to her two youngest children risked the murder
of herself, her son and daughter, and her most
intimate friend.
The population of Constantinople has been
much overrated : according to General Se-
bastiani's calculation, while he was ambas
sador, it does not exceed four hundred thou
sand ; and the suburbs of Pera, Galata, Scu
tari, &c. with the line of villages along the
shores of the Bosphorus, contain eight hundred
thousand more. A considerable part of the
ground the city covers is taken up with gardens.
The areas of the mosques are generally planted
with trees, and a fountain, sometimes richly
ornamented, stands at the entrance ; for a Turk
seldom enters without first washing his feet ;
and, laying aside his shoes, he treads in his soft
slippers. The solemnity of this people at their
devotions is very striking ; whether in the
mosque or in the open air, they appear entirely
abstracted from all around ; and you would

CONSTANTINOPLE. 31
think, from the expression of their features, that
the spirit and the senses were alike devoted to
this sacred duty ; they are generally silent,
save that the sound of Alia, pronounced in a
low and humble tone, is often heard. The
mosques are in general unadorned, and the
architecture quite simple; the name of God
and passages from the Koran are inscribed in
gold letters on the walls. A lofty corridor
goes all round the interior of the building ; the
circular space in the middle, where the pulpit
of the Imaun stands, is lighted by a dome
at the top. The assembly range themselves
beneath the corridor on mats and carpets;
the greater part of the time is occupied in
prayer. The habits of an Oriental are very simple ;
the absence of every kind of public amuse
ment and dissipation, with his rigid adherence
to all the usages of his fathers, raakes one day
the picture of every other. A Turk of good
condition rises with the sun ; and as he sleeps
on soft cushions, divesting himself but of a
small part of his dress, it costs him little
trouble at the toilet. He offers up his prayer,
and then breakfasts on a cup of coffee, some
sweetmeats, and the luxury of his pipe.
Perhaps he will read the Koran, or the glow
ing poetry of Hafiz and Sadi ; for a knowledge

32 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
of the Persian is the frequent accomplishment
of the upper ranks of both sexes. He then
orders his Arab horse, and rides for two or
three hours, or exercises with the jerrid, and
afterwards dines about mid-day on a highly
seasoned pilaw. In the afternoon, the coffee
houses, whither the Eastern story-tellers resort,
are favourite places of entertainment ; or seat
ed in his cool kiosk, on the banks of the Bos
phorus, he yields to his useless but delightful
habit of musing. But the decline of day
brings the Turk's highest joys : he then dines
on a variety of seasoned dishes, drinks his
iced sherbet, enjoys probably a party of his
friends, and afterwards visits the harem,
where his beloved children are brought him;
and his wife or wives, if he has more than one,
with their attendants and slaves, exert all their
powers of fascination for their lord. The
Nubian brings him the richest perfumes ; the
Circassian, excelling in her loveliness, presents
the spiced coffee and the rare confection made
by her own hands, and tunes her guitar or
lute, the sounds of which are mingled with
the murmurs of the fountain on the marble
pavement beneath.
The utter desolation of the unhappy Greeks
forces itself on one's notice every day. The

CONSTANTINOPLE. 33
spacious quarter of the Fanal, entirely inha
bited by them, is now nearly deserted. The
animating spectacle which the Bosphorus
often presented at evening, of their pleasure-
boats filled with Greek beauty and gaiety, has
quite disappeared. Two fine palaces, which
stood at the water's edge, were inhabited by
two brothers, who held financial situations
under the government. Being suspected, their
heads were cut off on the sarae day; and their
palaces, as we sailed by thera, were forsaken.
The sweet shaded scenes around the hamlets
and cottages on the shore, where this once
happy people delighted to dance in groups to
the mandoline, and sing the songs of their
native land, are now mute. At times, in walk
ing along the Bosphorus, you may meet some
wretched Greek flying from his pursuers, or
see some murdered body floating near the
shore. I mingled one day in a group of the
lowest Turks, who were gazing on the corpse
of one of their victims with an appearance of
great satisfaction. One of them took hold of
the body with a hook to throw it into the sea ;
but another wretch instantly stepped forwards
and stripped it first of all its clothing, when
it was cast naked into the water. On visiting
a fine khan, near the Fanal, which was fre-
D

34 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
quented by the rich Greek merchants, not a
being was to be seen save two Persian mer
chants, seated smoking in the open area, with
pale and still features, and their long beards
dyed black. Much of the effects of the cap
tive or slain proprietors still remained in the
apartments. What tales of blood might be told of this
war of extermination ! Just before our land
ing at the town of the Dardanelles, a large
village on the opposite shore was attacked at
night by a body of Turkish soldiers, and men,
women, and children put to the sword, to the
amount of several hundreds.
In the cruel evacuation of Parga, when its
poor people knew not where to find an asylum,
and each family had a distress all its own, a
father and mother — I knew the circumstance
well — offered an English officer their only and
beautiful daughter. " Take her, signior," they
said, "from the misery around, save her from
Ali Pacha, treat her always with kindness, and
she shall live with you." The young Greek
still resides with him, but her parents most
probably perished. Here, separations like this
might be said to be mild, compared to some
scenes, where the parents were butchered

CONSTANTINOPLE. 35
before the eyes of their children, who were
borne away for the pleasures of the captor.
At Smyrna, after the first massacre in the
streets, the Greeks shut themselves in their
houses, but several times they made attempts
to escape in boats. Having watched that the
shore was clear of the enemy, they hurried on
board with their families, to gain sorae neutral
vessel in the harbour. The Turkish soldiers
quickly gathered on the beach, and kept up a
fire of musquetry on them. It was sad to hear
the cries from the boats, and see the poor
fugitives dropping as the bullets struck them.
After I left Smyrna, a singular circumstance
occurred to an intimate friend and fellow-
traveller, who chanced to spend a short time
there. He was sitting in his apartment in the
hotel one day, when a young and respectable
Greek woman entered, and threw herself at
his feet, weeping bitterly. She implored him
to save her life, and procure her escape. Her
friends had been sacrificed, and there was no
one she could trust in ; and the dread of being
every moment discovered by the Turks was
insupportable. There was no listening to this
in vain. He generously sought for her an
asylum under English protection, and in a few
D 2

36 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
days procured her a passage in a vessel sailing
for Greece, where she was sure to find friends ;
and presented her with a supply of money.
Araong the pleasant rides around the city is
that to the Aqueducts of Justinian, and the
forest of Belgrade, about fourteen miles off.
Having procured horses, we left Pera early,
attended by Mustapha, an honest janizary,
well known to every traveller, and accustomed
to go remote journeys through the empire. At
a few miles' distance is the Palace ofthe Sweet
Waters, a favourite summer residence of the
Sultan. Proceeding through a pleasing- coun
try, we reached the lofty Aqueduct of Justi
nian, and soon after that of Bourgas. The
small lakes in the heart of the forest, their
lofty banks darkly covered to the water's
edge, afford some scenes of peculiar beauty.
We halted at a village inhabited by a few
Greeks, and entered a poor coffee-house to get
some refreshment. They soon produced a
dish of mutton and some fruit ; and, what was
more acceptable, some very good white wine.
In the midst of the meal some Turkish cavalry
approached, amusing themselves with throw
ing the jerrid at each other. The affrighted
Greeks instantly hid the wine, and brought in
its place a vessel of water. We wished the

CONSTANTINOPLE. 37
Turks at Mecca for spoiling our dinner : they
entered, and made some very pointed inqui
ries ; but Mustapha soon satisfied them, and,
after deraanding some refreshment, they de
parted. When the heat had abated, we direct
ed our course towards Buyukder6: the pro
spect from the hills, of that village and its
valley, with the Turkish camp still pitched in
it, the Black Sea beyond, and the river be
neath, flowing between the shores of Europe
and Asia, was noble in the extreme. It being
evening, we turned down to Therapia; and
being kindly pressed by Mr. L. to spend a
day or two with him again, sent the janizary
with the horses back to the city. The next
day being Sunday, the garden of the French-
ambassador's palace, with its long rows of trees
on the eminences, afforded a cool and retired
promenade. Mr. M. a merchant, who lived
close by, dined with us : we visited his garden
in the evening, and taking seats on the terrace
just over the water, had pipes brought. He
was an elderly man, and a bachelor, and had
left Scotland long ago. He talked of his
native land with deep pleasure, and of the days
of his youth. Singular, as the sun was going
down on the exquisite scenery of the Bospho
rus, stretched like fairy-land around us, to

38 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
think and to talk so of the scenes of " lang
syne," and all their dear associations ! A cup
of the whisky, and a song of the Highlands,
with a sight of the kilt, or his " ain dear lassie,"
would have been more dear to him than the
Arabian coffee we were sipping, the evening-
call to prayers from the mosque, or the
shrouded and still forms of the women steal
ing along.
The condition of the women in Turkey has
little resemblance to slavery, and the pity
given to it by Europeans has its source more
in iraagination than reality. From their natu
rally retired and indolent habits, they care less
about exercise in the open air than ourselves.
They are very fond of the bath, where large
parties of them frequently meet and spend the
greater part of the day, displaying their rich
dresses to each other, conversing, and taking
refreshments. From this practice, and the
little exposure to the sun, the Turkish ladies
have often an exquisite delicacy of complexion.
They often sail in their pleasure-boats to va
rious parts of the Bosphorus, or walk veiled
to the favourite promenades near the ceme
tery, or in the gardens of Dolraa Batcke, with
their attendants ; and they sometimes walk
disguised through the streets of the city, with-

CONSTANTINOPLE. 39
out any observation. The government of an
English wife over her own household does not
equal that of the Turkish, which is absolute,
the husband scarcely ever interfering in the
domestic arrangements; and in case of a di
vorce her portion is always given up.
The practice of eating opium does not ap
pear to be so general with the Turks as is
commonly believed. But there is a set Of peo
ple at Constantinople devoted to this drug;
and the Theriakis, as they are called, have that
hollow and livid aspect, the fixed dulness of
the eye at one time, or the unnatural bright
ness at another, which tell too plainly of this
destructive habit. They seldom live beyond
thirty ; lose all appetite for food ; and as their
strength wastes, the craving for the vivid ex
citement of opium increases. It is useless to
warn a Theriakee that he is hurrying to the
grave. He comes in the morning to a large
coffee-house, a well-known resort for this pur
pose, close to the superb mosque of Suleima
nieh. Having swallowed his pill, he seats
himself in the portico in front, which is shaded
by trees. He has no wish to change his posi
tion, for motion would disturb his happiness,
which he will tell you is indescribable. Then
the most wild and blissful reveries come

40 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
crowding on him. His gaze fixed on the river
beneath, covered with the sails of every na
tion; or on the majestic shores of Asia opposite,
or vacantly raised where the gilded minarets
of Suleimanieh ascend on high : — if external ob
jects heighten, as is allowed, the illusions of
opium, the Turk is privileged. There, till the
sun sets on the scene, the fancy of the Theriakee
revels in love, in splendour, or pride. He sees
the beauties of Circassia striving whose charms
shall most delight him; the Ottoman fleet
sails beneath his flag as the Capitan Pacha :
or seated in the divan, turbaned heads are
bowed before him, and voices hail the favoured
of AUa and the Sultan. But evening comes,
and he awakes to a sense of wretchedness and
helplessness, to a gnawing hunger which is an
effect of his vice ; and hurries home, to suffer
till the morning sun calls him to his paradise
again. In this city you cannot proceed far without
remarking the great number of coffee-houses
and sweetmeat-shops. The former are at
tended from sunrise till night. Each person
brings his sraall tobacco- bag in his pocket,
which he is very ready to offer to a stranger
who is unprovided. Whatever residence a tra
veller enters, from that of the prince to that of

CONSTANTINOPLE. 41
the peasant, the universal corapliraent is the
pipe and coffee ; the latter drunk without milk,
and the former of a very fine and mild quality.
The janizaiy, a tall fierce-looking fellow, who
attended me through the streets as a guard, and
would talk very coolly by the way of the dif
ferent Greeks he had murdered, used to amuse
me at seeing him stop at a sweetmeat-shop,
and purchase what would please a child in
England, and devour it with as much fond
ness. The situation of the English merchants set
tled here, is not an enviable one. Reduced to
their own contracted circle, and that destitute,
with one or two exceptions, of female society;
no public amusements, library, or music, there
is a sad monotony in their life. They are very
hospitable to, strangers, and do not spare any
attentions to make a residence there agreeable.
The chief resource to a traveller is at Lord
Strangford's. At his table, or at the evening
parties, were to be met individuals of different
nations, chiefly Armenians and Franks ; but
there was a want of vivacity and interest in
them, arising from the restraint produced by
the unfortunate state of affairs, and all inter
change of visits with the other ambassadors
being at an end. At the palace at this time

42 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
was Lady G. T., a younger sister of Lady H.
Stanhope, and possessed of the same spirit of
enterprise and courage, though less romantic
and Oriental. She had just arrived from
Persia, by way of Georgia, and had travelled
great part of the way on horseback. At Tebriz
an offer was made her of an introduction to the
seraglio of the Prince Royal of Persia ; but it
was declined. Such an offer occurs but once
in a person's life. The beautiful author of the
" Letters from Turkey " would have embraced
it with delight, for she was a favourite with
the Oriental women, and no subsequent tra
veller has ever had her opportunities of know
ing and describing them, or perhaps ever will.
What can be more exquisite than her picture
of Fatima, the Pacha of Adrianople's bride,
endowed with that mild dignity and sweetness
of carriage so often possessed by the Turkish
ladies, and seated amidst her handmaids, di
recting their tasks of embroidery; each of
whom was selected for her beauty, but herself
" so gloriously beautiful" as to excel all her
visitor had ever beheld ?
Before leaving Stamboul, it is but justice to
say something of the singular honesty of the
Turks. On landing at Galati, my effects were
carried by a porter ; and proceeding up one of

CONSTANTINOPLE. 43
the crowded streets, we entirely lost sight of
him, and turned towards a coffee-house, as I
concluded he had made off with them; but
the Swedish captain of the vessel, who had
been here before, declared such a circumstance
was never known here. In a short time we
observed the poor fellow returning down the
street, and looking most anxiously on every
side. — In the bazaars a merchant will often go
away and leave his shop and effects exposed,
without the least concern. In their dealings it
is rare to find any attempt to defraud ; and in
the whole of my journey through various parts
of the empire, often lodging in the humblest
cottages, and in the most remote situations, I
never suffered the loss of the raost trifling ar
ticle among the Turks.
An amusing incident befel Mr. R., a gen
tleman a;ttached to the palace, during our
stay here. He had lost a leg while in the
navy, and, being very desirous of visiting the
great bazaar, he rode through it on horse
back; a privilege used by none but Turks,
and in these disturbed times rather dan
gerous. A Bostandgi Bashee, an officer of
some rank, being enraged on observing this,
came up and struck with his sabre at Mr. R.'s
wooden leg. The Turk's astonishment at see
ing no blood flow, or wound inflicted, was

44 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
very great. He lifted his sabre and cut with
good will through part of the leg ; but finding
it all useless, he drew back without uttering a
word, and gazed intently on the Frank.
The janizaries, of whom there are fifty thou
sand at present in and around Constantinople,
are uncommonly fine men. If these raen would
submit to European discipline and the use ofthe
bayonet, they would have little reason to fear
a contest with the Russians, to whom they
bear a deadly hatred. The unfortunate Selim's
resolution to bring these haughty troops into
discipline, cost him his throne. About two
years- after his relative Mahmoud was made
emperor, the janizaries began to regret that
they had ever deposed Selim; for he was as
eminent for his amiable qualities as for his
personal beauty. A large body of them ad
vanced tumultuously to the foot of the palace
walls, and with loud cries demanded Selim.
That prince, who had been kept a close pri
soner, heard with the liveliest emotion the cla
mours of the janizaries. Mahmoud instantly
ordered the Kislar Aga, the chief of the black
eunuchs, with two mutes, to despatch him.
This man, the instrument of the Sultan's
crimes as well as pleasures,* is horribly ugly,
and supposed to have great influence with his

CONSTANTINOPLE. 45
master. As they broke into his apartment,
Selim instantly knew their purpose ; and pos
sessing great strength, he struck down the
mutes on each side, and was making his way
out of the door, to throw himself over the wall
among the janizaries, which would have given
him the empire again, but the Kislar Aga
wounded him in such a manner, that Selim
fainted with the agony of pain, when the bow
string was instantly placed round his neck,
and his body thrown over to the soldiers. The
janizaries uttered loud lamentations, and knelt
round the body, weeping bitterly; but, dis
mayed by his death, they retired without any
further effort.

46 LETTERS FROM THE EAST,

LETTER III.

ALEXANDRIA.

We left at last the " Pride of the East," at
sight of which the Prophet might have smiled
with much greater reason than he did at that
of Grand Cairo. We sailed from Constanti
nople on board an English vessel bound to
Smyrna. Having cast anchor near the town of
the Dardanelles on the following morning, we
went on shore to visit the site of the ancient
Abydos, about two miles distant. A lofty
tumulus, with some remains of walls on the
side towards the sea, raark the spot. The dis
tance across the strait to where Sestos is sup
posed to have stood, is scarcely a mile; and
any strong and practised swimmer might pass
it without much difficulty. I was little aware
then, that this passage was destined to be a
fatal one, a few weeks afterwards, to a young

ALEXANDRIA. 47
and very amiable traveller ; who perished, in
consequence of attempting to imitate Leander
and Lord B., of a violent fever, brought on by
over-exertion, and the being so long in the
water. It was a lovely moonlight night when
we lost sight of the shores of the .Dardanelles ;
and a fine wind bore us towards Scio. On
board were two natives of the northern part of
England, who had gone to Persia with the hope
of getting rich by engaging in a cotton-manu
factory, set on foot at Tebriz by a young Eng
lish merchant. The latter had lost all his little
property in the attempt, having been deluded,
he said, by false representations ; and at last,
after a long and difficult journey over land with
the two natives of Lancashire, had succeeded
in reaching Constantinople. To hear the latter,
in their broad provincial dialect, relate their ad
ventures in Persia — their passage over moun
tains covered with snow and plains parched
with heat, half starved at one time and abused
or pursued at another — was very amusing.
Amidst the tumults and massacres of Stamboul,
a piece of peculiar good fortune befel me, in
the engaging my roraantic and invaluable ser
vant, Michelle Milovich, a Sclavonian: had I
been a Moslemin, I would ever after have
blessed the Prophet for causing that day to

48 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
shine on me. He spoke seven languages, had
read a great deal, and travelled yet raore, was
perfectly brave, conversed with much intelli
gence, and to wander through new scenes was
his passionate delight. " I have heard. Sir," he
first addressed me, " you are going to Egypt,
and shall be very happy to attend you there.
I have travelled over the greater part of the
world, but cannot die in peace till I have seen
the Pyramids and the ruins of Thebes." My
only companion in many a solitude and sorrow,
more than once the preserver of my life, and
always devoted and faithfiU ; how can I ever
think of him without attachment, or forget his
tears when we parted ?
On the fourth morning, as the sun rose, we
were close to the Isle of Scio. Its appearance
is very singular : six or eight miles from the
shore is a lofty chain of barren and purple rocks,
which shut out all view of the interior, and the
space between these and the sea is covered
with delightful gardens and verdure, which in
close the town on every side, except towards
the main.
The fine climate of this isle, the profusion of
delicious fruits, the beauty of its women, and
the friendly and hospitable character of the
people, caused it to be preferred by travellers

scio. 49
to any other of the Greek islands. In the even
ing, when the setting sun was resting on the
craggy raountains and the rich gardens at their
feet, the shores and the shaded promenades
around the town were filled with the Greek
population, among which were multitudes of
the gay and handsome women of Scio, distin
guished for their frank and agreeable man
ners. On landing, we went to the Consul's house :
he was a Sciote, and received us with much
civility. His wife and daughter, who were
both very plain, made their appearance, and
sweetmeats and fruit, with coffee, were handed
round. The day was sultry, and the water
melons and oranges, which were in great
abundance, were very refreshing.
The unfortunate Sciotes were the most effe
minate and irresolute of all the Greeks. The
merchants lived in a style of great luxury, and
the houses of many of them were splendidly fur
nished. From the coramencement ofthe revolu
tion, they contrived to preserve a strict neutra
lity ; and, though often implored and menaced
by their countrymen, refused to fight for the li
berties of Greece, or risk the drawing on them
selves the vengeance of the Turks. So well
had they kept up appearances, that the Otto-

50 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
man fleet never molested them : till, unfortu
nately, one day a Greek leader entered the
harbour with some ships, having a body of
troops on board, who were landed to attack
the citadel, in which was a small Turkish gar
rison ; and the Sciotes, fancying the hour of
freedom was come, passed from one extrerae
to the other, rose tumultuously, and joined the
troops. The fort was soon taken, and the gar
rison, together with the Turks who were in the
town, was put to the sword. This was scarcely
accomplished, when the Ottoman fleet entered
the harbour ; and the Greek forces, who had
come from Samos, too inferior in number to
cope with them, instantly embarked, and took
to flight, leaving the island to its fate. Those
islanders who had taken part with thera, con
sisted chiefly of the lower orders ; and two
hundred of the chief merchants and magistrates
repaired on board the ship of the Capitan Pacha,
and made the most soleran protestations of
innocence, and unqualified submission to the
Porte. The admiral received them with great
civility, expressed himself willing to forget all
that had passed, and ordered coffee and a
variety of refreshments. But no sooner had
the Pacha landed his forces, about six thousand
men, than he gave the signal for the massacre.

SCIO. 51
The details given me afterwards by Sciotes
who had escaped were enough to harrow up
the soul. During the massacre, the Turks, ex
hausted, sheathed at times their bloody sabres
and ataghans, and, seated beneath the trees on
the shore, took their pipes and coffee, chatted,
or fell asleep in the shade. In the course of a
few hours they rose refreshed, and began to
slay indiscriminately all who came in their
way. It was vain to implore mercy ; the young
and gay Sciotes, but a few days before the
pride of the islands, found their loveliness no
shield then, but fell stabbed before their mo
thers' eyes, or, flying into the gardens, were
caught by their long and braided tresses, and
quickly despatched. The wild and confused
cries of pain and death were mingled with the
fierce shouts of Mohammed and vengeance;
the Greek was seen kneeling for pity, or flying
with desperate • speed, and the Turkish sol
dier rushing by with his reeking weapon, or
holding in his hand some head dripping with
blood. The close of day brought little reprieve ;
the moonlight spreading vividly over the town,
the shores, and the rich groves of fruit-trees,
rendered escape or concealment almost impos-
sible. But, as the work of death paused at
intervals from very weariness, the loud sounds
E 2

52 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
of horror and carnage sunk into those of more
hushed and bitter woe. The heart-broken wail
of parents over their dying and violated child
— the hurried and shuddering tones of despair
of those to whom a few hours would bring
inevitable death — the cry of the orphan and
widowed around the mangled forms of their
dearest relatives, mingled with curses on the
murderer, went up to heaven ! But the pause
for mourning was short — the stillness of the
night was suddenly broken by the clash of arms
and the disraal war-cry ofthe Ottoman soldiery,
" Death ! — death to the Greeks — to the ene
mies of the Prophet — Allah il Allah ;" — and the
Capitan Pacha in the raidst, with furious ges
tures, urged on his troops to the slaughter.
Every house and garden were strewed with
corpses : beneath the orange-trees, by the
fountain side, on the rich carpet, and the marble
pavement, lay the young, the beautiful, and the
aged, in the midst of their loved and luxurious
retreats. Day after day passed ; and lying as
they fell, alone, or in groups, no hand bore
thera to their graves, while survivors yet re
mained to perish. At last, when all was over,
they were thrown in promiscous heaps, the
senator and the delicate and richly attired
woraan of rank mingled with the lowest of the

SCIO. 53
populace, into large pits dug for the purpose,
which served as universal sepulchres.
Twenty thousand are computed to have pe
rished during the few days the massacre lasted.
Happy were the few who could pass the bar
rier of rocky mountains, beyond which they
were for the time secure, or who were received
into some of the boats and vessels on the coast,
and thus snatched from their fate. It was my
fortune afterwards to meet several times with
these ^wretched fugitives, wandering in search
of an asylum ; so pale, worn, and despairing,
they presented a picture of exquisite misery —
girls of a tender age on foot, sinking beneath
the heat and toil of the way, yet striving to
keep up with the horses that bore the sick and
disabled of the party : and raothers with their
infants whom they had saved, while their hus
bands and sons had perished. One who had
been a lady in her own land, weeping bitterly,
related to me the murder of all her children,
who were five young men. Many a young
Sciote woman was to be seen, her indulgent
home lost for ever, her beauty aad vivacity
quite gone, with haggard and fearful looks
seeking in other lands for friends whom she
might never find.
About two or three hours walk along the

54 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
shore is the spot where Homer is s&id to have
kept his school ; it is a rock within which are
still visible the remains of seats cut out. The
.poet certainly displayed an excellent taste in
his choice of a situation : a noble group of
trees stands close by, and a fountain of the
purest water gushes out in their shade ; in
front, and around, are the beautiful harbour, and
cottages amidst delicious gardens ; and behind,
precipices of purple rocks rising in their naked
ness. The Turks are fond of enjoying the
coolness and shade of this spot ; the follower of
the Prophet smoking his pipe and performing
his ablutions where Maeonides was inspired 1
A few railes frora the town, and approached
by a rugged path, is the large convent of
Nehahmonce. The chapel is richly ornament
ed, the dome being formed of different kinds
of marble, varied with pieces of richly stained
glass, and having altogether a strange ap
pearance ; the lofty mountains around have
many of their abrupt declivities covered with
firs. The condition and advantages of the
Greek clergy are much superior to those of
the Catholics. The former are allowed to
marry if they have not taken priests' orders ;
and appear to lead a pleasanter life, and are
more free and courteous in their manners, than

SCIO. 55
their brethren of Rome; and their convents
are infinitely more neat and clean. This rao
nastery of Nehahmonce allows every traveller
the privilege of remaining several days under
its roof, where he will find a comfortable cham
ber and good fare ; for if there are any wines
or provisions par excellence in their neighbour
hood, monks are sure to have thera.
The soil of this island produces an abundance
of excellent fruits, the fig, olive, orange, al
mond, and pomegranate ; the climate is healthy
and delightful ; and, with the exception of the
Isle of Rhodes, a stranger could not find a
more desirable residence  The red wine is
the most esteemed in the island ; a small part
only is exported, the Greeks making too good
a use of it themselves. It cannot greatly
soothe or propitiate a Turk's feelings towards
the despised and infidel Greeks, to see them
quaffing with keen delight the rich juice ofthe
grape, and giving loose in the moraent to un
bounded gaiety, while he, poor forbidden fol
lower of Islam ! must solace himself gravely
with the pure fountain, his meagre sherbet, or
at most a cup of the coffee of Mocha. At the
distance of some miles in the interior, are seen
at intervals the country seats of the rich Greeks
and Turks ; very handsome residences, built of

56 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
stone, with luxuriant gardens adjoining, and
placed often in romantic situations ; and such
a number of aromatic shrubs are scattered
over the country, that the air is perfumed with
their -fragrance  The gum-mas tich grows
here, which is used by the Grecian and Turkish
women : but the former strive to heighten their
charms by adding paint ; they go unveiled, and
are gaily and richly dressed.
But no aid or ornament — not even the faint
remains of the adored features of antiquity —
can invest the Greek with the dignity of air
and carriage, and the elegance and mildness
of manners of the Ottoman lady. . . .But it is
hard to leave a Grecian isle without feelings of
regret. Of the different countries it has been
my delight to visit, were I to choose a resi
dence, it would not be on the shores of the
Bosphorus, with the mountains of Europe and
Asia rising from the water's edge ; their sides
covered with groves, villages, and delicious
retreats, and between their feet the deep and
lovely glens which put a Moslemin in mind of
Paradise — nor in the glorious plain of Damas
cus, with its rushing streams and gardens of
unrivalled luxury, embracing the sacred city
in their deep bosom— but in some isle like
Scio or Rhodes, of a pure and equal climate ;

SMYRNA. 57
its shaded walks leading through woods of
orange, almond, and citron ; above which rise
its pointed and purpled mountains, their wild
bosoms covered with a thousand fragrant
shrubs, the odours of which fill the air : where
the sun sets in glory on the wave, and gilds the
summits of other isles, which appear all around
at the horizon's verge; and the moonlight
brings softer scenery, with the guitar, the
sweet island-songs, and the murmur on the
shore. We left Scio at last, and on the following
evening arrived in the harbour of Smyrna. . It
is of great extent, and you sail a long time
between its shores of rugged mountains, with
a line of rich verdure and trees at their feet,
ere you arrive at the city, situated at its very
extreraity. Smyrna possesses a large popula
tion, and an extensive commerce : the streets
are narrow, but the quarter inhabited by the
Frank merchants and consuls contains a num
ber of excellent houses, with terraced roofs,
which afford a pleasant promenade. Many of
the Europeans intermarry with the Greek
families ; and the Smyrniote ladies, thus blend
ing Oriental and Frank manners and customs,
are considered extremely attractive ; — the tur
baned head bent over the harp and piano, and

58 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
the Scotch and Irish melodies sung on the
shores of Asia, are no common fascinations.
— The Turkish burying-ground stands on the
slope of the hill at a small distance from the
town, near that of the Jews, and is encircled
by a deep grove of cypress-trees. No guard
or shade around a cemetery can be so suitable
as that of this noble tree : with its waveless
and mournful foliage, it looks the very emblem
of mortality. The Orientals love that every
thing should be sad and impressive round the
abodes of the dead, which they never approach
but with the deepest reverence ; and they often
sit for hours in their Kiosques on the Bospho
rus, gazing with mournful pleasure on the
shores of Asia, where the ashes of their fathers
are laid ; for the rich Turk of Stamboul gene
rally wishes to be carried after death to the
Asiatic side, which he believes destined to be
the last resting-place and empire of his coun
trymen, " when the fair men from the North
shall have driven them frora Europe."
The society of Smyrna, consisting of the
European merchants and their families, who
mixed together on the most friendly footing,
was very agreeable : the public rooms, called
the Casino, handsomely fitted up, were open
at eight o'clock every evening, and possessed

SMYRNA. 59
a reading-room ; and travellers and strangers
from all parts met there to take refreshments
and enjoy the society ; and balls were occa
sionally held. But the face of things was
entirely changed at the time of our residence
there. The Casino and its amusements were
closed, there was little interchange of visits
between European families, and the charming
promenades around the town were deserted,
the whole of the Greek families of the better
order having fled : the bazars looked silent and
empty, and the numerous caravans from the
interior no longer arrived. The village of
Bournabat, composed chiefly of the handsome
country-houses of the European merchants, is
distant a few miles from the city, and affords
a very pleasant ride to the traveller, the
country around being well cultivated, and
adorned with groves of olive and other trees.
The storks are seen in great numbers at par
ticular seasons around Smyrna and at Bour
nabat : they are very tame, and are regarded
with a superstitious feeling by the Turks.
They sometimes frequent the ruins of temples
and villages ; but their appearance, and the
noise they make, harmonize little with the as
pect of desolation and decay : the clusters of
pigeons of many-coloured plumage, which flew

60 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
around and nestled amidst the ruins of the
Temple of the Sun at Balbec, had an effect
much more in harmony with the splendid
remains and scenery of the plain so truly and
beautifully described in " Lalla Rookh."
In Smyrna we lodged at the hotel kept by
an Italian. The windows of the apartments
commanded a fine view of the bay and its
romantic shores. Several Greek priests and
merchants dined at the table d'h&te, where we
had a medley of Greek and European dishes.
They looked very care-worn and suspicious ;
and they had good reason, for they could
not go out of doors without danger of being
murdered. One raorning, as I stood in the
street, a Greek servant, for declining to buy
meat at the stall of a Candiote butcher not far
off, was stabbed by him with his long knife,
and fell bleeding on the paveraent  About
fifty Greeks got on board a Ragusan vessel, in
order to escape, the captain having been paid a
large sum of money by them. Instead of in
stantly making off, he continued to loiter in the
harbour, in spite of the warnings ofthe consul ;
when one night he was surrounded by three
Turkish vessels, and all on board were seized.
The captain and crew were hanged, and the
Greeks were beheaded in a small square in the

SMYRNA. 61
city, at sunrise, during our stay...... The French
consul, to his imraortal honour, has saved the
lives of hundreds of the Greeks, by his active
and spirited interference ; and has rescued
them from the hands of the soldiery, about to
put them to death. In walking through the city
you see these unfortunate people looking over
the walls, and half-opening their doors, and
listening to every passing sound. At any
sudden noise in the streets, the faces of the
women — and some of them beautiful — were
seen thrust out of the windows of the lofty
houses, where they had taken refuge ; thereby
exposing themselves to fresh danger, yet unable
to repress their anxiety and curiosity. The
only Greek I ever saw, whose face and form in
any way realized the beau iMal of antiquity,
was at the entrance of a poor dwelling in the
skirts of the city : her fine tall figure, reclined
against the wall as she stood, and her head
bent towards some unhappy countrywomen,
whora she was addressing, gave additional in
terest to the perfect symmetry of her noble
and classic features.
The inextinguishable lightness and versatility
of character of the Greeks are real blessings in
their present situation ; no vicissitudes appear
to strike them with surprise or despair: active.

62 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
enterprising, and indefatigable, they possess
the materials for making excellent soldiers:
vain to excess, and ever sanguine in all their
hopes and undertakings, I heard them exclaim,
as they marched out of Tripolitza to attack the
Turks, " We have beat them with sticks ere
now ; and shall we not drive thera before us
with our swords?" — Call on a Greek to die,
and he will take leave of the world, to appear
ance, passionless and undismayed : bring the
guitar and the wine, and he will dance, talk
with infinite gaiety, and sing the Moriote songs
all the night long.
A circumstance of a very interesting and
affecting kind occurred at this time in one of
the Greek isles. A number of the islanders,
terrified at the approach of a Turkish force,
hurried on board a large boat, and pushed off
from the land. The wife of one of them, a young
woman of uncommon loveliness, seeing her
husband departing, stood on the shore, stretch
ing out her hands towards the boat, and im
ploring, in the most moving terms, to be taken
on board. The Greek saw it without concern
or pity, and, instead of aiding her escape, bade
his companions hasten their flight. This un
fortunate woman, left unprotected in the midst
of her enemies, struggled through scenes of

SMYRNA. 63
difficulty and danger, of insult and suffering,
till her failing health and strength, with a heart
broken by sorrow, brought her to her death
bed. She had never heard from her husband ;
and, when wandering amongst the mountains,
or lying hid in some wretched habitation, or
compelled to urge her flight amidst cruel fa
tigues, her affection for him, and the hope of
meeting him again, bore up her courage through
all. He came at last, when the enemy had re
treated and the Greeks had sought their homes
again; and learning her situation, was touched
with the deepest remorse. But all hope of life
was then extinguished ; her spirit had been
tried to the utmost; love had changed to aver
sion, and she refused to see or forgive him.
There is at times in the character of the Greek
women, as more than one occasion occurred of
observing, a strength and sternness that is
truly remarkable. Her sister and relations
were standing round her bed ; and never in
the days of her health and love did she look so
touchingly beautiful as then: her fine dark
eyes were turned on them with a Jook, as if
she mourned not to die, but still felt deeply
her wrongs ; the natural paleness of her cheek
was crimsoned with a hectic hue, and the rich
tresses of her black hair fell dishevelled by her

64 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
side. Her friends, with tears, entreated her to
speak to and forgive her husband ; but she
turned her face to the wall, and waved her
hand for him to be gone. Soon the last pang
carae over her, and then affection conquered ;
— she turned suddenly round, raised a look of
forgiveness to him, placed her hand in his, and
died. We took passage on board a French ship
bound to Alexandria, and for three days had a
favourable wind, when we fell in with a divi
sion of the Greek fleet : they obliged us to
bring to, and sent an armed boat on board to
demand our destination and cargo, and what
ever intelligence we could give them. These
Greeks behaved very civilly : their best ships
were merchant-vessels turned into those of war,
and carried twenty guns : they were from the
isle of Hydra, the natives of which are the best
and boldest sailors in their navy. The wind
failed us ; and we were put to our resources to
pass the time agreeably ; but in French vessels
a passenger is always less at a loss in calms
and baffiing winds than in any other, as the
men seldom lose their gaiety and good spirits.
The mate, who seeraed to have the chief com
mand, was a fine and animated young French
man, who had a small collection of interesting

VOYAGE TO ALEXANDRIA. 65
books ; the nominal captain. Monsieur Gras by
name, was a little fat man, with a serious and
melancholy aspect. Every morning and even
ing, before breakfast and supper, the crew were
summoned to the poop, and he recited prayers
in a sad and distinct tone, to which they all
responded. On board was a most motley as
semblage of passengers : a fat young German,
who was on his way to Grand Cairo, to set up
for a doctor, and cure the Turks and Arabs
without knowing a word of their language;
he was accompanied by a sprightly young
Italian woman, who had left her dear land to
live with this phlegmatic fellow on the banks
of the Nile : his pipe scarcely ever quitted his
mouth, and he told marvellous tales, sitting on
the deck with a naked neck and bosom a I'ori-
ental. There was also a tailor from Italy, of a
pale countenance and spare figure, destined for
Alexandria to exercise his calling ; and he put
one in mind of the button-maker from Sheffield,
who came on speculation to Constantinople
with a cargo of his material, and found the
Turks never wore buttons. A third was a dog-
merchant, also an Italian, with his wife: he
had a number of dogs of a very fine breed, to
dispose of in Egypt, if he could find purchasers
among the Franks or the faithful. These three

66 LETTERS FRO.M THE EAST.
worthies and their two chires amies (the tailor
having no tender companion with him) travelled
in great harmony together, and, while the
baffling winds lasted, afforded no small amuse
ment. But at last we drew near the low and
sandy shores around Alexandria. How sweet
after a voyage the first sight of land is, every
traveller has felt ; and Pompey's Pillar on the
erainence above the town, the canal from the
Nile just beyond, and a thousand recollections
attached to the residence of Cleopatra, gave
an intense interest to that now before us.

ALEXANDRIA. 67

LETTER IV.

After a delay of a few hours we landed
at Alexandria. It was mid-day ; the heat was
excessive, and there were few passengers in
the streets. We were quickly doomed to feel
what might well be termed the succession of
the Egyptian plague; swarms of flies were
perpetually fastening on our faces and eyes, so
that we could scarcely find our way, and were
obliged to keep our handkerchiefs perpetually
waving. When we entered a coffee-house, our
sherbet or lemonade was instantly covered by
a dark mass of insects, if we happened to leave
up the tin cover with which the drinking-ves-
sels are always provided to guard against this
invasion. We went to an okkal, and ordered
some dinner : the apartment was filled with a
variety of people of different costumes : a Turk
felt disposed to entertain them with a song-
he put his two fore-fingers behind his ears, and
F 2

68 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
bending forward as he sat cross-legged, ejected
such hideous nasal sounds, intended to be
pathetic, that we were obliged to take refuge
in a sraall room upstairs. Here they soon
brought us a dish of kid, deliciously dressed,
and a dessert of fruit, which, with some excel
lent coffee, made a superb repast after the
starvation on board ship. We hired apartments
in a private house, and took possession of them
the same evening; but the musquitoes were
dreadfully annoying — it was almost useless to
close your eyes, for you were quickly awaked
by half-a-dozen keen bites on different parts of
the body ; but the face was the favourite part,
which next morning looked any thing but pale
or fair.
The following day, having hired a couple
of donkeys, the universal mode of convey
ance in this country, and an Egyptian guide,
I rode to Pompey's Pillar. It is Corinthian ;
the shaft is about ninety feet high, and the base
about five ; it is formed of three pieces of red
granite, and stands on a small eminence. It
may be seen from a great distance around.
The Needle of Cleopatra, not far off, is near
seventy feet in height, and formed of an entire
piece of the same stone, covered with hierogly
phics, some of which are nearly effaced. The

ALEXANDRIA. 69
guide who attended me was a handsome elderly
Egyptian, of a tall figure, and white beard; and
was dressed in a long blue cloak, which left his
bust and arms naked : he walked and ran be
side our noble coursers in the intense heat of
the day^ Vast and shapeless heaps of ruins are
all that remains of ancient Alexandria, and one
cannot well imagine a residence more mourn
ful and heart- oppressing than the modern city.
Tracts of sand spread on every side, varied
here and there by a spot of verdure, or a group
of palms. There is not one object of interest,
or a single pleasant walk, in the flat and mono
tonous region around. The Convent of Mah
moud ich and the English Consul's garden, are
the only exceptions. The houses of the city,
at least the European part, are in general lofty,
and plastered white. Those of the raerchants
are handsomely furnished, and well adapted to
the climate, which is the coolest in Egypt, a
fine breeze from the sea setting in regularly
every day. There are several coffee-houses kept
by Franks here, of which the principal one
was the only tolerable place of sesort — where
are met the merchants, adventurers, and na
tives of different countries. The fortifications
erected by Mahmoud Ali, the Pacha of Egypt,
around this city, are extensive and strong.

70 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
This prince is admirably fitted to rise to emi
nence in the Turkish empire. Of Greek ex
traction, possessed of great talents, a wily poli
tician, yet daring and bloody in the execution
of his plans, — as was proved in the massacre of
the three hundred Mameluke Beys, whom he
invited to a banquet, — the time will soon come
when he will throw off his dependence on the
Porte, and erect Egypt into a sovereignty. He
is very fond of Europeans, and has engaged a
great many in his service ; and being perfectly
free from bigotry to the faith of the Prophet,
he never requires thera to change their religion.
He is ardently desirous to improve his coun
try, and has established a sugar-manufactory
on the Nile, and several of cotton in Cairo. He
longed for the luxury of eating ice : and there
being no such thing in Egypt, Mr. Salt, the
British Consul-general, sent to England for an
apparatus for making it. The machine was
conveyed, on its arrival, to the Pacha's palace,
and the Nile water made use of for the purpose.
Mahmoud Ali hung over the whole operation
with intense curiosity, and when, after several
disappointments, a large piece of real ice was
produced, he took it eagerly in his hand, and
danced round the room for joy like a child, and
then ran into the harem to shew it to his

ALEXANDRIA. 71
wives and mistresses ; and ever since he luxuri
ates upon it. The great canal of Cleopatra,
which he has lately made, or rather revived,
forty miles in length, connecting the Nile with
the sea at Alexandria, is an extraordinary
work : for a considerable time he employed
a hundred and fifty thousand men about it,
chiefly Arabs of Upper Egypt ; of these, twenty
thousand died during the progress ofthe work.
Having ridden out early one morning in the
neighbourhood of the city, and entered an ele
gant house which Ali was building for his son,
we suddenly heard the sounds of music from
without, and perceived it was the Pacha him
self, with his guard, who had just arrived from
Cairo. He was on foot, and stood on the lofty
bank of a new canal he was making, earnestly
observing the innumerable workmen beneath.
He was of middle stature, and plainly dressed ;
his age appeared between fifty and sixty ; his
features were good, and had a calm and
thoughtful character ; and his long grey beard
fell over his breast. The bed ofthe canal below
presented a novel spectacle, being filled with
vast numbers of Arabs of various colours, toil
ing in the intense heat of the day, while their
Egyptian taskmasters, with whips in their
hands, watched the progress of their labour. It

72 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
was a just and lively representation ofthe chil
dren of Israel forced to toil by their oppressive
masters of old. The wages Mahmoud allowed
these unfortunate people, whom he had obliged
to quit their homes and families in Upper
Egypt to toil about this work, were only a penny
a-day, and a ration of bread. Yet such is the
buoyancy of spirits of the Arabs, that they go
through their heavy toil with gaiety and cheer
fulness. By moonlight I took a walk round the
spot where they were encamped : they were
seated under their rude tents, or lying down in
ranks without any covering but the sky, eating
their coarse meal of bread ; yet nothing was
heard all around but the songs of their country,
unmelodious enough, mingled with the loud
clapping of hands in concert, which is always
with them a sign of joy.
The distance to Rosetta from this town is
about two or three days' journey. The con
trast of scene is delightful on approaching the
former place. Situated in the midst of groves
of date-trees, and gardens of banana, orange,
and lemon-trees, on the banks of the Nile,
Rosetta is probably the most desirable resi
dence in Egypt. At present its commerce
has much declined, and is inferior to that of
Damietta, though few places can be more

DAMIETTA. 73
monotonous or stupid than the latter town,
situated on a perfect flat.
A wedding that took place at Damietta, on
the occasion of the marriage of the Consul's
daughter, afforded an amusing scene. The
Consul, who was a native of the country, in
vited all the travellers to the ceremony and the
feast. The bride was attired in her gaudiest
apparel, her hair braided in the most exquisite
manner, and her eye-lashes and brows tinged
with surmeh. All the relations and a great
number of friends were present, and the ban
quet was profuse and luxurious; the company
sitting on cushions ranged against the walls.
The dishes, ofthe Turkish and Grecian cookery,
were handed round in succession, with various
kinds of wines, and a profusion of sweetmeats
and sherbet. At last, when the music was
brought, and the lights threw a vivid glare
through the room, the company became gay
and joyous, and a number of Almeh girls com
menced their voluptuous dance to the noise of
the tambour and castanets. Many of the guests
of both sexes joined in dancing, ' while others
formed in groups to enjoy their chibouque and
coffee. The bride and bridegroom stood beside
each other, and looked very inanimate and un-
impassioned : the former, who was an insipid

74 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
good-looking girl, seeming resolved nothing
should ruffle her Oriental apathy. After they
had retired, the mirth of the company became
more vociferous, and was kept up till a late
hour. The Consul had a very pretty wife, of
whom he was extremely fond, and to whom he
behaved with as much and raore deference than
if he had been a European husband. He never
ventured to join her parties unless invited; but
this is the Eastern etiquette, the ladies who
visit the harem being always sacred from in
trusion. He one day introduced to her two
English travellers, who were at Damietta : she
was reclining on soft cushions, and had on a
handsome robe of green, and no turban on her
head. She had large black eyes, a languishing
look, and a complexion perfectly colourless : in
conversation she seemed to be indeed idealess.
Having taken passage on board a vessel of
the country for Cairo, we sailed up the canal,
the shores of which presented nothing but sand
and barrenness to the view. But how delight
fully the scene was changed, when, on coming
upon deck early the next morning, we perceiv
ed the vessel going slowly down the Nile! It was
just before sunrise, and the softest hues were
spreading all over the horizon. The shores
were covered with groves of palra, among which

FOUD. 75
were numerous villages, while here and there
the white thin minaret rose into the air, and a
universal stillness reigned throughout the scene.
It was impossible to find oneself, for the first
time, on this celebrated river, without the live
liest emotion. The boat stopped for some
hours at the town of Foua. Having bathed in
the river, I walked through the town : though
so early, the shops were open, and fruit selling
in the streets ; more than one good Moslem,
who had just risen from his bed, had taken his
seat without his door, and with the Koran in
his hand, was reading the Prophet's splendid
promises, or teaching his child his prayers. Even
in this town there were twelve mosques ; and
the Muezzin, from the top of the minaret, had
begun to call to prayers. This cry, in so still
a country as Egypt, and heard at the dawn or
at night from a distance, has an effect the most
beautiful and solemn that can be conceived.
The Orientals choose those who have the most
powerful and melodious voices for this service.
Often on the Nile in Upper Egypt, when the
silence of the desert has been aroilnd, that cry
has come from afar : — " There is but one God
-God alone is great and eternal, and Moham
med is his prophet," — like the voice of an un
dying being calling from the upper air. The

76 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
Nile is, in general, a calm and beautiful river,
about a quarter or half a mile wide, frequently
less, but during the inundation it often spreads
two or three miles in width. Having returned
on board, instead of some rice and a piece of
buffalo, which I had pictured might be the fare
in Egypt, I found a traveller might have his
luxuries here as well as in more civilized lands ;
as my breakfast consisted of new bread, milk
warm from the cow, coffee of the East, deli
cious grapes, and fresh cheese. On board
were a number of passengers of various de
scriptions. Among them was a Janizary above
the common rank, on his way to Cairo, where
he had a home : he was a little man, well
dressed and armed, and amused himself with
abusing the Arabs ; and having spread his
handsome carpet on the deck, and reclined on
it, with his pipe, he looked about him like a
lord : he had three or four mistresses. On the
deck, beneath a canopy, and attended by her
black slaves, sat an Egyptian lady : she some
times allowed a portion of her features to ap
pear, and, though in general shrouded from
view, contrived to see very well all that was
going on upon deck, as we found by the occa
sional loud peals of laughter that came from
behind the curtain : once or twice she sent us

PASSAGE TO GRAND CAIRO. 77
a present of some sweetmeats. In a small
cabin adjoining ours, were two ^^renchmen,
who laughed and talked as if they were^ in
Paris, took their meals a la Fran^aise, the de-
jeunk h la fourchette at eleven, and dinner at six,
in defiance of Orientalism : there were sundry
other passengers of less note. Our progress
was rather slow, as the crew appeared indiffe
rent sailors ; but nothing could be more lovely
than to glide along at night in the calm cloud
less monolight : amidst such scenery it was diffi
cult to close one's eyes in sleep. The effect of
the moonlight on the eyes in this country is
singularly injurious: the natives tell you, as I
found they also afterwards did in Arabia, al
ways to cover your eyes when you sleep in the
open air. It is rather strange that passage in
the Psalms, " the sun shall not strike thee by
day, nor the moon by night," should not have
been thus illustrated, as the allusion seems di
rect. The moon here really strikes and affects
the sight, when you sleep exposed to it, much
more than the sun : a fact, of yhich I had a
very unpleasant proof one night, and took care
to guard against afterwards : indeed the sight
of a person who should sleep with his face ex
posed at night, would soon be utterly impaired
or destroyed.

78 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
On the second day a very distressing cir
cumstance happened. Our Reis, or captain,
was a respectable and venerable old man, very
devout; and it being past midday, and the
vessel crowded with passengers, he was anx
ious to be as retired as possible at his after
noon prayers, and went into the small boat
astern. He had knelt and turned his face to
Mecca, and was quite absorbed in his religious
exercises, his long white beard and tranquil
features, with his position, presenting a meet
picture of Oriental devotion, when, in making
one of his prostrations, he bowed too low, and
losing his balance, plunged headlong into the
Nile. The alarm was instantly spread, and
" The Reis, the Reis is in the water!" re
sounded from all parts of the ship. The vessel
was going at a rapid rate, and we saw him borne
down by the stream for some distance, buffet
ing with the waves, and uttering feeble cries.
Three Arabs, who were good swimmers, plung
ed overboard, but they were unable to over
take him. The old man's life was quite thrown
away : had the ship been backed immediately,
he would have been saved ; but the confusion
on board was so great, that this was neglected.
His son, a tall young Egyptian, walked to and
fro for some tirae on the shore opposite to where

ARAB VILLAGE. 79
his father sunk, uttering loud lamentations, and
calling sadly on Ali, the name of the old man.
On the fourth morning I landed with Michelle,
and took a long walk by the shore, till we came
to an Arab village, with a few date-trees around
it. It was built, as all the Egyptian villages
are, of unburnt brick ; the houses consist only
of one story, and the earth-floor is partly
covered with rush-mats ; and seats of earth, a
few feet high, are raised next the wall, and
covered with mats as a divan. We succeeded
at one of the huts in procuring a bowl of deli
cious new milk, and some hot unleavened cakes
baked on the hearth : Michelle having bought
a couple of fowls at another cottage, prepared
one for dressing, as it was uncertain what time
we should rejoin the ship. One of the Arab
women undertook to cook the fowl, and carried
it into the sanctuary of her house, which we
were not suffered to defile by our presence :
the Sultan could not be more watchful of his
seraglio than these women, though they could
not have a better guard to their houQur than by
putting one of their own faces at the entrance,
for they were excessively plain. These people
are of a dark complexion, and imprint their
names in Arabic on their wrists ; and the
women have a sirailar indelible mark, stained

80 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
with a green colour, extending from the mouth
to the chin. — At last, having seated ourselves
under the shade of a wall, araidst a crowd of
Arabs, some naked and some clothed, the fowl
made its appearance, swiraraing like a great frog
in a large vessel of hot water, and we had to
tear it in pieces with our fingers. — These people
are very indolent, are seldom seen at work
in the fields ; and though the Nile has plenty
of fish, they do not care to be at the trouble of
catching them.
On the Monday morning we entered Boulac,
the port of Grand Cairo. Our effects being
put on a camel, and asses being procured, we
proceeded a mile and half to the consular
house, passing, ere we arrived at the city,
through large uninhabited tracts, covered with
sand and enormous heaps of rubbish, the ruins of
the old city. The day before, we passed near the
village where the family and relations of the un
fortunate old Reis lived. His son landed there
to meet a number of friends who drew near; and
when the latter understood the unhappy death
of the father, they began to mourn in a loud
voice, and for a good while continued to join
their tears and wailings, striking their breasts
and clasping their hands. The Orientals, on
the various occasions I have had of observing

GRAND CAIRO. 81
them, express with great force and simplicity
the stronger emotions ofthe soul, — of sorrow, of
joy, or of meeting after a long separation. The
parting of a Turkish family in Greece, when
death hung over every member of it — the
meeting of two friendly tribes of Arabs in the
desert, — were scenes never to be erased from
my remembrance.
Mr. Salt, the Consul-general, who was at
Alexandria on our arrival there, having hand
somely requested us to make his house our
home during our stay at Cairo, we proceeded
thither. It is in a very retired situation, the
approach being through narrow streets and
passages. It was now the month of August ;
and though the weather was very sultry, I did
not in general find the heat oppressive, except
when walking out at midday. The purity and
charm of the mornings and evenings in this
splendid climate are very great : a cloud is
scarcely to be seen in the sky ; or, when visible,
it is of the most transparent whiteness.
In Cairo you seek in vain to realize the mag
nificent descriptions of the Oriental writers.
The immense hills of rubbish on all sides ofthe
city, which have been accumulating for ages,
and which are still increased by what is brought
out from Cairo daily on the backs of mules,
G

82 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
prove the superior magnitude of the old city.
But with regard to the general mass of the
buildings, the modern capital is perhaps as
splendid as the famous "Masr" of old : the pa
laces ofthe caliphs, and some other public build
ings might have beautified the latter, but most of
the streets of Cairo have an extremely antique
appearance, and present in architecture and
materials, no doubt, a picture of what it was
formerly. In extent it is very inferior to Con
stantinople, and contains about two hundred
and fifty thousand inhabitants. But much of
the former is taken up with gardens, whereas
Cairo is almost destitute of those elegances.
The houses are built of brick of a dirty colour,
and are more lofty, and the streets are wider,
than those of the capital of Turkey. The win
dows of lattice or framework of wood often
project a couple of feet beyond the wall, and
admit the view of what is passing without, and
are at the same time screened from observa
tion : here the inhabitants love to sit. The in
terior of the houses, from their construction
and the position of the windows, has scarcely
any sun, — coolness and shade being studied as
much as possible. The streets are unpaved,
but hard ; and to allay the dust and keep them
cool, the inhabitants throw water over them.

GRAND CAIRO. 83
Camels, loaded with skins of water, are almost
continually driven through them, and the water
flows out on the path as they go along. A tra
veller is soon convinced that the Orientals
judge rightly in building their capitals with such
narrow streets ; it is quite a luxury in this cli
mate to enter one. The height of the houses,
and the projection of the upper stories, keep
them always cool and shaded, and the burning
sun is excluded. This city is chiefly supplied
with water from the Nile, in the conveyance of
which to the different dwellings a vast number
of camels are daily employed. The houses
have all terraced roofs, and that of the Consul's
commands an extensive view of the city. It is
delightful to rise by night, and walk there in
the brilliant moonlight, which has the appear
ance of a tranquil and beautiful day : you can
see to read with perfect ease. From thence
you can look all around on the terraces of other
dwellings, on which numbers of the inhabitants
lie buried in sleep. During the greater part of
the night you hear no sound in this wide capi
tal, not even the tread of a passing' traveller or
houseless Arab ; nothing disturbs the impres
sive tranquillity of the hour, which strikes on
the imagination. The lonely palm-trees, scat
tered at intervals around, and rising high above
g2

84 LETTER.S FROM THE EAST.
the houses, are the only objects which break
the view.
The habits of life of the Europeans resident
at Cairo are very regular : you find indivi
duals of Spain, France, Italy, Germany, Sec,
many of whom live in good style, and give
handsome entertainments occasionally. One
cannot find the comforts of an Etiglish break
fast at Cairo : a cup of coffee and a piece of
bread are ready at an early hour for whoever
chooses ; at midday comes a luxurious dinner,
of foreign cookery, with the wines of Europe
and fruits of the East ; and seven in the even
ing introduces supper, — another substantial
meal, though rather less profuse than the din
ner ; and by ten o'clock most of the family re
tire. This is not the way of living best adapted
to the cliraate, which seems to require only a
slight refreshment during the sultry hours, and
the solid meal to be reserved till the cool of the
day. There is no good market to be found at
Cairo; excellent mutton is always to be had,
but other meats are difficult to be procured ; of
wine there is none save what is imported, and
this is very dear, and not of good quality. The
oranges and bananas of Rosetta, which are
brought to Cairo, the fresh figs, pomegranates,
almonds, and other nuts, afford an excellent

GRAND CAIRO. 85
dessert. A singular luxury in this city, as
well as in every other in the East, is the Cai-
mac, or clouted cream, exactly the same as
that made in Devonshire and Cornwall, and
manufactured in the same manner. It is cried
about the streets fresh every raorning, and is
sold on small plates ; and in a place where but
ter is never seen, it is a rich and welcorae
substitute. — Many European ladies of different
nations reside at Cairo, being married to Frank
merchants : some ot thera are very agreeable
woraen, and appear happy and contented with
their situation. It is curious that you meet
with women of every civilized land settled in
the Eastern cities, save those of England.
Scarcely ever will you find one of our own
countryworaen living in climates and among
customs so different from her own, though most
of the English merchants are unmarried from
this very reason. The want ofthe spirit of en
terprise, and the over-attachment to their own
comforts, are probably the causes which keep
our ladies at home, or would make them un
happy abroad. I knew two who were settled in
the East, but they were always complaining,
and mourning after England.
The 16th of August was the day fixed on for
the celebrated cutting of the bank of the Nile ;

86 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
a time of great rejoicing with the Egyptians, the
inundation being now at its height. It is the
custom for a vast number of people of different
nations to asserable and pass the night near the
appointed spot. We resolved to go and mingle
among them, not doubting that something high
ly interesting would occur. We arrived at the
place about eight at night, it being distant a
few miles from the city : there was firing of
cannon, illuminations in their way, and exhibi
tions of fireworks. The shores of the Nile for
a long way down from Boulac were covered
with groups of people, some seated beneath the
large-spreading sycamores, smoking ; others
gathered around parties of Arabs, who were
dancing with infinite gaiety and pleasure, and
uttering loud exclamations of joy, affording an
amusing contrast to the passionless demeanour
and tranquil features of their Moslem oppres
sors. After some time, we crossed to the op
posite shore : the scene was here much more
interesting ; ranks of people were closely seated
on the shelving banks of the Nile, and behind
them was a long line of persons selling various
articles of fruit and eatables. A little to tlie
left, amidst widely scattered groups of trees,
stood several tents, and temporary coffee
houses, canopied over, and lighted with lamps.

grand CAIRO, 87
Perpetually moving over this scene, which (both
shores and river, and groups of palms,) was il
lumined by the most brilliant moonlight, were
seen Albanian soldiers in their national cos
tume, Nubians from the burning clime of far
ther Egypt, Mamelukes, Arabs, and Turks, At
a number of small sheds, each of which had its
light, or small fire, you might have meat, fish,
&c. ready dressed. We entered one of the
coffee-houses, or large tents, to the top of which
a row of lamps was suspended ; and, the front
being open, we could sip the refreshing beverage,
and still enjoy the aniraated spectacle around.
Being rauch fatigued, I wrapped my cloak
round me, and slept for a couple of hours upon
a rush-raat on the floor, so soundly as to hear
nothing of a loud and desperate quarrel be
tween sorae Arabs and Albanians in the sarae
tent ; but there was little cause for uneasiness
in any situation, while my faithful Michelle was
near; he knew so well the manners of these
people, and possessed such perfect presence of
mind. The night was wearing fast away, and,
leaving the tent, we again joined' the various
parties in the shade, or on the shore ; some
feasting and dancing, others buried in sleep.
The other side of the beautiful river, which
shone like glass in the splendid light, still

88 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
presented a gay appearance ; lights raoving
to and fro amidst the trees, boats pushing off'
with new comers, and sounds of gaiety, with
the firing of musquetry, being still heard.
At last day broke, and soon after the report
of a cannon announced that the event so ar
dently wished for was at hand. We proceeded
to the spot, around which immense crowds
were rapidly gathering. The high and shelving
banks of the canal, into which the Nile was to
be admitted, were crowded with spectators.
We obtained an excellent situation for observ
ing the ceremony, by fortunately meeting with
Osmin, a Scotch renegade, but a highly re
spectable man, and the confidential servant
of Mr. Salt. The Kiaya Bey, the chief mi
nister of the Pacha, soon arrived with his
guards, and took his seat on the summit of the
opposite bank. A number of Arabs now began
to dig down the dyke which confined the Nile,
the bosom of which was covered with a num
ber of pleasure-boats, full of people, waiting to
sail down the canal through the city. Already
the mound was only partly demolished, when
the increasing dampness and shaking of the
earth induced the workmen to leave off. Se
veral Arabs then plunged into the stream, and,
exerting all their strength to push down the re-

GRAND CAIRO. 89
maining part, some openings were soon made,
and the river broke through with irresistible
violence. For some time it was like the rush
ing of a cataract. According to custom, the
Kiaya Bey distributed a good sum of money,
throwing it into the bed of the canal below,
where a great many men and boys scrambled
for it. Several of them had a sort of net, fast
ened on the top of a pole, to catch the money as
it fell. It was an amusing scene, as the water
gathered fast round them, to [see them strug
gling and groping araidst the waves for the
coin ; but the violence ofthe torrent soon bore
them away ; and there were some who had lin
gered to the last, and now sought to save them
selves by swimming, still buffeting the waves,
and grasping at the money showered down,
and diving after it as it disappeared. Unfor
tunately this sport every year costs a few lives,
and one young man was drowned this morning.
The different vessels, long ere the fall had sub
sided, rushed into the canal and entered the
city, their decks crowded with all ranks, utter
ing loud exclamations of joy. The*overflowing
of the Nile is the richest blessing of Heaven to
the Egyptians : as it finds its way gradually
into the various parts of the city and neigh
bourhood, the inhabitants crowd to drink of, and

90 LETTERS FRO.M THE EAST.
wash in it, and rejoice in its progress. The vast
square, called the Birket, which on our arrival
had presented a sad and dreary area, was now
turned into a novel and beautiful scene, being
covered with an expanse of water, out of the
bosom of which arose tbe fine sycamore-trees.
On one side of this square is a palace of the
Pacha; on the opposite side is the Coptic quar
ter : — the palace of the chief of the Mamelukes,
of a poor appearance, with some houses, fortifi
cations, and ruins, forms the rest of this square.
In walking round the city, and observing so
many flat and naked parts, destitute of ver
dure, and encompassed with piles of ruins, one
can hardly conceive how the waters can ever
reach them ; but every day, after the cutting^of
the bank, it is interesting to see how silently
and irresistibly space after space is changed
from a dreary, useless desert, into a smiling
bed of water, which brings health and abund
ance with it. The sounds of joy and festivity,
of music and songs, are now heard all over the
city, with cries of " Allah, Allah," and thanks
to the Divine bounty for so inestimable a
blessing.

GRAND CAIRkO, 91

LETTER V,
Not far from the city, on the way to the
Desert, is the burial-place of the Mamelukes,
the most splendid cemetery in Egypt, Here
repose the Beys, with their followers, for many
generations. The forms of the tombs are vari
ous, and often raagnificent; overthe sepulchres
rise domes which are supported by slender
marble colurans, and some of these are finely
carved. The tombs ofthe Caliphs are distant a
mile and a half in another direction from the
city, amidst the sand ; they are beautiful mo
numents in the light and elegant style of the
Saracenic architecture, and are in a very per
fect state of preservation. They are built of
fine lime-stone, and are lofty square buildings,
with domes and minarets ; sorae of the latter
of exquisite workmanship.
One day I met a marriage-procession in the
streets, conducting a young Egyptian bride to

92 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
her husband. A square canopy of silk was
borne along, preceded by several friends and
slaves, all women, and three men followed
with the tambourines and pipe. Two female
relatives, who walked beside the bride, held
the canopy over her ; she was shrouded frora
head to foot, so closely and ungracefully, that
not the least beauty of figure was discernible,
and a thick white veil concealed her features,
two holes only being left for her dark eyes to
look through. Beneath this coarse exterior
the richest dresses are often worn ; but all is
sacred, both forra and feature, and splendid
attire, till arrived in the harem of the bride
groom, when the disguise is suddenly thrown
off, and his impatient looks are bent painfully
or delightfully on his dear unknown. This
procession moved at a very slow pace to the
sounds of the music, and the lively cries of
joy of the women.
Grand Cairo is encompassed by a wall,
which is about ten miles in circumference, and
of great antiquity. Mount Mokatam stands
near the city, of which, and' the whole country,
it commands a most extensive prospect. This
mountain is of a yellow colour, and perfectly
barren. Beneath, and in a very elevated po
sition, is the citadel, which is of great extent.

GRAND CAIRO. 93
and in many parts very ruinous. This fortress
is now more famous for the massacre of the
Mameluke Beys, than for any other event.
The Mameluke force in Cairo consisted of
from five to ten thousand choice troops, com
manded by their various Beys. It was a novel
and splendid spectacle to a stranger to view
the exercises, the rich accoutrements, and
capital horsemanship of the Mamelukes, which
were exhibited every day in the great square
of the city.
The chiefs and Mahmoud were constantly
jealous of each other : he longed to curtail
or destroy their power, and they dreaded his
unprincipled ambition. After this "state of
affairs had lasted a good while, sometimes in
open hostility, sometimes under a hollow
friendship, the Pacha professed the most entire
and cordial reconciliation, terms of amity were
agreed on, and he invited the Beys to a splendid
banquet in the citadel. The infatuation of
these unfortunate men was singular, in trusting
to the protestations of a man whose faithless
character they knew so well. It was a beau
tiful day, and the three hundred chiefs, on
their most superb coursers and in their cost
liest robes, entered the long and winding pass
that conducts to the citadel. This pass was

94 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
so narrow, as to oblige each horseman to
proceed singly; and broken and precipitous
rocks rose on each side. The massy gate of en
trance to the pass was closed on the last Ma
meluke, and the long file of chiefs, in their
pride and splendour, yet broken by the wind
ings of the defile, proceeded slowly to the
gate of the citadel, which was fast shut. From
behind the rocks above opened at once a fire
of musquetry so close and murderous, that the
unhappy chiefs gazed around in despair ; they
drew their sabres, and as their coursers pranced
wildly beneath their wounds, each Bey was
heard to utter a wild shriek as he sank on the
ground, — and in a short time all was hushed.
Mahmoud heard from his apartment in the
citadel the. tumult and outcries ; and never
were sounds more welcome to his ear. This
massacre completely broke the power of the
Mamelukes ; on the loss of their chiefs the
troops fled from Cairo.
A second piece of treachery of the same
kind was afterwards executed by Ibrahim, the
Pacha's eldest son : by the most solemn pro
mises he prevailed on these fugitives to descend
from a mountain where they had taken refuge
in Upper Egpyt, aud meet him on the plain.

GRAND CAIRO. 95
One of the Mamelukes, an uncommonly hand
some young man, afterwards governor of Ramla
in Palestine, told us the tale, during our au
dience of him, of that scene of murder and
treachery, when, hemmed in on all sides by
Ibrahim's numerous forces, after most of his
comrades had fallen, he with a few more cut
his way through the Turks, and escaped. The
death of the Beys at Cairo, however cruelly
achieved, was the only means of confirming the
power of Mahmoud, which w^as continually
disturbed by their plots and jealousies.
In one of the streets of this city daily stand
a large number of asses for hire : immediately
on entering it, you are assailed and hemraed
in by the keepers on every side, each recora-
raending his own animal. They are handsorae
little creatures, of a quite different breed from
those of Europe, with elegant saddles and
bridles : some are of a pure white or black
colour ; and they are used by all ranks, and go
at a rapid rate. You pay so much by the
hour, and the Arab master, with a long stick
in his hand, runs behind or beside you. It is
arausing enough to gallop in this way through
the crowded streets of Cairo, at one time
avoiding, by the dexterity of the Arab, a tall
camel, or a soldier mounted on a fine charger.

96 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
at another jostling foot passengers, or encoun
tering numbers alike mounted with yourself,
while the Arab attendant shews infinite dexte
rity in warding off obstacles, calling out loudly
all the time to clear the wav.
In the citadel is a celebrated well, which
goes by the name of Joseph's Well ; it is near
three hundred feet deep, and thirty or forty in
circumference. The descent to it is by a long
winding gallery, and you meet at every turn
ing with men and cattle conveying the water
upwards. The water is raised by means of large
wheels, which are worked by buffaloes ; it must
have been a work of prodigious labour to exe
cute, being all cut out, both gallery and well,
from the solid rock. The hall of Joseph is also
shewn in the citadel, but in a ruinous state, —
and supported by several lofty columns of red
granite : the granaries of the patriarch, where
he deposited the Egyptians' corn, we could not
see, as the Pacha had made storehouses of
them. The Consul-general gave me a letter to M.
Caviglia, a Frenchman, who had resided some
time at the Pyramids, where he was most ar
dently engaged in prosecuting discoveries. M.
C. carae to Cairo one day frora his desert abode,
and invited me warmly to return with hira. We

GIZEH. 97
set out soon after two o'clock, the heat being
intense. We crossed the Nile to the village of
Gizeh. The direct route to the Pyramids is
only ten miles ; but the inundation made it near
twenty, and obliged us to take a very circuitous
course ; yet it was a most agreeable one, lead
ing at times through woods of palm and date-
trees, or over barren and sandy tracts, without
a vestige of population. Fatigued with heat
and thirst, we came to a few cottages in a palm-
wood, and stopped to drink of a fountain of de
licious water. In this northern cliraate no idea
can be formed ofthe exquisite luxury of drink
ing in Egypt : little appetite for food is felt,
but when, after crossing the burning sands,
you reach the rich line of woods on the brink
of the Nile, and pluck the fresh limes, and,
mixing their juice with Egyptian sugar and the
soft river- water, drink repeated bowls of lemon
ade, you feel that every other pleasure of the
senses must yield to this. One then perceives
the beauty and force of those similes in Scrip
ture, where the sweetest emotions ^f the heart
are compared to the assuaging of thirst in a
sultry land.
The Nile, in its overflow, had encompassed
many villages and their groups of trees, and
was slowly gathering round cottage and grove
H

98 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
and lonely palm. Its fantastic course was
beautiful, for its bosom was covered with many
green isles of every possible form : here a ham
let seemed floating on the wave, above which
hung the foliage and fruit of various trees, the
stems being shrouded beneath ; there it warred
with the Desert, whose hills of sand, rocks,
and ruins of teraples, looked like so many
mournful beacons in the watery waste. We
passed several very long causeways, erected
over the flat land to preserve a passage amidst
the inundation ; and the sun set as we entered
on the long expanse of soft sand, in the midst
of which the Pyramids are built. The red light
resting for some time on their enorraous sides,
produced a fine effect : for a long while we
seemed at no great distance from thera, but the
deception of their size on the flat expanse of
the Desert long raisled us, and it was dark be
fore we arrived. As we drew near, we heard
the loud voice of welcorae frora the Arabs, who
carae out of the apartments of the rock on Avhich
the Pyramids stand, and surrounded us. We
ascended a narrow winding path to a long and
low chamber in the rock, that had formerly
been a tomb. Here M. Caviglia, his assistant
M. Spinette, a German, and myself, sat down
on the floor, and supped on sorae boiled fowl

THE PYRAMIDS. 99
and Nile water ; and, being very much fatigued,
they soon left me to ray repose. One of the
Arabs placed a sraall light in the wall of this
antique abode, and, throwing myself on my
hard bed of reeds, I tried to obtain some sleep ;
yet the novelty of ray situation, the thought of
being at last on the spot around which imagi
nation had so long been passionately wander
ing, made it long a stranger to my eyes.
The next raorning, at sunrise, we took our
coffee at one of the natural windows of this ca
vern, that looked over the plain. My servant,
who had followed the day before with the tent,
lost his way, and did not arrive till midnight;
and being unable to find either dwelling or in
habitant, he wandered about the Pyramids,
shouting and firing his pistols, till at last he
lay down in one of the deep holes in the sand^
and sheltered himself till sunrise. In the course
of the day we visited several of Mons, C's ex
cavations ; one was a small and beautiful gate
way of fine white stone, covered with hiero
glyphics, and of so fresh a colour th^t it seemed
but lately erected. Descending about sixty
feet, we entered three subterraneous apart
ments, one of which contained two large cof
fins, side by side, cut out of the rock ; some
little idols only were found in them. There was
h2

100 LETTERS FROM THE EAST,
also a very curious square room, or place of
torabs, the walls covered with figures, disco
vered by Mr, Salt, M. Caviglia is at present
engaged in what would be generally consider
ed an almost hopeless undertaking ; he believes
there is a subterraneous communication between
the Pyramids of Gizeh and those of Saccara and
the remains of Memphis, the former fifteen miles
off, the latter a few miles nearer. He is san
guine of success in his attempts to discover this
passage, and has proceeded some hundred yards
in his excavation ofthe sand : there is the work
of years before hira ere he can effect his ob
ject, though it is probable he will make some
valuable discoveries by the way. A man must
be animated by no slight enthusiasm to live in
this place of desolation, deprived of all the joys
of civilized life, toiling like a slave with forty
or fifty Arabs frora daybreak to sunset, amidst
rocks, sands, and beneath burning heats. About
two or three hundred yards from the great
Pyramid is the Sphynx, with the features and
breasts of a woman, and the body of an animal ;
between the paws an altar was formerly held ;
but the face is much mutilated : — its expression
is evidently Nubian. This enormous figure is
cut out of the solid rock, and is twenty-five or
thirty feet in height, and about sixteen from

THE GREAT PYRAMID. 101
the ear to the chin. The dimensions of the
body cannot be ascertained, it being almost
entirely covered with sand. The highest praise
is due to M. Caviglia's indefatigable exertions
to clear the sand from the breast and body of
the Sphinx. This work employed him and his
Arabs during six weeks : the labour was ex
treme, for the wind, which had set in that di
rection, blew the sand back again nearly as fast
as they removed it : he is now proceeding to
uncover the whole of the figure.
Evening now drew on, and the labour of the
day being finished, we seated ourselves at a
humble repast at the door of the place of tombs.
The solitude that spread around was vast, and
the stillness unbroken : the Arabs had all retired
to their homes in the distant villages : the San
ton, who lived in a lofty tomb near by, was the
only tenant of the Desert save ourselves, and
his orisons were always silent : — in such a situa
tion one hour of life is worth an age at home ;
it leaves recollections which no change or dis
tance can impair or efface. The next morning
I ascended the great Pyramid. The outside is
formed of rough stones of a light yellow colour,
which form unequal steps all round from the
bottom to the summit: these stones or steps
are two, three, or four feet high, and the ascent

102 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
is rather laborious, but perfectly free from dan
ger, or any serious difficulty. What a bound
less and extraordinary prospect opened from
the surarait ! On one side a fearful and melan
choly Desert, either level or broken into wild
and fantastic hills of sand and rocks ; on the
other, scenes of the utmost fertility and beauty
marked the course of the Nile, that wound its
way as far as the eye could reach into Upper
Egypt ; beneath, araidst the overflow of wa
ters, appeared the nuraerous haralets and groves
encircled like so many beautiful islets ; and far
in the distance was seen the smoke of Cairo,
and its lofty minarets, with the dreary Mount
Mokattam rising above. Who but would linger
over such a scene; and, however wide he roam
ed, who would not feel hopeless of ever seeing
it equalled !
The height of the great Pyramid is five hun
dred feet ; its base above seven hundred feet
long at each square, making a circumference of
about three thousand feet ; and its surarait is
twenty-eight feet square. It is perfectly true,
as a celebrated traveller has observed, that you
feel much disappointed at the first view of the
Pyramids : as they stand in the midst of a flat
and boundless Desert, and there is no elevation
near, with which to contrast them, it is not easy

PYRAMID OF CEPURENES. 103
to be aware of their real raagnitude, until, after
repeated visits and observations, their vast size
fills the mind with astonishment.
On the third night, carrying lights with us,
we entered the large Pyramid by a long gra
dual descent of near a hundred feet in length ;
and next ascended the long gallery of raarble,
a hundred and fifty feet in length, and exces
sively steep, which conducted us to the great
charaber. In the roof of this lofty room are
stones of granite eighteen feet long : in what
manner these masses were conveyed to such a
situation it is not easy to conceive ; still less for
what purpose these immense structures were
forraed, filled up as the greater part of the in
terior is with masses of stones and marble. The
few chambers hitherto discovered bear no pro
portion whatever to the vast extent of the in
terior. So immensely strong is their fabric, and
so little do they appear injured by the lapse of
more than three thousand years, that one cannot
help believing, when gazing at thera, that tlieir
duration can end only with that of the world.
The celebrated sarcophagus which Dr. C.
fancifully supposed to have contained the bones
of Joseph, stands in the great charaber ; it has
been much injured bythe various pieces struck
oft". The Pyramid of Cephrenes, the passage

104 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
into which Mr. Belzoni has opened, stands
near that of Cheops, but cannot be ascended.
The Pyramids stand on a bed of rock a hun
dred and fifty feet above the Desert, and this
elevation contributes to their being seen from
so great a distance. On one of the days of
my stay here the wind blew so violently from
morning to night, that the sand was raised,
though not in clouds, yet in sufficient quan
tities to penetrate every thing, and render it
difficult to stand against it : my tent, which
was pitched in the plain below, was blown
down, and I was obliged to take up my abode
in the place of tombs. The large chamber ex
cavated in the rock, and inhabited by Belzoni
during his residence of six months here, is close
to the Pyramid of Cephrenes ; it is very com
modious and lofty, though excessively warm.
On entering the door, the only place through
which the light is admitted, an immense num
ber of bats rushed out against us. All the
ruinous apartments and temples in this country
are peopled with these animals, which Belzoni
contrived to get rid of by lighting large fires,
the smoke of which soon expelled them. We
paid a visit one evening to the Arab Santon, or
dervise, who lived in a handsome and spacious
chamber, that was formerly perhaps a tomb.

THE PYRAMIDS. 105
excavated out of the rock, not far from the
great Pyramid. He was an elderly man, of a
mild and handsome countenance, • and black
beard. His wild and singular retreat was
divided into two rooms ; he was seated cross-
legged in the outer one, and appeared engaged
in meditation : but he instantly rose and re
quested us to allow him to make some coffee
for us. Coffee made by a holy Santon, in a
tomb that might have held the remains of kings,
and close to the Pyramids ! I shall never be
offered such a privilege again in this state of
raortality. What a pity that the Prophet never
tasted coffee : a Turk may well regret this, as
it undoubtedly would have had a place araong
the enjoyments in paradise for the faithful ; fur
on earth, in sorrow and in joy, alone or in
society, it appears their enduring luxury and
consolation. The holy man seemed to have
few enjoyments for the senses about him, yet he
looked any thing but emaciated, and his dark
eye was very expressive ; and as we did not
give him credit for being much of an antiquary,
it was difficult to conceive why he should have
wandered to this solitude. He must have been
sincere in his religion, as there was no popula
tion araong which he could practise the arts
and hypocrisy of the dervish tribe. The Arab.s

106 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
of the distant villages visited him occasionally,
and brought some bread and vegetables for his
subsistence. Near the Pyramids is a sraall and singular
group of trees, called the Sacred Trees by the
Arabs, not one of whom will ever dare to pluck
a leaf of them : they consist of two sycaraores
and two or three palms, and stand alone in the
waste of sand ; the leaves are not withered,
but have a vivid green colour^ and afford a most
agreeable relief to the eye.
The last evening passed here was a very
lovely one : I was seated with Caviglia near
the door of his rocky abode, as the sun was
going slowly down over the extensive scene
before us, its red rays lingering on the Pyra
mids, the Desert, and its dreary precipices and
wastes. Of all the sunsets I ever beheld, none
are so beautiful as those of Egypt: a fierce
redness, almost the colour of blood, is often
thrown over the horizon, and then fades into
the raost delicate hues of yellow, green, and
azure. About a mile on the right, a small tribe
of wandering Bedouins, who had just arrived,
had pitched their tents ; the caraels were stand
ing beside, the fires were lighted, and the Arab
masters moving about in their wild and pic
turesque drapery — the only scene of life in that

THE PYRAMIDS, 107
vast solitude. We were to set out at daybreak
next morning on our return to Cairo; and,
having taken leave of the Frenchman and his
companion, I lay down for the last time on my
bed of reeds in the tomb ; but every effort to
compose myself to sleep was useless : — a thou
sand agitating thoughts crowded into my mind ;
scenes of past life returned again, but clothed
in dark and distorted colours, and my future
journey seeraed full of appalling difficulties and
perils : the intense heat, and fatigue of the day,
with the loneliness of ray wild resting-place,
and the warra exhalations the walls sent forth,
raight have caused this. I quitted my gloomy
abode, and went into the open air : the desert
plains and the wide and gathering waters of the
inundation were bright with the most vivid
moonlight. How deeply interesting was that
walk! The vast forms of the Pyramids rose
clear and distinct, and, viewed frora the plain
of sand as they seeraed to rest against the blue
raidnight sky, their appearance was, in truth,
raagnificent — those of Saccara raight be seen
twelve miles distant in the splendid light — and
the silence around was so hushed and deep I
Pursuing my way over the soft sand, I reached
the nearest branch of the overflow; and the
night being excessively warm, I bathed once

108 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
more in the Nile, a luxury that well supplied
the want of sleep. — The next morning we set
out for Cairo, After quitting the barren tracts,
the ride became very agreeable ; the palra-trees
were loaded with large clusters of dates. This
fruit is manna to the people of Egypt, with
whom it is an universal article of food : when
ripe, it has a sweet and insipid taste ; but when
dried and preserved in lumps, after the stones
are extracted, it is extremely good.
It is interesting to observe the different ways
these people have of irrigating the land. Some
times a buffalo is made to turn a large wheel
which is covered all round with a number of
pitchers, into which the water being drawn up
from beneath, is poured out again, as the wheel
turns round, into a small channel cut in the
earth, and this channel conveys it into various
others through the fields. Or an Egyptian, half
naked, stands all day long in the burning sun
on the river's bank at a simple machine of wood,
to the ends of which a couple of buckets are
suspended ; these he incessantly lowers into the
stream, and then pours the water into the small
canals cut in his ground. The inundation does
not extend over the whole of the flat cultivated
land, so that it is necessary, by these sluices
and irrigations, to distribute the water every-

GRAND CAIRO. 109
where. When the inundation has subsided and
been absorbed in the earth, a rich black mould
is left, which requires little labour. No plough
is known here ; but, a sraall furrow being made
in the earth by a stick, the grain is dropped in,
and the most abundant crop soon starts up, as
if by magic. There are two harvests, one in
March, the other in October.
In the way we met an Arab funeral : about
twenty men, friends of the deceased, advanced
under a row of palm-trees, singing in a raourn
ful tone, and bearing the body : they walked two
or three abreast, with the priest at their head,
and, having forded a stream in front, passed
close to us. The corpse was that of a woman,
neatly dressed in white, and borne on an open
bier, with a small awning of red silk over it.
The market at Cairo, or place where the Cir
cassian woraen raay be purchased, cannot fail
to be interesting, though at the sarae tirae re
pulsive to a stranger's feelings. These unfor
tunate woraen, as we terra them, though it is a
doubt if they think themselves so, , are bought
originally of their parents, who are generally
peasants, by the Armenian and other merchants
who travel through Georgia and Circassia.
Their masters sometimes procure them an
education, as far as music and singing go, give

no LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
them handsome clothes, and then sell them in
private to the rich Turks, or bring thera to the
market at Cairo, where, however, the business
is conducted with tolerable decorum. The
lady, veiled and habited as best becomes her
figure, and placed in a separate apartment, is
attended by the raerchant whose 'property she
is, and raay be seen by the person who wishes
to become a purchaser. The veil is lifted, and
the beauty stands exposed. This is better,
however, than a Turkish wife, who, on the
bridal evening, for the first time perhaps, draws
aside the shroud of her charms, and throws her
self into her husband's arras, — when he ma^
recoil with horror frora his own property, find
ing the dazzling loveliness he had anticipated
changed into a plain, yellow, and faded aspect.
But the Georgian style of beauty is rich and
joyous, and their dark eyes ! — there are no eyes
like them in the world. The stranger then casts
his sight over the figure, the hand and foot : —
a small and delicate hand is, with the Orientals,
much valued — even the men are proud of pos
sessing it : he demands the lady's accomplish
ments ; if she sings or is skilled in music, — in
this case the price is greatly enhanced : a thou
sand or fifteen hundred pounds are sometimes
given for a very lovely woman so highly gifted.

GRAND CAIRO. 1 11
One day, in company with another traveller,
I paid a visit to a rich Jew, one of the first mer
chants in Cairo. He received us in a hand
some apartment, to which a flight of steps as
cended. The floor was covered with a rich
carpet, and the divan, elevated a couple of feet
higher, was lined with soft cushions, and laid
out for luxurious enjoyment. A lofty dome of
glass lighted the chamber. We reclined on the
divan with the master of the house ; and a few
yards frora us was another and raore interest
ing party : six Oriental ladies, all unveiled and
richly dressed, were at dinner, and seated in a
circle on soft cushions on the floor round a low
table about a foot high. The lady of the house,
a handsome young woman, was just recovered
from her confinement, and this was the first day
of her receiving her friends. They ate and
conversed much at their ease, and sent us some
sweetmeats, and a pleasant drink like sherbet.
The, husband told us he and his bride were
married at the age of fourteen ; and they were
then six and twenty, and had a Jiouseful of
children. Bismillah! blessings to the Prophet !
a Turk would have added, with a devout look ;
but, being a Jew, he invoked nobody, but look
ed very resigned about it. The ladies having
finished their repast, each of them had a Turk-

112 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
ish pipe, about five feet long, brought; and
putting theraselves into an easy posture, with
the amber mouth-piece between their lips, and
the ball of the pipe resting on the carpet, be
gan to smoke, sip coffee, and chat at intervals.
The custom of smoking in the East is very dif
ferent frora that in our country : the tobacco is
so very mild and sweet, that it does no injury
to the teeth or breath, and it is often used as a
luxury by the women ; and the tube of fine
amber would not disfigure any lips ; the atti
tude, when holding the long chibouque, or
flexible argill6e, displays to advantage a beau
tiful arm.

BEN'ESUEF. US

LETTER VI.
Having hired a cangia for the voyage to
Upper Egypt, we left Boulac on a beautiful
evening in August. This vessel had very good
accommodations — a low room on the deck with
several windows,' and a smaller one adjoining
for my servant ; but we preferred in general
to take our meals under a canOpy without.
The crew consisted of seven Arab sailors, and
their reis, or captain. For the first two or
three days the shores and interior wore a more
barren aspect than below Cairo, but the river
became gradually wider. On the third day we
came to Benesuef: at this town were barracks,
with a number of Albanian troops, and it pos
sessed a tolerable bazaar. As we advanced,
our progress becarae increasingly delightful,
The vessel generally stopped every raorning and
evening at sorae village or hamlet, or where
the aspect of the country promised an agree-

114 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
able walk, when we went on shore to purchase
milk or fruit, and vary the scene a little. In
oriental climates a traveller possesses the in
valuable advantage of being enabled to calcu
late with certainty on his progress ; the sun by
day, and the moon by night, will always light
him brilliantly on his way ; and he has little dis-
appointraent to anticipate from rains, fogs, and
clouds ; the atmosphere being almost always
pure, the most distant objects can be distinctly
seen. One evening, having walked some dis
tance to an Arab village, in a grove of palms,
we seated ourselves on the trunk of a tree as the
daylight faded, when the Turkish commandant
came up and politely invited us to take coffee
with him. He conducted us to the top of a
verdant bank, where a carpet was quickly
spread at the door of his dwelling, sherbet was
brought, and the time passed away very agree
ably. He pressed us to dine with him the
next day in the Eastern style, but this would
have occasioned too long a delay. It was
rather singular, that this officer would not suffer
his servant to accept any present ; but seeing
us resolved to depart, he accompanied us a
good part of the way on board, and then took a
kind and obliging leave.

.\IINIET. 115
We next came to the town of Minifet, not so
large as Benesuef; a Turk, of a respectable
appearance, requested a passage as far as
Siout, which we gave hira. Late in the even
ing the cangia carae to near the house of Mr.
Brine. This gentleman who is a native of De
vonshire, and has its broad provincial dialect,
manages a sugar-manufactory for the Pacha;
he is very hospitable, and the English traveller
is sure to meet a cordial reception at his house,
which has an aspect half Egyptian, half En
glish ; the garden is laid out very prettily in
the latter style. Next morning early we took
coffee, and then proceeded to visit the premises,
where between one and two hundred Arabs are
constantly eraployed at very low wages ; but
Mr. B. declared it was often impossible to
make these Africans work without blows,
though he greatly disliked having recourse to
violent measures. Indulgence and kindness
towards these people do indeed appear quite
misplaced : they are certain to abuse them ;
and so rooted in the mind of almost every
African is the love of ease and indolence, that
they would rather subsist on the raerest neces
saries of life, than procure comforts by greater
activity. We sat down to an early and pro-
I 2

116 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
fuse dinner at Mr. B.'s, and had the pleasure of
partaking of what was rather rare on the banks
of the Nile, a bottle of Champagne ; and on
returning on board we found two goats and a
quantity of fowls sent as a present. This gen
tleman lives here on the fat of the land, and is*
absolute sovereign, over all around him ; but
the uncertainty of earthly joys seemed to be
felt in Egypt as at home, for on our return two
months afterwards from Nubia, Mr. B. was
dead, his companion, an Italian lady, was cast
on the stream without a protector, the assist
ants and servants were turned off, and the
whole establishment put under Turkish ma
nagement Leaving Radamouni, we arrived next day at
Monfalut, an ancient town from the appearance
of the wall that encirled it. Here was a very
good bazaar, and, as usual i a nuraber of Alba
nian troops. These raen, reraarkable for their
fine and healthy appearance in their own
country, seera to languish beneath this sultry
climate, and become sallow and faded-. Here
we had an opportunity of witnessing the cele
brated dance of the Almek girls, who abound
in the towns in Upper Egypt, and are devoted-
to this; profession frora childhood by their pa-

SIOUT — GIRofe. 117
Tents, and dress in a gaudy and fantastic man
ner. They wear long rows of gold coins on
¦each side of the head, which are attached to the
tresses of the hair by means of a hole bored
in the middle of the coin. They are often
beautifully formed, but the features are in
general plain, and a young woman of five-and-
twenty always appears forty. They danced,
five or six in nuraber, to the sound of the tam
bour and guitar, and their gestures were as
voluptuous as can possibly be conceived ; for
in the manner and variety of these the whole
skill of the dance appeared to Consist : alto
gether it was a very disgusting exhibition.
Siout, the capital of the province, lying a
few miles inland, we hired asses next day in
order to visit it. Its appearance at a small
distance was very pleasing, the branches of the
Nile flowing close to it, and just beyond the
rocky range of Libyan hills.
We next came to Girge, a good Egyptian
town, of the same sad and gloomy aspect as all
the rest : the dwellings of the poor, dark and
wretched ; those of the better sort, like for
tresses, with small and close windows of wood
work, and walls of a dirty brick colour ; and
the streets, if narrow passages can be so called,
always unpaved. A Greek doctor came on

118 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
board here, and introduced himself, as he
wanted a passage for a short distance. He
had come from Ibrahim the young Pacha's
army at Sennaar, to procure a supply of spirits
and some other articles, and was now about to
return. He was a true Greek, of a round sup
ple form, and keen and cunning dark eyes, that
could express all things to all men ; and though
the scorching deserts of Sennaar were not quite
so sightly a home as his own Attica, he seera
ed very much at ease, and willing to take
things as they came : he was quite a man of
the world, and of very courteous manners.
How he could satisfy his Christian conscience
to remain with an army of infidels, whose only
employment at Sennaar was to drive out and
butcher the hai'mless inhabitants, is not easy
to understand ; but a Hakin, or Frank doctor,
is held in peculiar honour by the faithful, whom
it is very easy for him to remove to Paradise
at any time ; for medicine in any form or way
they are always ready to gulp down, though
in perfect health. The Greek accompanied me
to visit some of the mosques in the town. It
was the first day of the second bairam, and all
the Turks and Egyptians were taking each
other by the hand in the streets, and, having
mutually kissed the cheek as brethren in the

GlRGEl. 1 19
faith, they placed the right hand on the breast
with an air of the utmost kindness and pleasure
— and expressed their joy at the arrival of this
happy day. It was a universal holiday : the
Arabs, like boys released from school, formed
in large groups in the open spaces, and danced
and sang with all their might.
We next visited the Coptic convent, a lofty
and gloomy building of brick, with only one
father in it. He was a man about forty, of a
mild and handsome countenance and amiable
manners, and appeared sincerely pious; he
was unmarried, and no being but himself re
siding in this large and silent convent, his life
must have been rather lone and desolate. He
had a little garden of plants on the terraced
roof of his house, the care of which seemed to
be his chief delight, and he was supported by
the contributions of his people, who were about
three hundred in number. Had the Prophet
forbidden his ministers to marry, he would
have lacked imauns, santons, and dervishes,
and might have propagated his faith by fire
and sword, but never by the word of man ; for
not the certainty of Paradise would ever induce
a believer to live a life of celibacy.
The banks of the Nile on the opposite shore
were here formed of precipices of iramense

120 LETTERS E^pM THE EAST.
l^pighj, .w^iph descended almost p,erp,epdicular-
ly into thj? Abater. The pext day, our compa-
jii,op, the Greek .^octqr, left ys, and proceeded
t9 Fursljput ; ai?,4 in the jevening we reached
th^ pfiy^n qf Keni^h, where excellent limes and
melpns y^^ife in g.bund^nce. The pric^ of pro
visions in this coun,try is e^trpmely lovv — eggs
twenty for a penny, a fowl for three-pence, and
bread and vegetables cpst a mere trifle. The
};hprmomfi>;er was here at 93 iii pae shade, but
il) 3, fe\y d?.ys it rp^e to 100. At f^is town we
vfipt with an amusing Turkish Jjarber. This
cl^ss of men ape more respectable in the EasJ;
than W^h HS, w)iic}> raay partly accpunt for
tj^qir freqp^nt intfoductipn 9.mpng ihp charac
ters. ip the Arabian I^ights. He was a clevef
m^n, and seemed to know the world well ; hi^
fipaturQS were handsppip, and, besidps being
welWressed, he wore a fprmidablp pair pf pis?
tpl§ in 'his sash. He bfilpngpd to a peculiar
order of dervishes, who allowed their h^lF t9
grow. Outwardly he looked as shorn as the
rest of the faithful, but, on tajring off his tiurban,
his long and luxuriant graven tresses fell on his
shoulders and breast : he seemed to sneer at
many parts of his Prophet's revelations, and
said he beljeved that people of ^11 religions
would have an equal chancp of going to Hpji-

TEMPLE OF TENTYRA. 121
Ven, This sceptical dervish was a jovial fellow,
and Ipyed an inspiring glass, even with giaours;
he wore several dashing rings, and took snuff
with all the grace of a Frenchman, On our
return from Upper Egypt some time afterwards,
the cangia had not long touched the shore,
when we saw the portly figure of our friend the
dprvish advancing over the sand ; he carried a
handsoinp w.i^lkingrstick, and hailed our arrival
yery cordially.
We set out in the afternoon to visit the Tem->
pje of Tentyra, about two railes from the oppo
site shore ; it is situated at the end of a very
finp plain, on which is here and there scattered
^. Jopfsly group of palms. This beautifpl tem
ple is in a higher state of preservation than
q.laipst any other in Egypt : it is the first a tra
veller visits, and its extreme grandeur and ele
gance excite surprise and admiration beyond
wliat is felt amidst any other ruin. The portico
consists of twenty rfour columns of fine white
stonp, each twenty-three feet in circumference.
JVlarble is rarely to be found in the Egyptian
edifices, the matprials of which th€»y are com
posed being generally a fine white or light yel
low stone, or coarse granite. But it is on the
porticoes of the temples that the exquisite skill
of the architect, and the richest ornaments, have

122 LETTERS FROM THE XAST.
been chiefly bestowed. The ceiling is divided
into several compartments, among the innume
rable figures of which (objects of Egyptian wor
ship) are the sacred vulture, serpents, proces
sions of boats, whose passengers have hawks,
rams, or lions' heads, with head-dresses. The
first chamber you enter is lofty, and supported
by six pillars of the same kind as those of the
portico. The beautiful zodiac on the ceiling
of one of the inner apartraents has been taken
off entirely by the French, and carried to Paris.
The outer wall of the^ teraple is seven feet in
thickness, and secured by fastenings of iron ;
and the stones which corapose the architrave
of the portico are more than eighteen feet in
length. The hieroglyphics on the ceiling are painted
with various colours, which still partially re
main ; the signs of the zodiac are here the pre
vailing ornament. You pass afterwards into an
inner apartment supported by rows of pillars,
and at the end of this is the door of the sanctu
ary, over which is the device seen in every tem
ple — that of outspread wings, or plumes, and
rays of light descending, as of the glory of Di
vinity. Having lighted a torch, you pass from
the sanctuary through several chambers and

TE.MPLE OF TENTYRA. 123
passages of the interior of the temple ; the walls
covered with hieroglyphics of the most exqui
site workmanship, half the human size, and cut
two or three inches in prominence from the
walls. But the body of the temple is partly
buried in the earth. In the grand portico a
great deal of rubbish remains, the lower part of
many of the pillars being covered, probably, to
the depth of several yards. It was a glorious
site for a temple : the wide plain in front,
which is now covered with a rank and luxuri
ant verdure ; close behind, the eternal barriers
of the Libyan mountains ; the Nile a mile and
a half on the right ; and the boundless desert
on the left. The traveller in this country is
often struck with the magnificence of the situ
ations the Egyptians chose for their temples.
Near the temple is a sraall building of a pyra
midal form, which appears to have been a place
of burial : you stoop to enter the low and nar
row door, and the light is admitted through a
sraall rude dorae at top ; raany corpses must
have rested here, for it still retained a death
like smell. About a hundred yards to the left
ofthe great temple are the remains of a smaller
one ; the figures cut in the walls here ex
ceed those of the former ; the foliage of the

124 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
capitals being carved with exquisite hemitff.
The figure of the evil genius Typhon, u^ly and
deformed, is carved on each pf the pillars.
The inundation of the Nile had this year
fallen much below its usual limits ; most anxi
ously did the poor Egyptians watch the rise of
the waters, inch after inch, till they came to a
full stand. Twenty-five years ago a similar
event happened, in a greater deficiency than the
present, which was productive of great distress,
owing to the scarcity of the crops. They fear
for their harvests now, and the peasants labour
with daily and nightly toil to raake amends for
the deficient overflow, by raising the water by
every possible device, to pour it on their lands.
As we advance higher into the country, the
surface of the stream is often several inches
below the level of the shore. This evening a
group of Arab boys came to the river-side, and
kept up a sort of singing in chorus for some
time, which was more melodious than most of
their efforts of this kind ; then a man mounted
on horseback, and dressed fantastically to per
sonate a fool, advanced, attended by a number
qf Arabs on foot, whom he diverted by a va
riety of ludicrous gestures. This procession
paraded about for sorae time, with much shout-

kenJ:h.. 125
ing and clapping of hands; and wasi we under
stood, an ancient custom, to propitiate the wa
ters of the Nile, that they might rise to their
usual level.
The town of Ken^b is the most commercial
in Upper Egypt. Numerous caravans arrive
here from the Red Sea, by way of Cossair, and^
bring Mocha coffee, the shawls and spices of
India, andi various other articles; and carry'
back corn, sugar, honey, and oil. The bazaars
are not so good as in many ofthe other towns;
but the mariset for raeat is every where indifl-
ferent. A butcher who is about to cut up a
sheep is quickly surrounded by custoraersj whO'
direct him to separate the part of the aniraal
they like, and in ashort tirae it all disappears!
— ^The woraen of pleasure of various nations'
and colours, are raet with in every street^in'
this place, and are adorned with' strings of gold'
coins on each' side the face, rings in their
noses, or heavy bracelets on their wrists, each'
after her own taste. At evening we' fre
quently heard the sound® of rausic and dancing.
from the houses where they, were assembled >
with the Albanian soldiers or the merchants:
Two or three times several lof them came to tbe
river-side, and set up a sort! of song or dirge,.

126 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
with clapping of hands, the effect of which
was not likely to entice any hapless traveller
ashore. We left Ken^h with a fair breeze about nine
o'clock at night, and were becalmed the great
est part of next day near a pleasant village,
luxuriantly shaded. In the middle of most of
the villages, there are generally one or more
large spreading trees, mostly sycamores, which
afford a shade sufficient for a number of people ;
beneath these the Arabs love to sit, passing
their hours indolently away with conversation
and the everlasting pipe. The soil beneath is
often nothing but a mass of thick dust or light
earth, without any verdure ; here they sit and
recline with great content, when a little exer
tion of watering might procure a green and ver
dant couch. The patriarchs of the village, with
their long beards, were all enjoying theraselves
in the shade of sorae beautiful trees at the
river's side. There was not a breath of wind,
and the heat was too powerful for our Arab
sailors to walk on the beach, and pull the can
gia along by a rope, which is the common prac
tice in a calm. We resolved, however, to go
and see what is supposed to be the site of Cop
tos, where some widely scattered ruins are still
to be seen ; and having hired a boat, we crossed

RUINS OF COPTOS. 127
over, as it was a few miles walk from the op
posite shore. Amidst large and confused heaps
of rubbish, are some remains of walls, a few
feet high, and fragments of pillars of fine gra
nite. On our return, we passed through a vil
lage on the declivity of a hill, and stepped into
its large mosque. The hour of evening prayers
was just begun ; and the peasants of the neigh
bourhood, many of them fine-looking men,
others venerable with age, were gathering fast
to their devotions. The corridor was support
ed by lofty pillars, among which were two or
three fine ones of granite, which they had ac
tually taken in pieces from the ruins of Coptos
to support their house of faith. In a small
building adjoining were several small reservoirs
of water, cool and shaded, where the believers
were carefully and devoutly washing their feet
before they entered the mosque. In this cli
mate their manner of worshipping has often a
very impressive as well as picturesque effect.
Just after sunset, when the last and love
liest hues are cast over the silent Egyptian
scenery, or more often when the moon has
spread her brilliant light on the river and shore,
the Turks and Arabs come to the water's edge,
and, heedless of the traveller beside them,
spread their cloak on the bank, and turning

12S LETTERS FROM TH^ EAST.
their" face' to Mecca, and alternately kneeling
and standing, are for sota6 tihie entirely ab
sorbed itt their devotions, apparently actliiated
by a deiep' and solemn sfett^e of the duty thfey
are' engaged in.
At tbe village of Koft a funei'al passed by as
We stood near the mostjue ; the burial-gi'otind
was on tlie side of a hill, shaded by palras, arid'
coraraanded ari ej^ten^ive view of the surroiitid-
ihg country. The torabs were all of one form,
low, a few feet in length, and plastered' white.
There was no outcry on' this occasion, or fune
ral wail, as it Was a child who had died';' when
an Ar&b had partly cohered the corpse, eadh
of'the relsitives'pus'hed the earth gently Withhis
hatidfe irito the grave, continually repeating
sPrae Arab vvOrds, sigriifying " Be thou happy.''
Although there is a sameness in the charae-
tefr of the Egyptian scenery, it is such as is to
be seen in nO other land; The Libyan and"
Arabian chains of mountains; perfectly naked;
streteh on' each sidfe of the Nile nearly to thd
first cataitaCt; generally within a few miles of
the' river; and sometimes close tt< it, or formilig
its bank. At the foot of these naked ma^es of
alight colour, often appear groups of the most
vivid and' beautiful verdure, the palra an'd sy-**
ciaraore spre'adin'g over some lortely cottage, a''

LUXOR. 129
herd of goats and buffaloes winding their way,
or a camel silently grazing. The utter barren
ness and desolation that often encompass scenes
and spots of exquisite fruitfulness and beauty,
the tomb of the santon with its scanty shade,
and the white minaret with its palm and cypress
placed on the very verge of a boundless desert,
or araidst a burning expanse of sand, are al
most peculiar to Egypt. Then you often pass
from the rich banks of the Nile, covered with
lime and orange-trees, where groups of Orien
tals are seated luxuriously in the shade, into a
wild and howling waste, w;here all, even the
broken monuments of past ages, only inspires
feelings of sadness and regret.
It was evening ere we arrived at Luxor, a
poor yet populous village, erected partly amidst
the ruins of the great temple. This edifice is
near the water's edge, and its lofty yellow pil
lars, each thirty feet in circumference, and
ranged in long colonnades, instantly arrest the
attention. On landing, we found on the sand a
dozen grim Egyptian statues, large as life, cut
in coarse granite, after the fashion of the great
Memnon, and in a sitting posture, close to the
edge of the water, that rippled at their feet.
The weight of each statue was enorraous, and
would render the removal difficult ; or else a
K

130 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
traveller might well be tempted to ship one of
them, as they seemed to be no man's property.
There are two most beautiful obelisks fronting
the gateway, seventy feet high, but in reality
much loftier, as a considerable part is buried
in rubbish. Their hieroglyphics are cut deeper,
and with greater delicacy, than those on any
other obelisks in Egypt. A Frenchman, in the
employment of Drouetti the consul, resided
here, who shewed us rauch politeness ; he was
an intelligent man, dressed in the Arab cos
tume, and had resided sixteen years in various
parts of this country. His companion, Moris
Bonnet, had gone to Cairo for a supply of wine
and other comforts, and he felt solitary and ira
patient for his return : he possessed a small
collection of minerals and other curiosities, and
had manufactured a cool delightful sort of
palm-wine out of the juice of the tree, which
was very grateful to us in the sultry heat of the
day. Sixteen years' residence in Upper Egypt
is really a trial of a man's patience and enthu
siasm, and above all beings for two Frenchmen.
Suleiman Aga, coraraander of the Pacha's Ma
melukes at Esneh, a town two days' sail far
ther, was not so resigned : this man was one
of Bonaparte's colonels, and on the ruin of his
master's fortunes came to Egypt, and offered

RUINS OF THEBES. 131
his services to the Pacha, protesting at the
same time he would never consent to change
his religion. Mahraoud laughed, and said, he
cared nothing about his religion, if he only
served hira well ; but he must allow himself to
be called by a Turkish name, and wear the
costume. Suleiman Aga now lives in style as
coraraandant at Esneh, and receives travellers
very hospitably; but his soul pines, amidst
Egyptian beauty, for a suitable companion, and
he implored a fellow-traveller and friend of
mine to send him out an English or Italian wife ;
he swore he would pay implicit deference to
his friend's advice, and marry tbe lady the
moment she arrived. The women around him,
he said, were so insipid; and he should live
there contented could he be but blessed with
one whom he could converse with, and whose
vivacity and intelligence would brighten his
solitary hours.
It is difficult to describe the noble and stu
pendous ruins of Thebes. Beyond all others
they give you the idea of a ruined, yet impe
rishable city ; so vast is their extent, that you
wander a long time confused and perplexed,
and discover at every step some new object of
interest. From the temple of Luxor to that of
k2

132 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
Karnac the distance is a mile and a half, and
they were formerly connected by a long avenue
of sphynxes, the mutilated remains of which,
the heads being broken off the greater part, still
line the whole path. Arrived at the end of this
avenue, you come to a lofty gateway of granite,
and quite isolated. About fifty yards farther
you enter a teraple of inferior dimensions,
which Drouetti has been busy in excavating ;
you then advance into a spacious area, strewed
with broken pillars, and surrounded with vast
and lofty masses of ruins, — all parts of the
great temple : a little on your right is the mag
nificent portico of Karnac, the vivid remem
brance of which will never leave him who has
once gazed on it. Its numerous colonnades of
pillars, of gigantic form and height, are in
excellent preservation, but without ornament ;
the ceiling and walls of the portico are gone ;
the ornaraented plat- stone still connects one of
the rows of pillars with a slender reraain of
the edifice attached to it. Passing hence, you
wander amidst obelisks, porticoes, and statues;
the latter without grace or beauty, but of a
most colossal kind. If you ascend one of the
hills of rubbish, and look around, you see a
gateway standing afar, conducting only to soli
tude,— and detached and roofless pillars, while

TEMPLE OF KARNAC. 133
others lie broken at their feet, the busts of
gigantic statues appearing above the earth,
while the rest of the body is yet buried, or the
head torn away.
The length of the great temple of Karnac
is estimated at 1200 feet, and its breadth at
400; and araong its hundred and fifty columns
are two rows, each pillar of which is ten feet in
diameter. On the left spread the dreary deserts
of the Thebais, to the edge of which the city
extends. In front is a pointed and barren
range of mountains. The Nile flows at the foot
of the temple of Luxor ; but the ruins extend
far on the other side of the river, to the very
feet of those formidable precipices, and into
the wastes of sand. The natural scenery around
Thebes is as fine as can possibly be conceived.
The remainder of the statue is still here, the
beautiful bust of which Belzoni sent to the
British Museum ; it was fallen and broken off
long since. Drouetti is quite inexcusable in
having caused one of the two beautiful obelisks
at the entrance of the temple of Kjirnac to be
thrown down and broken, that he might carry
off the upper part : such an act is absolute sa
crilege. One cannot help imagining that a vast deal
yet remains to be discovered beneath this

134 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
world of ruins, on both sides of the river;
but the pursuit requires incessant and undi
vided attention. A traveller must lay his ac
count to spend six months in excavating here,
with a body of Arabs, who work very cheaply,
and must put up with many privations, before
he could expect to be richly compensated for
his pains.
The second visit we paid to Karnac was still
more interesting. The raoon had risen, and we
passed through one or two Arab villages in the
way, where fires were lighted in the open air,
and the men, after the labours ofthe day, were
seated in groups round them, smoking and con
versing with great cheerfulness. It is singular
that in the most burning climates of the East
the inhabitants always love a good fire at night,
and a traveller soon catches the habit ; yet the
air was still very warm. There was no fear of
interruption in exploring the ruins, for the Arabs
dread to come here after daylight, as they often
say these places were built by Afrit the devil ;
and the belief in apparitions prevails among
most ofthe Orientals. We again entered with
delight the grand portico. It was a night of
uncommon beauty, without a breath of wind
stirring, and the moonlight fell vividly on some

KARNAC. 135
parts of the colonnades, while others were shad
ed so as to add to, rather than diminish their
grandeur. The obelisks, the statues, the lonely
columns on the plain without, threw their long
shadows on the mass of ruins around thera,
and the scene was in truth exquisitely raourn
ful and beautiful.

136 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.

LETTER VII.

The next day we crossed to the opposite
shore to visit the Memnonium. The hierogly
phics there are all of a warlike character ; the
colurans are plain and without any omaraent ;
the capitals perfectly simple, and bear a
greater resemblance to the Doric than to any
other order, and are the same as those of Kar
nac and Luxor. The front of many of the co
lumns is formed into statues of Osiris, near
thirty feet high, with the hands folded on the
breast ; but the features are defaced. Close to
Kurnu lie the fragments of an enormous statue.
The bust is thirty- five feet in length, the width
of the shoulders twenty-five feet, and the whole
must have been nearly eighty feet high. It
consisted of one solid piece of granite. It has
fallen on its face, and the features are quite
obliterated ; its thickness is prodigious.

MEDINET ABOU. 137
About a mile and a half distant are the ruins
of Medinet Abou, apparently those of a temple
and palace, which are entered by a small and
very handsorae gateway. The portico of the
former conducts to a large square, round the
sides of which run lofty corridors ; the capitals
of the pillars are highly ornamented, and the
ceiling they support richly painted. The va
rious bas-reliefs cut on it stilL preserve their
vivid colours, which are most frequently of a
light blue and red. The ruined palace is pe
culiarly fresh and gay, just that of a court, as
if time had in pity spared it for its elegance.
The length of the temple is near five hundred
feet; but the interior is much obscured by
rubbish, and its general aspect has none of the
grandeur of Luxor and Karnac. Seated on
the shores of the Nile, Medinet Abou must
once have possessed its cool retreats, its foun
tains, and woods of perpetual green ; but the
face of Nature is perfectly desolate now, and
though, after the lapse of so many centuries, it
is still beautiful within, every sign . of vegeta
tion has perished without, and it is completely
enveloped in a frightful waste.
We proceeded along the loose sand, and
wound up between the hills ; the weather
was very syltry. The burial-place of ancient

138 LETTERS FIIOM THE EAST.
Thebes is situated here, and innumerable graves
and vaults are seen scattered over this part of
the desert, even to the foot of the precipices.
The mummies have been drawn from their
tombs with a rapacious and unsparing hand.
In this vast cemetery there were no objects
such as we expect to see around the remains
of the dead, but a waste of bright and scorch
ing sand, amidst black and naked rocks.
The corpses ofthe poor Egyptians had most of
them been torn from their deep graves and
strong vaults ; many of the latter, to which
flights of steps led, after being rifled, had their
doors secured, till another visit might produce
fresh discoveries ; others were entirely empty
and spoiled. The chief part of this havoc was
committed by the Arabs, who tore the bodies
open to get at the resin used in the embalming,
which they sold at Cairo at a high price ; but
travellers and savans, and their agents, have
also had their share in this sacrilege, if soit
may be called. It is a sad and disgusting
sight ; the sands and the edges of the graves in
some parts being strewed with the bones and
pieces of the flesh of the raumraies, thrown
wantonly about. The poor Egyptians, who
had slept in peace for some thousands of years,
have been mercilessly dealt with here, and the

STATUES OF MEMNON. 139
remains of warriors, citizens, and sages, may now
lie mingled together beneath the burning sun ;
for no retreat or sanctuary of the dead has been
suffered to remain inviolate. I picked up a
foot with part of the leg, that from its smallness
and delicacy seemed to have belonged to an
Egyptian lady. It had suffered little from
time, except being shrunk in size, for the flesh,
though quite dried, still adhered to it : but it
strongly retained the mummy smell.
Not far from hence, in the plain below, are
the two colossal statues of Memnon : one is
cut out of a solid block of granite; the other
is composed of several pieces. They are in a
sitting posture, near sixty feet in height, and
can be seen from a great distance round. The
architecture is coarse ; the posture easy and
tranquil, with their gigantic hands placed on
their knees. At this time the inundation had
gathered round these enormous statues to
some extent, and invaded a part of their stone
chair or seat : their appearance, thus isolated,
was most strange, they seemed to. sit like the
stern and ancient genii, of the plain, over whora
time and decay had no power.
The Nile for the last few days had grown
narrower, and its banks more wild and rug
ged ; the cliraate seemed to become more pure

140 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
as we advanced. The heat at Esn^h, where we
arrived on the second day, was very intense, —
indeed it would have been difficult to have
borne it, but for the luxury of bathing twice
a-day in the Nile, at sunrise and sunset. The
ruin of the temple is situated in the middle of
the town, and its portico, the most beautiful
and best preserved in Egypt, is obscured by a
mass of rubbish : it is situated near the mar
ket-place. The capitals of the pillars are most
ly different from each other, and this variety,
as in the portico of Etfu, has a delightful ef
fect : they are taken from the leaves, flowers,
and stems of plants and trees, as the vine, the
lotus, and the palm-tree.
In the progress towards the cataracts, we
observed the colour of the inhabitants of the
villages became gradually darker, till at last it
became quite black.
At length we reached Etfu, or ApoUinopolis
Magna. Its temple is a noble ruin of vast ex
tent, and commands a most extensive view of
the river and the plains above and below ; the
piers of the gateway are eighty-five feet in
height, and the length of the outer wall of the
temple is near four hundred and twenty feet.
You enter into an imraense area, round which
runs a lofty corridor, supported by a single

ETFU. 141
row of pillars, and at the end is the portico, with
three rows of columns : the capitals ofthe pil'
lars like those of the temple of Esneh. This
great and magnificent teraple is in an excellent
state of preservation. The villagers have built
a nuraber of wretched cottages in the courts
and on the roof of the edifice ; a multitude of
people were at work beneath the corridors, and
the noise of their operations resounded through
every part of the building. The miserable huts
and their squalid inhabitants haunting your
sight at every avenue of this splendid ruin,
sadly injured its effect. One could not help
earnestly wishing that, like Thebes and Ten
tyra, it stood in some deep and desert solitude,
where the foot of man seldom approached.
The next village we came to was sweetly situ
ated in a grove of palms, and its sraall gardens
looked very neat and inviting. Here we met with
a Greek, who had wandered to a great distance,
and seemed to live by his wits. He had with
him a young Abyssinian girl, who had not long
left her own country, purchased, no doubt, by
this raan for himself first, probably, and after
wards for sale. She was seated beneath one of
the trees ; and was of a dark complexion, but
was not pretty, as her countrywomen are so
often said to be.

142 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
Landing early one morning, we strolled to a
Coptic village, and found the people remark
ably civil. The old sheik was very importu
nate with us to enter his dwelling, and partake
of a repast ; and the chief part of the popula
tion crowded round, among whom were a few
of the prettiest women we had seen in Egypt-
The very early marriages sadly impair their
attractions ; and, joined with exposure to tbe
burning sun, make them look haggard at thirty.
At one place there was a young girl of twelve
years of age, raarried however, and carrying
her child in her arms. Such is the force of
custom, that even in the most remote situations,
where no looks but those of their neighbours
are likely to meet them, you see the peasant
woraen come to the Nile for water, with their
features rigidly concealed, being all, except the
eyes, covered with a thick veil.
The next town we reached was Essouan,
around which are scattered the ruins, unintcf
resting however, ofthe ancient town of Syen^;
they stand on the steep banks of the river, in
some parts in the form of the ruined turrets of
a castle. In the afternoon we crossed to the
island of Elephantine. The vivid descriptions
given by Denon of this island are a little over
charged. It is a very enchanting spot, about

ISLE OF PHILffi. 143
a mile in length, and near a quarter of a raile
broad ; the northern part of it is a desert in
miniature, all rocks and barrenness, with the
fine ruin of a small temple on its most conspi
cuous point : the rest is covered with gardens,
cottages, and groves of palm and fruit trees
even to the water's edge. A man who has
never toiled through long and burning deserts
can have little idea of the rapture with which a
group of trees, or a bright spot of verdure, is
hailed ; or of the deep luxury of feeling excited
by again moving among cottages, and fountains,
and cool retreats. The land of Palestine was,
no doubt, beautiful and rich ; but the ecstasy
the Israelites felt on beholding and entering it,
and the glowing language used in describing
it, had their origin as much perhaps in the pas
sage through the dreary and howling wilder
ness, as in the attractions of the scenes them
selves. The next morning we rode to the Isle of
PhilcB. The way was through a perfect desert
of sand and rocks ; the latter piled in huge and
lofty masses. About half-way was a fountain
of water, covered by a lofty arch of brick from
the rays of the sun. Beneath this two poor
women were sitting, who offered us water in
hope of a trifling reward. A few miles farther

144 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
on, we came to the shore, opposite the Isle of
Philoe, and, having procured a boat, crossed
over. It is a branch of the Nile, which here
makes a circuit, as if on purpose to encompass
this singular spot. Not half so large as Ele
phantine, it has no verdure except a few scatter
ed palm-trees at the water's edge, but its rocky
and roraantic surface is completely covered
with superb ruins. They consist ofthe remains
of several teraples : one only of which is in a
good state of preservation. There are two lofty
gateways, and the pillars of one of the corridors
have the same capitals as those of Tentyra, — the
head of Isis. The family of an Arab inhabited
some of the chambers of the temple. He was
very savage when he perceived our intention of
penetrating into his harem, and drew his long
knife, protesting he would revenge the attempt.
At every step you tr^ad on some fragment of
antiquity; for this celebrated isle must once
have been holy ground, and peculiarly devoted
to religious retirement. No situation could be
better adapted to such a purpose, — encircled by
a branch of the Nile, and imprisoned on every
side by utter desolation. The desert spreads
its wastes and mountains in front ; the dark and
fantastic cliffs of the adjacent isles and shores
look as if rent by some convulsion, and, viewed

PHILCE. 145
through the loug colonnades which crown the
rocks even to the water's edge, the effect is
quite panoramic. Then the loneliness and still
ness of every thing around, only interrupted by
the distant rush of the cataracts ; and a climate
perpetually pure, that gives even to the nights
a bewitching softness and splendour. Who
ever is sick of the world, and would hold com
munion only with Nature and past ages, let him
go and take up his abode at Philoe,
The boat we had hired was rowed by two
boys to the adjacent isle, when a native, per
fectly black, who turned out to be a complete
character, demanded, with an appearance of
great anger, to be taken on board. His object
was to share in the present usually given, and
he afforded us infinite diversion. His features,
like those of the rest of his countrymen, were
singularly expressive and animated. An aqui
line nose ; eyes full of lustre, the every look of
which expressed his meaning better than words;
— his hair was divided into thick tresses, and his
frame, full of activity and muscle, had scarcely
any flesh; he was quite black. His looks and
gestures were a complete pantomirae, and he
sung a livelier boat-song than we had been used
to; for the Arabs have all a monotonous chant,
with which they keep tirae to their oars. On

146 LETTERS FROM THE EAST,
setting off on our return, we were surrounded
by a small host, importuning for a bakshish, or
present. The acting of our Bereber friend was
admirable. He endeavoured to intimidate some
from applying, exerted his voice the loudest and
kept his keen comic face in the foremost rank,
though he had received more than any of the
others. The ride to Essouan through the desert was
very pleasant it being near sunset; and to
bathe in the Nile afterwards, how exquisite a
pleasure ! the intense heat being past, the even
ing air was as balm to the feeling, cool and soft,
without being chill. The next day we directed
the cangia to remain at Elephantine; the isle
afforded a delightful retirement, which was in
deed as a home and a shadow in a weary land.
How often have I wandered amidst its shades
during the burning heat of the day \ There was
a favourite spot where a group of trees stood
near the water's edge, apart from the cottages ;
on the opposite shore rose a lofty range of sand
hills, and the channel between was broken by
some fine rocks, and one little isle covered with
verdure, on which stood one or two habitations;
OH the left were the ruins of the two island
temples : — it was delightful to sit for hours here,
and see the sun go down on the romantic and
beautiful scenery.

VISIT TO A MNOASTERY, 147
The Cataracts^ a few railes above Essouan,
are very insignificant, the fall over a ledge of
rocks, extending nearly the whole breadth of
the channel, being but a few inches in height,
though the noise may be heard at some dis
tance. This being the termination of our
voyage, the next morning we went down with
the current at a good rate, and soon reached
Esn^h and then Luxor. At the former tmvn
there are some hundreds of Mamelukes in the
service of the Pacha, to whom they are slaves,
being Circassians and others purchased by bim
when very young. They are still for the most
part men imi their youth, handsomely dressed,
and are commanded by Suleiman Aga, the
qumdam French colonel, by whom they are
disciplined in the European manner.
One day, being becalmed near th€ opposite
shore on our return, we la<nded at the entrance
of a little valley, confined by lofty precipices.
Advancing up this romantic spot, we came to
a small monastery, with its cemetery in the
wild. The gate was closed, and, no answer
being given to tbe repeated calls,, we entered
thrOugllu one of the windows,, and found all its
apartments silent and deserted. They must
have been so for some time. In the burial-
ground were many tomb-stones with inscrip-
l2

148 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
tions, in memory of the fathers who had lived
and died in this solitude, which seemed not to
be intruded on by human footsteps, save when
some chance traveller should direct his way
ward steps there. A self-denying place it was
altogether for this little community of fathers,
who might truly say they had nothing to do
with the pleasures of the world.
Returning to Thebes, we set out early in the
raorning on a visit to the Torabs of the Kings,
and passing again near the ruins of Kurnu,
sought the house of Osrain, an Arab, who keeps
the keys. Having waited two hours till he
arrived, he soon set before us a couple of fowls,
and sorae cakes of bread, spread on a mat in
the open air, as we had a fatiguing walk before
us. The path was first across the sand, and
then a continual and tedious ascent up the
mountains, till it approached the place of the
sepulchres. They are situated in a kind of
amphitheatre formed by naked and pointed
sumraits of the mountains : in the middle of
this is a steep descent or chasm, and at its
bottom are the entrances of these abodes of the
dead. Descending a flight of steps, the door
of the largest tomb was opened, and the pas
sage, by a slight descent, conducted into the
various chambers. The surprise and delight

TOMBS OF THE KINGS. 149
felt at viewing these wonderful cemeteries can
hardly be expressed ; there is no spectacle in
the world, perhaps, like that which they afford.
The chambers are fourteen in number, hewn
out of the solid rock ; and the walls and ceil
ings are covered with bas-reliefs, in the highest
state of perfection, which is owing partly to
their having been carefully preserved from in
jury and from the external air. The painting
looks as fresh as if laid on but a few years ago.
The figures, finely and deeply cut in the rock,
are of various colours, sorae of a light and deep
blue, yellow, or red, with a raixture of white ;
they are in some parts diminutive ; in others,
three or four feet in height. These groups of
figures represent sometimes the progress of the
arts or the productions of agriculture ; in one
part you see a long religious procession, in
another a monarch sitting on his throne, dress
ed in his splendid attire, and giving audience
to his subjects; or a spectacle of death, where
a corpse is laid out on the bier attended by
mourners : various animals also, as large as life,
and a number of serpents, the different hues
and folds of the body of which are beautifully
executed, in particular one of a large size of the
Boa Constrictor. The features of the women
in these representations bear a close resem-

150 LETTERS FROM THE EAST-
blance to those of Modern Egypt ; the face
oval, the complexion rather dark, the lips full,
the expression soft and gentle, and altogether
African. In some of the chambers the sculp
tures on the walls and ceilings are only partially
executed, the work being evidently left in an
unfinished state. The ambition of a raonarch
to eternize his memory or preserve his remains
untouched never could have chosen a more
suitable or more wildly impressive situation.
Leaving Thebes the same night, the next
place of any consequence we stopped at was
Ken^h, passing by in the way a long encamp
ment of Turkish troops, who were on their
march to join Ibrahim Pacha, All's eldest son,
at Sennaar. There were several renegades
attached to the Pacha^s army ; among others, a
young American of some talents and good fa
mily, who came to Egypt, turned Mahometan,
and got an appointment in the Pacha's army,
but was soon disgusted with a campaign in the
desert of Sennaar. He quitted the camp in
company with a Scotchman, a soldier in the
same army, and after a painful journey arrived
at Cairo. At the time I knew him there, he
had an appointment as a writer in some way
under the Pacha with a small salary. He
should have made a pilgrimage to Mecca, the

CHRISTIAN RENEGADES. 151
only object almost worth turning Mahometan
for. If to indulge in Turkish voluptuousness
was his aim, he was not rich enough, for it re
quires means in Egypt as well as in Europe to
live a life of pleasure. But at Cairo he was
often in company with a missionary for the con
version of the Jews, and an excellent man,
whose discourses made hira perceive the folly
of Mahoraetanism, though he had written a
treatise in defence ofit. He became extremely
penitent, was conveyed down the Nile secretly
to Alexandria, and on reaching Europe, was
received once more into the bosom of Chris
tianity. His companion, the Scotchman, was
more unfortunate : he went about the streets
of Cairo with little on him except a blanket,
and sometimes came to me for relief " I can
make it badly out. Sir," said he to me orie day,
" among the Turks ; I shall turn Christian
again." In the way to Girg6 the wind became violent
for one or two days, and obliged the vessel to
stop. One afternoon, in order to pass the time,
1 took a walk to a village at some 'distance, and
seating myself beneath a palm, took out a
volume of the Arabian Nights to read. After
some time two Arabs came up, and sat down
beside me. The book was beyond their com-

152 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
prehension, save that a figure of a beautiful
Eastern princess in the frontispiece interested
them wonderfully. One of them, an old fellow
with a beard, raade the most expressive signs
of admiration, while his eyes sparkled with
pleasure. They invited me to enter the village ;
where, being seated on the floor of a cottage,
they set dates and railk before me, and a num
ber of women gathered before the door out of
curiosity. The custom they have of conceal
ing a good part of their faces is a very laudable
one : considering the number of fine-looking
men among the Arabs, it is strange there should
be such an alraost universal plainness araong
the other sex in Egypt.
A little naked boy carae into the hut: he
seeraed to be a great favourite, being a Mara-
bey ; that is, dedicated from his infancy to be
a fakir, or Arab priest. The little dog looked
very round and fat, and was, I believe, covered
over with oil. All at once the sounds of music
were heard without, and a strange group made
its appearance. A boy carried a flag of red
and white, a tall respectable-looking Arab
played a tambourine, a young man a long drum,
and another a pair of castanets. They all sung
in a low voice ; and in the midst was a fakir,
for whom all the display was raade. He was

AN AFFECTING SCENE. 153
a very good-looking man, with a full florid
face, a black bushy beard, and his thick hair
in wild disorder. He moved his head up and
down strangely in time to the music, and joined
in the chant with the others. He came into
the hut where I was, and behaved with great
ease and civility ; and seemed more a man of
the world than a self-denying saint.
The figure of the beautiful woman in the
book, which the two Arabs had kissed with
earnestness, the fakir seemed to view with dis
like, as the Koran forbids a fondness for pic
tures. The Prophet was right, perhaps, in
prohibiting the use of pictures or images to his
people ; the wretched paintings of the Virgin
and the saints, raale and feraale, in the Greek
church raay have quite as much effect on the
imagination, if it can be at all excited by
such things, as the vile statues of the Catho
lics. The only human figure I saw in Greece
that was better worth worshipping, if I may be
allowed the expression, than half their marvel
lous calendar, was a young Greek girl at Tri
politza. She was dying — but her 'figure was
symmetry itself Her father was a priest, and
her mother was, as she was well termed, a
magnificent woman, of large size, stout, and
her features had a noble and imperial charac-

164 LETTERS FROM THE EAST,
ter, — quite unlike her daughter, who was of the
smallest size in which loveliness could well
inhabit. The girl was laid in the corridor to
breathe the fresh air. She did not speak ; but
her elegant yet emaciated limbs, but ill con
cealed by the loose drapery, were moved at
times in agony, while a hurried ejaculation
escaped her, and her face was buried in the
long tresses of her beautiful hair. Never does
a woman arrest every feeling so irresistibly as
in hopeless sorrow and anguish. If experience
among both the unhappy Greeks and Turks
could confirm this, it were easy to appeal to it.
I have heard the lament of a mother over all
her murdered family ; of a widow for her hus
band torn from her arms and slain ; the parting
of a lady from her son, whose father lay covered
with wounds : but in the touching and impas
sioned expression of grief the Christian must
yield to the Ottoman : — the men feel intensely
and suffer silently ; and the Turkish women —
there is the very soul of sorrow there, and of
tenderness.

ABOUTlGE, 165

LETTER VIII,
We arrived at the town of Aboutig6 early in
the morning, A funeral procession of the Arabs
took place here : first walked a number of men,
three or four abreast at a slow pace, singing in
a mournful voice, with the priest at their head ;
the corpse was borne after them on the shoul
ders of six bearers ; it was laid on an open
bier, completely covered, and followed by a
number of women, who uttered loud cries and
wailings at intervals, to shew their sorrow.
Having hired a couple of asses, I set out to
ride inland to Monfalut, attended by a young
Arab of the cangia. After crossing a plain, and
a ferry caused by the inundation, and passing
by sorae pretty villages almost buried in groves
of palm-trees, in one of which was held an
Arab fair, we entered on a waste of sand, with
a part of the Libyan chain of mountains close

156 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
on the left The fair displayed a tumultuous
assemblage of people, many nearly naked, of
both sexes, engaged in buying and selling,
with a prodigious noise of tongues. We met
great numbers of the peasants bringing their
fowls, eggs, and other articles to market. They
are heavily oppressed by the Pacha's taxes :
even for every date-tree so many paras rent
must be paid. Before this prince's reign, and
during the first years of it, they were far
raore happily situated, and lived in compara
tive plenty : but the troops, they complained,
in their frequent passage to the seat of war,
plundered them of every thing ; and often fan
cying we came on a similar errand, they hid
their poultry and other provisions on our ap
proach. — After riding some time, we approach
ed some lofty walls, surrounding a square in
closure, and being curious to know what it
contained, we found a small haralet of Copts
within, consisting of five or six dwellings ; one
solitary and lofty palm-tree rose in the midst.
These poor people conducted us into a rude
little building which they called their church ;
it was imperfectly lighted, and a curtain con
cealed the entrance into an inner room or sanc
tuary, out of which they brought, and dis
played with no small pride, two wretched

SIOUT, 157
paintings in oil colours of the Virgin and her
Son, and another of some venerable saint or
apostle. On inquiring if they had any books,
three large and ancient ones were produced,
much the worse for wear, and written in the
Coptic characters. The raanners and appear
ance of this little coraraunity, thus secluded in
the desert, had much innocence and simpli
city. Their retreat was secured by a strong
door. The patriarch of the hamlet, a venerable
old man, gave us his blessing fervently at
parting. Pursuing our way, the next object we came
to deserving notice was a very neat Arab bury
ing-ground in the midst of the sand ; the tombs
were three or four feet high, and plastered
white. The Orientals, to shew that in their
concern for the dead they had not forgotten
the living, had placed here a small reservoir of
water, supplied by a well ; it was built over at
top, which kept it always cool. Towards
evening we saw the minarets of Siout at a dis
tance, a very welcome sight. The guide and
owner of the asses was an Egyptian, and Ach
med kept pace with thera on foot.' They were
the only property he had in the world ! he had
lost his two children, and their death had
blasted all the poor man's prospects of comfort.

158 LETTERS FROM THE EAST,
He burst into tears as he told his desolate
state with passionate expressions of sorrow. —
" They were the only hope of my life, — for
whom I toiled," said he ; " and now my wife
looks cold and discontented on me, and my
home is soured with discord :" — and it being
sunset, he then repeated his prayers in a loud
tone of voice for half an hour as he passed along
the desert.
On entering the city, the sadden change of
objects, from the deep solitude of the way, to
the loud sounds and rapid movements of the
various people in the streets, was most striking.
Arabs, Turks, Nubians, and Albanians, almost
impeded the passage ; the bazaar was crowded.
My conductor went to the house of Hassan, an
Arab, and engaged a rude apartraent. A re^
past in a Turkish town is quickly procured.
Dervish, the young sailor ofthe cangia, went
out and quickly brought me a supper of coffee,
milk, bread, and roasted meat, all excellent in
their kind ; the latter consisted of small pieces
of mutton well seasoned, and placed on an
iron rod, whieh i« turned quickly round over
the fire, and in a few minutes they are ready
to be served up. It being evening, the Mu«z-
zins were calling to prayers from the minarets.

SIOUT. 159
One of the mosques which I looked into was a
very pretty one, the floor handsomely carpeted
and dimly lighted by a small dome in the
middle; for these people iraagine that a partial
and imperfect light is favourable to religious
meditation. When it was dark we returned to
the small apartment, where a raat of reed on the
floor was my only bed ; but Dervish and Ach
med slept on the ground without, where the
moonlight was so bright as to raake it seera
like day. Early in the night, I was awakened
by the sounds of music and singing in the
street close by, where every thing else was
perfectly silent : they were extremely sweet,
and passed slowly by. Soon after daybreak,
the loud voice of Achmed was heard in an ex
clamation of praise to Allah : we quickly rose,
and having breakfasted on coffee and Turkish
pancakes, prepared in the streets at this early
hour, we proceeded on our way.
Having left the fertile environs of Siout, and
entered on a sandy tract, we came in a few
hours in sight of a large caravan, that had halt
ed in the desert; it consisted of Arabs from
farther Egypt, who were conveying a number
of black slaves to Cairo to be sold. The tent
of the chief was distinguished by a piece of

160 BETTERS FROM THE EAST,
]blue cloth, suspended from, tjij^.top ; the ^ other
tents were pitched around without any order ;
t^he camels were turned loos^ on the sand, and
the Arabs were formed intp groups, sn^oking
and conversing, while several of the^ ^ur^prtu-
nate blacks were wandering about, or prepar
ing their coarse meals. The chief, tljinking^ no
doubt, I wished to make a purchase, conducted
rae, with significant gestures and smilesj into" a
large tent, which was filled with a number of
half-naked young black woraen, doomed to
find masters at Cairo. — We soon ,tpok leave, of
the caravan, and on entering again on an inha
bited tract, met with a party of villagers, men
and women, who were advancing in high glee,
and singing ; the men seemed preparing for
a, bout at quarter-staff. Achmed's heart was
cheered at the sight, and, forgetting his grfet"s,
he sprang in amongst them, and gaye and
warded off several blows with his long staff
with great agility. — We came after sunset to
Monfalut, and rejoined the cangia. Nothing
particular occurred till we carae to Radia-
mouni, and, having procured asses/ rode tp tiie
ruiris of the Teraple of Herraopolis. The por
tico only remains, and its columiis of fin^ free-
tstone, unroofed and defenceless, and standing
;• • -/ i ¦-., : '. . ..r f.,-,__; , ,..-.f

HUINS OF ANTINOE, &C. 161
alone in the midst of a plain, having a striking
appearance ; they are thirty-three feet round
and sixty high. Having spent a pleasant day, we
passed over in a boat in the cool of the even
ing to the other shore of the Nile, to visit the
ruins of Antino6, built by the Emperor Adrian :
few of the colurans are standing; they are of
granite, and of very slender form, being about
forty feet high, with Corinthian capitals. Pro
ceeding on our voyage, we landed in order
to visit the pyramids of Saccara some miles
distant. The great pyramid, here, is more
difficult of ascent than that of Giz6h. The
only way of ascending it is by climbing up
masses and fragments of stone of various sizes,
the outside of one corner of the pyramid hav
ing fallen from the top to the bottora. The
view from the top, though of a rather differ
ent character, is quite as sublime and exten
sive as that beheld frora the suramit of Giz^h.
The inundation of the Nile had now subsid
ed, and the flat lands of Egypt, before parched
and dry, were covered with a wide and beau
tiful carpet of verdure ; the heat was also sen
sibly dirainished, and this season, the end of
October, was probably one of the coolest in the
year. Land travelling through Upper Egypt is
almost impracticable, frora the extreme heat of
M

162 LE<rTERS FROM THE EAST.
the weather, during the greater part of the
year. The navigation of the Nile is the only
advisable way, for on the river the air is always
more fresh and cool, and the nights are uni
formly delightful and pleasant.
Returning from the pyramids of Saccara,
over a path of soft sand, we were parched with
thirst, and would have given any thing for a
draught of water, when unexpectedly, as if
dropped from the clouds, a Dervish approached
us, bearing an immense water-melon, which we
received as manna from Heaven. He was very
tall and robust, with a handsorae countenance,
and one of the finest-made men ever beheld —
a model that a sculptor would have delighted
to copy ; he had his lonely dwelling and little
garden at some distance, and had purposely
crossed our way with this melon, knowing he
should be well paid for it.
On our return to Cairo, we took up our abode
in the house of M. Asselin, a Frenchman, who
had accompanied Chateaubriand to the country,
and remained there ever since. He was a man
of some science, would shut himself up the
greatest part of the day in his room, and wore
the European dress, with an immense long
beard, which made his appearance, when he
did come out, very singular. You meet occa-

BURCKHARDT's TOMB. 163
sionally, in the streets of Cairo, with some
French Mamelukes ; there are fifty of these
men, who have changed their religion, in the
service of the Pacha : they are great favourites,
and have high pay, for during an insurrection
of the Pacha's troops, owing to want of pay,
about fourteen years ago, he was exposed to
great danger, but these Frenchmen, placing
theraselves before hira in a narrow street,
fought with such desperate courage, that they
raade head against all his assailants and brought
him off in safety.
The tomb of the unfortunate Burckhardt is
in the Turkish burying-ground, without the
city. This incomparable traveller was a most
amiable man, and by his long residence araong
the Arab tribes had acquired the appearance
and manners of a Bedouin. The Arabs often
speak of Sheik Ibrahim ; he was to be met with
in the desert mounted on a good Arab horse,
meanly dressed, with his lance, and a bag of
meal behind him for his food. None of the
Europeans, at Cairo, ever knew in what part of
the city he resided, though he would come oc
casionally to their houses, and drink wine and
eat ham like an infidel ; but he was fearful of
being visited by his countrymen in return, lest
the Turks should observe their intimacy. The
M 2

164 LETTERS FROM THE EAST,
Pacha was fond of his company, and would
sometiiries send for and converse with hira.
The only places of arauseraent in Cairo are
the coffee-houses, which are generally full ; but
however numerous the company, as soon as
one of the story-tellers begins his tale, there is
instant silence. Many of the Arabs display
great powers of imagination and meraory in
these tales, which are admirably suited to
amuse an indolent and credulous people.
A Turk, with his long pipe in his hand, will
listen for hours to a tale of wonder and en
chantment, with deep interest, with exclama
tions of Allah, and without once interrupting
the speaker. This custom, so universally pre
valent throughout the East, is useful as well as
amusing, for the stories have often an excellent
moral ; but a tale told in Europe would be a
very different thing from one heard in these
countries. The wild and rich imagery of the
East would hardly suit our colder climes, any
more than the often impassioned and graceful
action of the narrator, or the introduction of his
genii. Afrit and Goule. Many of these men
travel over the country, and get an uncertain
living by reciting in the villages and towns; but
the raost esteemed are to be found in the cities.
Their tales are either invented by themselves,

ARAB TALES. 166
or taken Irora the Arabian Nights and other Ori
ental writings. A new and good story here,
like a new book in Europe, confers farae on the
inventor, and becoraing popular, passes frora one
city to another, is quickly learned by the Arabs,
and retailed in all the coffee-houses of the land.
On the halt of a caravan at evening, when the
groups are seated at their tent-doors round the
fire, a tale frora one of the company is a favou
rite and never failing source of arauseraent.
You will observe on those occasions raen of
various nations suspend their converse, and
listen intensely to every word that falls frora
the speaker's lips. The woraen are debarred
this arauseraent; but there are at Cairo a supe
rior sort of Almeh girls, who are sent for by
the ladies, and amuse them with dancing, sing
ing, and rausic: it was probably a dance of this
voluptuous kind that Herodias perforraed to
please Herod and his officers, and it is a fa^
vourite throughout the East.
I passed an evening most agreeably with M.
Bokty and his family ; he is the Swedish chargi
d'affaires, and is a very clever and well-inform
ed man. It was his beautiful daughter who
was shot in the -street sorae years ago, by a
drunken Turkish soldier, as she was riding out
between her raother and sister; a?- gr«en veil

166 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
which she wore, was supposed to have been
the cause of this outrage. The sacred colour
of the Prophet is prohibited to the Christians
in every way ; even a green umbrella would be
dangerous to sport here.
The passage of the caravans through Cairo,
from the interior of Africa to Mecca, is a very
interesting sight, being composed of so many
different nations with their various flags and
banners. In this city, where it is vain to long
for books to beguile the sultry hours, I had the
exquisite pleasure of raeeting with a copy of
" The Pleasures of Hope." How it carae there
it is not easy to tell, but it was a most welcome
and delightful stranger on the banks of the Nile :
it accorapanied rae afterwards throughPalestine
and Syria; and in the wilderness, and in weary
and solitary hours, what better and more in
spiring consolation could a wanderer wish for ?
That little volume has been no small traveller ;
on leaving Syria I gave it to the daughter of
the English consul-general at Beirout, at the
foot of Mount Lebanon, where, frora the value
placed on its contents, it is likely to be in
violably preserved.
A singular arauseraent is to be seen sorae
tiraes in the streets ; two raen, thinly clothed,
and fat as butter, with broad, laughing counte-

PALACE AT SHOUBRA. 167
nances, circle continually round each other,
and every time they meet hit one another se
vere and dexterous blows on the face, singing
all the time some humorous song, accompa
nied by droll gestures and grimaces : this is
much enjoyed by the populace.
One day we rode to the palace of the Pacha
at Shoubra: it is pleasantly situated on the
banks of the Nile, and one or two of its apart
ments exhibit all the splendid, appendages of
Orientalism. The saloon had a very tempting
appearance ; its rich ottomans and cushions,
its fountain and cool recesses, all invited to
luxurious repose and enjoyment. The garden
was pretty, and laid out in the European man
ner : in the raiddle was a charraing kiosque
shaded by the trees. This prince is a great vo
luptuary, but teraperate in eating and drinking :
like raost Turks of rank, he avails himself,
unlimitedly, of the Prophet's permission of
a plurality of wives. We saw the ladies of
his harem one day riding out ; they were eight
in number, but so closely veiled ^nd mantled
it was impossible to form any opinion of their
countenance or figure. A traveller in the East,
who chances to be a physician, is privileged
above all men ; he obtains admission into the
serais, beholds the features of the favourite

168 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
beauties, and holds long conversations with
them ; and it is singular how very anxious and
curious the eastern ladies are, to see the Ha
kim or Frank physician. He comes, with a so
lemn countenance, the very eunuchs look com
placent on him, and each lady holds out her
beautiful hand, assumes a languishing air,
allows him to examine the colour of her
eyes, and talks without reserve. Even a tri
fling knowledge of medicine is of the greatest
service ; to this we afterwards owed our deli
verance frora captivity by the Arabs. Even
when walking through sorae parts of Cairo,
with Osrain, the renegade Scotsraan, who pro
fessed to be a bit of a doctor, he was assailed
by several women on the subject of their own,
or their families' complaints.
The environs of Cairo, since the subsiding
of the inundation, are wonderfully improved in
beauty, but the only pleasant situation for a
residence is at old Cairo, on the banks ofthe
Nile. It is rather a ruinous place ; but there
are some merchants' houses at the water's edge,
amidst a mass of foliage, which look on the isle
of Rhoda, and the village of Giz6h on the op
posite shore. In riding to this place, you often
see in the shade ofthe large trees -near the path,
groups of woraen of a certain description, loose-

PILGRIMS. 169
ly apparelled, who, having lighted a fire and
prepared coffee, allure with their voices and
enticing gestures the passenger to join them ;
but their appearance has few attractions.
One sees at Cairo a good many hadgis or
pilgriras from Mecca. These men richly de
serve the privileges they acquire, for it is a
journey of imraense hardship and difficulty.
The pilgrimage of the Christians to Jerusalem
is mere amusement compared with many of the
Moslem's journeys, often from the very heart of
Africa : he must cross vast deserts, endure the
extremities of thirst and heat, and nothing
but an ardent, though misplaced enthusiasna
of piety, could possibly sustain his strength of
body or mind.
The merchants, who undertake this journey
chiefly from the prospect of gain, go prepared
with their servants, camels, and a variety of
luxuries ; but the hosts of poor devoted beings
who march on foot, resolved to behold the
birth-place of their Prophet, must expect to
suffer dreadfully. Many of them, venerable
with age, who leave their homes and families
to traverse a succession of burning sands, can
have little hope of returning again, and the ap
pearance of a caravan on its return is some
tiraes like that of an array after battle.

170 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
There are various warm baths at Cairo, and
the Orientals, both raen and woraen, are pas
sionately fond ofthe use of thera. This bath is
at first a fearful ordeal for a European to go
through. Having stripped, you first enter the
vapour bath, where you reraain till the perspi
ration strearas out of the pores. You then enter
the warm bath, and afterwards are laid at
length on a long seat, a few feet high, and
scrubbed without mercy, all over, by a Turkish
operator, who next cracks every joint in your
limbs, the sound of which may be heard
through the apartraent. You then put on a
light dress, and proceed to the outer room,
where you recline on carpets and cushions,
and have pipes, coffee, and sherbet brought
you. A soft and luxurious feeling then spreads
itself over your body. Every limb and joint is
light and free as air, and after all this pomrael-
ling and perspiring, you feel more enjoyment
than you ever felt before.
Having resolved to visit Mount Sinai, we
engaged caraels for the journey. The party
consisted of Mr. C. an Englishraan, Mr. W. a
Gerraan, (who was a raissionary sent frora Cara-
bridge, to labour for the conversion of the
Jews,) his servant, a poor stupid German, and

DEPARTURE FROM CAIRO. 171
Michel, who proved invaluable to us, together
with six Arabs to attend on the eight caraels,
and serve as guides. It promised to be a
journey of great interest, and we waited im
patiently for the moment of departure.

172 LETTERS FROM TH^E EAST.

LETTER IX.

We left Cairo on the 29th of October, ia the
afternoon, and after proceeding a few , miles
from the city, our conductors stopped an hour
or two near a sraall caravan that had halted
close to some barren hills. Three of our ca
mels were loaded with skins of water, sacks
of charcoal, and an excellent tent. The sensa
tion is singular at first finding yourself on the
back of the camel ; the situation is sufficiently
elevated, and not the most soft or comfortable,
and the trot of the animal shakes you almost
to a mumray, »till you get soraewhat accus
tomed to it. The general rate of travelling is
along, walk of three railes an hour, which is
the caravan pace. At sunset we went on for
about four hours, and then stopped for the
night in the midst of the desert. A fire was
lighted and supper cooked, but, on putting up
the tent, the .pole, broke, and this obliged us

ARAB GROUP, 173
to sleep in the open air. The tent was re
paired at Suez, but we never used it during
the whole journey, being generally so fatigued
on halting for the night, and exposed to start
again at such uncertain hours, that we did not
care to be at the trouble of fixing and taking
it down.
The next day passed without any thing de
serving notice, save that our route, as far as
the eye could reach, was utterly barren — a
va.st plain of sand with little undulation of
surface. The third day we were to set out very
early. I chanced to awake before it was
light, and perceiving the Arabs seated round a
good fire, could not help joining them. This
was one of the scenes that one often loves to
picture, Jouma, the chief, had just kneaded
and placed a flat cake among the embers, and
the Arabs were seated in a group around,
smoking and sipping coffee, and enjoying
themselves highly, for the deserts were to
them as a home. There is surely a charm in
this wild and wandering life, for one soon
grows attached to it. These Arabs were very
lively and civil, but a wild race, living among
the rocks near Mount Sinai in tents. They
always carry their coffee, and a pot to boil it

174 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
in, with thera ; having first roasted it in a
small pan, they pound it with a stick; and a
bag of flour to make cakes is their sole provi
sion for a journey besides, for they seldom eat
any flesh ; they each carried a musquet with a
matchlock. There was not the least verdure to be seen
till we arrived near Adjerud, a wretched vil
lage about four miles from Suez, Here a few
scattered trees were visible, but the village
was concealed behind a range of rocky hills, at
the foot of which we took up our abode for
the night. This part of the country was the
haunt of robbers, and our guides were very
unwilling to halt here ; and, fearful lest we
might be attacked in the night, they kept
watch throughout the whole of it, but all
passed off quietly. Mr. W. however, who was
conveying a large chest of Bibles to Mount
Sinai, was extremely agitated, lest the rob
bers, on attacking us, should carry away his
chest, as in that case all the hopes of his jour
ney would perish; but the Bedouins would
probably quite as soon have left it behind.
The next day we arrived at Suez in the
forenoon, and having a letter for the Consul for
our nation there, who was a Greek, we were
received by his son, who spoke some English.

THE RED SEA. 175
The father, a very fine old man, with a white
beard, soon made his appearance. Some
cakes and wine, the latter from Jerusalem,
were brought, and dinner ordered to be ready
in an hour. In the mean time we walked
down to the shore of the Red Sea. This can
only be called a corner of it, as it is narrow
and shallow, and its termination is about three
miles above. A range of mountains forms the
shore on the right ; the opposite coast of Ara
bia is flat and sandy. Suez is a wretched
town, and surrounded by a low wall. The old
consul gave us an excellent dinner, and at
night we returned to our rude resting-place
without the walls: yet this was not without its
comforts, for, having procured some delicious
fish out of the Red Sea, we formed a circle on
the sand, supped in high spirits, and sipped
our coffee with greater zest than we should
have done in a luxurious drawing-room at
home. Having passed round the termination of the
sea the next raorning, we bent pur course
towards the wilderness of Sinai, and carae in a
few hours to four or five pools of water, called
The Fountains of Moses, but at which it is
not probable he could ever have been.
The weather continued beautiful, scarcely a

176 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
cloud to be seen in the sky, and not a living
thing on earth ; and this deep solitude and
silence, with the uncommon purity of the air,
have a strong effect on the imagination. You
feel as if you ruled in this vast and inanimate
scene, and possess a buoyant and joyous spirit
amidst its savage sands and rocks, and feel the
truth of a remark of Lord B.'^ of a young
French renegade, who resided raany years in
the East, and who said that often when riding
alone in a boundless desert, he has felt a
delight that was indescribable.
On the morning of the third day our water-
skins were exhausted, and we had to push on
for five or six hours ere we arrived at the next
fountain ; it was situated at the edge of the
wilderness of Paran. One of the Arabs had
gone on before to the spot, and it being by
this tirae very hot, we sprang from our camels,
boiled our coffee, and though the water was
rather brackish, no breakfast was ever more
welcome. The desert now assumed a bolder
character. Hitherto it had been a waste of
sand, generally hard, and varied with sorae
hills, and high rocks towards the horizon.
These were now increased to mountains,
which rose also on each side the path, and
gave it a fine and romantic character.

Valley OF paran.^J 177
-0 MivW.'s servant, Franco, afforded us .some
amusement. He was very artful, and a great
glutton," though he » persuaded his master he
'JiaTf-starved himself;! and when he came to a
meal, generally cast on it such a look as* the
good St, Bruno did on his bread mixed with
ashes, when he wept at the thought* that man
ghould take such trouble about the body; but
when Franco found himself alone,' cheese, rice,
and coffee -disappeared vlike magic. He had a
nose and chin like a hatchet, and settling him
self on the camel's back in the position of one
ofthe granite statues of Memnon; used to sing
pious .German psalms through the Desert half
the day long. Towards evening, Franco was
generally most raelodious, ) but the tunes were
mostly mournful; his voice had a sort of nasal
twangv and the rugged German cadence used
to strike the Arabs with dismay. It was good-
sport afterwards to desire Franco to sing in
ainumerous circle of these people ;i he had'
hardly finished three or four stanzas before
some laughed,^'^whilst others vehemently de-""
sired him to stop, with many expressions df
displeasure, ^biSfH e.<i^0T rigi bat. ,al{fd
..Leaving ithe valley of Paran, the path^led'
osver a. rocky wilderness, to render which more
gloomy the. sky became clouded, 'and a^shOWefe
N

178 LETTERS FROM THE EAST,
of rain fell. By moonlight we ascended the
hills, and after some hours' progress, rested for
the night on the sand. The dews had fallen
heavily for some nights, and the clothes that
covered us were quite wet in the morning ; but
as we advanced, the dews ceased. Our mode
of life, though irregular, was quite to a wan
derer's taste. We sometiraes stopped for an
hour at mid-day, or more frequently took some
bread and a draught of water on the camel's
back ; but we were repaid for our fatigues,
when we halted for the evening, as the sun
was sinking in the Desert, and, having taken
our supper, strolled amidst the solitudes, or
spent the hours in conversation till dark. But
the bivouac by night was the raost striking.
When, arriving fatigued long after dark, the
two fires were lighted, I have frequently retired
to sorae distance to gaze at the group of Arabs
round theirs ; it was so entirely in keeping.
They were sipping their coffee and talking with
expressive action and infinite vivacity ; and as
they addressed each other, they often bent
over the flame which glanced on their white
turbans and drapery and dark countenances,
and the camels stood behind, and stretched
their long necks over their masters. Having
finished our repast, we wrapped ourselves in

SUN-RISE IN THE DESERT. 179
our cloaks, and lay down round the fire : and
let not that couch be pitied, for it was delight
ful , as well as romantic, to sink to rest as you
looked on that calm and glorious sky, the stars
shining with a brilliancy you have no concep
tion of in our climate. Then in the morning
we were suddenly suraraoned to depart, and
the caraels being loaded, we were soon on the
march. Jouma frequently chanted his melan
choly Arab song, for at this time we were sel
dom disposed to converse, and were frequently
obliged to throw a blanket over our cloaks, and
walk for sorae hours, to guard against the chill-
ness of the air. The sunsets in Egypt are
the finest; but to see a sunrise in its glory, you
must be in the Desert, — nothing there obscures
or obstructs it. You are travelling on chill
and silent, and your looks bent towards the
East; a variety of glowing hues appear and
die away again, and for some tirae the sky
is blue and clear ; when the sun suddenly
darts above the horizon, and such a splen
dour is thrown instantly on the wide expanse
of sand and rocks, that if you were a Persian
adorer, you would certainly break out like
the Iraaun from the minaret, in praise and
blessing. The way now became very interesting, and
N 2

180 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
varied by several narrow deep valleys, where
a few stunted palms grew. The next raorning
we entered a noble desert, lined on each side
by lofty mountains of rock, many of them per
fectly black, with sharp and ragged sumraits.
In the raidst of the plain, which rose with a
continual yet gentle ascent, were isolated rocks
of various forras and colours, and over its sur
face were scattered a number of shrubs of a
lively green. Through all the route we had
met few passengers. One or two little cara
vans, or a lonely wanderer with his carael, had
passed at tiraes and given us the usual salute of
" Peace be unto you !" While at Suez, we
were fortunate enough to purchase a few pounds
of excellent tea, and it now proved of inesti
mable use to us. It was a good piece of ad
vice of Dr. C. the traveller, to those who visit
the East, to provide themselves with this lux
ury. It is impossible to procure aniraal food
on such a journey. Some rice and bread and
coffee constitute your chief subsistence.
We passed this evening a small place of
graves at the foot of a high precipice ; they
were the tombs of Arabs who had died in their
journey through this wilderness. They were
erected by their companions, and consisted of
rude pieces of rock fixed in the sand. A few

DRESS OF THE ARABS. 181
of these burial-places are seen scattered araidst
these deserts, and they are generally situated
in sorae secluded spot, or beneath the shade
and protection of a raountain. Although Mo-
hararaedans, the Arabs appear to have very
imperfect notions of religion. Our escort was
but little given to prayer ; and the tribes we
afterwards fell in with, got on without it alto
gether. Mr. W- made many attempts to en
lighten the minds of Jouraa and his comrades ;
but Franco was of another stamp ; he used to
slip aside of an evening and pray very devoutly
to the Virgin Mary. Idolater that he was, his
master's efforts to convert him to the bosom of
Protestantism proved in vain : but it was not
till after supper that his raind was given to as
piration. This night, our place of halting was in a very
wild valley, inclosed by naked and precipitous
mountains, on whose sides the moonlight fell
vividly. In the raidst of the glen below, the
Arabs and their caraels formed an aniraated
group. The dress of these people is pictu
resque, being of a coarse white colour, and
consisting of a turban, a tunic, sash, a shiluah,
or loose pantaloon, that reaches just below the
knee, like the Highland kilt, and sandals. We
sent Jouraa and Michel on before to the con-

182 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
vent of Sinai, to give notice of our approach.
Long before sunrise the following day, we set
out, and stopped in a raost romantic valley ;
and the morning being chill, we collected a
large quantity of shrubs for fire, and raade our
breakfast. The Israelites, during their wanderings of
forty years in these deserts, raust have lived
but insipidly, even with raanna and quails,
having nothing but water to drink, after a cold
night's encampment, or amidst the burning
heats of the day. You feel careless what you
eat in such a region, but to be debarred coffee,
tea, or now and then a little lime-juice, would
be misery ; without the former, it is certain
the Arabs could not endure existence; they
are satisfied with a little coarse bread or un
leavened cake twice a-day, but coffee is raore
than manna to them.
A few hours raore, and we got sight of the
mountains round Sinai. Their appearance was
magnificent; when we drew nearer and emerged
out of a deep pass, the scenery was infinitely
striking, and on the right extended a vast
range of mountains as far as the eye could
reach, frora the vicinity of Sinai down to Tor.
They were perfectly bare, but of grand and
singular forra.

APPROACH TO MOUNT SINAI. 183
We had hoped to reach the convent by day
light, but the moon had risen some time, when
we entered the mouth of a narrow pass, where
our conductors advised us to dismount. A
gentle yet perpetual ascent led on, raile after
raile, up this raournful valley, whose aspect
was terrific, yet ever varying. It was not
above two hundred yards in width, and the
mountains rose to an imraense height on each
side. The road wound at their feet along the
edge of a precipice, and amidst masses of rock
that had fallen from above. It was a toilsorae
path, generally over stones, placed like steps,
probably by the Arabs ; and the raoonlight was
of little service to us in this deep valley, as it
only rested on the frowning suramits above.
Where is Mount Sinai ? was the inquiry of
every one. The Arabs pointed before to Gabel
Mousa, the Mount of Moses, as it is called ;
but we could not distinguish it. Again, and
again, point after point was turned, and we
saw but the same stern scenery. But what
had the softness and beauty of Nature tO do
here ? Mount Sinai required an approach like
this, where all seemed to proclaira the land of
rairacles, and to have been visited by the ter
rors of the Lord. The scenes, as you gazed
around, had an unearthly character, suited to

184 LETTERS FRO.M THE EAST-
the sound of the fearful trumpet that was once
heard there. We entered at last on the more
open valley, about half a mile wide, and drew
near this famous mountain. Sinai is not so
lofty as some of the raountains around it, and
in its forra there is nothing graceful or peculiar
to distinguish it frora others.
Near raidnight we reached the Convent of
St. Catherine, at the foot ofthe raountain, and
surrounded by a high wall, to guard it against
the Arabs. Jouma was lying fast asleep at its
foot, wrapped in his cloak, beside the embers
of his fire, but he instantly arose and welcoraed
us. Michel was safely housed in the convent.
After calling loudly for sorae time, a window
was opened at the top of the wall, and a rope
thrown down ; fastening this round the body,
and grasping it fast, we were drawn up one
after another by the monks, and received in
through the window, which was the only place
of entrance. Our baggage came up afterwards,
and then we were conducted up several flights
of steps and passages to our chambers. Mi
chel, who spoke Modern Greek like a native,
and who was our only interpreter with these
monks, had allotted a room for Mr. C. and
myself, and another for Mr. W. and his servant.
These apartments are very sraall, and covered

CONVENT OF ST. CATHERINE. 185
with a handsorne carpet and cushions, with
part of the floor raised in the eastern style ;
and a neat larap was suspended frora the ceil
ing and already lighted. There was real vo
luptuousness in all this to our feelings, after
the passage through the Desert. After all,
happiness is in a great raeasure derived from
the contrast of situations ; and is, in this re
spect, perhaps, not unlike eastern scenery —
plains and valleys blooming like Paradise,
amidst naked raountains and wilds. No calra,
comfortable, luxurious life in England could
ever afford those vivid and transporting feel
ings which were ours during those journeys in
the East.
These recluses are of the Greek church, and
are about twenty in number, raostly elderly
men. The convent was founded by Justinian,
fourteen hundred years ago. It is large, and
kept remarkably clean. They brought us a
frugal supper, and sorae brandy made out of
dates, and we then walked in the corridor
without, situated in the loftiest part.of the con
vent. The precipices of Sinai encircled and
hung over the convent, and the moonlight now
rested on them.
The next morning we heard the voices of the
monks at their prayers very early, and they in-

186 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
vited us to breakfast with them in the refectory
at nine o'clock. This meal is the only one
they have during the day; though, if any one
is much in want afterwards, he is allowed a
little bread and cheese in his own cell about
sunset. The breakfast consisted of a sraall
loaf of fine white bread, a dish of pea, or
barley-soup, a few radishes, and a small glass
of brandy to each person, — for they never eat
animal food. The refectory is a long, and very
good room, with a large picture of Hell and
Paradise at the higher end, that they may not
indulge too much in the good things of this
world at breakfast. The damned are writhing
in all sorts of grotesque postures, and the
righteous rejoicing at the very edge of the
flames. In a small pulpit near the door stood a
monk, who read out of the gospels all the time
of the repast, and there were many occasional
crossings and cessations of eating among the
good fathers at different periods of the lecture.
Now the dish of soup was so substantial, that
it really required a day's journey through the
Desert to get on with it at all; but the spoons of
the good fathers never ceased solemnly going,
till all was devoured, and the loaf and salad bore
corapany with it. They then rose and turned
to the altar, and after sundry gesticulations, we

CHURCH AT MOUNT SINAI, 187
all adjourned to the corridor without, where
coffee was handed round, two cups to each
monk. These fathers are an exceedingly harmless
set of men, and in general very ignorant. Many
of thera had lived here a long time, and,
though bent nearly double, bore witness to the
uncoraraon healthiness of the climate ; as their
cheeks were florid, and their looks cheerful
and vigorous.
One is surprised to find here a large and ele
gant church, with a floor of beautiful raarble,
and a pulpit profusely adorned with gold.
This edifice has three lofty aisles. You pass
from one into a sraall apartment, where, be
neath a little niche adorned with filigree work
of gold, and lighted dimly by three sraall lamps,
is shewn the spot where once stood the burn
ing bush. Pictures of the Virgin and her Son
and raany saints were placed round the sides
of this singular spot. In a recess in another
part of the church is the torab of St. Catherine,
the patroness of the raonastery ; itis of white
marble, emits a most agreeable perfurae, and is
covered with rich silk, and placed beneath a
canopy supported by pillars. The monks con
fessed it was not the real body of St, Catherine
that was inclosed in the tomb, but only an

188 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
image of wax, that was a good resemblance of
her. The irreparable loss of the body of that
excellent lady was occasioned by the villainy
of the Catholics, who, burning with envy to see
the Greeks in possession of such a treasure,
that was sure to work the most astonishing
miracles, stole it by night a few days after her
death ; and having lugged it on their shoulders
through the ravines and over the precipices
around, had gained the surarait of Mount St.
Catherine, and were exulting in the idea of its
being theirs for ever, when the angels, who be
held all this with infinite interest, descended
suddenly and carried the good lady up to Hea
ven, leaving Catholics filled with rage and
raortification. A part of one ofthe walls ofthe church con
sisted of many exquisite and various sorts of
raarble, sent as a present frora St. Sophia at
Constantinople. The great altar is very beau
tiful, being inlaid, as well as the pillars which
support it, with pieces of raother-of-pearl and
tortoise-shell. The superior is a man of very dignified ap
pearance and polite raanners, and seems to
know the world well : he was very inquisitive
about the affairs of Greece, in which he took a
deep interest. After breakfast he invited us

CURIOUS MANUSCRIPT. 189
to his apartment, where he produced some
fruit and a bottle of excellent white wine. He
said that in their library, about a century ago,
was a curious manuscript that had remained
there for ages, till the Grand Signior sent from
Constantinople to have it delivered up to hira.
Moharamed, in his troubles and wanderings,
had sometimes found shelter in the convent of
Sinai, and out of gratitude had given to the
convent an assurance of his and his follow
ers' protection, which being unable to write
himself, having dipped his hand in ink, he had
stamped it with the impression. It is certain
the Monks of Mount Sinai are regarded with
peculiar respect by the Turks ; and those of
other Greek convents, when travelling in dif
ferent parts of the East, or in hazardous si
tuations, say they belong to the convent of
Sinai. The life led by these recluses is a most
dreary and monotonous one ; they never dare
to venture into the Desert for fear of the Arabs,
who bear a deadly hatred to them, .and would
enjoy as much pleasure in putting them out of
the world as they would so many wild beasts.
About six years ago these fellows clirabed up
the precipices that overhang the convent, and,
firing down, shot two of the fathers who hap-

190 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
pened to be at the door of their apartraents.
The raonks enter their garden only by a sub
terraneous passage, which is secured at the
end by a very strong door. The garden,
which is surrounded by a high wall, is a rich
and beautiful spot, created entirely by the
great industry of these people. You see there
the palra, the cypress, and poplar, with a pro
fusion of vegetables ; and vines were bending
with large bunches of grapes, in a raore for
ward state even than they were at Cairo. The
cultivating this garden is the only resource and
arauseraent the monks have. During Bonaparte's
residence at Cairo he ordered the convent wall
to be built higher, and sent two pieces of can
non for its defence ; but these men of peace
never use them, although one discharge would
send the Arabs over the Desert in a moment :
but these fellows know very well they keep
excellent white bread in the convent, and they
come and fire their musquets at the walls, with
loud threats, till the fathers open the window
at the top and throw out a quantity of cakes of
bread to the Arabs, who gather them up with
avidity, and depart. The convent is supplied
with rice and flour by the Greek monastery at
Cairo ; and the Bedouins allow these supplies

LUXURIES OF THE CONVENT. 191
to pass safely, knowing it will be the best way
to deraand their contributions subsequently.
Araong the few luxuries here, were excellent
alraonds and dates, and good cheese, which
they had improved out of the coarse article
used in Egypt.

192 LETTERS FROM THE EAST

LETTER X.

At no great distance from the convent is the
scene, in the solitudes of Midian, where tradi
tion says Moses kept the sheep of Jethro, his
father-in-law. It is a valley at the back of the
Mount, between two ranges of mountains. A
solitary group of trees stands in the middle.
The superior apologised for his inability to sup
ply us with any other than vegetable food, and
advised us to buy a goat of the Arabs. A
miserable creature, which had been obliged all
its life to keep Lent on the rocks, was pur
chased for seven piastres ; and, being pulled
up through the window, was slain for the
Christians' use, and served up, dressed in dif
ferent ways, for dinner in the evening ; but it
proved so meagre, and had so unhappy a fla
vour, that we were obliged to abandon it.
A venerable monk, above ninety years of
age, the oldest in the convent, paid us a visit

MOUNT SINAI. 193
in our apartments : he had resided here seventy
years ; and we asked him in what manner his
life had passed during this best part of a cen
tury's confinement within the convent and gar
den-walls. .One day, he said, had passed away
like another ; he had seen only the precipices,
the sky, and the desert; and he strove now
to fix all his thoughts on another world, and
waited calmly the hour of his departure. He
then dwelt much on the vanity of human plea
sures and the nearness of eternity, and ended
by asking rae, very earnestly, for a bottle of
rura. We had but one left for our future jour
ney, but gave it, however, to gratify the old
father, who requested that ray servant, when
he brought it to his cell, would conceal it be
neath his cloak, lest his brethren should catch
a glirapse of it.
On the third raorning we set out early frora
the convent for the summit of Mount Sinai,
with two Arab guides. The ascent was, for
some time, over long and broken flights of
stone steps, placed there by the Greeks. The
path was often narrow and steep, and wound
through lofty masses of rock on each side.
In about half an hour we came to a well of
excellent water ; a short distance above which
is a small ruined chapel. About half way up

194 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
was a verdant and pleasant spot, in the midst
of which stood a high and solitary palra, and
the rocks rose in a sraall and wild amphi
theatre around. We were not very long now
in reaching the suramit, which is of limited
extent, having two sraall buildings on it, used
forraerly by the Greek pilgrims, probably for
worship. But Sinai has four summits ; and
that of Moses stands almost in the middle of
the others, and is not visible from below, so
that the spot where he received the law raust
have been hid frora the view of the raultitudes
around ; and the sraoke and flarae, which.
Scripture says, enveloped the entire Mount of
Sinai, must have had the raore awful appear
ance, by reason of its raany suraraits and great
extent ; and the account delivered gives us
reason to iraagine that the suramit or scene
where God appeared was shrouded frora the
hosts around ; as the seventy elders only were
permitted to behold " the body of heaven
in its clearness, the feet of sapphire," &c.
But what occasions no sraall surprise at first,
is the scarcity of plains, valleys, or open places,
where the children of Israel could have stood
conveniently to behold the glory on the Mount.
Frora the summit of Sinai you see only innu
merable ranges of rocky mountains. One ge-

MOUNT SINAI. 195
nerally places, in imagination, around Sinai,
extensive plains, or sandy deserts, where the
camp of the hosts was placed, where the farai
lies of Israel stood at the doors of their tents,
and the line was drawn round the , raountain,
which no one raight break through on pain of
death. But it is not thus : save the valley by
which we approached Sinai, about half a raile
wide, and a few miles in length, and a small
plain we afterwards passed through, with a
rocky hill in the middle, there appear to be
few open places around the Mount. We did
not, however, examine it on all sides. On
putting the question to the superior of the
convent, where he iraagined the Israelites
stood : every where, he replied, waving his
hands about — in the ravines, the valleys, as
well as the plains.
Having spent an hour here, we descended to
the place of verdure, and after resting awhile,
took our road with one of the guides towards
the mountain of St. Catherine. The rapture
of Mr. W.'s feelings on the top of, Sinai was
indescribable ; I expected to see hira take
flight for a better region. Being the son of a
Rabbi at Munich, the conviction of being
on the scene where God visited his peo
ple, and conferred such glory on thera, was
o 2

196 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
alraost too much for him. After ascending
again in another direction, we came at last to
a long and steep descent that comraanded a
very noble scene, and reached finally a little
valley at the bottora, that was to be our rest
ing place for the night. The mountains rose
around this valley in vast precipices— a line of
beautiful verdure ran along its whole extent, in
the midst of which stood a deserted monastery.
The fathers had long been driven frora it by the
Arabs, but its various apartraents were still
entire, and afforded an excellent asylum for a
traveller. This deep solitude had an exceed
ing and awful beauty ; — the palms, the loftiest
I ever saw, rose moveless, and the garden and
grove were desolate and neglected ; the foun
tain in the latter was now useless, and the
channel of the rivulet that ran through the val
ley was quite dry ; the walls were in ruins,
and the olive, the poplar, and other trees, grew
in wild luxuriance. Sorae old books of devo
tion were yet left behind within. Having
chosen an apartraent in the upper story, which
opened into the corridor, and had been one of
the cells of the exiled fathers, we took posses
sion of it at night, kindled a fire on a large
stone in a corner, and raade a good supper of
the rude provisions we had. There needed no

MOUNT ST. CATHERINE. 197
spirit of romance in order to enjoy the situa
tion exquisitely ; few ideal pictures ever equal
led the strangeness and savageness of this
forsaken sanctuary in the retreats of Sinai. A
quantity of dry shrubs had been spread on
the floor for our bed, but it was iraposslble to
sleep yet, as the raoon had risen on the valley,
and one of the Arabs went to another part of
the corridor and played his rude guitar for our
arauseraent. But still we slept soundly that
night after our fatigues, and were called, long
before sunrise next morning, by the Arabs, to
ascend St. Catherine's. The path was almost
always steep, sometiraes even precipitous, and
consisted of loose stones which gave way un
der the feet. The wind was extremely cold :
the Arabs' hands were quite cramped by it.
With great pleasure we reached a well of wa
ter deadly cold, beneath a perpendicular pre
cipice, where it was never visited by the sun.
After resting awhile, we again ascended, al
ways amidst rocks of vast height, of the most
grand and imposing forms, till we reached the
summit, which was a very small peak, not
above fifty feet in circumference ; the wind
here was sO keen and subtile, that it seemed
to |iierce through us.
St. Catherine's, supposed by sorae to be

198 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
Mount Horeb, is the highest mountain in all
the region around ; but from its surarait, as
far as the eye could reach, nothing was to be
seen on every side but ranges of naked
mountains succeeding each other like waves of
the sea. Between these rocky chains there
are in general only ravines or narrow valleys.
We at last began to descend, and with great
pleasure reached the well again, and having
climbed to the ledge of rock beneath which it
stood, we kindled a fire and boiled some cof
fee, which drank like nectar ; the cold was
quickly banished from our frames, and we got
into excellent spirits. Were my fancy stored
with eastern imagery, I should exhaust it all in
praise of this raost excellent beverage, which
is the real amulet and never-failing resource
amidst fatigues and all sorts of hardships and
privations. We now descended to the desolate raonas
tery in the glen, and taking each an Arab pipe,
solaced ourselves in the abodes ofthe fathers, till
the sultry heat was passed, and then proceeded
for about two hours till we came to the cele
brated rock of Meribah. It still bears striking
evidence of the miracle about it, and is quite
isolated in the midst of a narrow valley, which
is here about two hundred yards broad. There
are four or five fissures, one above the other, on

ROCK OF MERIBAH. 199
the face of the rock, each of them about a foot
and a half long, and a few inches deep. What
is remarkable, they run along the breadth of
the rock and are not rent downwards ; they are
more than a foot asunder, and there is a chan
nel worn between thera by the gushing of the
water. The Arabs still reverence this rock, and
stuff shrubs into the holes, that when any of
their caraels are sick they may eat of thera
and recover. Two of the holes at this tirae
were filled with reed for this purpose, and they
believed it to be endowed with a peculiar virtue.
The rock is of a beautiful granite, and is about
five yards long, five in height, and four yards
wide. This narrow valley soon opened into a plain,
capable of containing a large nuraber of people,
where they probably stood; as well as around
the rock, and in the valley, to receive the water
that poured down. It is difficult to take that
passage in Scripture literally, which says that
the water from the rock followed them in their
journeyings, when it is considered that from the
nature of the country, their course was after
wards over rocky and rugged places and tracts
of sand : to have carried that water over stony
ascents and along dry and desert paths, which
absorb all moisture, would have been an infi
nitely greater miracle than the bringing it at

200 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
first out of the rock, or reproducing it in diffe
rent parts of their journeys. Perhaps the pas
sage may be intended to convey the latter
meaning. The two servants had been left behind in
the convent, as Michel had been taken ill with
a fever, and we were not aware that our Arab
guides were disposed to act so treacherous a
part. — We had left the spot about an hour;
it was after sunset, and we were not very far
from the convent, and were congratulating
ourselves on being soon in our luxurious little
cells, and enjoying a good supper after our
fatigues, when we perceived some camels and
disraounted Arabs standing at a sraall distancei
on the left; they had waited for us in this
spot, and now called loudly to us to stop. We
disregarded this, and walked on, when a Sheik
advanced, and seized Mr. C. who shook him
off:, a young Arab, being enraged at this,
drew his pistol, and presenting it, was about
to fire, when another chief seized his arm,
and in a moment we found ourselves sur
rounded and in the power of these Bedouins,
who were twelve in number, araong whom
were three Sheiks ; they were all armed with
matchlock guns and sabres. Our effects and
arms were in the convent, and we had nothings
with us worth taking. They had arrived from

CAPTURE BY THE ARABS. 201
their carap, some days distant, to deraand a
contribution of provisions frora the raonastery,
which was refused by the fathers, the deraand
being so large, and they declaring they could
not coraply with it without permission from
the superior convent at Cairo. The Arabs
being enraged, and aware of our being abroad,
resolved to seize on, and detain us till a ran
som was paid, or their demands complied
with. In the confusion of the capture, and
the noise of so many speaking at once, we
hardly knew what they would be at ; it was
vain to tell thera we were Ingleise, and at
peace with them ; that we were friends of the
Pacha of Egypt. They lighted the matches
of their rausquets, and raarched towards the
convent, and, on approaching the garden wall,
held a parley with two of the doraestics on
the top of it, and then proceeded beneath the
high window, where, being much enraged, they
were prepared for any violence. After calling
loudly for some time, one of the raonks re
luctantly appeared at the window, and held a
brief conversation with thera ; but it carae to
nothing. Had they known any thing of an
escalade, with what joy would they have
storraed the convent, and put every one to the
sword! We were then conducted some dis-

202 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
tance down the valley, till we arrived at the
place where the night was to be passed; it
was bright raoonlight, and being very thinly
clad, we felt the air extreraely chill.
Hassan, the chief was a tall and noble-look
ing raan, with eagle eyes, and teeth like the
driven snow. He swore vehemently that he
cared nothing for the Sultan of Turkey, of
England, or for Mahmoud Ali ; that no power
should rescue us out of his hands. Beside
some low and ruined walls a fire was kindled,
the party soon asserabled around it, and a
cloak was laid on the ground behind, where
the three captives were to rest. The fire was
imraensely large, and burnt fiercely, and threw
its glare on the wild and dark features of the
circle of Arabs around it, who conversed with
vivid animation, and with passionate gestures.
They had the civility to hand us a small cup
of their coffee — a poor exchange for the good
supper we had lost. If ever a day's exertion
deserved a bed of down, it was the ascent of
St, Catherine's ; but our couch was the hard
ground, I took a stone for my pillow ; ray
companions were little better off; but we were
quite exhausted with fatigue, and imagination
fled in vain to our luxurious little chambers in
the convent, with their soft cushions, and lamp
already lighted, and the harmless monks ga-

MOUNT PAHAN, 203
thering around. The cold wind awoke rae in
the night ; the Arabs were fast asleep around
the glowing embers of their fire, and, stepping
cautiously over them, I got beside it, and ne
ver in ray life enjoyed its warrath more. That
night-scene was a fine subject for a painter :
the precipices that rose close at hand, on which
the moonlight rested ; the sleeping figures of
the Arabs round the fire beneath, and the
ruined walls beside ; the wild and soleran cha
racter of the scenery, fitted beyond all others
to be a theatre for rairacles, would have raade
an assemblage of objects but seldom beheld
together. The next morning, before sunrise, they
were ready to depart for their camp, two or
three days' journey distant. We made known
to Hassan our uncertainty and apprehension
of what would be their behaviour to us, when
the chief lifted his right hand to Heaven, and
swore by Allah we should suffer no injury
while in his power : an oath which is sel
dom violated by them. Being all mounted
on camels, we set off; towards evening we
proceeded at a brisk trot, and entered the wil
derness of Paran. The sun was setting, and
we passed, at no great distance, Mount Pa
ran : its forra was raost singular, yet indescri
bably grand ; it had three sharp and pointed

204 LETTERS FROM THE EAST,
suraraits, and its side towards the wilderness
was forraed of perpendicular precipices of
rock ; between its three suraraits, which rose
like towers, were cast the declining bearas of
the sun. It brought to mind the fine passage
in the Prophet "The glory of God shined
from Mount Paran," &c.
The walk of the camel is not disagreeable,
but the trot at which we had lately advanced,
was no sraall inconvenience, Mr, W., who
was rather unaccustoraed to riding, disliked it
much ; he lamented our misfortune the most
of any of the party ; and he had reason, since
his career of doing good to the people round
Sinai and Tor was put a stop to, his journals
and papers left in the convent, and it was un
certain how long this captivity was to last.
He was an excellent young man, and full of
zeal in the prosecution of his object, but very
unfit to raeet with reverses of this kind, or to
struggle with evils out of the path of his mis
sion. He was our only interpreter with the
Bedouins, as he had some knowledge of the
Arabic language.
The chief had given us reason to expect we
should this night sleep under cover, and enjoy
a comfortable raeal, both of which We stood
greatly in need of; but after travelling two or

VALLEY OF PARAN, 205
three hours after dark, and looking in vain for
the light of some dwelling, we halted in the
raidst of the wilderness, where the sand was
again to be our bed. Our supper consisted of
some cake raade of coarse flour and water,
kneaded flat, and baked in the erabers, and
sorae coffee, without railk or sugar ; however,
we partook of it sociably with our captors,
and then lay dpwn to rest near some high
bushes, through which the cold wind whistled
shrill during the night. We set out long be
fore sunrise next morning. The valley of
Paran now became very narrow ; the barriers
of lofty rocks on each side approached each
other closely ; araong thera were often seen
veins of various and beautiful marble. The
hosts of Israel are supposed to have marched
•from the Red Sea to Sinai by this route.
After advancing about three hours, we halted
at a beautiful grove of palm-trees in the val
ley, in, which was a spring of excellent water;
sorae Arabs resided here, and we looked with
anxiety for our breakfast. Of all raodes of
life upon earth, that of the Arabs possesses
the fewest indulgencies : they placed on a
rock a large piece of the cold cake left the
inight before, for our breakfast, and which
being unleavened, was as heavy as lead ; and

206 LETTERS FROM THE EAST,
the lonely grove of palms, and the sublime
scenery of the wilderness, were insufficient at
that raoraent to appease our vexation ; for the
pleasures of imagination, or the picturesque,
would all have been instantly bartered for a
good comfortable breakfast.
We then proceeded, without halting, till
about four o'clock, when we came to a sraall
encampraent of Arabs, who were the friends of
Hassan's tribe. It was interesting to see the
raeeting of these friendly tribes in the desert :
from their wandering habit of life, and their
frequent and distant journeys, they seldom
meet ; but when they do, the pressing of the
hand to the heart, the kiss on the cheek, the
passionate exclamations and gestures of joy,
prove the sincerity and fervour of their feelings.
These Arabs insisted on our staying all night
with them : we were very happy to hear this,
as it was yet some hours ere sunset, and the
journey of the day had been long enough. —
The camp consisted of ten tents ranged in a
line ; in one of these we were all accomrao
dated. Our entertainers killed a goat for sup
per by way of a feast ; it was boiled, as all their
meat is, and served up, cut into large pieces,
on dishes of wood ; we had to help ourselves
with our fingers : there were also thin cakes of

ARAB FEAST. 207
bread, and a dish of melted butter to dip them
in. This mountain-goat was eaten with great
relish, and coffee was afterwards served round,
with pipes. The Arabs appeared to enjoy
themselves very rauch, and passed a long time
in conversation ; but as night drew on, they all
dropped off one after another, and left us in
possession of the tent, in common with a num
ber of goats, who inhabited the further part.
In the raiddle of the night, I was awoke by
soraething moving near me, and putting out my
hand, laid hold of a huge black goat, who pro
bably considering his territory invaded, had
come to reconnoitre the intruders ; he then
went and trarapled over W. who was buried in
a profound sleep, and whora the dira light from
the desert scarcely allowed to distinguish
what kind of being molested him : — at last,
having completely broken our repose, which
we could scarcely afford to lose, the goat
calraly walked off to his own quarters.
Our servants at this time were living safely
and luxuriously in the convent. Franco was
quite at home, and ate his raeals in peace and
good will, although, being a Catholic, he could
hold little Christian fellowship with such he*
thens as the Greeks ; however, he took pos
session of his raaster's room, reposed on the

208 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
cushions, and sang his German hyrans with
much comfort. Michel was ill of a fever, and
implored Franco to take a camel and follow
and attend us during our captivity; but he
shrunk at the idea of being in the hands of
such lawless idolaters, where his outward man
would be famished, and the inner one sorely
buffetted and tried. The good fathers had
wept at our capture, and protested their ina
bility to afford the smallest alleviation. During
the whole of the day that followed it, the con
vent was assailed by a fire of rausquetry frora
a number of Arabs, which rendered it unsafe
to walk in the corridor or stir out of the
apartments. This affords an illustration of the
memorable print kept in the convents of
Sinai and Cairo, which is given to all pilgrims
to carry to their homes, and of which seve
ral were presented to us. In this print is a
lofty and vivid representation of Mount Sinai,
rising up like a huge tower : Moses is seen toil
ing up the steep, with a long beard and staff,
and nearly arrived at the top ; beneath is the
convent of Mount Sinai, out of the window of
which is pushed the bald head of a monk, who
iTengaged in relieving the wants of the wicked
Arabs, who, drawing their bows, cover the
sands below ; the arrows are seen flying and

PICTURE OF MOUNT SINAI. 209
the loaves of bread falling at the same mo
ment : the rock of Meribah, though some dis
tance off, is brought in sight, and the water
gushing forth. In the background, although
near two hundred miles off, is seen the pas
sage of the Red Sea by the Egyptians; and
Pharaoh, who leads thera on, is shown sinking
in his chariot, to hasten which catastrophe,
Moses, who stands on the shore, has just aimed
a tremendous blow at him with a cudgel.
Few pilgrims, however, approach Mount
Sinai now; and that intercourse with their fel
low-creatures, which the resort to the convent
forraerly afforded the fathers, they are now
almost entirely deprived of. The chief part of
the day they are shut up in their cells or walk
ing in the garden, and at evening they are to
be seen seated on benches before the doors of
their apartraents ; each, when the weather is
cold, with his little pot of charcoal burning
before him.

210 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.

LETTER XI.

At an early hour on the following day, we
quitted this Arab camp. The wilderness
through which we travelled, afforded a variety
of romantic scenes. In a few hours we came
to a long and steep defile, and soon afterwards
reached a well, the only one in the surround
ing region : it was in the sand, and a flight of
steps descended to it. The Arabs stopped to
give their camels water here, and said we
should soon be at their camp. It was near
mid-day when we arrived at it. It consisted
of fourteen tents ranged in a line, the chief's
being at the end ; he gave us the tent adjoin
ing his own, and we took possession of our
new abode. All these tents had only three
sides, were flat at top, and quite open in front.
Each contained a family, by whom these wan
derers were received with joy ; indeed they
seemed to feel that they were now at their

ARAB CAMP. 211
own home and their own threshold. But such
a home as that Arab carap was, has probably
been but rarely seen ; it was a perfect prison
of nature, and stood in the midst of a naked
valley of white sand, about three hundred
yards broad and a mile in length, and was in
closed on every side by black and lofty preci
pices : we had entered it by a winding and
narrow defile, and it appeared to have no out
let. It was useless for our captors to keep a
strict eye over our motions, as they had hither
to done, for every atterapt at escape would
have been in vain. They gave us sorae bread
and dates for dinner, and we then strove to
amuse ourselves as well as we could. But so
destitute was this place of all resources, either
for the iraagination or the senses, and so dreary
was its aspect, that our spirits sunk involun
tarily, and the hours passed most heavily
along. Could the eye but have rested on one cheer
ing object, a spot of verdure or shade, even
a lonely palm-tree, there would have been
something to have solaced our tcedium ; but
from morning till night nothing was to be seen
but the precipices and the bright sand, on
which the sun glared so fiercely, that it was
often painful to gaze upon. p 2

212 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
The other sheiks now parted from Hassan,
and went to their homes. In the evening we
sat round the fire at the door of our tent,
drank coffee, and smoked a pipe to pass the
time, and the Arabs soraetimes joined us. The
hatred these people bear to the monks is ex
cessive ; they made use of every oath in their
language when abusing them, and a chief took
a piece of brown bread from his vest and held
it up — " Is this good," said he, " for us to eat,
while in the convent they have it so white ?"
The sons of devils and of perdition, they de
clared, should not be feasting within their
walls in that manner. Another cause of their
hatred was the Book of Might which they
protested and believed the priests kept in the
convent, and buried it for the greater part of
the year in the earth. They said this book
had power, whenever it was opened and ex
posed to the air, to bring rain upon the earth,
so that their hearts were made glad, and their
deserts refreshed. But the priests, out of the
malice they bore to the Arabs, kept it in ge
neral buried deep ; in consequence they were
seldom blessed with any rain.
The ignorance of these Bedouins was very
great; they professed to be Mohammedans,
but they never made use of prayer, nor was

ARAB CAMP. 213
the least appearance of devotion ever observ
able araongst thera. Even in this secluded
spot, so inveterate is the force of habit, that
the Arab woraen, whenever they- raade their
appearance, had their faces closely veiled.
Hassan had two wives, Arara and Mirrha, the
one young and the other elderly, and we often
heard their voices in the adjoining tent; sorae
tiraes they appeared to be in altercation, frora
the shrill and scolding tone of the senior bride.
To vary the scene, I sometimes climbed up
the rocks, and sat for hours, but the view was
bounded by the narrow glen beneath, and the
precipices above, behind which the sun sank
at an early hour ; and when the gloom of even
ing fell, and the air becarae chill, we were glad
to asserable in our tent round a fire. It is said
that raen in a state of extrerae hunger often
dreara of banquets and tables of luxury : — the
iraagination was here perpetually wandering
to scenes of verdure and loveliness; often
Crusoe's lonely island floated before rae, and
groves of orange-trees, sweet fountains, and
banks of perfume, became alraost embodied in
this scene of desolation. There was no water
nearer to the camp than the well at which we
stopped ori our approach, and the camels were
sent thither every day. No situation could be

214 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
better adapted to the Bedouins than this : it
was scarcely possible for a stranger to disco
ver it, and it was still more difficult to attack
it. Yet their condition possessed few things
to attach them to it, save its unbounded liber
ty : surrounded by lands of despotisra, they
were beyond the reach of power or pursuit,
and might truly call these wild and waste
regions their own.
In appearance these raen were light and ac
tive, though very slender, and had all of them
expressive dark eyes and beautiful teeth. The
quantity of food they consumed was excessive
ly small, little else than coarse cake baked in
the embers, and a little coffee twice a day.
They were not very cleanly in their way of
eating ; for their favourite dish, of which they
invited us to partake, consisted of a number of
warra cakes, broken up into a large wooden
vessel; a quantity of warra water was then
poured on them, and, some fat being also raix
ed, the whole was stirred well with the hand ;
and then the Arabs formed in a circle round
the dish, and plunged their dark hands promis
cuously into it. After they had devoured about
half the contents, they rose, and another circle
took their place and finished thera. One eve
ning, however, they killed a goat, which they

ARAB CAMP. 215
procured from the mountains, for our supper,
and we forraed in a large party about it ; and
though the pieces of raeat and bones into which
the poor animal was dissected, were by no
means sightly or delicate, the whole was de
voured without ceremony.
These people appeared to live on the raost
kind and amicable terms with each other, as if
they forraed but one large family. But the si
lence of the carap was very oppressive, the hu
raan voice was not often heard, and the tread
of the foot was scarcely distinguishable on the
soft sand. The woraen soraetiraes passed the
door of our abode, but they dared not stop even
to gaze. One' evening, as we were sitting in
the tent and engaged in conversation, the cur
tain of Hassan's tent was slowly lifted up be
hind, and a dark hand, the wrist loaded with
raassive bracelets of silver and horn, raade its
appearance, and, soon after, the countenance
of the young wife of Hassan, The girl gazed
earnestly at the Christians, of whose nation
she had probably never seen one before, and
then pointed expressively to her eyes, and wa
ved her hand to and fro; she iraagined, no
doubt, we were hakiras or physicians, as the
Arabs think every Christian is ; and her eyes
had been evidently injured, perhaps by the

2l6 LETTERS FROM THE EAST,
glare of the sunbeams on the sands, Mr, G.
however, who had some knowledge of medi
cine, shook his head at the idea of meddling
with the eyes of an Arab beauty ; she looked
very disappointed, but, the voice of Hassan be
ing heard at no great-distance, the curtain was
instantly dropped, and she disappeared. Se
veral times this interview was repeated : one
or two parts of our dress attracted her ex
treme curiosity, particularly the frill of a- shirt,
which she pulled towards her dark eyes and
examined minutely, and spoke earnestly in a
tone of intreaty, and thinking it was remove-
able, strove to retain it ; but the chief was at
a distance on these occasions, or else his jea
lousy would have been excited.
Of all the evils that ever befel mankind, the
confusion of tongues was surely one of the
worst : it would have been a luxury to have
been able to hold converse with this poor Arab
bride, whose knowledge of the world was pro
bably bounded by the rocks around the solitary
encampment. But our companion's knowledge
of Arabic was of little use on this occasion, as
he stood in that singular apprehension of wo
men, or of the consequences resulting frora
their presence here, that the moment the girl

CESSATION OF CAPTIVITY. 217
put her head into the tent he fled over the
sand as if pursued by a wild beast.
But our captivity was soon to be put an end
to, and that by a singular and unexpected cir
cumstance. In passing through Suez, we had
an audience of the governor, and Ibrahim, a
young Arab chief, had seen that we were cour
teously received : he was unwell, and begged
sorae medicine, which Mr, C, gave him, and
it proved of great benefit. One day, Mr, W-
had strolled to the other end of the camp, and
was astonished to meet with Ibrahim, who, tra
velling through the desert, had chanced to stop
for a short time at this spot. The young man
instantly inquired what could possibly have
brought us there, and Mr, W. informed him of
all the circumstances of our detention, at which
he expressed great indignation, and the other
offered him a present of sorae money on our
joint account, if he would endeavour to procure
our liberation. The prospect of the reward,
and the gratitude which he really felt for the
kindness shewn him at Suez, conspired to
induce him to use every effort to this end. He
mounted his camel, and, though it was night,
instantly rode off to the residence of his bro
ther Sal6h, who was the superior chief in the

218 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
whole territory. Early the next morning, Sal6h
arrived in corapany with Ibrahim ; and having
sent word to the surrounding parts in the
course of the day, above thirty sheiks had ari-
ved in the camp, being an asserably, as Ibrahim
expressed it in his Oriental style, of " all the
great, the wise, and the glorious,"
Their consultations now began ; and it was
very interesting to see them forraed in a large
circle on the sand, debating on the subject of
our liberation ; raany of thera were venerable
raen, with long beards descending on their
breast. The dispute sometimes grew warm,
and was accompanied with veheraent action,
Sal6h, who was a man of mild and dignified as
pect, had great influence over them : he was em
ployed and trusted on some occasions by Mah
moud Ali, and was resolved we should be set
at liberty ; and all the chiefs, except the tribe
of Hassan, seconded his opinion, " I know
well," said Sal6h, " that the English are fa
voured by the Pacha ; their consul is his friend ;
and when he hears that you have taken some
of this nation prisoners, he will send Turkish
soldiers to attack your carap, and either put
you to death or carry you and your families
captives to Cairo," This chief spoke little,
but seemed to listen attentively to the debates

CESSATION OF CAPTIVITY. 219
of the others, several of whora sometimes
spoke at once in a loud tone of voice, while at
other times the whole listened with deep atten
tion to the discourse of one of their number.
During the heat of the day they asserabled in
a large tent, and forraed two long rows, at the
head of which one of the sheiks presided. For
a long tirae Hassan and his people sullenly re
fused to consent to set us free ; and it was not
till the evening of the second day that they
were obliged to accede, and we were informed
that on the following morning we were to
depart. It was delightful news to us. The
sheiks seated themselves at the door of our
tent at night, and we sipped our coffee, smo
ked, and conversed in good fellowship. The
chiefs then mounted their caraels, and depart
ed. Ibrahira, our friend, lingered behind the
others. The scene was now entirely changed,
and we felt how much sweeter it is to
have a little power than to be subject to
that of others. Before their departure, the
superior sheik requested us to write a letter to
Cairo to the authorities, and to say, that
whereas some persons, void of understanding,
had taken us prisoners, the chief Sal^h was
resolved to have them punished. This, most
probably, would never be done ; or, at least,

220 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
only on the young Arab who was about to
give one of us the contents of his pistol at
our first meeting them, and who was angrily
menaced by Sal^h. On the afternoon of the
following day we left the carap, well raounted
and attended ; for Hassan, passing from one
extreme to another, now resolved to conduct
us himself to Cairo with his own camels and
sorae of his people. We had not travelled
many hours ere we arrived at a tent or two
of a friend of the chief's, with whom we were
to pass the night. Having supped, one or two
songs were sung by the Arabs, and the even
ing passed pleasantly.
Franco had now joined us ; and being reliev
ed frora all his fears, besides being refreshed
by a good supper, coraraenced his Gerraan
psalraody with great fervour, but was soon
compelled to stop by the Arabs, who never
could abide the music of his voice.
It was useless now to think of returning to
Mount Sinai, as we must have retraced our
steps ; so we resolved to proceed direct to
Cairo, These Arabs sell their caraels occa
sionally, and purchase corn and coffee at a cheap
rate in Egypt By their use of the brandy and
sugar in our possession when they met with us,
it appeared they would consume those ar-

PASSAGE OF THE ISRAELITES, 221
tides with avidity, could they have thera ; but
tea they disliked extreraely. The carael of
Hassan was a fine aniraal, rauch superior to
any of the others. One day that Hassan was
raounted on another carael, he was run off with
over the desert at full speed, as far nearly as
the eye could reach ; and though a very strong
man, he could not stop the aniraal. The only
way on these occasions is to pass the bridle
tightly over the nose, which instantly arrests
their speed. On all occasions where swiftness
is required, the droraedary is used, and very
frequently by the Tartar messengers, who will
travel night and day with incredible diligence.
In three days, travelling slowly, we reached
the shores of the Red Sea : it is here a fine
sheet of water, about ten railes broad. This
is the place where the Israelites are supposed
to have crossed. Directly opposite on the
other side, the raountains, which above and
below form a continued range, are divided ;
and, sloping gently down, leave a space or
valley of about six miles broad, t|irough which
the Israelites passed on their way frora Piha-
hiroth. Near the spot where we were, are the
hot springs ; they are several in nuraber, and
are warm enough to boil an egg in a few mi
nutes. Our provisions had fallen very short;

222 LETTERS FROM THE EAST,
and two birds having lighted not far off, one of
the Arabs shot them both at one fire with his
matchlock gun, and Franco undertook to make
a savoury stew of thera ; but, to our great
disappointraent, they had a flavour of carrion,
and we were obliged to yield thera up to
Franco, who despatched them both with consi
derable gout.
A good part of the next day we passed in
the small valley of Hirondel, covered with
stunted palm-trees, amongst which, and on the
sand, a nuraber of locusts were flying about.
They were nearly as long as one's finger, very
like a grasshopper, and of a light red colour,
Michel joined us here with our effects frora the
convent, having quite recovered from his fever.
The superior, who had bitterly bewailed our
misfortune, exclaiming that no travellers would
come again to the convent, if they were
thus exposed to the rapacity of the Arabs, had
spent several hours in his chamber every day
during his illness, conversing with great avidity
on the affairs of Greece, His solitude had not
deadened his interest in the concerns of the
world, with which he appeared to be well ac
quainted ; and his raanners shewed that he had
not always led a raonastic life.
Departing for Suez, we fell in at night with

.MOHAMMEDAN bOBRIElY. 223
a small caravan; and, a nuraber of large fires
being lighted, we passed the night together,
and supped on a sraall deer or antelope, which
had been shot by one of the Arabs,
The next day we met with a small party re
turning from a pilgrimage to Mecca : they had
travelled an imraense distance, A Turk, the
best-dressed of thera, was seated in a houda.
This is a light frarae of wood, fixed on the
back of a carael, with a seat on each side, and
is a very easy and indolent raode of travelling.
This Turk appeared to have been coraforting
himself in the howling wilderness with forbid
den things, as we thought he was rather tipsy ;
but let not such a thing be lightly believed
against one of the faithful, as it is certainly
rare araong thera ; though we afterwards raet
and dined with a rich Islamite merchant, who,
if asked to drink wine, would be displeased at
the raention of such a liquor, denied even to the
Prophet, but, when it was presented to hira as
rosolio, the name of a sweet cordial, took off
a large bumper with great heartiness.
In two days more we arrived at Suez, and
again received a kind welcome from the Con
sul ; and his good wine and dinner of Eastern
dishes appeared uncoraraon luxuries to us,
after such extreme privation. It being low

224 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
water on our approaching Suez, we had forded
the Red Sea on the camel's back, about a mile
above the town. The day after our capture
by the Arabs, my servant had sent a camel
froiri the convent to Cairo with intelligence of
the circumstance ; and the Consul being at
Alexandria, as also was the Pacha, his secre
tary informed the Kiaya Bey, the chief officer
of the latter, of the circumstance, and an order
was instantly sent to the governor of Suez to
despatch sorae of his troops to the Arab carap,
to attack it and bring the Arabs prisoners,
with ourselves, to Cairo, Our liberation, for
tunately, was too early for the execution of this
order ; but the Arabs, who were eagle-eyed
to discover all who pass on their deserts, would
probably have been aware in time of the ap
proach of the Turkish soldiers, and have struck
their tents, mounted their camels, and fled
with us into the heart of their deserts. The
governor of Suez sent his son to wait on us,
and to inquire into all the particulars, that he
might transmit them to Cairo, In the former
audience which he gave us, he had beha;ved
very courteously; but the firmaun of the
Grand Seignior he threw on the sofa, and
pressed that of Mahmoud Ali to his lips and
forehead. We had found, indeed, in Upper

ARRIVAL AT CAIRO. 225
Egypt the Sultan's passport to be so useless,
that we ceased to produce it; for sorae of
the Sheiks do not scruple to call him a great
beast. This Aga was a handsome and mild-
looking man : he had only one wife, and no
mistress ; and his son stood before hira with
his hands folded on his breast.
Leaving Suez, we travelled on some hours ;
and, after dark, saw the lights of a caravan,
that had halted on the sand. We joined the
travellers, and found the scene rather inte
resting. They were seated in various parties
round fires scattered over the desert, around
the embers of which they at last lay down to
repose. On the tenth day after leaving the
Arab carap, we arrived at Cairo. Hassan, the
chief, had grown very fearful, during the last
two days, of entering the city, and entreated
us earnestly to intercede, that the Pacha's an
ger might not fall upon him, as he knew well,
he would think as little of taking off his and
his people's heads, as of taking a pinch of
snuff. However, we took care that no harra
happened to hira, and parted from the chief,
after all, with something like regret ; for the
deserts had made us intimate. We made him
a present — a poor substitute for the ransom he
had expected ; and he went back again to his
Q.

226 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
desolate valley. The transition from thence
to our spacious apartment, garden, and foun
tain at Cairo, was very agreeable.
We had not the opportunity of making the
tour of the whole of the region of Sinai, yet
we traversed three sides of the raountain, and
found it every where shut in by narrow ravines,
except on the north, in which direction we had
first approached it. Here there is, as before
observed, a valley of some extent, and a small
plain, in the midst of which is a rocky hill.
These appear to be the only open places in
which the Israelites could have stood before
the mount, because, on the fourth side, though
unvisited, we could observe from the summit,
were only glens or small rocky valleys, as on
the west and south ; for the precipices oppo
site rose near and high : and a country like
this can change little in the progress of ages.
If water was not more plentiful of old than at
the present tirae, it was iraposslble for so nu
merous a people to have been sustained with
out a constant miracle in their favour; the
number of wells is so small, and in suramer so
soon exhausted.
Having hired a Cangia, we parted from Mr.
W. and went down the Nile to Alexandria.
With some eccentricities, arising frora igno-

CHRISTMAS-DAY. 227
ranee of the world, he was an amiable and
excellent man. To his knowledge of Arabic
chiefly were we indebted for our own libera
tion from the deserts, Mr, C. took passage
for England. My stay at Alexandria was ren
dered more pleasant by the hospitality and
attentions of Mr. Lee, the consul, which every
traveller experiences in an eminent degree.
Christraas-day was celebrated at his house by
a large party and an excellent entertainraent,
and it passed most agreeably. Yet the wea
ther felt so chill in the afternoon, it being
January, that we were glad to assemble round
the fire. Intending to proceed to Palestine
and Syria, I engaged a passage in a vessel of
the latter country bound to Saide.

a a

228 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.

LETTER XII.

We left Alexandria with a fair breeze, and
the prospect of a speedy passage ; the voyage
to Saide being often accoraplished in three
days. But on the second day the wind be
carae adverse, and we were corapelled to drive
up and down off the Egyptian coast, as if we
were never to lose sight of it. The captain
had been iraprisoned sorae days at Alexandria
fbr sorae offence ; and as the vessel could not
proceed without hira, I interceded with the con
sul, and procured his liberty. He was grateful
for this, and gave rae the best accoramoda-
tions in the ship, which was no sraall advan
tage, as there were several other passengers on
board. On the floor of the cabin was stretched
a Jewish rabbi, in his last sickness ; he was a
very well-informed man, and was intimately
known to Lady Stanhope, His chief desire,
and the only object of his voyage, was to go

VOYAGE TO SAIDE. 229
to Palestine to die, which was very soon ac
complished, as he lived but a few days after
our arrival. He had travelled, and was well
versed in the Scriptures, and all the traditions
of his people ; and related with great pleasure
how he had foiled in a public arguraent in
Egypt a raissionary who was sent for the con
version of his brethren. The calras and baf
fling winds annoyed us exceedingly ; the Jew
bore thera patiently, but not equally so with
a Turk, who had laid his carpet on the deck,
on which he continued seated nearly all the
day, and stretched by night; his pipe in his
hand, some very coarse provisions for his food,
and those used very sparingly. He regarded
the vicissitudes of the weather with perfect
tranquillity, only uttering occasionally " The
will of God be done !" Had the vessel gone
to pieces, he would have shewn, probably,
neither surprise nor despair. On the tenth
day, however, we were cheered by the sight
of Mount Carmel, and drew slowly near its
foot ; and soon were landed in the boat at
the small town of Caifa, while the bark pur
sued its voyage to Saide,
Having gone through the ceremony of being
examined by the Turkish officer, there being
a war at that time in the country, we were

230 LETTERS FROM THE EAST,
allowed to look out for a lodging. The town
had but a sorry appearance, and consisted
chiefly of one long street, with the governor's
house at the end. There had been a Catholic
convent in a noble situation on the side of
Carmel; but it' was destroyed not very long
before by the young Pacha of Acre, and was
now only a heap of ruins. The poor solitary
priest who tenanted it was expelled. his com
fortable home, and at present occupied a email
house in the town beneath, where he gave us
a cordial reception. It was a sorry dwelling,
and a wretched substitute for his roomy and
delightful convent, where he was lord of the
whole domain. He possessed two apartments ;
the dark kitchen conducted by a crazy flight
of stairs into a small eating and sleeping apart
ment, with a large open window that looked
over the whole bay. After a long delay he
produced a repast, consisting of eggs, cheese,
arid some tolerable wine. On the wall the
names of two travellers were pencilled, who
had lodged in this apartment, a Mr. Hyde,
whose journeyings have been very extensive,
and another Englishman. The old priest and
Michel discussed their wine below in the even
ing very sociably ; the former was full of some
news lately arrived frora Italy ; of the Pope

ARRIVAL AT ACRE, 231
having had a long and particular conference
with St, Peter, and of the wonderful revela
tions the apostle had made. In the night it
blew very hard, and the rain and wind sadly
invaded the privacy of the. father's chamber.
We were obliged to go very early in the
morning to the governor's secretary to procure
a passport for Acre. The Turk had just risen
from his slumbers, and seemed much out of
humour and uncomfortable, as the air was chill,
and he had not had his cup of coffee. We at
last left Caifa, remarkable for nothing but the
beauty of raany of the children in the streets,
and proceeded towards Acre. The whole of
the route is over the sandy beach, and it was
crossed by a rapid streara, which, owing to
the late heavy rains, was scarcely fordable.
Having reached Acre about raid-day, we
were corapelled to wait three hours before any
admittance could be obtained, as the young
Pacha was in his seraglio, and they dared, not
disturb hira. During this interval, sorae rogue
stole my umbrella and a solitary^^ bottle of rum,
neither of which could be replaced, and the
former was a serious loss in such a climate.
At last, to our great relief, admission was
granted, and we proceeded to the convent,
and met there with Mr. A. the consul-general

232 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
for Syria, but newly arrived from England,
and my old travelling companion, Mr. W.
The next morning, in company with Mr. W,
and a merchant of Aleppo, we left Acre for
Tyre, The way led for some distance over the
fine and extensive plain at the end of which
the town is situated ; it was varied as we drew
nearer the hills, by two or three chateaux of
Turkish gentleraen araidst the trees, and about
mid-day we halted at a rivulet, and made a
pleasant repast. The merchant was a very
unprincipled but agreeable fellow, and being
a native of Aleppo, spoke Arabic and Turkish
beautifully. We soon ascended a lofty hill,
over which the path is exceedingly delightful
and comraanding. The plain of Acre was be
hind, and Tyre visible on the shore a con
siderable distance in advance ; and the bold
and craggy cliffs we were ascending repaid the
toil of the way.
Towards evening we carae to a sraall and
lonely khan, and resolved to make it our lodg
ing for the night. Some Syrian peasants ga
thered round, and we took our evening meal
under the rude corridor, while the moon shone
splendidly on the bay and shore, close to
which the khan stood. Such moments as
these are full of vivid enjoyment. Before

TYRE, 233
day-break we quitted this spot, and in a few
hours arrived at Tyre,
This town, by no means so desolate as it has
been sometimes represented, contains nearly
two thousand inhabitants, and is surrounded by
a wall. We put up at the Catholic convent, if it
deserves the name, — some wretched sraall apart
ments in the sides of a court. In the evening
the fathers disturbed us by their nasal singing
in the church, which is open to the winds of
heaven, having scarcely any roof. There are
a few good houses in the place, and, visiting
two or three families, we were made welcome
with a pipe, a cup of coffee, or other drink.
The island on which the ancient city stood,
has of course long since disappeared.
The next morning we set out for Sidon ; the
weather was beautiful, and we enjoyed an
agreeable ride. This town is very pleasantly
situated, and surrounded with rich gardens.
We took up our abode in some apartments be
longing to the French consul, with naked walls
and floor : — the traveller here, as throughout
the East, must bring his own utensils and bed
ding with hira ; but fatigue and novelty sweet
en all things. In the evening we paid a visit
to a merchant's family of Sidon ; and some
sweet Oriental dishes, prepared by the lady

234 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
of the house, with some excellent wine, were
served up. The gardens of Sidon were full of
fruit, and the cottages of the peasants stood in
the midst of them.
At about an hour and a half's ride from the
town is the residence of Lady H. S. It is
situated on the top of a hill, and called Mari-
lius, from the convent of that name that for
merly stood there, and out of part of which,
with her own additions, she has constructed
her present mansion. There are few trees
round it, and it is very exposed ; in the back
ground are ranges of barren hills ; the pro
spect beneath, of the gardens of Sidon and the
bay, is raagnificent. Having two letters of in
troduction to her ladyship, one frora an inti-
raate friend, I raade sure of an interview ; but,
as ill-luck would have it, ray servant in his
haste left this letter in the apartment at Sidon,
and the one which was presented would not
avail me. In the small roora where I was
introduced was suspended an iraraense Arab
lance. In a short tirae, the onlj'^ English in-
raate. Miss W- brought a polite apology from
her ladyship, intimating that she regretted she
could not break her invariable rule not to see
English travellers. Having afterwards under
stood from the consul that I po.ssessed her

MARILIUS. 235
friend's letter, she favoured rae with two notes,
saying that she should be happy to receive it
and see the bearer if he came that way again ;
but, being then at a considerable distance
frora her residence, the pleasure of such an
interview was never enjoyed.
This extraordinary woman no longer pos
sesses the daring and chivalric spirit which led
her to Palrayra and other perilous parts of the
East. She is now become very nervous, and
has for some tirae put great faith in nativities,
and the productions of a venerable Arabian,
who passes for an astrologer or raagician, and
often visits Marilius. Her habits of life have
long been not to retire to rest till five in the
morning, and to rise at two in the afternoon,
and eat scarcely any animal food ; but her
house contains a good store of choice wines,
and the various conserves of the East. Al
though she sits on the floor, and eats with her
fingers, her visitor is indulged with a table,
knife and fork, and a variety of dishes. Her
household consists of three-and-twenty Arab
servants of both sexes, as her English ones
have long since been disraissed. She scarcely
ever rides now, although she has a stud of
twelve fine Arabian horses. In conversation,
as a friend of hers, who several times visited

236 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
her, assured me, she is very agreeable, but it
must be during the witching hours of night,
when her ladyship loves raost to converse.
Arabic she speaks pretty well, and with the
natives and manners of the East she is of course
thoroughly acquainted. Among Turkish wo
men, she says, she has met raany adraira
ble and attractive characters, but ainong the
Greeks not a single one. Woe be to the wo
man of her own nation, who should reside for
a short time at Marilius ! she raust expect to
submit to all the seclusion of the land, as, if
any Sheik or Turk comes to the house, she
must not only shun his presence, but be sure
not to let a glimpse of her face be seen : no
infringeraent on Eastern etiquette can ever be
allowed there.
The influence this lady has over the sur
rounding pachas and governors is truly singu
lar. A merchant of my acquaintance from
Smyrna, was returning from Damascus to Bei
rout with some camel loads of silk : they were
stopped in the way by the pacha of Acre, who
intended to use no ceremony in making them
his own. The raerchant was in partnership in
this concern with a rich Moor at Beirout, who
was intiraately known to her ladyship, and
imraediately wrote to her requesting her in-

MARILIUS. 237
terference. She sent a note to the pacha,
and an order was speedily transmitted to his
soldiers to set the camels and their cargo at
liberty. Lady S. lived at Damascus for twelve months
in a handsome house in the suburbs ; and
often, when she rode out in her Mameluke
dress, the people would flock around her in
admiration. When on her "journey to Pal
rayra, she was pursued by a hostile tribe of
Arabs for a whole day ; and on the day when
the Palmyrenes hailed her as the Queen of the
ruined city, she felt, no doubt, vivid and un-
disserabled pleasure, being the first lady who
had ever achieved such a journey ; and her ex
cellent horseraanship and capability of enduring
fatigue, soon made the deserts a horae to her.
The Orientals never speak of her but with the
highest respect." It is certain that a belief is
entertained of her being of the highest rank :
some even say she is a queen. She distributes
occasionally presents of rich arms to the
chiefs ; and when an Arab courser is sent her,
frequently rewards the bearer with a thousand
piastres. She is generous, hospitable, and un
doubtedly of that superior and commanding
mind, which is sure to gain ari ascendancy
among the Orientals. Yet it is difficult to dis-

238 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
"cover any attractions in her present way of life
at Marilius. The romance and delight of ex
ploring the East, and seeing its natives bow
down to her, have long since given place to
timid and secluded habits and feelings, and
the dreams of superstition. She is, however,
firmly resolved never to return to her native
country ; her avowed contempt for her own
sex, and their effeminate habits and feelings,
is not likely to conciliate them. ' '
Although she refuses, frora the real or sup
posed ill treatraent of one or two English tra
vellers, to see any of her countrymen, she has
more than once been their benefactor. On one
occasion she presented a traveller at Daraascus
with two thousand piastres, whose money had
failed hira in a journey frora India. When an
unfortunate Frenchraan, a raan of science, was
shot by sorae Arabs from behind the rocks, as
he was sketching a scene in some of the raoun
tains in the interior at a considerable distance,
she was at a great expense in recovering his
papers and books for his relations, and procu
ring for thera every intelligence.
On the following day we proceeded to Bei
rout, and in a couple of hours carae to a raise
rable khan; then passing over a sandy tract
at the close of day we entered the pleasant and

BEIROUT. 239
shady lanes leading to Beirout, which look
very much like English ones. Being recom
mended to the house of M. Massad, a native,
I proceeded thither, and ascending a flight of
steps, entered a small paved court, with apart
ments all round it. My abode here would
have pleased the most fastidious taste; the
apartraent had three windows in front, which
looked over the town and gardens, and Mount
Lebanon at three miles distance, its interior
summits covered with snow : and the window
in the end looked over the bay. Massad was
a respectable-looking old man ; he had two
sons and one daughter, who went about the
house with a dozen strings of gold coins dan
gling about her ears and neck. Our table was
provided with as fine beef from Mount Leba
non as could be had in England, and excellent
wine. At least a dozen sorts of wine are pro
duced from this mountain and its neighbour
hood, red and white : among the latter the Vin-
doro is one of the best; they are all cheap
enough. This town, the ancient Berytus, con
tains six thousand inhabitants : the situation
is the raost beautiful of all the Syrian towns ;
the environs are laid out in plantations of
mulberry-trees, and a quantity of silk is pro
duced and exported.

240 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
The war between the two Pachas of Acre
and Damascus at this time disturbed the whole
country, and rendered travelling very unsafe.
The exactions and oppressions of tbe former
harass the people excessively. An instance, of
this occurred at Sidon a week after my arrival.
The Pacha sent to a Turkisl;i gentleman of pro,-
perty there to demand a very large advance,
which he refused to pay, but soon received in
telligence that more sumraary raeans would h.p
adopted. He knew there was no time to, be
lost ; assembled his few faithful servants, and
after taking a very affecting leave of hjs wife,
whom he tenderly loved, rode off to Damascus,
carrying with him the most valuable and por
table part of his property. The day after, the
Pacha's officer arrived from Acre and seized
all the effects that were left behind, without,
however, insulting the lady, who could not ac
company the rapid flight of her husbarid. This
young Chief of Acre is capable of any enormi
ty, and has bribed the Prince of the Druses^to
assist him in his war with the Damascenes.
The consul, Mr. A.., had now arrived at ftgi-
rout; and, having procured an excellent house,
I resided with him for a few weeks very agree
ably. This house was built by a Greek raer-
charit, at a considerable expense, for his own

PRINCE OF THE DRUSES. 241
residence; when the Governor of Beirout,
which is in the pashalic of Acre, sent to order
him to deliver it up, as he wished to inhabit it
himself. The merchant, terrified, fled to the
interior of Mount Lebanon, where I after
wards met with him. Just at this tirae the
Consul arrived ; and, the house being unoccu
pied, he demanded it for his own use ; and the
Governor, after rauch altercation, thought pro
per to concede it. The poor merchant sent
a most grateful letter to Mr, A. for preserving
his house from the hands of the Governor,
A great nuraber of granite pillars, in a broken
state, however, are to be seen along the shore
beneath the tide, and part of the causeway on
the quay' is chiefly built up with them. About
four hundred years ago Faccardine, the Prince
of the Druses, possessed a handsome palace
and gardens without the town. This raan's
history has been written ; for he was a reraark
able character, and had spent some time in
Italy, where he cultivated the sciences, and
built his palace after the edificf s he had adrai
red there. He was assassinated, and his beau
tiful doraain laid waste ; sorae of the ruins,
however, still reraain.
The rainy season had now set in : scarcely
a day passed without showers ; and the roads

242 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
were rendered so bad that travelling was
impracticable. Rain in an Oriental country
throws a traveller sadly out of his resources :
books, of course, he has few, but must pass the
evenings sitting on the divan with a vessel of
lighted charcoal before hira on the carpet, and
his pipe and a cup of coffee. At last, however,
the weather cleared up ; the caravans, which
had been stopped, resumed their passage, and
we set out to visit the Emir Busheer, Prince of
the Druses. The way was for the most part
over the mountain; and in about nine hours we
came to the town of Dalil Camar, and were
fain to pass the night in a coffee-house.
Early the next morning we went to the
chief's residence, which is admirably situated
for defence : it stands on a rugged cliff, and is
approached by a winding path over low stone
steps. Industry, however, has created a sort
of garden on one side of it. Some apartraents
of the palace are rather elegantly fitted up,
and furnished with glass windows. It is sur
rounded by extensive courts, around which are
the rooras for the officers and domestics. The
power of this prince is very considerable; ex
tending all over Mount Lebanon and many of
the adjacent parts. In a short space of time
he can raise thirty thousand arraed men : and

DALIL CAMAR. 243
these mountaineers are bolder troops than those
of the lowlands ; a large proportion of them
are horsemen. He had brought several thou
sands into the field to aid the Pacha of Acre in
his war with the Pacha of Damascus. On be
ing introduced to the Emir, he was seated on
the divan of a large apartment — a man about
sixty, of a venerable appearance, with a long
beard, almost white, in which he took great
pride. Sherbet and pipes were brought, and
we were invited to remain for the night at the
palace. He dissuaded rae from advancing to
Balbec, in consequence of the war, and the
armies being out, which rendered the road
insecure. The snow also had fallen in such
quantities as to make any progress in that di
rection impossible. This man has a religion to
suit the place he may be in : when he coraes
down to Beirout, he goes to the raosque ; but
in the mountain he is always a Christian.
During my stay in the latter place, I accom
panied the Consul in his first visit of cereraony
to the Turkish governor : after refreshraents,
the latter was presented with an English
watch, which he first raade a show of refusing,
but at last grasped at with no sraall avidity.
The watch was of mixed metal, as the Turks
will not accept of any gold or silver ; the Pro-
R 2

244 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
phet having forbidden the use of those precious
raetals on sorae occasions. It was made, with
five Or six others, for the express purpose of
presents to these chiefs. This governor took
great pleasure in the idea of our being all, by
and by, of one faith, and repeated several
times with delight, " We shall all be Mosle-
raen together in Damascus;" as they have a
tradition of long standing, that the Christians
will advance with a mighty army to attack the
sacred city, when the Prophet, in his mercy,
will convert them all.
About raid-day, being invited to dine with
the chief officers of the Prince, we formed a
circle round a low table, on which were placed
a number of dishes, with an iraraense pilau of
rice in the raiddle, coloured with saffron; we
were furnished with neat spoons for eating our
food — a refineraent not always to be found at
Eastern meals. While at Beirout I dined one
day with a rich merchant, a Moor, and a very
handsome raan : he possessed a young Circas
sian raistress, about sixteen years of age, for
whora he had given six hundred pounds at
Srayrna; this was rather a dear bargain, as
she was not beautiful. We sat on the carpet,
four in number, and drank tea in the first place,
which was made by the Moor, and served

DINNER AT BEIROUT. 245
without railk ; iraraediately afterwards dinner
was brought in : — first, a dish of soup was
placed in the raiddle of the table ; and, being
each provided with a spoon, we helped our
selves out of the vessel in coraraon ; this being
reraoved, an excellent hash supplied its place ;
and the spoons being taken away, we plunged
our fingers into the dish, and carried whatever
came first, meat, vegetables, &c. to our mouths,
as there were no plates. Several other dishes
succeeded, all very good ; and the repast was
closed by some delicious cakes, made, no
doubt, by the hands of the young Circassian.
A most diligent washing of the hands and
mouth then took place ; and indeed it was
necessary. Having quitted the palace or fortress of the
Emir, we returned to the town of Dalil Camar
to wait till the roads should becorae passable
by the raelting of the snow. Our lodging was
a sraall roora in the khan, in the upper story ;
several merchants occupied the adjoining
rooms, and they set out their goods for sale
during the day-time in the court below. This
part of Mount Lebanon was very barren and
craggy, and the houses rose in ridges on its
sides. There are a great number of Druses in and

246 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
around this place. The belief and some of the
rites of this singular race are but imperfectly
known. They are a fine and healthy-looking
people ; particularly raany of the young wo
raen, who have a coraplexion as ruddy as those
of the Highlands of Scotland. The Druses
never allow interraarriages with strangers,
and not unfrequently raarry their sisters and
daughters. Several of their small houses of
worship are scattered over the mountain, but
no stranger is allowed to enter. It is com
puted there are eighty convents on various
parts of the mountain, Armenian, Catholic,
Greek, and Maronite; and they are often placed
in situations of extraordinary beauty. It has
been observed by some that the Syritin coast
is very subject to fevers ; but it is difficult,
perhaps, to find a line of country more healthy
and attractive than that from Tripoli to Acre.
Lady S. has declared the cliraate to be the
raost salubrious that she has ever resided in.
Having waited in vain for ten days, and the
weather being worse instead of better, we re
solved to bend our course towards Palestine ;
and, having procured horses, arrived on the
evening of the following day at Sidon again.
We passed the evening very pleasantly in the
apartments of Monsieur T. an Italian n)erchant,

ROUTE TO PALESTINE, 247
who has resided there several years with his
lady ; — a dreary situation for an intelligent
man ; for what climate or scenery can atone
for the want of society ? In three days more
the weather became fine ; and we left the town
with no small pleasure, being impatient to pro
ceed, after so many delays. Soon after sun
set we came once more to the gate of Tyre,
and found a warra welcorae from the Tyrian
family whom we had become acquainted with
on our first visit. They were all seated on the
floor round the supper-table, parents, sons, and
daughters, and we felt no objection to join the
party. How delightful was an animated scene
like this — the soft cushion and the pipe after a
long and fatiguing journey ! No traveller in
the East, accustomed to the indulgent and
natural posture of sitting and reclining there,
will ever wish to see a chair or table again.
Continuing our journey, we were late on the
following day a few miles frora Acre, and were
obliged to stop at an Arab village on a hill ;
and, entering the rude and dirty khan, found
it filled Avith the inhabitants, who were ranged,
as thick as they could well be cramraed, on the
floor, with their backs to the wall, and every
mouth filled with a pipe. A fire was blazing
beside a pillar in the middle ; but the place

248 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
looked so suspicious and uninviting that we
were at a loss whether to reraain or not. In a
short tirae the Sheik stepped up, and civilly
invited us to lodge in his house, which we very
gladly acceded to. His residence was close
to the sea : and that we raight not approach
too near the persons of his woraen, he conduct
ed us to a neat and lofty apartment a few yards
from the house;' the walls and pillars were
whitewashed, and some mats spread on the
floor. He asked if his women should prepare
a repast for us, or if we chose to dress it our
selves. On our preferring the former, in about
an hour a very decent meal made its ap
pearance, round which we all asserabled. The
Sheik, to do rae honour, took up the choicest
pieces of raeat with his fingers and placed
thera before rae : to have declined eating thera
would have given offence. After supper, to
entertain us, he placed his hands on his knees,
and broke out into a raost stunning and dis
cordant song, and then got up and went
through all his prayers and genuflexions with
much appearance of devotion. We soon, how
ever, lay down to rest, free from any intrusion
Pr sound, save the dashing of the sea on tbe
rocks beneath our dwelling.

MOUNT CARMEL. 249

LETTER XIII.
On the following day we came again to
Caifa, and found an agreeable lodging in the
house of a native, raore comfortable and lux
urious than the room of the old priest. We
ascended the side of Carrael next to the Sea,
into which it alraost descends ; and on this
part of its summit tradition says Elijah the
prophet stood when he prayed for rain, and
beheld the cloud rise out of the sea. The next
day we ascended the raountain in another part,
and traversed the whole of its surarait, which
occupied several hours. It is the finest and
most beautiful mountain in Palestine, of great
length, and in many parts covered with trees
and flowers. ¦' On reaching at last the opposite
summit, and coming out of a wood, we saw
the celebrated plain of Esdraelon beneath, with
the river Kishon flowing through it : Mounts
Tabor and Hermon were in front, and on the

250 LETTERS FROM THE EAST,
left the prospect was bounded by the hills of
Samaria, This scene certainly did not fulfil
the descriptions given of the desolation and
barrenness of Palestine, although it was raourn
ful to behold scarcely a village or cottage in
the whole extent ; yet the soil appeared so
rich and verdant, that, if diligently cultivated,
there is little doubt it would becorae, as it
once was, " like the garden of the Lord."
We stood sorae tirae gazing with great de
light, and then began to descend the side of
the mountain, leaving Hassan, our guide, be
hind, with the horses, cursing the ruggedness
and difficulty of the paths. About half way
down we met a tribe of Arab gipsies ; they had
just pitched their tents, and pressed us to stay
and take coffee, and even remain all night with
them. The accomraodations were certainly
far from tempting, A young woman of the
party had her lips dyed blue, a eustora proba
bly among them. We soon reached the banks
ofthe Kishon, at this time so. much swollen by
the heavy rains that we could not find a ford
to cross over ; by going much lower down,
however, we at last succeeded, and crossing-
part of the plain, wound up the hills till the
night fell, and we were glad enough to meet
with a lodging in a wretched Arab village.

NAZARETH. 251
On the following day we arrived at Naza
reth, which we could not perceive till we were
at the top of the hill directly over it, as it
stands on the foot and sides of a kind of am
phitheatre. Its situation is very roraantic ;
the population araounts to about twelve hun
dred, who are raostly Christians, The Spanish
Catholic convent, in which all travellers are
accommodated, is a large and excellent raan
sion, though the number of monks is reduced
to less than one half, on account of the poverty
of the establishraent, frora the failure of re-
raittances from Europe, The church of the
convent is rich,' and contains a fine organ.
Below the floor, and entered by a flight of
steps, is the cave or grotto where the angel
Gabriel is said to have appeared to Mary : a
granite column was rent in twain by the ap
pearance of the angel, — the lower part is quite
gone, but the upper part, which passes through
the roof is suspended in the air. The priests
tell you that it has no support from above, and
that it is an everlasting miracle. There is a
handsome altar in this grotto.
We next visited a small apartment which is
shown as the workshop of Joseph ; this stands
at a short distance from the church ; part of it
only remains, and is certainly kept very neat.

252 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
Not far frora this is the school where our Lord
received his education, and which looks rauch
like other schools. But as curious a relic as
any is a large piece of rock, rather soft, about
four feet high and four or five yards long, its
form not quite circular : on this our Lord is
said to have often dined with his disciples.
About a mile and a half down the valley is
shown a high and perpendicular rock, as the
very spot where our Lord, according to St,
Luke, was taken by the people to be thrown
over the precipice. About midway down in
the face of the rock is the spot where his de
scent was arrested, and the marks of his hands
and part of his form are shown, where he en
tered into the rock and disappeared. The good
fathers do their cause little good by such sad
tales. But of far higher interest than tradi
tions and relics is the scenery around Naza
reth : it is of the kind in which one would
imagine the Saviour of mankind delighted to
wander and to withdraw himself when medi
tating on his great mission; — deep and secluded
dells, covered with a wild verdure; silent and
solemn paths where overhanging rocks shut
out all intrusion.
No one can walk round Nazareth without
feeling thoughts like these enter his raind.

MOUNT TABOR, &C, 253
while gazing often on raany a sweet spot
traced perhaps by the Redeeraer's footsteps
and embalraed by his prayers.
The next day we rode to Mount Tabor,
about six railes distant ; it stands alone on the
plain, and is a very sraall and beautiful moun
tain, rising gradually on every side : about the
fourth part of the ascent towards the summit
is covered with a luxuriance of wood. The top
of Mount Tabor is flat and not of large extent ;
the view from thence is most magnificent.
At the foot is shown the village, araidst a few
trees, that was the birth-place of Deborah the
prophetess, Herraon stands in the plain about
six miles off, and at its foot is the village of
Nain. We next proceeded towards Cana by a nar
row and rocky path over the mountains.
This village is pleasantly situated on a sraall
eminence in a valley, and contains two or three
hundred inhabitants ; the ruins of the house
are still shown where the miracle of turning
the water into wine was pefforraed. The
same kind of stone waterpots are certainly in
use in the village : we saw several of the
women bearing them on their heads as they
returned from the well : the young woraen of
Cana are said to be handsorae.

254 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
As the light was fading we returned to the
convent, and enjoyed our corafortable cell and
repast. Here for the first tirae we ate the de
licious fish caught in the lake of Tiberias;
they are very rauch of the size and colour of
mullet. Being adraitted to an audience of the
superior, the old man bewailed bitterly the
dreadful degeneracy of the age, and departure
from the faith, as shown particularly in the re
volution of New Spain, whereby the revenues
of the convent were so reduced : — the Devil,
he said, was active and powerful beyond belief
in the present day. What grieves the monks
the raost is, that they cannot live half so well as
they used to do : —the wine was very bad ; —
however, I gave some comfort to one of the
fathers, by buying at his own price a small
piece, really scarcely visible, of the body of
St. Francis, carefully secured in a small inclo
sure of glass.
Leaving Nazareth, we reached again the
foot of Carrael, and afterwards wOund along
the coast passing by the site of Caesarea. On
the second night, we were obliged to halt
early at the khan of a village on the sea shore,
there being no other resting-place for a consi
derable distance. It was yet hot in the after
noon, and the sun found its way through the

ARRIVAL AT JAFFA, 255
shattered roof of the khan ; the shore was
open and dreary, and not a rock to afford any
shadow. Towards evening, however, sorae
other travellers arrived from various parts,
soldiers and merchants ; fires were lighted,
parties assembled round them, and the khan
assuraed a cheerful aspect. One of the cora
pany, wishing to give me a proof of his re
spect, seized a piece of meat out of the dish
he was eating from, and, though he was seated
ten yards off, flung it through the air towards
me, requesting very civilly ray acceptance of
it. The pipe, cup of coffee, and conversation
followed ; and people who never saw each
other before, soon becarae intimate.
Early next day we quitted this village ; the
path along this part of the coast was dan
gerous, being infested by robbers ; it offered,
however, nothing either to annoy or delight
us, for it was barren and uninteresting ; and
in the evening we came again to a wretched
village, where the small khan was crowded to
excess by two or three Sheiks and their fol
lowers, and we were obliged to seek a lodging
in a miserable cottage about half a raile
further on. With feelings of no sraall plea
sure, on the succeeding day, after some hours
travelling, we beheld Jaffa at a short distance.

256 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
The route to Jerusalem by the way of Nap-
louse would have been much pleasanter than
the one we had been compelled to adopt ; but
it had become the seat of war. The gardens
around are very pretty, and surrounded with
hedges of the prickly pear, which is found all
over the coast of Syria ; oranges, melons, and
other fruits were in abundance.
We found a hospitable reception at the
house of Signor Damiani, the consul, who
gave us a very good supper, but without a
drop of wine, as he was too zealous a Chris
tian to allow it in his house in Lent time : and
the quantities of cold water Michel and I were
obliged to drink after a sultry day's journey,
raade us wish the signor had had no raore reli
gion than the naked Dervise whora he thrashed
so unraercifuUy one day after inveigling him
into his garden. He told us several enter
taining stories about Buonaparte, who had sat
and chatted on the same sofa on which we
were sitting. He praised the Emperor to the
skies, though his arrival had nearly ruined
hira, and he had been corapelled to go with
hira sorae distance as a guide. Travellers
would be sadly at a loss but for the signer's
house, though this illustrious sofa swarras with
fleas. His appearance is rather singular, as

ARMENIAN CONVENT. 257
he wears the Eastern dress, and an English
cocked hat over it in token of his office.
About ten yards distant, and in his own do
main, is a dark and naked room that is shown
as having been the residence of Simon Peter
the tanner, and has one or two miraculous
pillars in it. The appearance of Jaffa is sin
gular, being situated on so steep a. declivity,
that,, the houses almost climb over each other
up the face of the hill.
We were now only twelve hours' journey
from Jerusalem, and rode to Ramha early on
the following day : this place is finely situated
on an extensive plain, and has sorae woods
and olive-trees around it. There is a Catholic
convent here, which a clever Spanish raonk
has all to hiraself; he behaved, however, so
uncivilly, that we sought a lodging elsewhere,
for which we were indebted to the kindness of
a native. In the evening we received a polite
invitation from the Armenian convent to visit
them, and found a luxurious little habitation
with . five. . or six very pleasant fathers ; they
served us with some excellent 'spiced coffee
and cakes, and, the superior being absent,
began to talk thoroughly like men of the
world. The Arraenians, as we found on more
than one occasion afterwards, are the most

258 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
gentlemanly monks of all, and allow them
selves the greatest latitude.
By moonlight next morning, we were on
the way to the sacred city : for about three
hours it led over the plain, and then ascending
the hills, became excessively disagreeable, in
sorae parts so narrow that one horse only
could proceed at a time, and that not always
with safety, as the rains had made the rocky
paths much worse than usual. At the end of
nine hours, however, as we proceeded over the
summit of a rugged hill, we beheld Jerusalem
at a small distance before us. Its aspect cer
tainly was not magnificent or inspiring, but
sad and dreary.
On reaching the gate of Bethlehem, we
were speedily admitted, and after some re
search procured a lodging in the house of a
native, not far from the walls and near the
tower of David. We had had' enough of con
vents, and a traveller will find himself much
more agreeably situated, and more at his ease,
in living orientally, than confined within the
walls and obliged to conforra to the hours of a
monastery. However, there is no avoiding
one's fate. I had my divan and coffee, excel
lent wine, and music in the evening, and
wished only to remain in peace. But in a day

THE MOUNT OF JUDGEMENT. 259
or two repeated messages came frora the su
perior of the convent, urging ray entry into it :
it was so unusual for a traveller to lodge with
out, and so unsafe in those tiraes, and he
would corae himself to remonstrate with me ;
so that I was fain to comply. An unlucky
letter from the convent of Constantinople, and
an unwillingness to lose the fees which every
traveller pays, were the causes of this civility.
They put me there into a little cold cell, with
a single chair and table in it, and a small flock
bed, as if I came to perform a pilgrimage ;
and the pictures of saints and martyrs on the
walls were poor consolations for the substantial
comforts I had lost. Here, however, it was
my good fortune to meet v. ith a most amiable
traveller, a Mr. G., an Irish gentleman, whose
companion had just left him for Europe.
The morning after my arrival was a very
lovely one ; and, though it was in February,
perfectly warm. I passed out of the gate of
Bethlehem, and traversing part of the ravine
beneath, ascended the Mount of Judgement on
the south side of the city. How interesting
was her aspect, beheld over the deep and
rocky valley of Hinnom ! her gloomy walls en
compassing Mount Zion on every side; and,
as yet there was no sound to disturb the
s 2

260 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
silence of the scene. The beautiful Mount of
Olives was on the right, and at its feet the
valley of Jehoshaphat, amidst whose great rocks
and trees stood the torab of Zacharias, the last
of the prophets that was slain : the only
stream visible, flowed from the fountain of Si-
loara, on the side of Zion opposite. It is true,
the city beloved of God has disappeared, and
with it all the hallowed spots once contained
within its walls : and keen must be the faith
that can now erabrace their identity. Yet the
face of nature still endures : the rocks, the
raountains, lakes and valleys are unchanged,
save that loneliness and wildness are now,
where once were luxury and every joy ; and
though their glory is departed, a high and
mournful beauty still rests on many of these
silent and romantic scenes. Amidst them a
stranger will ever delight to wander, for there
his imagination can seldom be at fault ; the
naked raountain, the untrodden plain, and the
voiceless shore, will kindle into life around
hira, and his every step be filled with those
deeds, through which guilt and sorrow passed
away, and " life and immortality were brought
to light"
The day had become hot ere I returned to
ray dwelling, just within the walls. It was

CITY OF JERUSALEM. 261
the most desirable time of the year to be at
Jerusalem, as the feast of Easter was about to
coraraence, and raany of the pilgriras had ar
rived. The streets of the city are very nar
row and ill-paved, and the houses in general
have a raean appearance. The bazaar is a
very ordinary one. The Arraenian quarter is
the only agreeable part of the city : the con
vent, which stands near the gate of Zion, is
very spacious and handsorae, with a large gar
den attached to it, and can furnish accommo
dations for eight hundred pilgrims within its
walls ; the poorer part lodging in out-houses
and offices in the courts, while the richer find
every luxury and comfort, for all the apart
ments in this convent are furnished in the
oriental manner. The wealthy pilgrims never
fail to leave a handsome present, to the
amount sometimes of several hundred pounds.
If a pilgrim dies in the convent, all the pro
perty he has with him goes to the order. The
church is very rich, and ornamented in a very
curious taste, the floor being covered, as is the
case in all their religious edifices, with a hand
some carpet.
The lower division of the city, towards the
east, is chiefly occupied by the Jews : it is the
dirtiest and most offensive of all. Several of

262 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
this people, however, are rather affluent, and
live in a very comfortable style ; both men
and women are more attractive in their per
sons than those of their nation who reside in
Europe, and their features are not so strongly
marked with the indelible Hebrew characters,
but rauch more mild and interesting. But
few passengers, in general, are met with in the
streets, which have the aspect, where the con
vents are situated, of fortresses, from the
height and strength of the walls the monks
have thought necessary for their defence.
Handsomely dressed persons are seldom seen,
as the Jews and Christians rather study to
preserve an appearance of poverty, that they
may not excite the jealousy of the Turks.
The population of Jerusalem has been va
riously stated ; but it can hardly exceed
twenty thousand ; ten thousand of these are
Jews, five thousand Christians, and the same
nuraber of Turks: The walls can with ease be
walked round on the outside in forty-five ral
nutes, as the extent is scarcely three miles.
On the east of the city runs the valley or
glen of Jehoshaphat ; that of Hinnom, which
bounds the city, on the south and west : and
into these descend the steep sides of Mount

CITY OF JERUSALEM. 263
Zion, on whose surface the city stands. To
the north extends the plain of Jeremiah, the
only level space around ; it is covered partly
with olive-trees. It does not appear possible
for the ancient city to have covered a larger
space than the present, except by stretching
to the north, along the plain of Jeremiah ; be
cause the modern walls are built nearly on the
brink of the declivities of Zion and the ad
joining hill. But the height of this hill is
very small, for Jerusalem is on every side, ex
cept towards the north, overlooked by hills,
higher than the one whereon it stands. When
about mid-way up Mount Olivet, you are on
a level with the city walls ; and the disparity
towards the south is still greater. The form
of the town is more like that of a square than
any other, and its walls are lofty and strong ;
there are five or six gates : the golden gate,
the gates of Daraascus, St. Stephen, and Zion,
and that of Bethlehem. Close to the latter is
the tower of David, a place of considerable
strength. The circumstance that most perplexes every
traveller is, to account for Mount Calvary's
having been formerly without the city. It is
at present not a small way within; and in

264 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
order to shut it out, the ancient walls must
have made the most extraordinary and unne
cessary curve imaginable. Its elevation was
probably always inconsiderable, so that there
is little to stagger one's faith in the lowness of
its present appearance. The exclusion of Cal
vary must have deprived the ancient city of
a considerable space of habitable ground, of
which, from the circurascribed nature of its
site, there could have been little to spare.
But tradition could not err in the identity of
so famous a spot : and the smallest scepticism
would deprive it of all its powerful charm.
Besides that, the disposition of the former Je-
rusalera appears to have been, in other parts,
sufficiently irregular.
The raosque of Oraar, the most beautiful
edifice in the Turkish erapire, stands, in a
great raeasure, on the site occupied by Solo-
raon's Temple, The area around it is spacious
and delightful ; and being planted with trees,
affords the only agreeable promenade in the
city. Christians, however, are never allowed
to enter it. Its situation is little^ elevated
above the level of the street, so that Mount
Moriah, forraerly the highest erainence that
joined the city, and where the teraple stood, is
now shorn of its honours. The loftiest part of

CITY OF JERUSALEM, 265
the town at present is the western, between
the gates of Bethlehem and Zion, where the
convents are situated.
The sides of the hill of Zion have a pleasing
aspect, as they possess a few olive-trees and
rude gardens, and a crop of corn was at this
time growing there. On its southern ex
tremity, a short way from the wall, is the
mosque of David, which is held in the highest
reverence by the Turks, who affirm that the
remains of that monarch, and his son Solomon,
were interred here, and that their tombs still
exist. In a small building attached to the
raosque, and where a church forraerly stood,
is the roora in which was held the last supper
of our Lord and his disciples : we looked into
it through sorae crevices ; it had a mean and
naked appearance.
Being now an inmate of the Catholic con
vent, the best plan was to raake oneself as
happy as circumstances would allow, and
these were scanty enough. The fathers were
of the Franciscan order, dirty, sullen, and
wretchedly clad ; and their wine, which Cha
teaubriand praises so highly, is execrable.
Father Giuseppe, indeed, was the cicerone of
the order ; a little, arausing, tirae-pleasing
raonk, who had a decent little cell, where he

266 LETTERS FROM TI^E EAST.
kept some excellent cordial, and other com
forts, and had one or two saints frying upon
gridirons, pasted on the walls. Each of these
fathers cleaned his own apartment, made his
bed, and was indebted to no one's 'service.
Having agreed with Father G. to visit the
church of the Holy Sepulchre, we went there
in the evening, and, passing through the court,
entered the first lofty apartment. There was
a guard of Turks in a recess just within the
door, to whom every pilgrim is obliged to pay
a certain sum for adraission ; but we were
exerapted frora this tax. In the middle of the
first apartment is a large marble slab, raised
above the floor, over which lamps are sus
pended : this is said to be the space where
the body of the Redeemer was anointed and
prepared for the sepulchre. You then tum to
the left, and enter the large rotunda, which
terminates in a dome at the top. In the cen
tre of the floor stands the holy sepulchre ; it
is of an oblong form, and coraposed of a very
fine reddish stone brought from the Red Sea,
that has quite the appearance of marble. As
cending two or three low steps, and taking off
your shoes, you enter the first small apart
ment, which is floored with marble, and the
walls lined with the same. In the centre is a

THE HOLY SEPULCHRE. 267
low shaft of white marble, being the spot to
which the angel rolled the stone from the
tomb, and sat on it. You now stoop low to
enter the narrow door that conducts you to
the side of the sepulchre. The tomb is of a
light brown and white raarble, about six feet
long and three feet high, and the sarae nuraber
in breadth, being joined to the wall. Between
the sepulchre and the opposite wall the space
is very confined, and not more than four or
five persons can reraain in at a tirae. The
floor and the walls are of a beautiful marble ;
the apartment is a square of about seven feet,
and a small dome rises over it, from which are
suspended twenty-seven large silver lamps,
richly chased and of elegant workraanship, —
presents from Rome, of the courts,' and re
ligious orders of Europe : these are kept
always burning, and cast a flood of light on
the sacred torab, and the paintings hung over
it, one Roraish and the other Greek, repre
senting our Lord's ascension, and his appear
ance to Mary in the garden. A Greek or
Romish priest always stands here with the
silver vase of holy incense in his hand, which
he sprinkles over the pilgrims.
Wishing to see the behaviour of these peo
ple, who corae from all parts of the world, and

268 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
undergo the severest difficulties to arrive at
this holy spot, we remained for sorae tirae
within it ; and the scene was very interesting.
They entered, Arraenians, Greeks, and Catho
lics, of both sexes, with the deepest awe and
veneration, and instantly fell on their knees :
some, lifting their eyes to the paintings, burst
into a flood of tears ; others pressed their
heads with fervor on the tomb, and sought to
embrace it; while the sacred incense fell in
showers, and was received with delight by all.
It was iraposslble for the looks and gestures of
repentance, grief, and adoration, to be appa
rently raore heartfelt and sincere than on this
occasion. Yet other feelings were admitted
by some, who took advantage of the custom of
placing beads and crosses on the tomb to be
sanctified by the holy incense, to place a large
heap on it of these articles, whieh, being
sprinkled and rendered inestimable, they after
wards carried to their native countries, and
sold at a high price.

ASCENT TO CALVARY. 269

LETTER XIV.

In an apartraent a little on the left of the
rotunda, and paved with marble, is shewn the
spot where Christ appeared to Mary in the
garden. Near this begins the ascent to Cal
vary : it consists of eighteen very lofty stone
steps ; you then find yourself on a floor of
beautifully variegated marble, in the midst of
which are three or four slender white pillars of
the same material, which support the roof, and
separate the Greek division of the spot from
that appropriated to the Catholics ; these pil
lars are partly shrouded by rich silk jhangings.
At the end stand two small and elegant altars ;
over that of the Catholics is a painting of the
crucifixion, and over the Greek is one of the
taking down the body from the cross. A
number of silver lamps are constantly burning,
and throw a rich and softened light over the
whole of this striking scene. The street lead
ing to Calvary has a long and gradual ascent.

270 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
the elevation of the stone steps is above
twenty feet, and if it is considered that the
surarait has been reraoved to make room for
the sacred church, the ancient hill, though
low, was sufficiently conspicuous.
The very spot where the cross was fixed
is shewn ; it is a hole in the rock, surrounded
by a silver rim ; and each pilgrim prostrates
hiraself, and kisses it with the greatest devo
tion. Its identity is probably as strong as
that of the cross and crown of thorns found a
few feet below the surface ; but where is the
scene around or within the city, however sa
cred, that is not defaced by the sad inventions
of the fathers ?
Having resolved to pass the night in the
church, we took possession for a few hours of
a sraall apartment adjoining the gallery that
overlooked the crowded area beneath. As it
drew near midnight, we ascended again to
the surarait of Calvary. The pilgrims, one
after another, had dropped off, till at last all
had departed. No footstep broke on the
deep silence of the scene. At intervals, from
the Catholic chapel below, was heard the
melody of the organ, mingled with the so
leran chanting of the priests, who sang of

ASCENT TO CAVALRY. 271
the death and sufferings of the Redeeraer.
This service, pausing at times, and again rising
slowly on the ear, had an effect inexpressibly
fine. The hour, the stillness, the softened
light and sound, above all, the belief of being
where He who "so loved us" poured out his
life, affected the heart and the imagination in
a raanner difficult to be described. Hour after
hour fled fast away, and we descended to the
chamber of the sepulchre. How vivid the
midnight lights streamed on every part ! the
priest had quitted his charge, and the lately
crowded scene was now lonely. This was. the
moment, above all others, to bend over the
spot, where " the sting of death and the ter
rors of the grave " were taken away for ever.
Soon after daylight the pilgrims began to
return, and continued their visits till the en
suing night. The fathers lamented deeply the
breaking out of the Greek revolution, and the
internal war between the two Pachas, which
have combined to dirainish the number of pil
grims to less than one-fourth part of what it
formerly was, as the journey is become too
dangerous. Three or four thousand are com
puted to arrive every year, who afford a pro
ductive revenue to the different convents.

272 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
But this is in a great measure eaten up by the
heavy tax which the different orders are
obliged to pay the Turks.
One day we were favoured with an au
dience of the Armenian patriarch. He was
seated on a low divan, in an elegant apart
ment; and his aspect was noble and vene
rable. This fine old man is second only in
rank to the great patriarch who resides in
Persia; he said but little, and that through
his interpreter; coffee and sweetmeats were
handed round.
A grand procession of the three different
orders took place one evening in the church of
the Holy Sepulchre. It was curious to ob
serve the spirit of vanity and rivalry displayed
on this occasion. First marched the Arme
nians nine times slowly round the tomb, clad
in the most splendid dresses; the robe and
tiara of the patriarch were literally loaded with
jewels. They bore a number of silk flags, of
various colours, with scenes from the Scrip
ture represented on them ; and they sang as
they moved along, with a consciousness that
they outvied their brethren in splendour ; but
the abominable nasal sounds they produced
did not add to its effect. The Greeks suc
ceeded, with far less magnificence, and little

MONKS OF ANTOURA. 273
better singing; but the noble and inteUigent
expression of countenance of their dignified
ecclesiastics struck us extremely : they Carried
bunches of sacred flowers in their hands, which
the poor pilgriras grasped at raost eagerly, to
carry, even when withered, to their distant
horaes. The fine and soleran chanting of the
Franciscans, who carae last, completely re-
deeraed their dirty habits, coarse ropes, and
shaven crowns,
. One day as Mr, G, was walking without the
city, he perceived ray old fellow-traveller in
Egypt, Mr. W. who had corae to reclaira his
countrymen, the Jews, sitting forlorn at the
gate of Bethlehem ; but he sprang up with
rapture as soon as he saw hira, for his spirit
was sad and desolate, he said, to find himself
in his own fallen country, and surrounded by
strangers. He was so fortunate, by means of
an excellent letter of introduction, as to find a
home in the Arraenian convent, where he had
a luxurious apartment, and the society of some
intelligent fathers. He was an excellent lin
guist, but had been nearly starved by the
monks of Antoura, a convent on Mount Leba
non, where he went to perfect himself in the -
Arabic, and who allowed hira only a couple of
eggs a day, with bread, to subsist on. He

274 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
had an audience in a few days of the Turkish
governor, who received kindly from him a
Persian copy of the New Testament.
It will be found, that the Turks in general
possess far more tolerance of opinion and prac
tice than we give them credit for. I have
heard many of thera observe that good raen of
all religions will be received into Paradise ;
and in all the cities of their dorainions are to
be found churches and convents of every
Christian sect, enjoying perfect freedora of
worship, and protection frora insult in their
rites and cereraonies. But the conduct of^the
Christians of Jerusalem to each other, and the
bitter hatred they mutually manifest, are suf
ficient to give the Moslemen a contemptible
opinion of Christianity. About five years ago
a furious scuffle took place around the Holy
Sepulchre. The time for the Catholic priest's
stay in the tomb being expired, the Greek
brother carae to occupy his place, as they take
this duty in turn. The Catholic refused to
quit it, when a warm altercation ensued, and
the Franciscan struck the other a violent blow
on the head with the vase of holy incense. At
sight of his blood flowing, the Greek cried out
loudly ; and the fathers of each church running-
in, the contest becarae general, and was only

LENT. 275
allayed by the superior. Even during the time
of Easter, knives have been drawn and wounds
given in the church, by the zealous of the
different orders. It is said the Turkish guard
at the entrance soraetiraes beat and abuse the
pilgriras ; but this can only be on occasion of
their noisy and riotous entrance.
I have seen well-dressed Turks looking on
at the processions in the church with perfect
quietness and serenity. The Armenian patri
arch one day sent Mr. W, a present of a large
goat and a loaf of sugar, and we found hira
very rauch at a loss what to do with the forra
er ; but as it was evident his highness, though
keeping strict Lent hiraself and his flock, in
tended it to be eaten, we advised him to have
it killed and dressed for dinner. The next
day the goat made its appearance in soup, and
in half a dozen stews and ragouts besides ; and,
but that the patriarch had sent some most ex
cellent wine, it would have been difficult to
get through the banquet.
One of the fathers, a middle-aged raan, and
interpreter to the patriarch, was already on
very intiraate terras with Mr. W. and high in
his estiraation, but he would not share in this
repast in his own convent. Father Paolo
Titiungi, having tried one or two paths before,
T 2

276 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
had at last becorae an Arraenian, and was a
complete specimen of a clever, worldly, and
designing monk. He listened with an appear
ance of deep interest to the earnest discourses
the stranger addressed to hira, wept occasion
ally, saw clearly into the iniquities of his past
life, till at last no one, in his own, and his new
friend's opinion, could be so proper to be at
the head of an Arraenian establishment, to be
founded in some part of Italy, and for which
funds were to be raised in England. We in
vited hira to dine with us at the convent one
day with Mr.W- A late traveller has dwelt with
sorae admiration on the excessive strictness
of the Arraenian priests in Jerusalera during
the time of Lent. If Father P.'s observations
about his brethren are to be believed, there is
a good deal of roora for scepticisra on the sub
ject. It was Lent, however, and we doubted
if we had any thing for our guest to eat. But
Father Titiungi always refusing each offer at
first, contrived to eat heartily of every dish on
the table, and the wine also was not spared ;
and in the cool of the evening, as we walked on
the terraced roof the good father could not
refrain from singing a song.
We rode yesterday, accompanied by Anto
nio, the young Catholic guide, to Bethlehem,

BIRTH-PLACE OF CHRIST. 277
a distance of about six miles. The way led
over a barren plain, for some distance, till we
arrived at the raonastery of St. Elias. Beth
lehem soon came in view, on the brow of a
rocky hill, whose sides and feet are partially
covered with olive-trees. On the right, about
a raile frora the village, is shewn the torab of
Rachel ; it has all the appearance of one of
those torabs erected often to the memory of a
Turkish santon.
After dining very frugally at the Franciscan
convent, it being Lent, we visited the church
built by the Empress Helena : it is large, and
supported by several rows of marble pillars,
but has a very naked appearance. Leaving
the church, and descending thirteen stone
steps, you are in the place that was formerly
the stable where the Redeemer was born.
There is no violation of consistency in this, as
the stables in the East are now often formed
in the sarae way, beneath the surface. Its
present appearance is that of a grotto, as it is
hewn out of the rock, the sides of which, how
ever, are concealed by silk curtains ; the roof
is as Nature raade it, and the floor paved with
fine marble. A rich altar, where the lamps
are ever burning, is erected over the place
where Christ was born, and the very spot is

278 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
marked by a large silver star. Directly oppo
site to this is another altar, to signify the place
where the Virgin Mary and her child received
the homage of the Magi ; and over it is a paint
ing descriptive of the event.
The second visit we paid to Bethlehem was
a few days afterwards ; and the monks being
either absorbed in sleep, or in their devotions,
as we could get no entrance to the convent,
we found our way again to the grotto alone,
and remained there without any intrusion. It
is of small size, and not lofty; the glory, form
ed of marble and jasper, around the silver star,
has a Latin inscription, " In this spot Jesus
Christ was born of the Virgin Mary." A nar
row passage leads to the study of St Jerome ;
and not far off is shewn his tomb, near to
which are the torabs of St. Paula and another
pious lady. Ascending again, you enter the
churches of the Greek and Arraenian orders,
but there is nothing particular in either. —
About a raile down the valley towards the wil
derness, is the field where the shepherds kept
watch by night, when the angels announced
the birth of our Lord, Two fine and venerable
trees stand in the centre, and the earth around
was thickly covered with flowers. It is so
sweet and roraantic a spot, and so well suited

CISTERNS OF SOLOMON, 279
to be the scene of that high event, that it
would be painful to admit a doubt of its iden
tity. At Bethlehem are sold the beautiful
shells of raother of pearl, brought from the
shores of the Red Sea; the surface is carved
with various designs of the last supper and the
crucifixion, by the inhabitants of the village ;
and they are purchased by the pilgrims, —
Sraall crosses also, cut out of the shells, are
carved in the same way. The village contains
about seven hundred inhabitants, who appear
to live very meanly.
At some distance from Bethlehem, and in
rather a desolate spot, are the cisterns or reser
voirs formed by Solomon to supply Jerusalem
with water. They are three in number, and
rise up the hill over each other, so that the
water flows down in a full stream from the
highest, and descends from the lower one into
the valley, and frora thence, assisted by a
sraall aqueduct, passes, by a course of seven
miles, into the city, which it enters immedi
ately by a subterraneous passage. These cis
terns are sustained by strong buttresses, and
are of various sizes, the lower one being above
six hundred feet in length ; they are evidently
of the highest antiquity, and stand at present
very much in need of repair. The spring that

280 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
supplies thera is not far off, and issues some
feet below the ground. — 'Frora hence to Hebron
is a distance of seven hours : it is a large town ;
and a Turkish raosque is built over the cave
where Abraham and Isaac were interred ; but
it is scarcely possible to obtain admission into
the raosque. We repented afterwards not
having visited this town, the raost ancient in
the Land of Promise.
It was easy to perceive, in the condition of
the monks, that the habit of residing constantly
about the sacred places took away all their
novelty ; they go over the detail as heartlessly
as if attending an exhibition. Father Giuseppe
complained bitterly of his having been obliged
to sing and pray for three months together in
the church of the Holy Sepulchre, for the
priests must take this duty in turn; and during
the time, soon after dawn, of the celebration of
high raass in the torab of the Virgin Mary, one
of the priests entered into a gay conversation,
asserting that every raan should be indulged
with a couple of wives. The effect on them at
last perhaps, of relics, chants, and holy places,
is similar to that produced on the old monk,
by the sacred territory of Mount Sinai, who
said that for seventy years he had seen little
but precipices, sand, and sky.

POOL OF BETHESDA. 281
We returned to Jerusalem in the evening.
Having sent to the governor, for perraission to
visit the Dead Sea, accompanied by a guard,
he refused it very civilly, but decidedly. In
the present disturbed state of the country, he
said, when the Pacha of Acre's troops were
besieging Naplous, only nine hours distant,
and the roads were infested by stragglers from
the armies, he could not be responsible for our
safety ; and we raust wait for more peaceable
days. The places within the walls of the city,
which tradition would render sacred, are in
numerable. Beneath the gate of Bethlehem is
shewn the spot where Bathsheba was bathing
when the king beheld her from the roof of his
palace, and the present tower of David is built
on the site of the ancient edifice. A small
distance within the gate of St. Stephen that
fronts Olivet, is the pool of Bethesda : it is
deep and dry, the sides and bottom overgrown
with grass, and containing two or three trees.
A wretched street leads from this .to the go
vernor's palace, a spacious and rather ruinous
building of Roman architecture ; it contains
sorae good apartraents, the windows of which
comraand an excellent view of the mosque ol
Omar and its large area. In the palace, the

282 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
monks point out the roora where Christ was
confined before his trial ; and at a short dis
tance is a dark and ruinous hall, shewn as the
judgeraent-hall of Pilate : — a little further on
is the arch where the Redeeraer stood, as his
judge exclairaed " Behold the raan." You
then proceed along the street where Christ'
bore his cross ; in which, and in the street
leading up to Calvary, are the three places
where, staggering under the weight, he fefl.'
These are raarked by three small pillars, laid
flat on the ground. The very house of the
rich man also is here, and the spot where La
zarus sat at his gate. Our faith had been on
the wane long before we had accomplished
the tour of all these places ; for on what au
thority, save that of priesthood, can they
possibly rest ; since the ancient city was so
completely levelled by Titus?— We were in
vited one evening to join a procession of the
Franciscans, in a soleran visit to the sacred
spots within the church of the Sepulchre.
They were clad in white vestraents, and car
ried each a long wax taper, one of which was
given into our hands. The service was very
impressive, and the chanting fine. At every
place rendered holy by tradition, they knelt

CHURCH OF THE SEPULCHRE. 283
for some time, till they entered into the chapel
where Helena was interred, and then de
scended into the vault where the cross was
found. The interior of the church of the Se
pulchre is of great extent, as it contains, be
sides the sacred places, the chapels of the
Franciscan, Greek, and Arraenian orders.
The first are losing ground before the aspiring
and intriguing spirit of the two other bodies.
The Greek chapel is extremely rich, but has
too great a profusion of ornaments. The
whole of Mount Calvary, and the lower
ground about it, is inclosed within the "sacred
church," and surmounted without by a large
dome of a dark colour, which, from its conspi
cuous situation, is visible in alraost every view
of the city. They perforraed in the Catholic
chapel, one morning, a disgusting and revolt
ing ceremony. A young man was brought
forth, meanly clad, and of a slender make, and
a large cross being laid on his shoulders, he
walked slowly round, followed by a number
of people. He put on a sad countenance, and
seemed to bend and faint beneath the burden
of the cross ; and at every pause he made,
there was wailing and sobbing among the
people ; they at times knelt down, a monk

284 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
prayed or chanted in a mournful tone, in
which they all joined ; and thus the cereniony
lasted for some time.
It is beautiful to turn from such scenes to
others where the faith is confirmed and the
iraagination delighted. Such is the fountain
of Siloara : it rises about half way down
Mount Zion, and gushes, from beneath a little
arch nearly ten feet below the surface, into a
small pool, about two feet deep. This is quite
open, and the rocky sides of the spot are cut
sraooth : on the south side a flight of steps
leads down to it ; the water is clear and cool,
and flows down the mount into the valley
beneath to a considerable distance. At this
stream the women of the city generally come
to wash their linen, and its banks are in some
parts shaded with trees. On a pleasant spot
here, a poor Turk had brought his little coffee-
shed, his pipes, and bread, to refresh the pas
senger. Down this romantic valley, watered
by the stream frora Silo6, was my favourite
walk ; at the head of it the valleys of Hinnom
and Jehosaphat meet, and it winds between
rugged and desolate hills towards the wilder
ness of St. Saba. It was frequented by few.
One evening I observed two poor Turks,
who were returning to their horaes : the hour

CAVERN OF JEREMIAH. 285
of prayer being come, they quitted the path,
and crossing the streara, knelt down side by
side on its bank, in deep and silent devotion.
It was infinitely striking; and if weighed in
the balance with the vain processions and vile
ceremonies in the ill-fated city, which would
be lightest in the account ? — To the north of
the town, and not very far from the walls, is
the magnificent cavern, called that of the pro
phet Jeremiah. Here, it is said, he retired to
pour forth his laraentatlons. As far as size,
gloominess, and grandeur go, it well merits its
appellation : it is held in no small regard, as
the key of the gate is carefully kept. No spot
could have been more suitable to the utter
ance of the woes against the devoted city, and
the raournful and impassioned feelings of the
inspired prophet.
A pilgrim, however, who coraes to the cit}%
must set no bounds to his faith, as he is shewn
the place where the head of Adam was found,
the rock on which the martyr Stephen was
stoned, and the place of the withered fig-tree ;
with the milk of the Virgin Mary, and some of
the tears that St Peter wept on his bitter re
pentance. Beneath a large spreading tree
down the valley, where the soil is rather eleva
ted, is the place where the prophet Isaiah was

286 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
sawed asunder. — Among the pilgrims was a
Servian and his wife, who had come a great
distance frora their own country to visit the
Sepulchre. This poor man was so enraptured
at what he saw, that he gave forty pounds,
great part, no doubt, of his property, as a pre
sent to the convent. — An Armenian, a man of
property, died about this time in the convent :
the monks, as is the custom, took possession of
all he had with him, and turned his poor ser
vant out, without even paying him the wages
due frora his raaster. A curious instance was
related to us of the uncertainty of regarding
too highly raany of the spots pointed out as
sacred, by a gentleraan whose travels brought
him to the city about this time. He had gone
to the surarait of Calvary ; and his raind being
deeply affected with the solemnity ofthe scene,
he knelt down, where the hole of the true cross
was pointed out to him, and though no wor
shipper of that, yet it served to bring vividly
to remembrance all that had passed around.
But in the raidst of his beautiful reverie and
blissful feelings, he was suddenly startled by
the guide Antonio clapping hira on the shoul-
der, with " Signor, Signor, this is not the true
hole; it is farther on," In an instant every
solemn feeling was put to flight and the charm
irreparably broken.

JERUSALEM, 287

LETTER XV.

The confined situation of the city is redeem
ed by the magnificent view many parts of it
comraand of the Dead Sea, and the high raoun
tains of Arabia Petraea, forraing its eastern
shore. This view is towards the south-east,
over the valley, between the hills of Judgraent
and those adjoining Olivet.
The strong and commanding position of
Mount Zion could have been the only reason
for fixing the capital of Judea in so extraordi
nary and inconvenient a situation. Very many
parts of the coast and the interior afford a far
raore favourable site in point of beauty and fer
tility, or for the purposes of coraraerce. The
city, of old, was often subject to a 'scarcity of
water ; the fountain of Siloara and another on
the east side, with the brook Kedron, being the
chief supplies without the walls ; but the latter,
probably, possessed little or no water during

^1288 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
the summer heats. It was reckoned as a me
morable aot in one of the kings, that he made
a pool and a conduit,j which are still called
Hezekiah, and are at the end of the eastern
vaUey.f , The whole compass of the ancient
city, according to Josephus, was only thirty-
three furlongs, so that an extension of half a
mile along the plain of Jeremiah to the poaih
would give it its ancient size, and in a greaf:
nieasure, it is probable, its ancient poHifion.
Thejjpresent circumference is, no doubt, oor
rectly stated by Maundrell to be two miles
and a half Josephus distinctly states "the
old wall wentiisouthward, having its b^idisgf
above the fountain Siloara," and this fountain
in the side of Zion is not far without the presen*
wall. ,. Again -the historian says, " the old wall
extended northward to a great length, and
passed bythe sepulchral caverns ofthe kings,"
which caverns, or tombs of the kings, are now
above half a raile without the walls to the north
on the plain of Jeremiah. But the small val
leys which divided the interior of the old city
are now filled up, and many of the elevations
levelled. '{The whole surface of the hills on
which V Jerusalem and its teraple stood, of*
which Mount Moriah cannot now be distin
guished, were, no doubt, much loftier formerlyj'

JERUSALEM. 289
or else the hollows beneath have been partly
filled up. The latter, it is very probable, has
been the case. " These hills," the history
observes, " are surrounded by deep valleys,
and by reason of the precipices belonging to
them on both sides, they are every where im
passable." This description does not apply to
the present appearance of either ; no preci
pices, either steep or difficult, existing.
But, although the size of Jerusalem was not
extensive, its very situation, on the brink of
rugged hills, encircled by deep and wild val
leys, bounded by eminences whose sides were
covered with groves and gardens, added to its
numerous towers and temple, must have given
it a singular and gloomy magnificence, scarcely
possessed by any other city in the world.
The raost pleasing feature in the scenery
around the city, is the valley of Jehoshaphat.
Passing out of the gate of St. Stephen, you
descend the hill to the torrent of the Kedron ;
a bridge leads over its dry and deep bed ; it
must have been a very narrow, though in win
ter a rapid streara. On the left is a grotto,
handsoraely fitted up, and called the torab of
the Virgin Mary, though it is well known she
neither died nor was buried near Jerusalem.
Being surprised, however, on the hills by a

290 LE'fTERS FROM THE EAST.
long and heavy shower of rain, we were glad
to take shelter beneath the doorway of this
grotto. A few steps beyond the Kedron, you come
to the garden of Gethsemane, of all gardens
the most interesting and hallowed; but how
neglected and decayed ! It is surrounded by
a kind of low hedge, but the soil is bare ; no
verdure grows on it, save six fine venerable
olive-trees, which have stood here for many
centuries. This spot is at the foot of Olivet,
and is beautifully situated ; you look up and
down the romantic valley ; close behind rises
the mountain, before you are the walls of the
devoted city. While lingering here, at even
ing, and solitary, for it is not often a footstep
passes by, that night of sorrow and dismay
rushes on the imagination, when the Redeemer
was betrayed, and forsaken by all, even by
the loved disciple. Hence the path winds up
the Mount of Olives : it is a beautiful hill ; the
words ofthe Psalmist, " the mountains around
Jerusalera," must not be literally applied, as
none are within view, save those of Arabia.
It is verdant, and covered in some parts with
olive-trees. Frora the summit you enjoy an
admirable view of the city : it is beneath, and
very near ; and looks, with its valleys around

TOMB OF ZACHARIAS. 291
it exactly like a panorama. Its noble temple
of Omar, and large area planted with palms;
its narrow streets, ruinous places and towers,
are all laid out before you, as you have seen
Naples and Corfu in Leicester-square. On
the summit are the remains of a church, built
by the P^mpress Helena ; and in a small edi
fice, containing one large and lofty apartment
is shewn the print of the last footstep of
Christ, when he took his leave of earth. The
Fathers should have placed it nearer to Betha
ny, in order to accord with the account given
us in Scripture ; but it answers the purpose of
drawing crowds of pilgrims to the spot. De
scending Olivet to the narrow valley of Jeho
shaphat, you soon come to the pillar of Absa
lom : it has a very antique appearance, and is
a pleasing object in the valley : it is of a yellow
stone, adorned with half columns, formed into
three stages, and terminates in a cupola.
The tomb of Zacharias, adjoining, is square,
with four or five pillars, and is cut out of the
rock. Near these is a sort of grotto, hewn out
of an elevated part of the rock, with four pil
lars in front, which is said to have been the
apostles' prison at the time they were confined
by the rulers. The small and wretched village
of Siloa is built on the rugged sides of the hill
u 2

292 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
above ; and just here the valleys of Hinnom
and Jehoshaphat meet, at the south-east cor
ner of Mount Zion ; they are both sprinkled
with olive-trees. Over the ravine of Hinnom,
and directly opposite the city, is the Mount of
Judgement, or of Evil Counsel ; because there,
they say, the rulers took counsel against
Christ, and there the palace of Caiaphas stood.
It is a broad and barren hill, without any of the
picturesque boauty of Olivet, though loftier.
On its side is pointed out the Aceldama^ or
field where Judas hung himself: a sraall and
rude edifice stands on it, and it is used as a
burying-place. But the most interesting por
tion of this hill, is where its rocks descend pre
cipitously into the valley of Hinnom, and are
mingled with many a straggling olive-tree. All
these rocks are hewn into sepulchres of various
forms and sizes ; no doubt they were the tombs
of the ancient Jews, and are in general cut
with considerable care and skill. They are
often the resting-place of the benighted pas
senger. Some of them open into inner apart
ments, and are provided with small windows
or apertures cut in the rock. There is none
of the darkness or sadness of the tomb ; but in
raany, so elevated and picturesque is the situa
tion, that a traveller raay pass hours here with

VALLEY OF HINNOM. 293
Ei'bOok in his hand, while valley and hill are
beneath and arouhd him. Before the door bf
one large sepulchre stood a tree on the brink
of the rock ; the sun was going doWn on
Olivet on the right and the resting-place of
the dead cOmraanded a sweeter scene than any
of the abbdes of the living. Many of the
tombs have flights of steps leading up to them ;
it wias in one of these that a celebrated travel
ler ivould fix the site of the holy sepulchre ;
it is certainly more picturesque, but why more
just, is hard to conceive ; since the words of
Scripture do not allow the identity of the
sacred torab to any particular spot, and tradi
tion on so raeraorable an occasion could hardly
err. The Fathers declare, it long since becarae
Absolutely necessary to cover the native rock
with raarble, in order to prevent the pilgriras
from destroying it, in their zeal to carry off
pieces to their homes ; and on this point their
relation may, one would suppose, be believed.
The valley of Hinnom now turns to the west
of the city, and extends rather beyon^ the ndrth
wall : here the plain of Jeremiah commences,
and is the best wooded tract in the whole
neighbourhood. In this directiori, but farther
on, the historian of the siege speaks "of a
tower, that afforded a prospect of Arabia at sun-

294 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
rising, and of the utmost limits of the Hebrew
possessions at the sea westward." The former
is still enjoyed from the city ; but the latter-
could only be had at a much greater distance,
north, where there is no hill in front. Above
half a mile from the wall, are the tombs of the
Kings. In the midst of a hollow, rocky and
adorned with a few trees, is the entrance ; you
then find a large apartraent, above fifty feet
long, at the side of which a low door (sur
mounted by a beautiful frieze) leads into a se
ries of small chambers, in the walls of which are
several deep recesses, hewn out of the rock,
of the size of the human body. There are six
or seven of these low and dark apartments,
one or two of which are adorned with vine-
leaves and clusters of grapes. Many parts of
the stone coffins, beautifully ornamented in the
Saracenic manner, are strewed on the floor;
and it should seem that some hand of ravage
had broken thera to pieces, with the view of
finding something valuable within. The sepul
chres of the Judges, so called, are situated in
a wild spot about two miles from the city.
They bear much resemblance to those of the
kings, but are not so handsome or spacious.
Returning to the foot ofthe Mount of Olives,
you proceed up the vale of Jehoshaphat on a

JERUSALEM. 295
line with the plain ; it widens as you advance,
and is raore thickly sprinkled' with olives.
When arrived at the hill at which it ter
minates, the appearance of the city and
its environs is rich and raagnificent; and
you cannot help thinking, were an English
party suddenly transported here, they would
not believe it was the sad and dreary Jerusa
lera they were gazing on.. This is the finest
point to view it from, for its numerous mina
rets and superb mosque are seen to great ad
vantage over the trees of the plain and valley,
and the foreground is verdant and cultivated.
One or two houses of the Turks stood in this
spot; and we had trespassed on the rude garden
of one of them, where the shade of a spreading
tree invited us to linger over the prospect.
For some days there had been heavy falls of
rain, yet the bed of the Kedron was still dry,
and has been so, most probably, for many cen
turies. The climate of the city and country is
in general very healthy. The elevated position
of the former, and the numerous hills which
cover the greater part of Palestine, must con
duce greatly to the purity of the air. One
seldora sees a country overrun with hills in the
manner this is; in general they are not in
ranges, but more or less isolated, and of a

296 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
picturesque form. Few of them approach to
the character of mountains, save Carmeli the
Quarantina, the shores of the lakes, and those
which bound the valley of the Jordan. To
account for the existence of so large a popular
tion in the promised lands, the numerous hills
must have been entirely cultivated ; at present
their appearance on the sides and suraraits is,
for the raost part, bare and rocky. In old
time, they were probably formed into terraces^
as is now seen on the few cultivated ones,
where the vine, olive, and fig-tree flourish* i<
On a delightful evening we rode to tbe
Wilderness of St. John. The monastery of
that name stands at the entrance ; it is a goqd
and spacious building, and its terrace enjoys a
line prospect, in which is the lofty hill of
Modin, with the ruins of the palace pf the
Maccabees on its surarait. A small village
adjoins the convent, in which are shewn the
remains of the house of Elizabeth, where the
meeting with Mary took place. But few
monks reside in the convent, which affords
excellent accommodations for a traveller. A
German pilgrira had found his way here, a
respectable, dull kind of man. One can fancy
Greeks and Italians seeking with ardour the
sacred land ; but a heavy Gerraan with a pipe

DANGEROUS CUSTOM. 297
in his mouth, travelling about the desert
of St John and the valley of Elah, is rather
odd. Having supped, and the air being chill, a
vessel filled with charcoal was brought; and,
having taken the usual last resource of a pipe
and coffee, I lay down to rest in the small
cell. But I had very nearly found my tomb in
that wilderness ; for one of the monks placed a
quantity of fresh charcoal on the fire, during
my sleep, and closing the door of the little cell
after hira, there was hardly a possibility of
escaping destruction. In about two or three
hours, I awoke in a state of utter weakness,
and agony of raind, caused by the suffocating
effects of the vapour, which had long filled the
apartment. It was impossible to rise frora the
bed; and all consciousness being soon lost, my
travels would have terminated, had not Michel
happened to be awake in bed, with his candid
buiming in the adjoining cell, and hearing some
faint cries, instantly run in, and carrying me
into the air, by dashing torrents of cold water
over rae, brought life back again. Lives are
frequently lost, in the East, from the same
cause. In the convent cells, above all places,
if the fathers wished to have a rich devotee Out
df the way, they have only td put a pan of

298 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
fresh charcoal beside him at night. In the
church, a rich altar is erected on the spot
where St. John was born, with an inscrip
tion over it.
The next morning we visited the wilderness :
it is narrow, partially cultivated, and sprin*
kled with trees; the hills rise rather steep on
each side; from that on the right, a smjdl
stream flows into the ravine below. The
whole appearance of the place is roraantic: and
the prophet raight have resided here, while
exercising his ministry, with very little hard
ship ; the neighbourhood still, no doubt, pro
duces excellent honey, which is to be had
throughout Palestine. High up the rocky side
of the hill on the left, araidst a profusion of
trees, is the cave or grotto of St. John. A
fountain gushes out close by. When we talk
of wildernesses, mountains, and plains in
Palestine, it is to be understood that they
seldom answer to the size of the sarae objects
in more extensive countries ; that they some
times present but a beautiful miniature of them.
It certainly deserved the term given by the
Psalmist to the city, of being a "compact"
country. The Baptist in his wild garb, sur
rounded by an asserablage of various charac
ters, warning thern to repentance in this wild

VALLEY OF ELAH. 299
spot, must have presented a fine subject for
the painter. In wandering over the country,
we feel persuaded that its very scenery lent
wings to the poetical and figurative discourses
of its prophets and seers. Sublime and diver
sified, it is yet so confined and minute as to
admit the deepest seclusion in the midst of a
numerous population.
The monks in the convent are of the Ca
tholic order, and have the advantage of all
their brethren in point of situation and com
fort ; and yet nothing will induce these Fran
ciscans to keep their habitations clean; the
Greek and Armenian monasteries are palaces
compared to them. The fathers are in general
a very ignorant race of men, chiefly from the
lowest orders of society. Their tables, except
during Lent, are spread plentifully twice a
day with several dishes of meat and wine ; and
so well do many of them thrive, that they
would consider it banishment to be sent home
to Europe to their friends. From the east end
of the wilderness, you enter the famous valley
of Elah, where Goliah was slain by the
champion of Israel. It is a pretty and in
teresting-looking spot ; the bottom covered
with olive-trees. Its present appearance an
swers exactly to the description given in

300 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
Scripture ; the two hills on which the armies
stood, entirely confining it on the right and
left The valley is not above half a mile
broad. Tradition was not required to identify
this spot ; Nature has stamped it with ever
lasting features of truth. The brook still flows
through it in a winding course, from which
David took the smooth stones ; the hills are
not precipitous, but slope gradually down;
the vale is varied with banks and undula
tions, and not a single habitation is visible
in it. From the scenes of sorae of the battles
and positions of arraies in those times, it is
difficult to account for the mighty numbers
stated as having fought ; where could they
be drawn up ? The numerous kings of the Ca
naanites, and other people, who dwelt in the
mountains, the hills, and towns, and fought
against Israel, answered, probably, in power
and force to the great sheiks of the Arabs ofthe
present day, who dwell in and around Hebron,
and to the south of it, and in the plains and
mountains of Syria. The rich and beautiful
plain of Esdralon, is the most spacious area in
the country, and was the theatre of some bat
tles ; and the plain of Jericho is next in extent ;
but when we read that many hundreds of thou
sands of men fought around Mount Ephraim,

ANCIENT WARFARE. 301
and other scenes in this oountry, one is tempt
ed to wonder, how the confined valleys and
open places one traverses, could have con
tained them. The numbers given, as some
commentators observe, must have been enor
niousiy enlarged in transcribing, or translating
from the original. If such raultitudes were gar
^herpd together, hills, vales, and streams would
disappear beneath their feet, and who would
be left to bury the hundreds of thpusands of
the slain ? The hosts of the Midianites or Arabs
might truly be termed " as the sands on the
sea shore," as an Arab carap with its camels,
tents, and horses, looks ten times as nuraerous
as it reallv is ; but the armies of Judsea were
all infantry, and villages, cottages, and towns
must have been drawn into the vortex of
liattle, from the astonishing population of all
parts of the land. It may be said, that their
engagements were disorderly and without
union, like those of other eastern nations ; and
being mpstly undisciplined armies, called out
en masse from their labours and avocations,
this was probably the case ; but the mpst
close, deadly, and sustained combat, can only
account for the tremendous slaughter.
On the sarae evening, we left St. John's,
and returned to the city. One morning we

302 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
had an audience of the governor : the apart
ments ofthe palace we entered, were not hand
somely furnished. How inviting the area of
the temple, with its palm-trees, looked ! — it was
ju^t beneath the palace windows; women often
walk there, and it meets the eye from every
emirierice, as if to tantalize the unfortunate
Christians, to whom it is forbidden. While
we were with the governor, an elderly well-
dressed Jew entered, and prostrated himself
before the chief touching the earth with his
forehead, and presented him with a gold-
flowered vase full of a rich sweetmeat ; which
his excellency commanded to be given to us
to make use of It was rather a degrading
scene for the Jew. A loud noise being heard
without, four or five soldiers entered, dragging
in another, who was a Nubian, and had be
haved ill and struggled violently. They held
him by the arras and legs, while the governor
seizing a kind of baton, with a knob of lead at
the end of it, struck hira eight or ten violent
blows on the body, avoiding, however, the
vital parts : the poor fellow cried out amaun
in good earnest ; it was not a very creditable
exhibition. This governor is subject to the
Pacha of Daraascus. Scattered bodies of sol
diers were arriving to join in the war ; and we

GARDENS OF SOLOMON. 303i
had met a solitary Arab occasionally on horse
back, with an immense lance, on his way to
the city. At the south-east of Zion, in the vale
of Jehoshaphat they say the gardens of Solo
mon stood, and also on the sides of the hill
adjoining that of Olivet. It was not a bad,
though rather a confined site for them ; the
valley here is covered with a rich verdure,
divided by hedges into a number of small gar
dens. A mean-looking village stands on the
rocky side of the hill above. Not a single
palra-tree is to be seen in the whole territory
around, where once every eminence was cover
ed with them. The roads leading to the city
are bad, except to the north, being the route
to Damascus ; but the supplies of wood and
other articles for building the temple, must
have come by another way than the near and
direct one from Jaffa, which is impassable for
burdens of a large size, from the defiles and
rocks amidst which it is carried ; the circuit
ous routes by land from Tyre or Acre were
probably used. The Turk who is chief of the
guard that keeps watch at the entrance of the
sacred church, waited on us two or three
times ; he is a very fine and dignified-looking
raan, and insured us entrance at all hours :
which perraission we availed ourselves of, to

304 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
pass another night amidst its hallowed scenes,
with interest and pleasure but little dimi
nished. We chose a delightful morning for a walk to
Bethany. The path leads up the side of Olivet,
by the very way which our Saviour is said to
have descended in his last entry into Jeru
salera. At a short distance are the ruins of
the village of Bethphage ; and half a raile fur
ther is Bethany. The distance is about two
miles from the city. The village is beautifully
situated ; and the ruins of the house of Lazarus
are still shewn, and do credit to the good
fathers' taste.
On the right of the road is the torab of Laza
rus, cut out of the rock. Carrying candles,
we descended ten or twelve stone steps to the
bottora of the cave. In the raiddle ofthe floor
is the tomb, a few feet deep, and large enough
to admit one body only. Several persons can
stand conveniently in the cave around the
tomb, so that Lazarus, when restored, did not,
as some suppose, descend from a sepulchre
cut out of the wall, but rose out of the grave,
hewn in the floor of the grotto. The light that
enters frora above, does not find its way to the
bottora; the fine painting in the Louvre of
this resurrection was probably faithful in re-

TOMB OF LAZARUS. 305
presenting it by torch-light. Its identity
cannot be doubted ; the position of Bethany
could never have been forgotten, and this is
the only sepulchre in the whole neighbour
hood. It is a delightful Sunday afternoons
walk to Bethany. After crossing the Mounts,
the path p&sses along the side'^of a hill, that
looks down into a wild and long valley, in
which are a few scattered cottages. The view
just above the village is very raagnificent, as it
erabraces the Dead Sea, the valley a.nd river
ofthe Jordan, and its embouchure into the lake.
On the descent of Olivet, is shewn the spot
where Christ wept over Jerusalem : tradition
eOuld not have Selected a more suitdble spot
Up this ascent David went, when he fled from
Absalom, weeping. And did a Jew wish to
breathe his last where the glory of his land
and fallen city should raeet his departing gaze,
he would desire to be laid on the surarait of
the Mount of Olives.
The condition of the Jews in Palestine is
more insecure and exposed to insult and exad-
tion than in Egypt and Syria, from the fre
quent lawless and oppressive conduct of the
governors and chiefs. These distant Pachalics
are less under the control of the Porte ; and
in Egypt, the subjects of Mahmoud enjoy a

306 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
more equitable and quiet government than in
any other part of the erapire. There is little
national feeling or enthusiasm among thera ;
though there are some exceptions, where these
exist in an intense degree. In the city they
appear fearful and humbled, for the conterapt
in which they are held by the Turks is exces
sive, and they often go poorly clad to avoid
exciting suspicion. Yet it is an interesting
sight to meet with a Jew wandering with his
staff in his hand, and a venerable beard sweep
ing his bosom, in the rich and silent plain of
Jericho, on the sides of his native mountains,
or on the banks of the ancient river Kishon,
where the arm of the raighty was withered in
the battle of the Lord. Did a spark of the
love of this country warra his heart, his feel
ings raust be exquisite : but his spirit is suited
to his condition.

niLL OF ENGEDI. 307

LETTER XVI,

We went one morning to see the hill of
Engedi, distant about six miles frora the city :
the weather was beautiful, and the walk a
very agreeable one. Engedi is low towards
the north, but descends steep into the wilder
ness on the south, on which side of it, not far
beneath the suramit, is the cave where David
and Saul reposed. It at first appears neither
lofty nor spacious, but a low passage on the
left leads into apartments where a party could
easily remain concealed from those without.
The faraily of an Arab resided in it at this
tirae ; the face of the hill around it corresponds
to the description " he carae to the rocks of
the wild goats." On these rocks we sat down,
and took a repast ; and though a coarse one,
no luxuries of the table could gratify like the
magnificent view before and around us. In
the distance in front, at the end of the wilder-
X 2

308 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
ness of Ziph, was the Dead Sea glittering in
the sun-beams amidst its mournful shores.
The governor had continued to refuse us a
guard, or perraission to go to this faraous spot,
on account of the dangerous state of the roads,
in consequence of the war of the Pachas. We
had no alternative : it was heart-breaking to
quit Palestine without visiting the Dead Sea,
and we resolved to atterapt it by traversing
the wilderness of Ziph on foot. Antonio, the
guide from the city, protested the route was
impracticable, not only on account of the
sands and difficult tracts to be crossed, but
the wild and lawless Arabs who infested it ;
and he refused to accompany us. The great
est loss was, however, the being deprived of
the company of Mr. G., whose delicate state of
health rendered so toilsome a route impossible.
Antonio at last consented to make the attempt;
yet our subsequent safety was entirely owing
to Ibrahim, an Arab, whose family inhabited
the cave, and who chanced to arrive as we
were on the point of departing. On the as
surance of being well rewarded, he agreed to
be our guide.
Having disguised ourselves as well as we
could, and consigned our money to G., who
with his servant went to Bethlehem, we de-

CONVENT OF SAINT SABA. 309
scended the declivity of Engedi into the wil
derness. It was about raid-day, and extrerae
ly hot. The way was very wild and interest
ing. The hills, over which it chiefly led, were
in general covered with a coarse grass, and in
sorae parts coraposed of sand ; they were in
tersected by deep and narrow valleys or ra
vines, filled with a wild verdure, in the sides
of which were several caverns. The place
was well calculated to afford secure conceal
raent frora pursuit araidst its recesses, as it did
to David when followed by Saul.
In a few hours, we carae in sight of the con
vent of St. Saba. Its situation much resembled
that of Sinai, being built amidst precipices, on
the brink of a deep glen, at the bottom of
which the Kedron flows, and surrounded with
walls and buttresses of immense strength.
With some difficulty the fathers adraitted us,
as we had rather a suspicious appearance;
the heat beneath the rocks without was alraost
insufferable, and to our no small relief the
convent gate was at last opened. A heretic
deserves tenfold blame if he finds great fault
with the Greek and Catholic fathers ; although
they do in general consign him over to a hope
less state hereafter, their convents are the
greatest blessing and comfort earth can have

310 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
to offer hira, in raany situations, where else he
would find nothing but a burning and thirsty
desert. The church is a very ancient one,
and adorned by the most grotesque figures of
old male and female saints. You then step
into a small paved court, in the middle of
which is a dome, containing the tomb of the
holy St. Saba : it is gilded and adomed in the
usual tawdry manner of the Greeks. Michel,
who was all things to all men, and in his long
travels had learned the different forms of wor
ship of alraost every faith, was here full of
crossings, raumblings, and devout looks, till
the good fathers regarded him as a very de
vout son of the church. The Catholics used
to do the sarae ; he could get over the Turks
very well, and talk soleranly of the prophet ;
and the Jews he delighted by conversing on
the grandeur and riches they were to attain,
as prophesied in the Scriptures, with which
he was well acquainted.
Hence we passed by a flight of steps into a
sraall church, hewn out of the rock : it forraed
one lofty and spacious apartraent, in which
divine service was sometimes perforraed by
torch-llght. The industry of the monks was
very conspicuous ; flights of stone steps con
ducted to several sraall terraces, one above the

CONVENT OF ST. SABA. 311
Other ; and from below, they had conveyed a
portion of the soil, and grew a variety of vege
tables on these terraces for the use of the con
vent. About thirty monks of the Greek per
suasion reside here. The monastery is sup
posed to have been founded about twelve hun
dred years ago, but the ascetic life was insti
tuted earlier by St. Saba, In a dark and ca
vernous apartraent, is a very extraordinary
spectacle .¦ — the opposite sides of the preci
pices are full of caves ; a great nuraber of
Christians were slaughtered here by a body of
soldiers sent by one of the caliphs : the skulls
of those martyrs have been collected, and are
piled in small pyramids in this chamber to the
number of two or three thousand. Still as
cending, for flights of steps and passages con
tinue, you enter two or three delicious little
cells, which raight tempt a traveller to a
month's residence at St, Saba, They were
carpeted and cushioned in the oriental man
ner, and provided with a few books. We sat
down and took some fruit and a kind of cor
dial kept there, and gazed on the prospect
which the sraall window afforded, with infinite
pleasure,' The deep glen of the Kedron was far
beneath, the wilderness on every side around,
and the Dead Sea and its sublime shores full

312 LETTERS FROM THE EAST,
in front, illurained by the setting sun, A nar
row wooden tower, ascended by a flight of
steps from the convent roof overlooks the
desert to a great distance. Here a monk is
often stationed, to give notice of the approach
of any of the wild Arabs who dwell there. As
at Mount Sinai, these fellows corae to the foot
of the walls, and set up a loud claraour for
bread. A large quantity of small brown csikes
is always kept in the tower for these occa
sions, and they are thrown out of the window
to the Arabs, who then take themselves off.
A Greek, a hundred years of age, a fine old
man, lived in an apartment of the building
beneath the surface of the desert ; he had
passed fifty years of his life in travelling, and,
being now quite blind, had lived several years
in the monastery, to which he had given his
property. He had earth from the shores of
the Jordan brought him, and his only amuse
ment was colouring, and drying in the sun, the
shapes he had moulded them into, and then
stamping Scripture figures on them, which
were prized by the pilgrims. We walked for
some time on the walls which hung over the
precipitous glen ; several foxes were peace
ably running about at the bottom.
The sight of any thing that has life amuses

CONVENT OF ST. SABA. 313
the good fathers : and we deeply deplored a
circumstance that took place in a subsequent
visit to St. Saba, through that unhappy Ger
man whom we had met at St John's raonas
tery, and who requested to accompany us.
Being on the hills opposite the convent, we
observed two very large birds, of the size of
vultures, hovering about; the German shot
one of them. The monks almost shed tears
when he returned with it to the convent, and
with real sorrow told us these birds had for a
long time come every day near to the convent,
till they at last became attached to them, and
they considered the death of one as a bad
omen. We now adjourned to the convent parlour,
a long low room, neatly furnished, and lighted
by a single lamp ; and supper was served iri
the Greek style. The conversation of the su
perior was very intelligent : it turned chiefly
on the subject of the Dead Sea, of which he
related some singular circurastances. About
fifteen years ago, a huraan body, or what had
the forra of one, was discovered floating not
far from the shore, and on taking it out, it was
found to be encrusted all over with a thick and
hard coating of bitumen and salt, caused, no
doubt by having lain a long while in the lake.

314 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
It happened to be the time of Easter, and the
pilgrims, hearing of it broke the body into in
numerable pieces with infinite eagerness, be
lieving it to be one of the ancient inhabitants
of Sodom who had risen from the bottom. It
was probably that of some unfortunate Arab
who had fallen in. We now sought repose on
the divan for two or three hours, and at mid
night were awoke by the superior, who con
ducted us by a long passage to a window ;
through which making our exit, we descended
by a ladder into the wilderness. To have pro
ceeded during the day would have been little
less than certain destruction, in consequence
of being exposed to the observation and at
tacks of the Arabs. The height of the preci
pices for some tirae threw a gloora over our
path, till we ascended a hill, and enjoyed a
brilliant and unclouded moonlight Our little
party was only four in number, Ibrahim, the
Arab ; the young Antonio, who, though an
excellent guide around the city, knew nothing
of the paths he was now treading; Michel,
who was in his element in a journey of this
kind. We were all armed save Antonio. The
night was charmingly cool, and the scenery
wild and romantic, and nothing broke the
utter stillness of the hour, save that once or

ARAB CAMPS. 315
twice, some bird of the desert, startled by our
footsteps, broke from her nest in the rocks
above with a shrill cry, and, sweeping rapidly
away, all was hushed again. Many of the
hills araidst which we passed, were of white
stone, and had a singular appearance in the
raoonlight. On entering on a more open tract, Ibrahim,
who led the way, made a full stop, where two
paths opened to the right and left, and one, he
said, was as bad as the other. It proved so,
for in a quarter of an hour more, the Arab
tents were before us, glimraering in the raoon
light, and we were obliged to pass within two
hundred yards of thera. The dogs which
these people, like those of Egypt, always have
round their habitations, perceived us, or heard
our footsteps, which were light and quick
enough ; for they set up a loud barking all
through the carap. No Arab, however, awoke,
which was not a little surprising, and with in
finite pleasure we soon left the carap behind
us. But in the course of twenty minutes we
were confounded at seeing a line of tents
again on the left. To retreat was worse than
to advance, and we had nothing left but to
keep the path at a small distance in front of
them. To escape now seemed scarcely possi-

316 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
ble, as the loud barking of the dogs again
warned the camp of our passage ; yet, fortu
nate once more, we pressed on, and soon
saw the tents lessening behind us. At last
we reached the brink of the precipices
which hang over the Dead Sea, The dawn
was now appearing; and in the grey and
cold light, the lake was seen far beneath
stretched out to an interminable length,
while the high raountains of Arabia Petraea
opposite were shrouded in darkness. The
descent of the heights was long and diffi
cult ; and ere we reached the bottom, the
ruddy glow of morning was on the preci
pices over our heads. The line of shore at
the bottora was about two hundred yards
wide, and we hastened to the edge of the
lake; but for several yards from it the foot
sunk in a black mud, and its surface was
every where covered with a greyish scurf,
which we were obliged to remove before
tasting it. There was not a breath of wind,
and the waters lay like lead on the shore.
Whoever has seen the Dead Sea, will ever
after have its aspect impressed on his me
raory; it is, in truth, a gloomy and fearful
spectacle. The precipices, in general, descend
abruptly into the lake, and on account of their
height it is seldom agitated by the winds. Its

THE DEAD SEA. 317
shores are not visited by any footstep, save
that of the wild Arab, and he holds it in su
perstitious dread. On sorae parts ofthe rocks
there is a thick sulphureous encrustation,
which appears foreign to their substance ; and
in their steep descents, there are several deep
caverns, where the benighted Bedouin sorae
tiraes finds a home. No unpleasant effluvia
are perceptible around it, and birds are seen
occasionally flying across. For a considerable
distance from the bank the water appeared
very shallow ; this, with the soft slime of the
bottora, and the fatigue we had undergone,
prevented our trying its buoyant properties by
bathing. A few inches beneath the surface of
the mud are found those black sulphureous
stones, out of which crosses are raade and sold
to the pilgrims. The water has an abominable
taste, in which that of salt predominates ; and
we observed encrustations of salt on the sur
face ofsorae ofthe rocks.
The mountains of the Judeean side are lower
than those of the Arabian, and also of a lighter
colour ; the latter chain at its southern extre
mity is said to consist of dark granite, and is
of various colours. The hills which branch off
from the western end are coraposed entirely of
white chalk : bituraen abounds raost on the
opposite shore. There is no outlet to this

318 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
lake, though the Jordan flows into it, as did
forraerly the Kedron, and the Amon to the
south. It is not known that there has ever
been any visible increase or decrease of its
waters. Some have supposed that it finds a
subterraneous passage to the Mediterranean,
or that there is a considerable suction in the
plain which forms its western boundary. But
this plain, confined by the opposing mountains,
is partially cultivated, and produces trees, and
a rude pasture used by the camels of the
Bedouins ; although in some parts sandy. It
has never been navigated since the cities were
engulphed ; and it is strange that no traveller
should have thought of launching a boat to
explore it, the only way that promises any suc
cess. Mr. H. travelled completely round it,
but the journey was a very tedious and expen
sive one, as it occupied several weeks, and he
was obliged to take a strong guard. He made
no discovery. The superior of St. Saba rela
ted that the people of the country who had
crossed it on camels, in the shallower parts
near the southern extremity, had declared to
him they had seen the remains of walls and
other parts of buildings beneath the water:
this is an old tale, although the waters have
the property of encrusting and preserving most

THE DEAD SEA. 319
substances. Sorae stunted shrubs and patches
of grass, a mere mockery of verdure, were
scattered on the withered soil near the rocks.
The golden and treacherous apples will be
sought for in vain, as well as fish in the lake,
which have also been asserted to exist. Its
length is probably about sixty miles, and the
general breadth eight : it might be six miles
over, where we stood. The sun had now risen
above the eastern barrier of mountains, and
shone full on the bosom of the lake, which had
the appearance of a plain of burnished gold.
But the sadness of the grave was on it, and
around it, and the silence also. However vivid
the feelings are on arriving on its shores, they
subside after a tirae into languor and uneasiness,
and you long, if it were possible, to see a tem
pest wake on its bosom, to give sound and life
to the scene. We had now passed some hours
at the lake, much to the discontent of Ibrahim,
who, pacing up and down the shore, and gaz
ing at the caverns, and the sumraits of the
cliffs, was incessantly talking of the probable
approach of the Arabs, or their espying us
frora above. The passage over the wilderness
of Ziph had given us a raore complete and
intimate view of the lake than the usual route
to Jericho, which conducts only to its com-

320 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
mencement, at the embouchure of the Jordan.
The narrow beach terminated about two hun
dred yards below, where the cliffs sank ab
ruptly into the sea. We had now to walk to
its extremity along the shores, and over the
plain beyond to Jericho, in a sultry day ; and
we took a last look of this famous spot, to
which earth perhaps can furnish no parallel.
The precipices around Sinai are savage and
shelterless, but not like these, which look as if
the finger of an avenging God had passed over
their blasted fronts and recesses, and the deep
at their feet, and caused them to reraain for
ever as when they first covered the guilty
cities. Towards the extremity ofthe sea we passed
amidst hills of white chalk, and then entered
on a tract of soft sand. Ascending a sand-hill
that overlooked the plain, we saw Jericho,
contrary to our hopes, at a great distance;
and the level tract we raust pass to arrive at
it, was exposed to a sultry sun, without a sin
gle tree to afford us a temporary shade. The
simile of the " shadow of a great rock in a
weary land" was never raore forcibly felt. We
pursued our way over the dry and withered
plain ; the junction of the Jordan with the lake
being seen far on the right. It was extremely

JERICHO. 321
hot, and I had thoughtlessly thrown away all
our fresh water, to fill the leathern vessel with
that of the Dead Sea. The route afforded no
kind moisture ; springs or streams it was vain
to hope for ; and my poor attendants threw all
the blame on me, and cursed frora their hearts
the infamous water that precluded the possi
bility of quenching their thirst. Once or
twice I tried to drink it, but its abominable
flavour was much worse than the raost parch
ing thirst. The plain was often intersected by
deep and narrow ravines, the passing which
added to our annoyance and fatigue.
It was near raid-day when we arrived at
Jericho, and found our way into the single
stone tower, called the castle of the governor.
A fountain stood in the raiddle of the court,
and we were ushered into his presence, in a
sorry little apartraent, through the sides and
roof of which the sun and rain could both find
their way. He was rauch astonished at seeing
us, and swore he had never known the passage
of the wilderness, unguarded and on foot,
succeed before, except in the case of sorae
pilgrims, several of whora, however, had been
slain by the Arabs ; but they had attempted it
in the daytime. About thirty soldiers are
maintained here to keep the Arabs in awe.

322 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
The situation is a wretched one, and the vil
lage of Jericho consists of about thirty miser
able cottages : there are no ruins worthy of
raention. Dinner was now served up. We had antici
pated some pleasant wine and savoury viands;
and having forraed a circle of half a dozen
round a low table on the floor, the party
including two or three officers, a huge wooden
vessel was placed araongst us. It contained
not the exquisite baklou, prepared expressly
for the Sultan's palate, or faraed cakes of roses
of Damascus ; but a mass the aspect of which
defied investigation. After a mouthful or two,
however, it was found to be composed of warm
cakes of bread, baked on the hearth, and
broken into sraall pieces, hot water and
raelted-butter being poured over it : it was
stirred about well by the hands of one of the
faithful. A few raouthfuls were devoured by
us with good grace, as we expected another
entree quickly. The Turks took enorraous
handfuls with extreme deliberation ; and his
excellency the governor, having a fancy that
a hard substance, bolted into the mouth, had
a higher and raore prolonged relish, compress
ed his handful with sorae skill into a large ball,
while the moister ingredients streamed over

JERICHO. 323
his fingers. The wooden bowl being removed,
we looked long and anxiously, but no viand
came more, and water only was permitted to
dignify this repast.
We were too rauch fatigued to visit the
Jordan this day ; but in the evening we walk
ed to the fountain at the foot of the moun
tain Quarantina. It has ever been venerated
as the sarae that the prophet Elisba purified,
" whose waters were bitter, and the ground
barren." It is a beautiful fountain, and,
gushing forth with a full rapid stream, falls
into a large and limpid pool, whence several
strearas flow over the plain. The fruitfulness
of the neighbourhood, which is covered with a
rich verdure and raany trees, and well culti
vated, arises chiefly from the vicinity of this
celebrated fountain, the waters of which are
remarkably sweet. The " City of Palms''
cannot now boast of one of those beautiful
trees around it. The plain, about six miles
wide, and inclosed by ranges of mountains, as
far as Tiberias, a distance of three days' jour
ney, has a rich soil and delightful aspect, the
Jordan's course through it being perfectly
straight. At present it is visited and dwelt
in only by the Arab tribes. The rocky raoun
tain Quarantina, that rises near the fountain,
Y 2

324 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
is pointed out as the scene of the Saviour's
teraptation in the wilderness ; on what au
thority it is difficult to guess.
The next day, accorapanied by some of the
governor's soldiers as a guard, we rode to the
Jordan. About four miles across, the plain
brought us to the banks, which were adorned
with acacia and taraarind trees, and raany shrubs
and wild flowers. The sight of this verdure in
such a spot was very pleasing. The river
rushed by in a full and rapid torrent ; its force
would have swept away raan and horse: this
was the effect partly of the rains. It looked
rather discoloured frora the sarae cause : its
taste was perfectly sweet, and the stream was
little below the surface of its banks. The sol
diers were restless, and anxious to be gone ;
for which there was no apparent cause : but
they are fond of enlarging on danger from the
Arabs. During the suraraer season the quan
tity of water in the river must be greatly di
minished, but it never now overflows its banks.
Tradition has not preserved the spot where the
Israelites crossed ; and, what is strange, it is
impossible to find out from Christian or Arab
in what part Mount Nebo is to be found. 
The width ofthe river was about twenty yards;
and it appeared very deep.

RETURN TO JERUSALEM. 325
We returned to Jericho, and endeavoured
to amuse the evening in the governor's de
solate tower; but the resources were very
scanty : and as he is seldom honoured by
strangers' visits, he makes them pay hand
soraely when they do corae. The rain fell in
torrents in the night, and found its way through
his excellency's roof, and fell in profusion on
our beds ; and it was only after one or two ex
periments on different sites in the chamber, that
we could close our eyes without being deluged.
The next day, attended by a few horsemen
frora the castle, we set out on our return to
Jerusalera. It was a comfortless and pitiless
journey, leading over a succession of dreary
hills, far unlike the route through the fine and
romantic wilderness of Ziph. The rain beat
ing heavily in our faces, and swelling every
raountain torrent, compelled us to proceed at
a slow rate. Poor Ibrahira walked beside the
horses the whole way, and looked as if he
would rather have been in his native desert.
At last we wound up the ascent to Bethany,
descended the hills, and, crossing the bridge
over the Kedron, entered the city again. —
Father Giusepp^ received us with uplifted
hands and looks ; not quite so interesting as
the sight of two or three warra dishes, attend-

326 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
ed by a good bottle of wine, which were
quickly set before us, and made sorae atone
ment for penance at Jericho. Ibrahim also
got accomraodated, and, for the first time in
his life, feasted in a monkish cell, and seeraed
so much taken with it, that it was doubtful if
he would not have forsaken his cave at Enge
di, and turned Catholic, to have tasted such
luxury always. The governor was much en
raged with the poor fellow for undertaking to
guide us on the journey, and threatened to
punish him ; we begged him off, however, and
sent him home to his cavern, well rewarded.

GREEK PILGRIMS AND CATHOLICS. 327

LETTER XVII.

One morning we paid a visit to Procopius,
a Greek bishop, who received us with great
politeness. The convent is reraarkably clean
and neat, though the number of monks is not
very large ; it contains nuraerous apartments
for the accomraodation of the Greek pilgrims.
The jealousy between these people and the
Catholics is very great : the latter, however,
possess the monasteries at Bethlehem and Na
zareth, which must bring them in a pretty
considerable income ; but the forraer have
lately raade the raost alarming encroachments
in the Holy Church of the Sepulchre, where
the^Pope's erapire, like that of the Sultan, is
hastening to decay. The chapel,* erected on
the torab of the Virgin Mary, in the valley,
they divide between thera.
A procession of the Catholic priests, accom
panied by several pilgrims, took place at one

328 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
in the morning ; and we engaged the evening
before to be of the party. There was no
raoonlight, and, as the path was rather narrow
and devious, a nuraber of torches were carried.
The object of this procession was to visit the
torab of Lazarus ; but as many other sacred
places were comprised in the tour, several
hours were necessary for its accoraplishraent.
It was quite dark, and about an hour past
midnight, when the procession issued out of
the gate of St. Stephen, and descended the
side of Mount Zion in good order. The pil
grims were barefooted, and raarched slowly
and soleranly after the priests, who chanted as
they went along. The party stopped at the
Garden of Gethseraane, with signs of rauch
grief and trouble, and sang and prayed, and
then ascended Mount Olivet, over the beauti
ful side of which the torches cast a doubtful
and gliraraering hght. The pilgrims were
men of different ages and countries, but all
discovered marks of the deepest reverence and
impassioned feeling. To the priests it was too
much a matter of habit and routine to excite
their feelings beyond the usual level.
The procession halted again on the top of
the Mount of Olives, endeared by so many

VISIT TO THE TOMB OF LAZARUS. 329
sacred and glorious remembrances, and, pass
ing by the ruins of Bethphage, at last arrived
at the rock, in which is hewn out the tomb of
Lazarus. Every one descended into it, and
the excavation was scarcely able to contain
the whole nuraber. The narrow flight of steps
leading down into it, allows a very partial
light, even in the daytirae ; but now the sa
cred spot was vividly illurainated by the num
ber of torches held beneath. The flame that
waved in the open air as they marched along,
now burnt clear and steady. On the floor of
the sepulchre stood all the priests, while the
pilgriras hung round and bent over them with
the utmost eagerness and interest, to catch a
glimpse of the tomb where the body of Laza
rus had lain. It is about the size of the huraan
form, and is hollowed out in the middle of the
rocky floor. The chant was here of the raost
solemn and impressive kind, of the victory
gained over death and the grave by the power
of the cross, and of the resurrection to life eter
nal. Save the voices of the pilgriras and the
priest, all without in the village of Bethany
was hushed in the deep silence of night.
When the party left the sepulchre, the day
light was already breaking ; and returning

330 LETTERS FROM TME £AST.
slowly by the same route, the gate of St. Ste
phen admitted them again, as the rising sun
began to crimson the East,
The road to the Dead Sea is no longer
crowded, as formerly, with pilgrims of various
nations, travelling to Jericho and the Jordan,
to bathe in the sacred river. This journey is
generally performed on foot, and is sufficiently
difficult and toilsome, especially to the old and
infirm. Many of these poor enthusiasts finish
their earthly course in the Holy City, dying
with the peculiar satisfaction of leaving their
bones there.
Taking Antonio, the young guide, with us
from the city, we went one morning to the
place to which tradition has given the name
of Michraash, where the troops of Saul, and
afterwards the nuraerous army of the Philis
tines, were encamped, when the Hebrews
" hid themselves in caves, and in thickets, and
in rocks, and in pits," The two latter desig
nations answer extremely well to the present
appearance of the country; but of thickets
and bushes there are none to be seen. A suc
cession of low and barren hills leads up tt) the
higher one of Michmash, which commands a
fine view of the wilderness of St John, the
mountain and ruins of the palace of the Mac-

WOOD OF ephraim; 331
cabees, and the hill and town of Bethlehem.
There are several caves on the spot, one of
which contains a fine spring of water, to which
we descended, and drank of it with pleasure,
for the day was extremely warm. While
seated there enjoying the splendid scene
around, a number of woraen of the country
approached, singing in a wild and not unmu
sical strain : they walked in a kind of proces
sion, and, saluting us very civilly, passed gaily
on. The aspect of the country around this spot
is exceedingly barren ; not a vestige now re
mains of the numerous woods which forraerly
covered it. Not far from hence probably stood
the wood of Ephraim, in which was fought the
battle of Absalora against his father David,
when, it is said, " the wood devoured more
people than the sword." The territory of
Ephraim, which is a short distance hence,
presents now only a succession of sraall and
narrow valleys ; very few of thera have any
cultivation ; they are divided by barren and
stony hills.
Few people were met with now on the roads
in travelling through Palestine : the ways
were generally solitary and silent. A poor and
wearied pilgrim raight now and then be seen

332 LETTERS FROM THE EAS*.
dragging his weary steps towards the sacred
city ; but more frequently individuals, or de
tached parties, were encountered, belonging to
one or other of the hostile Pachas, and pro
ceeding towards the scene of action.
We were joined in our route one day by a
traveller frora Jaffa, a native of that place,
which was under the dominion of Acre. He
hoped to get into the city under our coun
tenance, and had advanced a few steps within
the gate of Bethlehem, when he was rudely
pulled back and questioned by the guard,
who without any ceremony clapped him in
prison. During the Easter week, a funeral took
place at the Catholic convent. The body was
brought and laid in the chapel, attended by a
nuraber of raen and women ; the latter were
dressed in white. The organ played, the fu
neral chant was sung, and the whole service
was conducted impressively and with decency,
and without any of the claraour that so often
attends oriental funerals. The body was then
borne to the burial without the walls, where
also the other churches have theirs. Here
they come sometimes to mourn. A female,
with part of her robe drawn over her head, or
veiled, was seen seated by the torabs of her

BURYING-PLACES. 333
relatives on the suramit of Mount Moriah, or
along its sides, just beneath the walls. But
there are few trees to spread their shadow
over the mourner, few associations of natural
beauty to lend a kind of charm to grief The
Armenian, the Copt, and other Christians,
bring their dead, where not a spot can be
found, but the ashes of a devoted people
repose beneath, from the Valley of Slaughter
to the Valley of the King, which, in the words
of prophecy, should be filled with the bodies
of the slain.
The modern sepulchres of the unfortunate
Jews are scattered all around. The declivities
of Zion and Olivet are covered with small and
ill-shaped stones, disposed with little order :
these are the tombs of their fathers. In this
way, with little decency and without honour,
must their heads also be laid in the earth that
was once their own blessed inheritance. " How
is the beauty departed from Zion, and the
glory frora her children ! they have sunk
beneath the hand of their oppressor."
No feeling of patriotisra kindles in the
bosom of a Jew ; no elevating remembrance of
the past glories of his country ; his attachments
are all intiraately connected with his own
fancied self-interest or aggrandisement. If he

334 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
wishes ardently to breathe his last near the
Valley of Jehoshaphat, it is because he believes
he shall be judged there at the resurrection,
and that all other people will be excluded.
This is not an unfrequent feeling araong them,
and has induced many to exile themselves
from their homes, and spend their reraaining
days at no great distance frora the revered
spot. In the faraily of a rich Jew where we
resided a few days, whose faraily and attend
ants were very nuraerous, the mountains of
Samaria and other scenes of ancient victories
were in view, where " the arm of the mighty
was withered in the battle of the Lord ;" but it
was useless to speak of these things, they
cared not for them, but spoke with eagerness
of the future days, which could not be far dis
tant, when the proraised Deliverer should
come, and trample all their enemies under
their feet
The only raarks we met with of true sen
sibility and enthusiasm for the meraorable
scenes araidst which they lived, were displayed
by a Catholic monk and an aged Greek, The
forraer had been an inmate for raany years of
the convent at Bethlehem ; he was bent nearly
double with age, but his countenance was fine

DEVOTEES. 335
and his eye full of fire. He followed us, lean
ing on his staff, on the lofty terrace of the
monastery, which commands one of the finest
views in the East, and pointed out with im
passioned feeling each holy and illustrious
spot. " It was there," pointing to the valley
beneath, " where the shepherds beheld the
heavenly hosts who announced the birth ofthe
Redeeraer ; or, still nearer, where the fountain
gushed out at the foot of the hill, that David
desired to drink of, and his mighty men broke
through, and brought hira of the water," The
other priests smiled at the officiousness and
ardour of the old man, who seemed to have
been born for any thing but a monk. The
Greek lived in the middle of a wilderness, old
and infirm ; his habitation was humble, and he
was scarcely able to move a few steps from it.
All his near relatives were dead, and he was
left, as it were, alone in the world. It was
seldora that a stranger's step came near him,
and still rarer that of an enemy : for what had
he to lose? His features brightened with joy
as he received us and gave us his blessing.
Unlike every other Greek we raet with, he
asked no questions respecting his native coun
try, or the war ; but spoke only of the land

336 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
where he lived, and where he had corae to
die. Having been so much delighted with our
first visit to the monastery of St. Saba in the
wilderness, we resolved to make a second,
A pilgrira, who had come from Europe to see
the Holy Sepulchre, begged hard to accorapany
us, as it was the only opportunity he could
possibly have of making the journey. Having
procured horses, we left Jerusalem early in the
morning, without servants or guide. It was a
dull and cheerless day, and the sky was cover
ed with dark clouds. We passed down the
Valley of Jehoshaphat, and crossed the stream
that flows from the fountain of Siloam. On
the right, beneath a large sycamore, is the
spot where the prophet Hezekiah is said to
have been sawn asunder. A small and verdant
mound, about six feet in height, extends
round the tree, and was the scene of the
martyrdom. It is seldom that the vicinity of
trees is selected in Palestine as the theatre of
rairacles ; rocks and gloomy caverns are gene
rally the favourite spots. But around this
spot, as well as the torab of Zacharias, and
the magnificent cavern of the Prophet of the
Lamentations, there is no memento, no chapel,
not even a crucifix to draw the attention and

ANCIENT REMAINS. 337
enthusiasm of the pilgrims. This would not
answer the purpose of the monks.
The tombs of David and Solomon, of Abra
ham and Isaac at Hebron, are covered with
Turkish mosques, and the foot of the pilgrira
dares not approach thera. Absalora has his
pillar ; David the cave and the fountain to
perpetuate his memory ; but Solomon and his
glory are honoured with no vestige or monu
raent — his reservoirs only are pointed out.
The wretched village of Lazarea stands where
the many palaces of his mistresses formerly
stood ; and the valley where his gardens
bloomed beneath, still offers a verdant and
pleasant promenade.
We now followed the narrow and romantic
valley that divides the opposite chain of moun
tains, and is watered by the only stream
around the city. Its murmur, from the great
rarity of water, was delightful to the ear, and
two or three cottages, around which are some
trees, stand on its banks. The dreariness of
the way was increased by the rain that now
began to fall. As we looked back on the city,
the walls of which terrainated the view up this
silent valley, we were struck by its glooray
and desolate aspect. It raay be in part the
effect of iraagination ; but when a beautiful

338 LETTERS FROM THE EAST,
and cloudless day lights up its deep valleys,
rocks, and lonely tombs, its appearance is in
the highest degree roraantic and striking.
But in a dark and stormy day, when the rains
pour down the mountains, and the winds moan
along the forsaken places, they seem to bring
a warning of sorrow and affliction yet to come.
We now wound our way among the high
and chalky cliffs towards the wilderness ; the
path was so rugged that we could not proceed
very rapidly, and it was uncheered by the view
of a single passenger. A young Greek monk,
who was sent by the superior of the convent
to attend on us, afforded a strong contrast to
the rugged aspect and garb of some others of
the party. His chief employment in the mo
nastery was to attend on its chief and not
much of his time was engaged in prayers and
chants. His countenance was fair and femi
nine, and his thick raven hair fell in long and
luxuriant curls down his back ; the monastic
life had not thinned his cheeks, or given them
the sallow hue of so many of his brethren. He
was very gay and animated, and appeared to
enjoy the excursion extremely.
The rain ceased, and the sky began to clear
ere we arrived at the convent ; and our en
trance was no longer attended with difficulty.

ST. SABA. 339
as on our first visit. The good fathers recog
nised us instantly, and gave us a cordial recep
tion. The few stores of the convent were in
stantly put in requisition to supply us with a
dinner : tolerably good wine, a luxury denied
us before, as it was then fast-time, raade its
appearance. Were I conderaned to be exiled to a monas
tic abode, the wild and roraantic solitude of St.
Saba should be my choice. The torrent of
the Kedron no longer pours through the glen
beneath, but its sides are formed of fine and
bold precipices, around the steeps of which
hang a variety of shrubs and stunted trees of
the desert. No sounds but the cries of the
eagle and a few other birds are heard here ;
and the most magnificent spectacle is the rising
and setting of the sun on the Dead Sea and its
fearful shores.
During the feast of Easter, many pilgrims
find their way to this convent frora Jerusalera,
to worship at the torab of the holy St. ^aba,
who raust have been truly a self-denying
man, and less comfortably lodged than his
successors. The monastery has not much the appear
ance of a religious retreat ; its immensely
strong and lofty towers frown over hill and val-
z 2

340 LETTERS FROM THE EAST,
ley, and are seen at a great distance. The
Arab often casts a wishful eye at them, and
would gladly set his foot in the clean and
quiet cells within. Poor Ibrahim, the Be
douin, who lived with his family in the cave of
Engedi, and who accompanied us in our mid
night walk to the Dead Sea, liked his night's
lodging in the cell wonderfully better than in
his own dark cave, and ate with avidity of the
fine white bread and various viands set before
hira. The fine cakes of bread made by the
monks are objects of peculiar desire to the
Arabs, as they so seldom eat meat, and are
careless whether it is camel or beef; their cof
fee and their bread-cakes are their chief suste
nance; the latter are coarse and dark, and
cannot vie in flavour or aspect with those of
the convents. Here, too, they shew the sarae
art and foresight as in the wilderness of Sinai
— they never intercept the supplies of flour
sent frora Jerusalera to the raonastery of St,
Saba, choosing rather to wait till it has been
manufactured into the above-named white
loaves, when they demand their tithe with
loud clamour and infinite good-will.
Ibrahim could certainly not boast of many
comforts in his raountain-abode ; his residence
there probably kept the pilgrims away. On

WILDERNESS OF ZIPH. 341
our entrance we found a swarm of children
around their mother, who, a dark Arab woman
(a relative probably) told us, had just added
another inmate to the cave where Saul and
David met No light cheered the obscure re
treats of the cavern, that seemed the abode of
poverty and wretchedness. Is it any wonder
these men are tempted to plunder the traveller
and the pilgrim ! But cruelty is not in their
nature, and the fidelity and caution for our
safety which this poor Arab shewed throughout
the journey could not be exceeded.
We walked out during the evening on the
hills around the convent, and were shewn the
caves where so many of the saints of old re
sided. This wilderness of Ziph, or Maon, was
a favourite spot of theirs, as it afforded them
an excellent retreat from persecution, and is
surrounded by many sacred and impressive
scenes. Yet nothing could present a more
awful and funereal aspect than these retreats —
deep and dreary valleys, heraraed in on each
side by precipices so high that the sun sinks
untiraely behind thera, where at night, or by
a partial moonlight, imagination may easily
conjure up a thousand fantastic shapes, from
their white. chalky suraraits, rent asunder as if
by a convulsion. The caverns, once the abode

342 LETTERS FROM THE EAST,
of SO many martyrs, raay be said to be innu
raerable, and are many of them in situations
apparently inaccessible — in the very sides of
the precipices, raore than a hundred feet above
the bed of the torrent. No tree, shrub, or
even spring of water, gladdens the desolate
scene : the curse of the Dead Sea seeras to
have reached even here ; and many of the
bones of that army of Christians slaughtered in
the caves, reraain to^tell how nobly Christianity
could sustain raen who lived so holily, and
died with joy in this raournful region. Sorae
of the distant hills to the right, the sides of
which were covered with a rude pasture, of
fered a contrast to other parts of the -wilder
ness. We had passed these before on the way
frora Engedi, and seen several shepherds tend
ing their flocks : their dress was scanty and
their appearance wild, but their pipes at inter
vals played a strain, not very rausical, but it
appeared raost sweet and welcome in such a
solitude. The sun had set, and the air already began
to grow cool, when we again returned to the
convent through its huge and raassive gate,
which is secured with iramense bands of iron.
On the right, at a short distance, rises a strong
and isolated tower, as if the monastery, eleva-

¦GREEK AND ITALIAN MONKS. 343
ted several hundred feet frora the valley be
neath, and environed by ramparts of rocks
and mountains, stood in need of any additional
defence. We formed a numerous party in the parlour
round the low table on the floor ; the chief of
the fathers did the honours with great good
will, took his glass of wine, and conversed
with great animation. Like the superior of
the convent of Mount Sinai, his heart seeraed
to feel relief in the society of strangers, and in
the tidings of other lands, of his own dear
country in particular. What a marked differ
ence between the Greek and the Italian monk !
On the mind of the latter his country has no
hold, excites no passion or sensibility ; but the
church, the saints, and the pope — on these he
will dwell everlastingly. But the Greek — his
first question is of Greece^ — her war, and suc
cesses, and sufferings ; for these he will forget
St. Saba, Santa Catherina, his conviction that
St. Peter never was at Rome, and all. The
venerable chief of Sinai, how his eye lightened,
and his bosom warmed, as he talked of his
country ! This he never forgot to do two
hours at least every day, even in the depths of
the desert, where he had been for so many
years isolated. And at St. Saba, the poor

344 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
raonks crowded round our servants to hear the
latest intelligence of the war.
The sraall parlour of the convent was now
brightly illumined by several lamps, and coffee
was handed round. We had not now the pro
spect of starting from our slumbers at midnight,
as before, to continue a doubtful march, but
enjoyed the tranquillity of our situation. The
evening chant of the good fathers, rather nasal
than melodious, was heard ascending from the
sraall but ancient chapel. The moon had risen,
and cast a soft yet clear light on every strange
and varied scene around. The deep glen of the
Kedron beneath was wrapped in gloom, with
the raany and extensive caverns in its sides ; but
the precipices above had now lost great part
of their terrors, and lifted their raountain peaks
so majestically and high, as if they scorned the
loveliness of the night that rested on them.
Few objects could ever present a more stem
and impressive aspect than this monastery, as
it stood tower above tower, with walls and
buttresses of imraense strength, and of a light
yellow stone, on the very edge of those fearful
descents ; and so calra and hushed every thing
around, undisturbed by even a breath of wind!
No wanderer's footstep broke the silence of
the desert ; the Arab only had not gone to his

CRUSADES. 346
rude tent, for he fears not at times to prowl in
the shadows of the night ; while the sentinel
still continued on his watch-tower above, to
look out over the wilderness, the fathers re
lieving each other in this task. What a situa
tion for some of those wild and memorable
events with which the land was once filled,
and of which this convent would have been a
fitting theatre, had it been other than the
abode of quiet and senseless monks ! Its ap
pearance belies it, for you might swear, on
approaching, that it was the abode of some
bold and ruthless crusader, who had come to
exterminate the enemies of the cross. The
traveller in Palestine cannot refrain from often
recalling with impassioned feelings, the days
when chivalry, with all its charms, was spread
over its faded yet illustrious scenes ; when the
wilderness echoed with the wandering step of
the noble knight, who had left his own land to
seek glory there ; when the minstrel's song
and the harp's wild tones were heard even in
the desolate valley, or on the mount where
the armies of Israel triumphed; or the lake's
cold and dreary shore was lighted up by the
watch-fires of the brave crusaders, who beheld
every scene with enthusiastic delight, and
thought it recompense enough to bleed and

346 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
die on the earth that had been hallowed by the
steps of the Redeemer !
It now grew late ; the fathers took their
leave, and left us to our repose on the soft
cushions, on which we slept soQndly till the
rays of the sun, entering at the small windows
of the divan, summoned us to rise and quit
this abode of the desert.
The convent contains several articles both
curious and valuable. A few of the cells are
adorned with small figures of saints, very an
cient and richly ornaraented ; but they are not
held in such high veneration as to be preferred
to what the raonks find highly useful in this
country, a little raoney. We purchased a St.
Joseph, and a very good-looking saintess, done
in filagree work of gold, and a few articles in
curious workraanship of wood, brought from
Germany by sorae of the pilgriras, who pre
sented thera to the convent as the best gifts in
their power. It is amusing to see the look of
surprise and dislike assumed by the good
fathers when offered raoney in return for their
hospitality ; the right hand is generally placed
on the breast, and the other gently waved as
if to forbid the approach of the tempting me
tal. "My dear brother, what is this for.''"
said the chief of the Jerusalera convent ; " our

DEPARTURE FROM ST. SA6A. 347
hospitality is given freely for the love of Him
whom we serve ;" but the good superior of St.
Saba's eyes sparkled with joy as the round
dollars rested on his palm ; for his lonely con
vent seldom received so large a party. Yet of
what use could the money have been to him,
except to procure a few more luxuries for his
cell, such as fine Cyprus wine, cordials,
&c. ? These we found raore than once raake
their appearance, in these habitations, frora a
sraall and unsuspicious cupboard.
It was a lovely raorning, uncheered however
by " charra of earliest birds ;" the sun was
bright and cloudless on the hills and valleys ;
the good fathers placed before us a substantial
breakfast, and we then bade thera adieu, fol
lowed by a sufficient number of their bless
ings. The massive gate, with its huge bolts
and clasps of iron, was once more unclosed.
Few indeed are the tiraes in the course of the
year that it receives the wanderer, whose
prayers and entreaties for entrance are often
unavailing, when he is compelled to seek
shelter under the canopy of the rocks around.
So far frora human resort, so gloomy and un
assailable, and having within its walls ca
verns, dungeons, and heaps of skeletons,
although of saints, it looked like the domain

348 LETTERS FRO.M THE EAST.
of Despair, in the beautiful romance of the
Pilgrim's Progress. Had Bunyan, with his
powers of painting, but set his foot in Pales
tine, how truly and vividly would every scene
have opened frora his pen ! every other might
then have been laid hopelessly down.
The path over the wilderness was much
raore lively and agreeable than on the former
day ; and we welcomed once raore, after a
ride of several hours, the walls of the sacred
city, as they were seen at sorae distance at
the end of the valley. The day was sultry ;
and as we passed the sraall wood of olive-
trees on the right of the streara frora Siloam,
we beheld a party of Armenians regaling be
neath its shade. They were well-dressed
raen, and their horses were fastened to the
trees beside thera ; they invited us very press
ingly to alight and join thera at their repast.
It was rather tempting, for the weather was
oppressively hot, and the rivulet beautifully
clear, with the cold collation and bottle of
wine laid in the shade on the green bank ;
we declined the invitation, however, and
pressed on towards the city, which we soon
entered by the gate of Ephraira.
The close and prison-like appearance of
the streets around the convent, the raean and

CEREMONY OF THE HOLY LIGHT. 349
confined view, and the suspicious and deject
ed air of the few passengers in the streets,
appeared oppressive and repelling after the
free air and boundless prospects we had left
behind. To celebrate the feast of Easter, but
few pilgriras had arrived in comparison of
former years ; yet the ceremonies customary
at this period were strictly observed. Olivet
and Bethany were visited every day, and the
small chapel on the summit of the former
attracted the chief veneration. The print of
the foot of the Redeemer, the last step that he
left on earth, was often kissed with the high
est devotion and with tears, as well as the
scene of the last passion in the garden beneath,
where the marks of the falling drops are yet
left on the rocks.
The ceremony of the holy light, that took
place during Easter, is, however, the greatest
imposition practised on the poor pilgrims. —
On the floor of the rotunda stood every one
who had arrived — not one was absent, or
would have suffered any thing save mortal
sickness to detain hira from this wonderful
scene. It took place at night, the lights were
all extinguished, the vast area with the dome
was wrapped in profound darkness, and the
whole assembly, full of expectation, preserved

350 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
a deep silence. The priests were within the
sepulchre, busily eraployed in preparing the
rairacle. The eyes of all present, Greeks, Ca
tholics, Copts, and Armenians, were intently
fixed on the tomb, whence the light was to
burst forth, as a token of the divine approba
tion, and that joy, light, and imraortality, were
sprung frora the darkness of the grave. This
was the consuraraation of all : the processions
round the sacred spot, the sprinkling ofthe
incense, the tears and prayers, were all pre
paratory to this great token, which was to seal
the joy and coraplete the consolation of every
pilgrim. On a sudden the light burst in a
blaze from within the chamber ofthe sepulchre,
and" streamed on the multitude of devoted
Christians around. What a raoraent for a
painter to have caught — from the expression
of doubt, anxiety, and hope, that of wild and
enthusiastic joy ! The shouts and cries that
instantly arose were actually stunning, accom
panied with clapping and waving of hands ;
each one crying out in his own language, many
on their knees praying fervently and loudly,
and all hailing with ecstasy the light, the holy,
the miraculous light! It did not deceive
them ; for it came vivid and unfading from the
sepulchre, and each eye gazed on it with

SYNAGOGUE OF THE JEWS, 351
intenseness and passion, as if it was the light
that was to cheer for them " the dark valley
of the shadow of death," and take from the
grave its fearfulness. The men, who were by
far the more numerous part of the audience,
were boisterous and half frantic with their
joy; but the women expressed it raore by
tears and silent clasping of hands. At last,
when the priests thought the scene had lasted
long enough, the light was extinguished frora
within, and the pilgriras, nearly exhausted
with their fervour, but all delighted, gradually
dispersed. You would expect to find that the synagogue
of the Jews was in sorae measure worthy of
their capital; but, like the Christians, they
appear to avoid every appearance of ornament
or comfort without. Their chief place of wor
ship is a sorry and mean-looking building, to
which you descend by a flight of steps. It is
situated in the midst of the Jewish quarter,
and is supported, however, by sorae ancient
pillars. The most striking ceremony of this people is
one which sometiraes occurs without the walls
of the city, when they asserable to celebrate
the festival of the torabs of their fathers, —
They are not allowed to do this without the per-

362 LETTERS FROM THE EAST,
mission of the Turkish governor, which they
are obliged to obtain by the bribe of a hand
some sum of raoney. The whole Jewish popu
lation gather together in the valley of Jehosha
phat, which is their favourite burying-place;
because there they are to be finally judgea
The cereraony is conducted with great de
cency, and is without any claraour or noise.
They sit for some time in silence on the torabs
of their fathers, with sad countenances, and
their eyes fixed on the ground. Men, woraen,
and children, are all assembled, and it is an
interesting spectacle, to see this fallen people
mourning in the Valley of Jehoshaphat, where
their kings have offered sacrifices ; where their
prophets have uttered their divine inspirations;
and where they believe the trump of the arch
angel shall finally wake them to judgement.
But even this consolation of assembling round
the ashes of their fathers, they are obliged to
purchase with money. It is well their sensi
bilities are blunted, and their spirit utterly
bowed, or else the draught that is given them
to drink would have too much bitterness, and
the iron rod of the oppressor would enter into
their very soul.

ARRIVAL AT JAFFA. 353

LETTER XVIII.

We had resolved next to visit Damascus
but various obstacles were thrown in the way
by the governor, who considered the route too
dangerous, in consequence of the war between
the two pachas. Leaving the Holy City then,
after a stay of about three weeks, we retraced
the mountain path to Ramla, and after passing
a night at the Catholic convent, arrived at
Jaffa on the following morning. Signor Da
miani once more received us hospitably, and,
fortunately, we found a boat in the port about
to sail for Acre the next morning. We ac
cordingly embarked, and after being out all
night, reached Acre the subsequent forenoon.
This town is at present the strongest in Sy
ria, being encompassed with a new wall. As
we were obliged to spend several days here to
wait for an opportunity of going to Damascus,
we had full opportunity of observing the effects

354 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
of the war between the two chiefs. Three or
four huraan heads were frequently brought
into the town in the course of the day, cut off
by the pacha's troops frora sorae ofthe enemy's
stragglers, or, in default of them, from the
poor peasants. This war was occasioned by
raere private feuds, and unauthorized by the
Porte. The young Pacha of Acre, who acted in a
raost rash and ungovernable way, opposed
with success the stronger chief of Damascus
by means of the mountain troops of Lebanon.
He resolved on cutting a deep and wide trench
all round the town, effecting a comraunication
with the sea on each side : which was not im
practicable, as the point on which it stood
advanced considerably into the sea. But the
trench, if executed, could not avail in any way
for the defence of the town, as it was more
than a mile distant, and an attacking army
would find it easy to pass it in the night But
the pacha believed the place would be impreg
nable if the water flowed all round it ; and to
effect this object, he made the whole popu
lation go out and work from raorning till
evening. The soldiers were seen going about the
streets, and corapelling by blows the idlers

TRENCH AT ACRE. 355
they raet, to go and dig at the trench. The
town was nearly eraptied; and on walking one
day to the spot, we found all ranks of people,
rich raen, raerchants, and doraestics, raingled
with the poorer classes, working up to their
chins in the ditch, each with his wicker basket
in his hand, which they filled with the earth,
and then threw its contents above the bank.
Sorae others were eraployed in digging, and
overseers were set over the whole : rations of
bread and water were served out at raid-day,
and at sun set they were allowed to enter the
city. We walked out a short distance, and
stood beneath some palms to view their return.
The better order of people carae first, the poor
er followed ; araongst both were seen several
noseless and earless people, who had been the
objects of Djezzar's cruelty. The raountain-
eers who had been corapelled to come and
assist in the work, came last, singing their
mountain songs with great cheerfulness. The
gates were closed on them, till they should be
suraraoned to resurae their task the next day.
This prince, Selira, is the second in succes
sion frora Djezzar. The instances of the
latter's cruelty are innuraerable. He seemed
to take a supreme delight in destroying; yet
he has built the handsomest mosque and
2 A 2

356 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
bathing-house in Syria. Beside the former
are a quantity of fine palms, and a beautiful
fountain. He was a rigid Musulman, and
never failed to attend the mosque twice a day,
and died in his bed at last in peace, at the age
of eighty years.
The history of his prime minister, the Jew,
is tragical and interesting. This Israelite was
an uncommonly clever man, and so well
versed in all the affairs of the province, as to
be invaluable to Djezzar, who cut off his nose
and ears, however, for no reason on earth, but
still retained him his prime minister. Sulei
man, his successor, who governed only two
years, could not do without the Jew's ser
vices ; and on the present Pacha Selim's ac
cession, he stood in as high confidence as ever.
" In those days," said Anselac, the Jewish
raerchant, who was bewailing to us the fate of
his friend, " no Turk dared to turn up his
nose at a Jew in the streets of Acre, or dis
cover the least insult in his raanner ; but the
face of things was changed at last."
The unfortunate Israelite had served Selim
for sorae time with his usual integrity and
talent, when his enemies, taking advantage of
the young Pacha's ignorance and weakness,
persuaded hira that his minister, frora his long

.selim's prime MINISTER. 357
intercourse with the Porte, and deep expe
rience in intrigue, would probably be induced
to maintain a secret correspondence, and de
tail his master's exactions. The next time the
minister appeared, he was ordered to confine
hiraself to his house, and not appear again at
the palace till sent for. He obeyed, trembling
and astonished, and remained in safety se
cluded amidst his family and friends.
But the habit of ruling had taken too strong
a hold on his mind : this quiet and inactive
life pressed heavily on the old man's spirits,
and he resolved to venture to go to court
again. He came and prostrated himself before
the Pacha, and humbly demanded to know
what his offences were, and why he had been
deprived of his office. Selim was very angry
at seeing him again, and bade him instantly
begone. The advantage he had thus given his
eneraies over hira, was not lost. A few eve
nings after, he was at supper with his faraily,
when one of his servants told hira two raessen-
gers from the palace were below : he instantly
knew their errand, and tranquilly retiring to
another apartment, requested a short tirae to
say his prayers, and was then strangled by the
rautes, and his body thrown into the sea.
" I was returning," said Anselac, "on the

358 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
following evening from Sidon, and saw a body
on the shore, partly out of the water ; and on
coming to the spot, found it was that of my
friend and countryraan, the minister, of whose
cruel death I had not heard," This poor man
reraoved with his faraily to Beirout, under the
Consul's protection, as he thought the Pacha
might take it into his head to serve him in like
manner, or strip him of his property,
Djezzar was called the butcher, partly from
a small axe he carried at his sash of an exqui
site edge ; and he sometiraes araused himself
by coming behind a culprit, or an innocent
person, (it mattered little which,) and, hitting
him a blow with it on the back of the neck,
putting an instant period to his cares. During
one of Djezzar's journeys to guard over the
deserts the caravan of Mecca, his nephew,
Suleiraan, found access to his seraglio ; the
chief, on his return, discovering the circum
stance, drew his hanger, and stabbed several
of his wives with his own hand. The Porte
often attempted to take him off, but the va
rious Capidg^ Bashis sent for that purpose
were none of them suffered to enter his pre
sence, as the death-warrant of the Sultan, if
exhibited in presence of the offender, is never
resisted even by his own guards. He very

EBILENE. 359
civilly received all their kind inquiries after
his health and the welfare of his province, and
took care to have thera taken oft' snugly by
poison. Having at last procured an excellent guide,
who undertook to conduct us by a circuitous
route to Daraascus, we quitted Acre. Tra
velling over the extensive plain, we came in
the evening to Ebilen6, a village delightfully
situated on an eminence, on the sides of which
a nuraber of sheep were feeding. We took
possession of a large and lofty apartraent, the
khan of the village, and taking a pipe and
coffee, than which nothing is raore refreshing
after a journey, we waited patiently for our
supper. After a good while, this made its
appearance; as usual, two or three dishes of
meat cut into pieces, with a rice pilau, and
placed on a table about six inches high.
It being night, a large fire was kindled in
the middle of the khan, and many of the
Syrian peasants entered. The scene soon be
came very gay ; they had two or three instru
ments of music, a couple of fifes* and a flute,
and several of the young peasants danced in a
circle, very gracefully, to their own native
airs. The various groups seated, in their light
costumes, beneath the pillars in the strong

360 LETTER.S KKOM THE EAST.
glare of the fire, or behind in the shadow of
the wall, composed a striking scene ; but the
after-part of the night was doomed to be less
agreeable to us. The villagers, one after the
other, had dropped off, and not being aware
that we were now entering into the territory
of that race who may be considered the lineal
descendantsr of those who so torraented the
Egyptians, we lay down calraly to rest. But
to rest was utterly impossible, as we were in
stantly invaded and bitten in every part of the
body. Change of position, or place, was
useless, for the old floor seemed to have been
their inheritance for ages. Deraetrde, Mr.
G — 's Greek servant, a man of much humour
and some corpulence, was peculiarly exposed
to these assaults, and, after exhausting all his
store of Greek oaths and anathemas, took
refuge in the terrace ; but above, or below,
there was no escape.
We quitted this village with no sraall plea
sure, at an early hour, fatigued and unrefresh
ed, and after some time entered a long and
rich valley, in which we halted for an hour at
mid-day, and then pursued the way to Tibe
rias, At a few miles distance, is shewn the
field where the disciples plucked the ears of
corn and ate : and within three miles of the

TIBERIAS. 3GI
town, turning out of the path for a short dis
tance, on the left, we came to the Mount of
Beatitudes, where Christ preached his serraon.
It is a low and verdant hill, rising gradually
on every side toward the suramit on which
sraall raasses of rock are scattered. It is ad-
rairably calculated for the purpose, as a mul
titude of people raight stand on the gently
sloping sides of the mount, even to the bottom,
and hear distinctly every word of the speaker.
The prospect cf the lake beneath, of the
mountains of Gilboa, and that of Bethulia, to
the north, is extremely beautiful.
Proceeding towards Tiberias, we passed by
a spot on the left, on a gentle declivity, where,
tradition says, the five thousand were miracu
lously fed. The town of Tiberias is surround
ed by a wall, but it is rather a wretched place
within. No ancient remains of any interest
are at present found here, A small and an
cient church, to which a descent of several
steps beneath the surface leads, is called St,
Peter's. The only lodging- place of travellers
is in the house of a sheik, which is held in
dread, on account of the rayriads of fleas that
inhabit it ; frora which we were fortunate
enough to escape. On the shore, at sorae dis
tance to the south of the town, are warra mine-

362 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
rai baths, which are much used and esteemed.
At the extremity of the north-eastern shore,
some reraains are said still to exist where Ca
pernaum formerly stood.
The inhabitants of the town are chiefly Jews,
with some Turks. Having two letters of in
troduction frora the Arraenian convent at Jeru
salem to a rich old Jew, we were fortunate
enough to be admitted into his house. The
apartments were handsomely furnished ; the
table was spread with various dishes of meat
and wine at raid-day and in the evening, and
we were served with breakfast in the Euro
pean style. This old raan was a merchant of
Aleppo, where several of his sons now lived in
opulence, and he had come in his old age —for
he was now fourscore — and built this house
far from his native home, in order that he
raight die at the lake of Tiberias. The attach
ment of the Jews to the places of their ancient
record and glory, is sometimes excessively
strong. In walking along the shores, we met
occasionally Jews from Poland, chiefly elderly
raen, who had come from their country to this
spot, frora no other raotive but to spend their
last years round the lake. Our kind host had
a synagogue in his house, and a Rabbi to offi
ciate, and service was duly attended twice a

LAKE OF TIBERIAS. 363
day by his wife, who was half his own age,
and all his servants.
On the night of our arrival, we walked on
the terraced roof to enjoy the coolness of the
air. It was raoonlight, and the lake and its
shores were as beautiful a scene as can be con
ceived. It brought to raind the night, though
so different a one, when Christ walked on the
surface of its waves to rescue his disciples.
Yet Tiberias is a scene where Nature seeras
still to wear as sublirae and lovely an aspect,
as in the day when it drew the visitations and
raercies of the Lord. No curse rests on its
shores, as on those of the Dead Sea ; but a
hallowed calm, and a majestic beauty, that are
irresistibly delightful.
The length of the lake is about fourteen
railes, and the breadth five. The fish it con
tains have a raost delicious flavour, and are
rauch the size and colour of a rauUet. The
boats used on it are in some seasons of the
year rauch exposed frora the sudden squalls of
wind which issue from between the mountains.
The water is perfectly sweet and fclear. The
Jordan is seen to enter it at its northern ex
tremity, and its course is distinctly visible
through the whole extent of the lake. The
range of mountains forraing its eastern shore.

364 ' LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
is very lofty ; their steep and rocky sides are
barren, with a sprinkling of trees on a few of
the summits. The western shore, where the
town stands, is lower, but its picturesque hills,
divided by sweet valleys, are covered with a
rich carpet of verdure, but almost destitute of
trees. The ride to the southern end of the
lake is very pleasant, where the Jordan flows
out of it. An ancient bridge, sorae of whose
ruined and lofty arches still stand in the river,
adds much to the beauty of this scene. We
bathed here in the Jordan, which issues out in
a stream of about fifty feet wide, and flows
down a rich and deserted valley, inclosed by
bare and lofty mountains. The stream was
here clear and shallow; but it soon became
deep and rapid. Little is said in the Scrip
ture, respecting the extensive valley of the
Jordan between Tiberias and Jericho. It must
have been thickly populated from its luxuri
ance, being watered throughout by the river.
Yet, with all the charms of its situation, the
air around the lake, during the summer, is
close and sultry. Of all places in Palestine,
however, a stranger would desire to fix his
residence here ; as a situation on any of the
verdant hills around would be exempt from
the often oppressive air on its banks.

DEPARTURE FROM TIBERIAS. 3G5
We now bade adieu to the hospitable old Jew,
who told us he looked forward with delight to
the future judgement that was to take place in
the valley of Jehoshaphat, to be near which had
been one cause of his coraing here. It was to
be only on his countrymen ; all the rest of the
world were to be excluded : — a very necessary
measure, for how the Jews are all to squeeze
into tbe narrow little valley is rather hard to
conceive. A small Turkish camp of cavalry,
intended to act against the Pacha of Acre,
was pitched without the town : their various
dresses and fine chargers gave great aniraation
to the scene. The afternoon was delightful,
without being at all too warm ; and we wound
along the cliff on the western side of the lake
with uncommon pleasure, for almost every
step gave new attractions to the scenery.
The mountains became loftier, and within a
few railes of the northern end, drew back from
the lake, leaving a rich plain of two or three
miles broad between. Turning off here to the
left, the light failed ere we could find a resting-
place for the night.
Contesini, the guide from Acre, would have
us stop iu a low and damp spot ; but a Turk
who had requested to becorae one of our
party, advanced up on an adjoining hill, pro-

366 LETTERS FROM THE EAST,
testing that there was a village somewhere in
the neighbourhood. Not very long after, we
heard his voice calling frora sorae distance, and
on following, found hira planted in a sraall
haralet of three or four cottages ; they looked
so dirty, however, that we preferred sleeping
on the roof to entering within. Having taken
a frugal supper, it was vain to think of going
to sleep, as frora this elevated position we had
a full view of the lake and its shores beneath,
which were now lighted pp by a cloudless
raoonlight. The next raorning the wind blew extremely
cold; but cold and night-dews are much less
evils than the nightly tormentors, which, how
ever, we never met with in Palestine in any
place but Ebilen^, We now entered on a wild
and stony tract of country, till about raid-day
we carae to the raountain of Bethulia, and
wound up it by a long and steep ascent ; the
upper part is covered with trees.
On its summit is the raodern town of Safet,
in the raidst of which rises a lofty rock, the
top of which is occupied by the castle of the
governor. The whole appearance of the place
is the most outr6 and romantic imaginable.
In walking or riding along several of the

BETHULIA, 367
streets, you are obliged to pass over the roofs
of the houses, which stand on ridges of the
rock, and seem to strive which can climb
highest. It is a position of imraense strength.
and might well defy the power of Holofernes
and his army, even without the aid of the
beautiful Judith :— it answers exactly to the
description given in the Apocrypha,
It being very hot, we seated ourselves be
neath the shade of a large tree, in the middle
of the scattered town, beside a fine fountain,
to which the woraen of the place carae for
water, but none of them answered to the de
scription of their heroic ancestor. It was a
market-day ; the defiles and terraced roofs of
the place were thronged with people from the
mountains and valleys ; and our servants
having procured some meat, we took our re
past beneath the tree, in a primeval manner,
by the fountain side, sheltered from the heat.
The lake, that like a beautiful spectre haunts
your course often and long, was seen through
an opening in the mountains, far below spark
ling in the sun. The place being^said to pos
sess excellent wine, we procured some as a
resource for our journey j but the search was
most amusing, having to get at one house over

368 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
the roof of another, or to descend a steep pas
sage into a divan, the windows of which look
ed down over perpendicular precipices.
Towards evening we descended the. moun
tain, passing by two or three springs of deli
cious water, and in the course of a few hours
came to the spot, opening into a rich plain,
where Syria and Palestine are divided. As
we were now coming into the seat of the war,
it was necessary to be cautious what paths we
pursued ; and while hesitating, two well-
dressed Turks rode by, who assured us the
one before us was safe to a certain distance.
Some tirae after dark, we came to the bank
of a stream, on which stood a solitary cottage
inhabited by an old man and his son. The
night was chill ; and dirty as the single apart
ment of the cottage seemed, we should have
been glad to have availed ourselves of it, but
no bribe could induce the peasant to adrait
us. We were therefore corapelled to pass a
comfortless night on the banks of the stream,
and by day-break proceeded over the plain,
cold and dispirited : our provisions were ex
hausted, and there was no prospect of finding
any entertainment by the way. Near the
summits of the mountains on our left were
scattered a few Arab tents, but they were too

ARAB CAMP. 369
fer off, and our reception was too uncertain to
make the atterapt
In about four or five hours we carae in sight
of an Arab carap, pitched near a rivulet of wa
ter in the middle of the plain, and flocks of
cattle were feeding on the rich pasture; the
large tent of the sheick was conspicuous in
the midst ; and we resolved to trust to their
hospitality. Riding past the line of tents, we
stopped at the door of the chief's, and alight
ing frora our horses entered. The Arabs gave
us a kind and friendly reception; we sat down
on a carpet spread on the floor, and in about
half an hour a repast was brought of boiled
rice, cakes of bread, and fresh and delicious
butter. These people are altogether a differ
ent race frora the Bedouins of the Desert;
they are richer, more civilized and peaceable :
having settled with their flocks and herds in
one of the rich and wild plains of Syria, they
decarap and wander to another in search of
fresh pasture. Their encarapments and their
journeyings probably present a vivid picture
of those of the patriarchs, who with their
" flocks, and herdraen, and caraels, went on
their journeys," until they pitched their tents
in a place that had water, and was rich in
pasture. While we were here, an officer ar-
2 B

370 LETTERS FROM THE EAST,
rived from the Prince of the Druses, with a
deraand of men from the Arabs for the war, as
they were within the bounds of his jurisdiction.
They looked very dissatisfied at this, and de
liberated on it while the officer was taking
some refreshment, and who, when he had re
ceived their answer, rose up and rode away.
We bade adieu to these friendly Arabs, who
would have considered any offer of remunera
tion as an insult.
By the way, the pipe of the Syrian shep
herds, playing the wild airs of the country,
was often heard in the raountains, and sounded
very sweetly. The country, however, through
which we were passing- was uninteresting.
Towards evening we again met and crossed
the Jordan, not far from its source : it was
here n«»t more than a foot in width : the course
of this river is for the most part perfectly
straight. In the plain near where Syria and
Palestine are said to join, it flows into a small
lake, and thence to the lake of Tiberias and
the Dead Sea ; it has scarcely a winding in its
course. We now began to wind up the steep hill, on
the top of which the town of Hasbeia stands.
Here again street ascends over street ; it is an
old and populous town, and the ancient palace

EFFECTS OF THE WAR. 371
of the great sheick, or Prince, is in the mid
dle. We took up our abode in the house of
one of the natives, and being very fatigued,
were delighted at the sight of a good fire, and
the busy preparations for supper. In this
house four brothers and their wives dwelt to
gether in harmony. In the night it rained
very hard, which put the roads into a dreadful
condition. We set out in the forenoon, and in the
course of a few hours the weather cleared up ;
the tract we travelled over bore marks of the
devastations of the war ; the fine village of
Rasheia, which we passed by, was destroyed :
this was the result of a battle fought a few
weeks before, in which five men had been
killed ; the force to which they belonged took
to flight, and the victors spread havock around
as they went on. In the great battle, which
was fought on the plain behind us a few days
after our passing, between the troops of Da
mascus and those of the Prince of the Druses,
joined with the force of Acre, .ten thousand
men were engaged on both sides, who fought
with the distant fire of rausquetry. Sixty of
the Damascenes were slain, on which the army
took to flight, and had the Acrians pushed on,
they might easily have entered the city.
2 B 2

372 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
At night we stopped in another large village,
part of which had been also destroyed. We
always found the Syrians very civil, and will
ing to afford the best accommodation in their
power. On entering the cottage of a peasant,
a fire is kindled on the floor, which is of wood
or earth ; eggs are always to be had, some
times fowls, and you spread your mattress
on the floor, and the people are thankful for
a sraall rerauneration.
The next raorning we were obliged to pass
the suraraits of some of the mountains, which,
as well as part of their sides, were covered
with snow. The mountain of Gibl Sheich,
crowned with snow, had for a day or two been
a sublime object on the right.
On the following day we set out early, im
patient to behold the celebrated plain of Da
mascus ; a large round mountain in front pre
vented us frora catching a glirapse at it, till,
on turning a point of the rock, it appeared
suddenly at our feet. Perhaps the barren and
dreary hills we had been for some days pass
ing, made the plain look doubly beautiful, yet
we stood gazing at it for some time ere we
advanced. The domes and minarets of the sa
cred city rose out of the heart of a forest of
gardens and trees, which was twelve miles in

PLAIN OF DAMASCUS. 373
circuraference. Four or five sraall rivers ran
through the forest and the city, glittering at
intervals in the sun; and to form that vivid
contrast of objects in which Asiatic so rauch
excels European scenery, the plain was encir
cled on three of its sides by mountains of light
and naked rocks.

374 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.

LETTER XIX.

After descending the mountain, we were
sorae time travelling through avenues of trees
and gardens before we entered the city. In
the course of the day, we went to the Spanish
Catholic convent, that contained a sraall nura
ber of fathers, who lived very corafortably;
but we had not come to Damascus to live in
convents, so in the course of two or three days
we procured excellent apartraents in the house
of a merchant, a Syrian of the Greek religion.
We stooped low to enter a mean door in the
street, and found ourselves in a court neatly
paved, containing orange and lemon trees, and
a fine fountain in the middle. On the right of
the fountain was an arched recess in the wall,
on the floor of which a divan was laid, and
here we took our coffee and pipe. A large
and lofty apartment opened into the court, the
lower part of which was floored with fine mar-

CITY OF DAMASCUS. 375
ble, with a small fountain playing in the
raidst ; the upper part was covered with car
pets and cushions. Our host had a faraily of
sweet children, and his wife, a rather young
and pretty woraan, would sometiraes insist on
attending us at table in spite of every remon
strance. The city of Damascus is seven miles in
circuraference ; the width is quite dispropor
tioned to the length, which is above two railes.
The walls of this, the most ancient city in
the world, are low, and do not inclose it more
than two thirds round. The street, still called
Straight, and where St. Paul is, with reason,
said to have lived, is entered by the road from
Jerusalem. It is as straight as an arrow, a
raile in length, broad, and well-paved. A lofty
window in one of the towers to the east, is
shown us as the place where the Apostle was
let down in a basket. In the way to Jerusalera
is the spot where his course was arrested by
the light from Heaven. A Christian is not al
lowed to reside here, except in a Turkish dress :
the Turks of Daraascus, the raost bigoted to
their religion, are less strict than in other parts
in sorae of their customs. The women are
allowed a great deal of liberty, and are met
with every evening in the beautiful prome-

376 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
nades around the city, walking in parties, or
seated by the river side. The women of the
higher orders, however, keep more aloof and,-
forra parties beneath the trees, and, attended
by one or two of their guardians, listen to
the sound of music. Most of them wore a
loose white veil, but this was often turned
aside, either for coolness, or to indulge a pas
senger with a glimpse of their features. They
had oftentiraes fair and ruddy coraplexions,
with dark eyes and hair, but were not reraark
able for their beauty. Woraen of a certain
description are often seen in parties, each
mounted on a good horse, well dressed and
unveiled, driving on with rauch gaiety and
noise, with a raale attendant to protect them
from insult. The fruits of the plain are of
various kinds, and of excellent flavour. Pro
visions are cheap, the bread is the finest to be
found in the East; it is sold every raorning
in sraall light cakes, perfectly white, and sur
passes in quality even that of Paris. These
cakes, with clouted creara, sold in the streets
fresh every raorning, the raost dehcious honey,
and Arabian coffee, formed our daily break
fast. This luxurious city is no place to perform
penance in; the paths around, winding through

CITY OF DAMASCUS. 377
the mass of woods and fruit-trees, invite you
daily to the most delightful rides and walks.
Summer-houses are found in profusion ; some
of the latter may be hired for a day's use, or
are open for rest and refreshment, and you sit
beneath the fruit-trees, or on the divan which
opens into the garden. If you feel at any tirae
satiated, you have only to advance out of the
canopy of woods, and mount the naked and
romantic heights of some of the mountains
around, araidst the sultry bearas of the sun,
and you will soon return to the shades and
waters beneath, with fresh delight.
Araong the fruits produced in Daraascus are,
oranges, citrons, and apricots of various kinds.
The raost exquisite conserves of fruits are
made here, amongst which are dried cakes of
roses. The celebrated plain of roses, from the
produce of which the rich perfume is obtained,
is about three miles from the town ; it is a
part of the great plain, and its entire area is
thickly planted with rose trees, in the cultiva
tion of which great care is taken. One of the
best tarts we ever tasted was composed of no
thing but rose leaves.
There are several extensive cemeteries around
the city : here the woraen often repair in the
morning to mourn over the dead : their various

378 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
ways of manifesting their grief were striking,
and some of them very affecting ; one widdw
was accompanied by her little daughter ; they
knelt before the tomb, when both wept long
and bitterly. Others were clamorous in their
laments, but the wailing of this mother was low
and heart-breaking ; some threw themselves
prostrate with shrill cries, and others bent over
the sepulchres without uttering a word. In
sorae of the cemeteries we often observed
flowers and pieces of bread laid on the tombs,
beside which the relations sat in silence.
The great bazaar for the reception of the ca
ravans at Damascus, is a noble building ; the
roof is very lofty, and supported by pillars ; in
the midst is a large dome. An immense foun
tain adorns the stone floor beneath, around
which are the warehouses for the various mer
chandize : the circular gallery above opens
into a number of chambers for the lodging of
the merchants.
The large mosque is a fine and spacious
building ; but no traveller is permitted more
than to gaze through the door as he passes
by. Its beautiful and lofty dorae and mi
naret forra a conspicuous object in every
view of the town. Many of the private
houses have a splendid interior ; but there is

CITY OF DAMASCUS, 379
nothing sightly in the part that fronts the
street. The passage of two or three of the
rivers through the town, is a singular luxury,
their banks being in general lined with trees,
and crossed by light bridges, where seats and
cushions are laid out for the passengers. The
bazaars are the raost agreeable and airy in the
East, where the richest silks and brocades of
the East, sabres, balsara of Mecca, and the pro
duce of India and Persia are to be found.
But one luxury, which Wortley Montague de
clared only was wanting to raake the Mussul
man life delightful, is scarcely to be found in
Damascus — good wine. The monks of the
convent have strong and excellent white wine ;
but a traveller must be indebted to their kind
ness, or go without. The numerous sherbet
shops in the streets are a welcorae resource
in the sultry weather. The sellers are well-
dressed, clean, and remarkably civil. Two or
three large vessels are constantly full of this
beverage, beside which is kept a quantity of
ice. The seller fills a vase with the sherbet
i.
that is coloured by some fruit, strikes a piece
of ice or snow into it, and directly presents it
to your lips.
Our abode was not far from the gate that
conducted to the most frequented and charra-

380 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
ing walks around the city. Here four or five of
the rivers meet, and forra a large and foaming
cataract, a short distance from the walls. In
this spot it was pleasant to sit or walk beneath
the trees; for the exciting sounds and sights
of nature are doubly welcome near an eastern
city, to relieve the languor and stillness that
prevail. A few coffee-sellers took their stand
here, and, placing small seats in the shade,
served you with their beverage and the chi
bouque. We often went to the pleasant village at
the foot of the raountain Salehieh ; one of the
strearas passed through it : alraost every house
had its garden ; and above the mass of foli
age, in the raidst of thera, rose the dorae and
rainaret of the raosque, and just beyond the
grey and naked cliffs. The finest view of the
city is to the right of this place : a light kiosque
stands partly up the ascent of the raountain,
into which adraission is afforded, and from its
cool and upper apartment, the prospect of the
city, its woods, plain, and mountains is indes
cribably rich and delightful. The plain in front
is uninclosed, and its level extent stretches to
the east as far as the eye can reach.
The place called the " Meeting of the Wa
ters," is about tive miles to the north-west of the

CITY OF DAMASCUS, 381
city. Here the river Barrady, which may be
the ancient Abana, being enlarged by another
river that falls into it about two miles off,
is divided into several streams, which flow
through the plain. The separation is the re
sult of art, and takes place at the foot of one
or two rocky hills, and the scene is altogether
very picturesque. The streams, six or seven
in nuraber, are sorae of them carried to water
the orchards and gardens of the higher
grounds, others into the lower, but all meet at
last close to the city, and forra the fine cataract.
The streets of Daraascus, except that called
Straight, are narrow ; they are all paved, and
the road leading out for some miles to the vil
lage of Salehieh, is all neatly paved with flat
sraooth stones, and possesses a good footpath.
Sraall rivulets of water run on each side, and
beside these are rows of trees, with benches
occasionally for the accoraraodation of passen
gers; near which is soraetiraes found a move
able coffee-seller, so that ease and refreshment
are instantly obtained. The houses of the city
are built for a few feet of the lower part with
stone, the rest is of brick.
The inhabitants dress raore richly than in
any other Turkish city, and raore warraly than
to the south, for the climate is often cold in

382 LETTERS FROM THE EAST,
winter ; and the raany strearas of water, how
ever rich the fertility they produce, are said to
give too great a humidity to the air. It would
be a good situation for an European physician ;
and Monsieur Chaboiceau, a Frenchraan, who
has resided here forty years, being now eighty
years old, appears to live in comfort and af
fluence, has good practice, and is much esteera
ed. The great sheick raountain, crowned with
snow, is a fine and refreshing object from the
city ; and large quantities of snow are often
brought from it for the use of the sherbet
shops, and the luxury of the more affluent
inhabitants. Every private house of any re
spectability is supplied with fountains, and in
some of the coffee-houses a jet d'eau rises to
the height of five or six feet, around which are
seats and cushions.
We passed our time very agreeably here.
In the evening sorae of the friends of our host
came to sit and converse, and we sometimes
rode into the plain, at the extremity of the
line of foliage. The nuraber of Christians in
the city is coraputed at ten thousand, natives
of the place, of which those of the Greek re
hgion are the most numerous, and there are
raany Catholics and Arraenians, They appear

CITY OF DAMASCUS, 383
to live in great comfort, in the full and undis
turbed exercise of their religion and their dif
ferent customs. The intolerance of the Turks
is raore in sound than in reality ; in all our in
tercourse with them we found thera polite,
friendly, and hospitable, and never for a moment
felt the least personal apprehension in their
territory, whether in towns or villages, or when
we met them in remote situations. They are
a generous and honourable people, and vindic-
tiveness and deceit are not in their nature.
The state of the Jews at this tirae in Damas
cus was particularly fortunate ; the minister of
the Pacha was one of their nation, and they
enjoyed the utmost freedom and protection.
Every evening they were seen amusing them
selves outside the walls with various pastimes,
and the faithful were looking on with perfect
complacency. One morning while walking about the city,
we heard the report of several cannon, to an
nounce the beheading of two commanders who
had taken flight along with their Jroops, at the
battle with the force of Acre and Lebanon a
few days before.
On our arrival in Daraascus, we had intend
ed to hire a separate residence, and were

384 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
recomraended to a rather affluent Turk, who
possessed one or two houses that were at
present vacant. He was a barber, and exhi
bited another proof of the respectability of this
class of people in the East, as is apparent in
the Arabian Nights. The old raan, extremely
well dressed, with a good length of beard,
was always found seated at his ease, smok
ing, or chatting with some of his friends. He
wished us to take a luxurious apartment of
his, situated on a terraced roof; it was pro
fusely gilded, and the cushions of its divan
were as white as snow, and it commanded a
superb view of the city and raountains. But
the barber's wife was bv far the more zealous
part of himself and protested with loud cla
mour, that infidels should never sully, the
purity and beauty of her divan ; and he ex
plained to us with sorrow, that after a warm
dispute, he was compelled to give way. He
told us that when Buonaparte and his army
were in Syria, he and many others of Daraas
cus, took arras and travelled a great distance
to fight with the Giaours for the honour of the
prophet. " They were full of zeal, and our
forces," said the old man, " soon had an ac
tion ; — we were beat, and I received a severe
wound ; and when they carried rae with thera

COFFEE-HOUSES IN DAMASCUS. 385
in the retreat, in an agony of pain I cried out,
* what had I to do with Giaours ? — go to
hell all the worid !' "
The greatest luxuries the city contains are
the coffee-houses ; many of these are built on
the bosom of the river, and supported by
piles. The platform of the coffee-house is
raised only a few inches above the level of
the stream ; the roof is supported by slender
rows of pillars, and it is quite open on every
side ; innuraerable sraall seats cover the floor,
and you take one of these and place it in the
position you like best ; the river, whose sur
rounding banks are covered with wood, rushes
rapidly by close to your feet. Near the coffee
houses are one or two cataracts several feet
high, with a few trees growing out of the river
beside thera ; and the perpetual sound of their
fall, and the coolness they spread around,
are exquisite luxuries in the sultry heat of
day. At night, when the laraps, suspended
frora the slender pillars, are lighted, and Turks
of different ranks, in all the varieties of their
rich costurae, cover the platform, just above
the surface of the river, on which, and on its
foaming waterfalls, the moonlight rests, and
the sound of music is heard, you fancy that if
2 c

386 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
ever the Arabian Nights' enchantments are to
be realised, it is here.
These cool and delightful places were our
daily and favourite lounge : they are resorted
to at all hours of the day. There are two or
three coffee-houses constructed soraewhat dif
ferently from the one just described. A low
gallery divides the platforra frora the tide ;
fountains play on the floor, which is furnished
with sofas and cushions ; and rausic and dan
cing always abound. Together with a pipe and
coffee, they bring you two or three delicious
cherbets, and fruit of sorae kind is also put
into the vase presented you. In the raiddle of
the river that rushed round one of these latter
caf6s, was a little island covered with verdure
and trees, where you raight go and sit for
hours without once desiring a change of place.
The Arabian story-tellers often resort here ;
their tales are frequently accorapanied by a
guitar ; the most eminent araong thera are
Arabs. There are a few small coffee-houses
more select, where the Turkish gentlemen often
go, from dinner-parties, and spend the day.
We paid a visit to the Catholic convent one
day, during which one of the Pacha's sons
came with a numerous retinue ; he looked at
the few curiosiries of the place, and fixed his

CATHOLIC ZEAL. 387
eyes on two large silver goblets, which put the
fathers in a fever lest he should take a fancy
to thera. One ofthe gentleraen who accorapa
nied hira, and who was his tutor, raade some
extempore poetry in praise of the establish
ment, and presented it to the superior, but it
was very dull. Among the fathers was a very
corpulent and zealous old man, who had an
uncoraraon desire to raake Michel a good
Catholic ; he invited him to his chamber one
evening, and having placed a bottle of ex
cellent cordial on the table, he began to
remonstrate with great earnestness on the
errors of the Greek church, in which the latter
was brought up ; who, listening with great
acquiescence, the bottle of cordial and the
conference were finished nearly at the same
tirae, both leaving the father not a little ele
vated with a sense of his own eloquence, for
Michel had not spared tears on the occasion.
The Pacha of Daraascus was a mild and
humane man, and the people appeared very
happy under his government. Th^ systera of
the Porte, however, of changing these officers
every three years, prevents any enduring
good effects being derived from the best ad
ministration. There are no spectacles or pub
lic amusements of any kind in the city ; the
2 c 2

388 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
pilgrimage to Mecca must do the Turks good
even in this life, if it only causes a vivid ex
citement in their rainds, and serves thera to
think of and, talk about all their life after. It
is a strong proof of their obedience and regard
to the prophet's laws, that araidst a life so
apathetic, and so raany hours of which are
consumed in devotion, they should have ex
isted more than twelve hundred years with
out the slightest inclination to idolatry, or
the smallest excitement to the senses in their
religion. What a contrast between the raind
and practice of the Turk and the Jew ! — the one
having enjoyed the knowledge of the true
faith, the other but the imitation of it : both
carried the conquering sword into idolatrous
nations : beth received the same solemn
warnings against iraitating thera, and yet what
a different result.
There are several charitable establishments
in the city, in which provisions are distributed
to the poor, and medicines to the sick : one of
these is a spacious and raagnificent building.
The Turkish gentleraen are very fond of riding
in their superb plains ; towards the east its vast
level affords a fine area, and walking is far
more practised here than in the capitals of
Egypt or Turkey, from the attractions, no

VILLAGE OF SALEHIEH. 389
doubt, of the promenades around the walls.
On the north-west is the fine and lonely moun
tain of Ashloon, near which passes the road
to Palrayra. We had an ardent desire to visit
this ruin ; but one or two serious obstacles
prevented it. The great nuraber of tall palra
and cypress trees in the plain of Damascus,
add much to its beauty, particularly in the vil
lage of Salehieh, where we spent some hours
in the handsome house of a rich man, who
allowed it to be hired during the day, for the
reception of strangers. The large saloon was
a beautiful apartraent, opening into a sraall
and delightful garden, through which ran a
cool and rapid streara. The windows looked
towards the plain and city ; some of the
houses, in the abundance of the luxury of
water, have small and handsorae reservoirs in
their gardens, whose sides are neatly walled
and shaded, and into which fountains play.
A good and handsorae house can be hired by
a traveller at a low rent; and this will be
found the raost independent an^ agreeable
raode of residence : the great drawback in
this, as in raost other oriental abodes, is the
want of society. In a visit of a few weeks
this cannot be felt ; but in a protracted stay
of years, as in a few instances, a man's soul.

390 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
as well as body, must be orientalized. Yet
who can leave the superb cliraates and scenes
of the East, without joining in the eloquent
and just laraent of Anastasius, when gazing
on them for the last time, as he sailed for Eu
rope to revisit them no more. Early asso
ciations also may contribute to the impas
sioned and romantic reraerabrances which an
eastern journey never fails to leave behind.
The transition from the garden to the wilder
ness — the shadow and repose of the tent in a
cheerless and buming plain — the desert foun
tain and palm — the kind welcome in the wild,
and the devotions of its people, offered up in
the stillness of its scenery — ^these are the living
and vivid pictures which delighted our early
imaginations, and the only ones nature pre
sented to the first ages of mankind, and to the
patriarchs and prophets who were the favour
ites of heaven.
The appearance of the Arabs who enter
the city is picturesque. We one day raet a
procession of chiefs, who had come from the
deserts on a visit of ceremony to the Pacha.
They were well mounted, and were mostly
slender men, with expressive features, and
piercing black eyes. Their cloaks were of cot
ton, with various coloured stripes, and they

COSTUME OF THE WOMEN. 391
wore light yellow turbans ; they seemed out
of place, and looked as if they would much
rather be making a dash at the city, than pay
ing a visit of ceremony.
The women are frequently seen walking
in the bazaars ; they universally wear a white
cloak, (which covers also the upper part of the
head like a hood) and shoes and slippers ; the
latter, as is the custom of the men, are worn
within the former, which are always left at the
door of the apartment. They often appear out
in small boots of yellow leather, and do not,
in the streets, seem quite such hideous fi
gures as in Stamboul and Cairo. The tunic,
or short vest, is often richly erabroldered ; in
winter if is of cloth, with an edging, even at
the wrists, of white fur ; the pantaloon inva
riably worn, is of silk, and fancifully adorned
or spangled, and fastened by a sash round the
inner vest ; over these is worn the robe. The
blue eye is unknown araong the Turkish ladies,
and a few of their jet black locks are gene
rally suffered to fall beneath the turban. Their
hands are beautifully small and white, and
adorned with rings, and bracelets also on the
wrists. No support to the bosom is ever used.
The dress altogether, although if hides much
of the symmetry and beauty of the figure.

392 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
gives it a grand and iraposing air, particularly
the elegant cashmere turban, of which Euro
pean ladies, if they possess it, spoil the effect
by not knowing how to put it on.
We now resolved to conclude our stay here,
and visit the ruins of Balbec ; and taking leave
of the kind family, at whose residence we had
passed so raany agreeable hours, we set out,
with a guide and horses, at an early hour, to
wards the mountains to the north of the city.

BALBEC. 393

LETTER XX.

On the surarait ofthe raountains we stopped
to take a farewell view of the celebrated plain
at our feet, and then advanced over a barren
tract till we came to a spot, watered by one
or two rivers, and shaded with trees. These
luxurious retreats are often resorted to by the
inhabitants of the city. The road afterwards
wound through wild and rocky defiles in the
mountains, and by the steep side of a rapid
torrent that flowed over its course beneath, till,
towards evening, we carae into a plain, and
parsed the night in the cottage of a peasant.
The next day was uncoraraonly fine, and we
pursued our way in good spirits. The aspect
ofthe country was raore agreeabfe than on the
preceding day, and the cottages were more
numerously scattered.
Soon after sunset we came to Zibolan^, a
large village finely situated, and surrounded

394 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
with groves, and a river ran through the
middle of it. The habitation of one of the
villagers was again our home ; they spread
their best mat on the floor, in the midst of
which the fire burned bright and cheerfully,
and prepared a good supper of fowls and
eggs, followed by coffee and the chibouque;
and we found the luxuries of Daraascus had
not spoiled our relish of this siraple and
friendly reception.
Deraetrie the Servant of Mr. G. was a
bigotted Greek, and true to his country,
though not a little of a rogue, and a great
gourraand. Every evening he said his prayers
to the Virgin, accorapanied with crossings,
which, after the Greek fashion, were drawn
from his chin to his middle ; and the constant
subject of his prayers was, that the Virgin
would give hira plenty to eat and drink, and
send hira horae safe to his faraily.
On the third day we carae to the ruins of
Balbec, which, being approached from Damas
cus, are not seen till you are almost close on
thera. The village adjoining is very mean,
and contains a few hundred inhabitants ; it
has a mosque and rainaret. This place was
situated just between the liraits of the rival

RUINS OF BALBEC. 395
pachas, and was under the jurisdiction of nei-
'ther. We raade our way to the wretched resi
dence of a Greek priest, who looked the pic
ture of squalidness and poverty, and resides
in this lonely spot to rainister to two or three
score of Christians. He drew a key out of his
pocket, and unlocked with great care a waste
and dark apartraent a few yards from his own.
We soon sallied out to visit the temple, but
were encountered about half way by the go
vernor or sheick of the village, who, with
much claraour, refused to allow us to proceed
till he understood who we were. We accord
ingly walked back, and in a short time he
raade his appearance at the priest's, accora
panied by an arraed soldier, and a nuraber of
the villagers gathered round. The sheick de
manded money for permission to see the ruins,
and after much altercation, and violent threats
on his side, the sum was reduced to twenty-
seven piastres, on receiving which, he went
away, and troubled us no more.
The sun set on the vast temple and the
mountains around it with indescribable gran
deur : the chain of Anti-Libanus in front was
covered with snow, and the plain, wild and
beautiful, stretched at its feet farther than the

396 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
eye could reach. The pigeons, of many co
loured pluraage, flew in clusters around the
ruined walls, at whose feet were a variety of
trees and flowers, araidst which ran a clear
and rapid stream. The outer wall that in
closes the great area of the building to the
north, is imraensely high, and about six hun
dred feet long ; the western wall is lower,
being more broken ; and mid-way of its height
are the three enormous stones, about sixty
feet long, and twelve wide. The teraple itself
is near one hundred and eighty feet in length,
and half that in width, and is surrounded by a
single row of pillars, forty-four in nuinber, nearly
sixty feet high, and twenty-six feet in circura
ference ; they are, as well as the teraple, of a
fine granite, of a light red colour ; their capi
tals are of the Corinthian order, of exquisite
workraanship, and are very little defaced ; in
deed, the entireness and preservation of the
decorations of this superb teraple are surpriz
ing. The architrave and cornice are beauti
fully carved ; three or four of these colurans,
separated frora the roof, recline against the
wall of the teraple; and on the south side, one
noble pillar has sunk from its position into the
clear and beautiful pool forraed by the foun-

RUINS OF BALBEC. 397
tain beneath the temple, against the body of
which half its length and rich capital still
support themselves.
The raagnificence of this corridor can
scarcely be iraagined ; its western aspect is
towards the plain, and at your feet lie raasses
of broken pillars, capitals, and friezes, over
which you must pass to approach the temple ;
from the north you look down on the vast area
within the walls, the sides of which are lined
with ruined charabers elegantly carved and
adorned, and nuraerous -niches for statues,
now, however, erapty. The south hangs over
the fountain and sheet of water below, in
whose bosora it is clearly reflected. The in
terior of the building is above a hundred and
twenty feet long, but is narrow in proportion
to its length. In the sides of the walls is a
double row of pilasters, and between these are
numerous niches where statues formerly stood.
In many parts of the teraple, around the place
of entrance, and on the roof of the corridor,
are sculptured in an exquisite raanner figures
of the heathen deities, of the e'agle with out
spread wings, &c. The roof of the interior is
entirely gone.
The hands of the natives have no doubt

398 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
coraraitted raany ravages here ; Faccardine,
prince of the Druses, destroyed or injured
several parts of these ruins, but when he
afterwards visited Italy and contracted a taste
for its architecture, he bitterly laraented the
sacrilege he had coraraitted at Balbec. The
Turks have, without doubt, used it as a forti
fication, as they have made additions to some
parts of the walls, and left many vestiges of
their barbarian architecture blended with the
colossal reraains of the temple.
About a hundred feet from this edifice is
a row of Corinthian pillars, rauch loftier and
raore slender than those of the great corri
dor ; they stand alone on an elevated site, and
their rich capitals and architrave are still en
tire. Six only now remain, and their appear
ance is peculiarly elegant On them the set
ting sun lingers the last of all the ruin, and
their slender and dark red shafts, beheld at
sorae distance in the purple light, as they
stand high and aloof, have a soleran and
shadowy appearance, — as if they stood on the
torab of forraer greatness.
On the south-east side, nearer to the vil
lage, is a sraall circular building of raarble,
richly ornaraented with sculpture, and sup
ported by pillars ; it is in a rather ruinous

RUINS OF BALBEC, 399
condition, but appears quite unconnected with
the raass of buildings adjoining : its roof, in
the forra of a dorae, though shattered, is still
standing. About a mile down the plain is the quarry
from which the enormous stones used in the
construction of Balbec were hewn; one still re
mains, the chief part smoothed and prepared
with great labour for building, but adhering
by one of its sides to the native rock : it is of
a coarse granite, and its dimensions are much
superior to either of the three great stones
in the middle of the wall. The labour of re
moving such enorraous masses, and then of
elevating them to so great a height, raust have
been immense ; how the latter could have
been achieved is marvellous, A few of the
smaller pillars appear to be of a solid piece of
coarse raarble ; but the large colurans are
coraposed of three or four pieces of the native
raaterial. Covered galleries, several hundred feet in
length, the walls of prodigious thickness, are
hollowed beneath the teraple. The interior of
the temple was divided into three aisles, but
most of the pillars which forraed thera are
destroyed : at the upper end, a few steps lead
to the altar, or sacred place, but the idol

400 LETTERS FROM TIIE EAST,
formerly adored here is gone from its place,
which, however, is adorned with a variety of
beautiful sculpture. Exposed as this roofless
teraple has been for so raany ages to every
storra, it is surprising the decorative parts of
it have not suffered raore ; but the shafts of
raany of the pillars without, which face the
north-east, have been rent and hollowed in
sorae parts.
At Balbec, as at other eastern ruins, a tra
veller must luxuriate on the pleasures of ima
gination, for he will get no luxury more
substantial. The darkness and misery of the
good father's habitation were extrerae ; his
hair hung long and bushy like that of a San
ton ; and his whole garb and person looked as
if water had long been a stranger to thera.
He stood in extreme fear of the Turkish go
vernor. Before sunrise in the morning we were at
the ruin, and the spectacle soon was magnifi
cent : as the purple light covered the snowy
raountains in front, the line of vapour at their
feet had so entirely the appearance of a river,
that we could not, for some tirae, persuade
ourselves it was not so. The description in
Lalla Rookh of the plain and its ruins is ex
quisitely faithful ; the rainaret is on the de-

DEPARTURE FROM BALBEC, 401
clivity near at hand, and there wanted only
the muezzin's cry to break the silence. The
golden light now rested on the six lone and
beautiful pillars, and gradually sunk on the
temple and the various portals and broken
masses that crowded the area around it.
We left Balbec towards evening, and pro
ceeded over the extensive plain : which, in a
few hours, afforded some pleasing scenes of
villages and cultivated fields around them.
We then again ascended the hills ; the road
became barren and wild ; and the light had for
some tirae left us when we arrived at a long
and straggling raountain-village, the inhabit
ants of which were very civil and friendly —
We were accoramodated in a hut, which, how
ever, was very clean, and the walls white
washed. The wine which the good fathers of
the monastery had given us, had been finished
long since, and we were fain to raake some
wretched stuff the villagers brought serve as a
substitute. Nurabers of the people crowded
around us, and the fumes of their eternal pipes
filled the apartraent.
Before sunrise we quitted the village, and
ascended some of the loftiest parts of Leba
non. The clouds gathered around us, the air
became very chill ; and about mid-day we
2 D

402 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
reached a lonely habitation, in the rocky path,
and were glad to find a fire kindled, and the
cup of coffee ready to be offered. How could
these people have lived before the discovery
of this beverage, the elixir, the universal solaqe,
the champaigne of the East? In the raost
desolate khan it is put to your lips, and it is
considered strange if you ever pass by and
refuse it.
As the clouds dispersed at intervals, glirapses
of wild and varied scenery were enjoyed ; re
gions of rocks and precipices, mingled villages,
and an abundant verdure. In the evening we
arrived at a sraall and wretched khan, that
had previously been taken possession of by a
caravan that had halted just before. After
much altercation and difficulty, we procured
room to lie down and sleep ; and the morning
light was welcome that awoke us to pursue our
journey to Beirout. The path now became
more rich and verdant ; and, descending a
steep and narrow road, we beheld with joy
the harbour and sweet gardens of the town
far beneath.
Proceeding to the residence of Mr. A. the
Consul, we received a warra and hospitable
reception ; and spent a few days with hira
with great pleasure. We still entertained sorae

LADY H. S. 403
thoughts of visiting Palrayra ; but the war was
kept up between the Pachas with raore ani
mosity than ever : two or three times we had
met bodies of soldiers in the service of the
Prince of the Druses, proceeding to the scene
of action. They were well arraed, but raarch
ed in a turaultuous raanner ; it was indeed a
mockery of warfare, but the effects fell heavily
on the poor peasantry, as on one occasion we
saw near two thousand sheep collected to
gether, plundered from the natives by orders
of the Prince of Acre. It was said that the
Porte, wearied with the excesses of this young
tyrant, had sent the Capidg^ Bashi for his
head, but like his ancestor-Djezzar, he kept on
his guard, and refused to see the messenger.
In the midst of these disorders. Lady S — • —
remained perfectly secure ; no hand ever dared
move against her tranquillity, or breath of re
proach be raised. The raissionaries hoped to
enlist her in their cause, and powerful indeed
would have been her interference ; but from
some unfortunate casualty, or misunderstand
ing, the minister for the conversion of the
Jews incensed her beyond forgiveness. Her
favour in this land is better than the smiles of
princes, but not so her anger. She ordered
the servant of the missionary to be roundly
2 D 2

404 LETTER.'? FROM THE EAST.
chastised by her dragoman, and wrote to his
master a letter, which comraenced thus : " It
is astonishing that you should have dared to
direct your steps to ray residence ; you, who
have left a religion sublime, though defective,
for that which is only a shadow." He was the
son of a Rabbi, but had embraced Christianity.
In this war of the Pachas, the Greeks have
been great sufferers. Many who had fled frora
the Morea, as well as those who dwelt in the
country, had placed their effects for better se
curity in sorae of the convents in the raoun
tains. The chiefs of Acre and the Druses,
having intelligence of this, sent some bodies of
soldiers, who, in spite of the remonstrances of
the raonks, carried off all the booty, which
was very rich.
We found an acquaintance, Mr, J, the
English merchant, from Smyrna, in great trou
ble. His servant, a Greek, and quite a youth,
was a good-looking fellow, and had grown a
great favourite with sorae of the single, and
sorae of the raarried woraen of the place, and to
support his expenses, he plundered his raaster
during his absence in Damascus, and dashed
away to his heart's content. Not long after,
he was arrested, and lodged in prison ; one or
two Moslems persuaded him to change his re-

RELIGIOUS ENTHUSIASM, 405
ligion. He forthwith assuraed the turban, and
with it his liberty ; and in his new dress was
seen walking about the streets, free from all
inquisition for his knavery, and his prospects
brighter than ever.
The custom which the women of Lebanon
have had from time immemorial, of wearing
a silver horn on their heads, does not extend
to Beirout : this horn is often a foot and half
high, with a variety of uncouth figures carved
on it, and it is fastened by a silken string.
They generally carry their veils over it, and
let them fall on one side of the face, which has
a graceful and theatrical appearance.
A circumstance took place here that araused
us a good deal. A genteel, but rather wild-
looking young Swiss one day carae to the con
sul's : he appeared very fatigued and care
worn, and happy to find a place of refuge, for
he was just arrived frora the mountains. The
history of this poor gentleman affords a strik
ing picture of religious enthusiasm in its high
est excess. He had been, he said, a great
profligate in his own country, but had been
reclaimed by the preaching of the celebrated
Madarae Krudener, and soon after considered
it his duty to go and preach the gospel in the
lands frora which it was first promulgated : in

406 LETTERS FROM THE EAST,
fine, to turn the Arabs and the Orientals in ge
neral to Christianity. He landed at Alexandria,
and his raoney being exhausted, Mr, Lee, the
consul, gave hira a sraall supply. With this he
found his way by sea to Acre, and then wan
dered up the country towards the raountains.
He found no one who cared to listen to his ad
dresses, or to show hira hospitality; owing,
perhaps, to two reasons, that his finances were
low, and that he knew not a word of the lan
guage; the latter he intended quickly to
acquire. But one fine afternoon he came to a
grove of trees in sorae part of Lebanon, in one
of which was a girl gathering fruit. She was
either handsorae, or her dress attracted his at
tention ; and, being very near-sighted, he stood
at the foot of the tree with his spectacles on,
gazing intently up;?vards. The girl, who had
never seen a pair of spectacles before, became
alarmed, and cried out ; when two young men,
who were at work not far off, came up, and
charged hira with using magical arts on the
girl, as they had observed his spectacles and
fixed gaze. They beat him unmercifully, and
plundered him of all the raoney he had left ;
and in this plight he found his way to the con
sul at Beirout, We persuaded hira to quit his
projects of evangelizing the natives, and turn

EUSEBIUS, 407
his face homewards without delay ; and being
reinforced with a little cash, this young enthu
siast set off next day, and we afterwards heard
he had reached Alexandria, but whether he
bent his course back to Switzerland, and
finally relinquished his plans, we never learned.
This was a premature and unsuccessful at
tempt ; but too much caution cannot be used
in the efforts, now so general and adraired, of
reclaiming the people of the East from their
errors and superstitions. The cunning and
knavery of the Syrians will often prove an
overmatch for the sirapiicity of the raissionary.
Father T, in Jerusalera, is one proof of this ;
and there were two brothers of Mount Leba
non, clever and designing fellows both of them,
who agreed to be baptized, and becorae use
ful agents, on the proraise of some hundred
pounds, to be paid them by a wealthy and
zealous supporter of the cause. The noted
Eusebius, bishop of Mount Lebanon, came to
England about six years ago to set forth the
dark and distressed state of the^ Syrian chris
tians : he was chaperoned through many of the
colleges at Oxford, by one of the masters ; and
was made much of by some ministers, though
mistrusted by others. His short stature, his
red hair and beard, were any thing but prepos-

408 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
sessing; but he interested the feelings and
hopes of numbers, by his affecting details of
the desolation of his country, and finally set
off with a capital printing-press for printing
copies of the Testament, and about eight hun
dred pounds in money. When we were at
Sidon, we found that this eastern dignitary
was living in a style of excessive comfort, and
to his heart's content, at a few hours' distance.
With this money, which was a fortune in the
East, he has purchased a good house and gar
den ; not one farthing had ever gone to reno
vate the condition of the Christians of the
East, and the printing-press, or some fragments
of it, were known to have found their way to
Alexandria, A Roman Count, signor  , arrived at
Beirout a few days ago. He carae all the way
frora Rome, for the sole object of seeing Bal
bec. At the age of seventy, and without any
companion, the poor old raan had need of all
his enthusiasra to support him under the
fatigues of the journey. He had landed first
at Cyprus, where he was almost immediately
seized with a fever, that confined him two
months. As soon as he was recovered, he
took passage for Beirout, and arrived in safety.
His conversation was full of energy and fire

PRINCE OF THE DRUSES, 409
when speaking of the ruined temple he was
about to visit, which he looked forward to
with the same delight and hope as the pilgrim
of the Desert does to the holy dorae of Mecca.
He set out in a few days ; but we left Beirout
too early to know if his journey was pros
perous or not, or whether any of the straggling
detachments of soldiery had intercepted him.
My old acquaintance W. had less of the
spirit of curiosity, who spent three weeks at
Cairo, and never went to see the pyraraids.
But his enthusiasra and zeal were directed to
a different object. He set out one raorning
from Beirout in a deluge of rain, contrary to
our persuasion, to climb the heights of Leba
non, in order to try to raake a good Christian
of the Prince of the Druses, The latter, " all
things to all men," received him with much
civility, listened attentively to his impassioned
discour.se, and assented, with looks of gravity
and wisdom, to the perfect truth of it. He
drank coffee and smoked the chibouque with
his guest, and ordered dinner to be prepared
for hira, W, left the palace with feelings
little short of rapture at the success of his
visit, and travelled over the rocky paths and
defiles of the mountain for a long time, till he
lost his way. It was an evening in January,

410 LETTERS FROM THE EAST,
and it quickly became dark ; the rain fell in
torrents, and the wind blew with extreme vio
lence, when the guide perceived the light of
a solitary cottage amidst the wild acclivities.
Fatigued, and drenched to the skin, W, found
a friendly reception frora the owner, who was
a Maronite, and who soon spread before him
some coarse fare. Another traveller, who
chanced to be a Greek raonk, soon after ar
rived ; and the trio assembled with great good
will round a fire that burned cheerfully in the
middle of the floor. It so happened, that the
subject of religion, and the state of the
churches in the East, was introduced : it was
throwing down the gauntlet. The Maronite
maintained the superior purity of his own doc
trines—the Greek treated hira as little better
than a schismatic — and W. forgetting in a
raoraent his extrerae fatigue and exhaustion,
descanted with great earnestness on the un
happy errors in which they were both involved.
The storm, that raged furiously without, inter
rupted thera not, and hour after hour fled
away, till the dawn of raorning, ere they
thought of retiring to rest ; and he complained
on his return, of the obstinacy and difficulty
of conviction of his fellow travellers.
The snow still rested on the interior suraraits

CARMEL. 411
of Lebanon; around which the air was ex
tremely cold, and the habitations few. " The
forests, the cedar trees, the glory of Lebanon,"
as scripture speaks of them, have, in a great
raeasure, disappeared, to make way for innu
merable plantations of vines. No mountain
in or around Palestine, retains its ancient
beauty so rauch as Carmel. Two or three vil
lages, and some scattered cottages, are found
on it ; its groves are few, but luxuriant : it is
no place for crags and precipices, or " rocks
of the wild goats," but its surface is covered
with a rich and constant verdure. In one of our
visits to it, we had wandered for the whole day,
and arrived late and fatigued at a cottage, that
promised the rudest fare and lodging. But we
were agreeably disappointed, when the dirty
floor of the naked apartment was covered with
a small but handsome carpet and cushions,
and a repast, consisting of delicious honey and
clouted creara, as used in the wpst of England,
was set before us, with coffee and the pipe,
and the whole was seasoned with the kindest
welcorae. This was a convincing proof that
all was not barren in the land of promise, and
that the traveller's step is not repulsed from
its inhospitable doors.

412 LITTERS FROM THE EAST.

LETTER XXI.

Our second residence at Beirout was much
raore agreeable than the former, as the weather
was now uniformly fine and clear, without any
oppressive heat. The cliraates of Italy and
Greece are both very inferior to that of the
coast of Syria ; which is free from the severe
and frequent changes of the former, and the
extreme cold which winter often gives to the
latter. The rainy season, which lasts only a
few weeks, is the only inconvenience a travel
ler experiences on the Syrian coast ; and very
many lives would no doubt be annually saved,
if a portion of the consumptive patients so
constantly sent to the South of France and
Italy, where the often piercing winds hurry
thera to the grave, were landed in this healthy
country. The recluses of the convents, so thickly
scattered over Mount Lebanon, have reason to

EMIR BUSHEER. 413
bless their lot : the taste they have shown in
the choice of many of their situations, is admi
rable ; the raost extensive and superb scenery,
both of sea and land, is at their feet. The
great nuraber of old men you see in this re
gion proves the healthiness of the air. Among
the Druses, in particular, the many fine and
venerable figures arrest the admiration of the
traveller. Emir Busheer, the prince of the Druses, has
decided the event of the war between the Pa
chas, by the numerous hardy troops he has sent
into the field. This raan is a crafty and am
bitious prince ; and though now old, maintains,
by his criraes and his policy, an extensive
and arbitrary power. In the quarrels of the
Turkish Pachas with each other, his aid is
anxiously sought by both. But this tirae the
young Pacha of Acre had bribed hira with a
beautiful handjar, whose hilt was studded
with diaraonds, and a sura of raoney, to send
ten thousand of his mountain-troops into the
field to his assistance. We often raet these
troops, on foot or on horseback, proceeding to
the scene of action : they accosted us civilly,
and were much better company to meet than
the soldiers of Acre, who always looked as
if they longed to plunder us. Indeed, where

414 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
raen are so much in the habit of cutting off
noses, ears, and heads, at the fancy of their
master, a taste for violent deeds is not to be
wondered at. A woman one morning, during
our stay at Acre, seeing the soldiers enter with
the heads of some unfortunate fellows they
had killed, upbraided thera with their cow
ardice and cruelty, in raurdering the innocent
peasants, and producing their heads as those
of their eneraies, in order to gain the offered
reward. This was no doubt the truth. The
round nuraber of piastres which was the price
for every head of an enemy, made raany a
guiltless cottager lose theirs.
The Emir Busheer was very fond of the
English, and talked a great deal, when we
visited him, of Sir Sydney Sraith, in whose
ship he had sailed several days on a cruise,
and was quite delighted with the frank and
generous spirit of the commander : the novelty
of the expedition had left an ineffaceable ira
pression on his raind. Of Lady H. S. he has
the raost unqualified admiration. She for
merly came sometiraes to visit hira, and spring
ing frora her Arab horse, walked without cere
raony into the palace, with her riding-whip in
hand, and in her Maraeluke dress. The old
raan received the queen of the East, as she has

LADY H. S. 415
been naraed, with delight. " Come, my child,"
he said, " to visit me whenever it is your
pleasure : use no ceremony with me, for my
palace is your home, and your presence is to
me as the light of the sun." The regard and
respect paid to this lady by the chiefs of the
East, both old and young, the powerful as
well as the weak, are invariable. The Cadi
at Beirout spoke of her with a veneration next
to what he would have used when naming the
Prophet or the Sultan. The young Pacha of
Acre, desperate and lawless, filling the country
around with bloodshed and exactions of every
kind, pays instant deference to a billet of
her's. It is not boundless wealth that creates
their adrairation ; for her income, till a hand
some legacy was left her about three years
ago, did not exceed 1500/. a year. It is not
the fascination of beauty that operates so pow
erfully on the natives of the East ; for her per
son is plain and masculine, and her character
pure and unspotted. Inquire of a Turk re
specting her conduct, and he will lift up his
hand and declare her uniformly to be the
most noble, virtuous, and excellent of wo
men. Already in the vale of life, and in a
state of " single blessedness," she cannoti con
template with temper the joys of domestic

416 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
union ; and like our maiden queen of ex
cellent memory, she has the most sovereign
dislike to see any of her followers or attend
ants yoked together in raatriraony.
A young raan of Beirout, with whom we
were acquainted, of the name of Massad,
served her ladyship in the quality of drago
man. He was very clever, had been in Eng
land, and spoke its language well ; he was
eraployed to do all the comraissions for Ma
rilius in the neighbouring towns ; and know
ing the rogueries of his countryraen, was very
useful to the establishraent. He was very
good-looking, and well-inforraed ; and having
handsorae wages, with not a great deal to
do, found his place rauch to his satisfaction.
The only European in the establishment was a
Miss W. a companion and dependant of her
ladyship's. All the English servants had been
shipped off, bag and baggage, with little warn
ing, a good while before ; as their mistress
found their English tastes and habits so ill
accorded with her Arab ones, and gave her so
much annoyance, that she sent thera all horae,
deterraining never to have an English servant
again. It so happened, and it was perfectly
natural, that young Massad and the young
lady formed an attachment for each other;— in

MASSAD AND MISS W. 417
her isolated situation there was no otiier
object possessed of the least attraction, save
the Arab scheik or the Turkish gentleman,
who sometimes came to Marilius to pay their
homage to its raistress ; but they spoke a
strange language, and their raanners were too
oriental for English feelings. Confiding too
rauch in their raistress's indulgence, Massad
and the young Iqdy were iraprudent enough to
request her approbation of their attachraent,
and her consent to their being united and still
retaining their situations under her roof This
announceraent kindled at once her indigna
tion : the too sanguine dragoraan was bereaved
of his sabre, which he had received as a pre
sent, and instantly dismis.sed his office and the
house, with, however, a handsome present ; —
and the unfortunate Miss W- felt her resi
dence afterwards less enviable than it had
formerly been.
Pale and dispirited, reraoved from all so
ciety congenial to her wishes and feelings, her
situation was not to be envied ; but ere twelve
months had elapsed, the scene at Marilius
looked more cheerful ; old grievances were
forgotten ; the dragoraan was recalled to his
situation, and "the clouds of displeasure no
longer sat heavy on the brow."
2 E

418 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
The desire of sorae travellers to see the in-
raate of Marilius has been so strong as to
induce thera to brave the danger of a repulse.
A Gerraan baron, faraed for his knowledge
of horses, in which he prided himself much,
begged the honour of an interview ; her lady
ship only replied by ordering the groom to
lead out her stud of horses for his inspection.
An unfortunate quarrel with an eminent Eng
lish traveller, who spent some weeks at her
house, is assigned, and perhaps justly, as the
cause of her closing her doors against her
countrymen. His opinion respecting her pre
sent habits of life was too unguardedly ex
pressed after he had quitted her residence ;
and his satirical observations, finding their
way to England, and being thence corarau-
nicatedj to Marilius, deterrained its owner
to adrait no raore of her injudicious coun
tryraen. Her residence in this country was entirely
the effect of accident : the vessel in which she
sailed, being shipwrecked on the coast, she was
so rauch struck with the beauty of the country
and cliraate, as to resolve to make it her resi
dence. Had she foreseen that a few years
would rob her of her hardihood of body and

LADY H. S. 419
daring of mind, and confine her, nervous and
dispirited, to the solitude of Marilius, she
surely would never have made it her place of
refuge. What resting-place can such a spot
be for her powerful mind, that once took part in
the highest councils of the state, during her
residence with her uncle, and exercised, it is
said, no sraall influence on the destinies of
Europe ? It was perhaps the total change in
her situation caused by the death of that great
minister ; the passing from his society and con
fidence to that of other spirits, who assirailated
but little with her own raasculine and capri
cious mind ; and also her not being on cordial
terms with many of the merabers of her fa
mily, joined to her passion for enterprise and
travel, that led her altogether to withdraw
from a world whose smiles were now in part
changed into coldness and indifference. On
much of the society in which she then mingled,
comprising the most talented and elevated cha
racters of the day, she sometiraes takes plea
sure in dwelling, in terras either of keen satire
or of unqualified eulogy. Her eloquence in
conversation is considerable, when she is ani
mated by the subject, though her voice is nei
ther very melodious nor feminine ; and when
2 E 2

420 LETTERS FROM THE EAST,
roused, which is but rare, to anger, it may be
said (in the eastern expression) that " her
wrath is terrible."
An Englishman whora we knew at Beirout,
was fortunate enough to obtain an interview,
on account of his being intimate with a rich
Turk, who had long been a friend and visitor
of her ladyship's. The Turk wrote to request
the honour, and it was immediately granted.
The Englishman returned to Beirout the next
day, perfectly delighted. He had arrived at
Marilius in the evening, and was served with
supper by the numerous retinue, according to
the English style, with a table, knives, forks,
&c. His turban was arranged by the major
domo in the Mameluke style, and about eleven
at night he was introduced to her ladyship.
She was reclining on a sofa, extremely well,
but plainly dressed in the Turkish fashion,
with a red shawl turban on her head, slippers
on her feet, a handsorae sash round her
waist, over which was a loose robe.
She conversed very affably, particularly on
the state of the country, filled at this tirae with
discord and bloodshed by the war between the
two Pachas. She spoke of it in terms of ap
prehension and uneasiness, and dissuaded hira
strongly frora prosecuting his journey to the

LADY H, S. 421
Syrian capital, and expressed her belief that
the Turkish erapire was hastening rapidly to
destruction ; but gave, or procured him, how
ever, letters for the Pacha of Daraascus, which
were afterwards of the highest service to hira.
Few prospects can be raore lonely and rae-
lancholy than the one before her, of passing
the reraainder of her life, and closing it, in a
country perpetually torn by tumults, plunders,
and deeds of cruelty, with not a friend to con
fide in, not one bosora of affection to lean on
for corafort or sympathy. Of all the ordi
nances of the Christian religion, an inhabitant
of this country is of course obliged to live en
tirely destitute. In her conversation with the
Englishman, she discovered the most inti
mate knowledge of the various governments
of the East, and of their wayward policy.
The interview lasted several hours; the
latter part of it, however, was a raute one on
the part of the visitor, for the conversation
happened to turn on the policy of England, as
directed by her idolized uncle. She instantly
drew, with enthusiasm, a vivid and beautiful
picture of that individual, such a one as it was
impossible to wish to interrupt. Start but
this subject, indeed, in her company, and you
may fold your arms, and sit in a posture of

422 LETTERS FROM THE EAST,
fixed attention for a couple of hours, while a
torrent of eloquence pourtrays the designs,
the powers, and virtues of that exalted spirit.
The greater part of her long night as she
never retires to rest till five in the morning,
is occupied with reading, or with her nuraerous
correspondence; for like all recluses, though
cut off frora the world, its news is still dear
to her. Even in the intelligence and petty
events of the surrounding neighbourhood, she
often takes a lively interest.
Like Christina of Sweden, conscious of the
powerful resources of her own mind, she
looks on the scenes of past gaiety or dig
nity with little regret ; and regards with the
same disdain the manners and tastes of most
of her own sex, whom she considers as in a
too dependant, weak, and unimportant con
dition of society. Few of them, indeed, pos
sess her strength of nerve, or capacity of en
during fatigue : an adrairable horse-woraan
herself, it was long before she could persuade
her English companion to ride d I'amazon,
though she assured her, if she did not, she
would quickly break her neck in the rugged
mountain paths. This nearly chanced to be
the case one day. Miss  narrowly
escaped being thrown over a precipice, and

LADY H, S, 423
•
ever since conforms to the eastern fashion.
An Arab chief who, during one of her journeys
through the desert pursued her with his party
for fifteen hours, with scarcely any halt, could
not overtake her. The quarrel being after
wards made up between this tribe and the
one that conducted Lady S, in a subsequent
journey, they again encountered in the desert :
her ladyship instantly rode up to the scheik,
and deraanded in an authoritative tone, how
he dared pursue her on the forraer occasion,
or presume to think of taking her. The Arab
chief replied, that he well knew her rank,
and that had he made so illustrious a pri
soner, he expected to have obtained a large
ransom, but that her speed had entirely dis
appointed him.
On one of the days of her residence at Pal
myra, she gave a kind of f6te to the Bedouins.
The great scheik, with his tribe of Palmyrene
Arabs, constantly resides at the ruin : their
habitations are fixed near the great temple;
they are very well disposed, and civil in their
manners, and their young woraen are remark
able above all the other tribes for their beauty.
It was a lovely day, and the youth of both
sexes, dressed in their gayest habiliments,
were seated in rows on the fragments of the

424 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
pillars, friezes, and other ruins with which the
ground was covered. Her ladyship, in her
eastern dress, walked araong thera, addressed
thera with the utraost affability, and ordered
a dollar to be given to each. As she stood,
with all that Arab array, araidst the columns
of the great teraple of the sun, the sight
was picturesque and iraposing ; and the Be
douins hailed her, with the utraost enthusiasm,
queen of Palmyra, queen of the desert ! and in
their enthusiasm, would have proceeded to
confer raore decided raarks of sovereignty ; but
they were declined. They speak of her now
with the utraost veneration and respect. They
also retain another raark of her bounty, one
which, out of regard for her countrymen, she
might well have spared. The great scheik
received frora her a paper, in her hand-writing,
in which she directs hira to deraand a thousand
piastres of every traveller who visits the ruin.
The scheik never fails to enforce this counsel,
and displays the paper, with the addition, that
the great lady, the queen, said that the Eng
lish travellers were rich, and that they ought
to pay well for the privilege of seeing Palmyra.
This enormous tax, which it is impossible to
escape, causes several travellers to leave Sy
ria without seeing the finest ruin in the world.

EXTORTION AT PALMYRA, 425
One, indeed, of no small eminence, absolutely
refused to pay it, telling the scheik, who drew
the raandate frora his bosora, that the great
lady had no right whatever over his purse, and
that she showed little wisdora in leaving such
a raandate in his hands. He passed four days
at Palrayra, and would hav^e left it as wise as
he carae, if he had not raade a corapromise
with the chief, and consented to pay half the
sura. The Arabs, though they would not per
sonally injure hira, did not suffer hira to leave
the hut, and at last placed sorae wood and
faggots round the walls, and, setting thera on
fire, filled the habitation of the traveller with
such clouds of sraoke, that he could neither
breathe nor see, and was obliged to give way.
This injudicious and needless written raandate
from the noble visitor to the chief, will, no
doubt, be handed down from scheik to scheik
for many generations ; and travellers for cen
turies to come will be doomed to see the
ominous scroll produced, and the thousand
piastres demanded, with the coraraent that it
was given to their forefathers by the great
lady frora beyond the sea.
The old Arab soothsayer, or raagician, who
sometiraes visits Marilius, is a singular being ;
his appearance, with his long beard and so-

426 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
leran and venerable aspect, being rather equi
vocal. He either deludes hiraself or his pa
troness, perhaps both, for his prophecies of
oriental grandeur and dorainion have, not
seldom, been willingly received. There is lit
tle doubt that her restless and romantic raind
at tiraes dwelt with pleasure on the idea of a
power to be established in the East, of which
she was to be the raistress : — a large fleet was
to corae frora afar to aid this conquest, and
her sceptre was to wave with equal glory to
that of Zenobia who defended Palrayra. The
Arab soothsayer has obtained considerable
farae by his prophecy of the destruction of
Aleppo by an earthquake, twelve months be
fore it took place. The particulars of this
prophecy, and the very words in which it was
couched, have appeared in a religious publica
tion a few months ago : they were very em
phatic, and full of denunciations of wrath and
terror, and struck a missionary who was at
Aleppo at the tirae with all the force of truth.
But superstition is the frequent weakness of
powerful rainds ; the two first literary charac
ters of the present day believing, it is said, in
second sight. But the belief in nativities, or
the influence of the stars, which is a promi
nent part of the creed of the noble owner of

MARILIUS. 427
Marilius, is, perhaps, still raore precarious and
unsatisfactory. Yet this research is pursued
with eager interest and curiosity, and fills up
raany a solitary hour both by day and night.
The particular star under whose influence
sorae of her friends have been born has been
inquired after with avidity, and one who filled
at that tirae a high diplomatic situation in the
East at a considerable distance, told me he
was intreated by letter to coraraunicate what
star chanced to preside over his birth.
The tranquil and elevated site of Marilius,
once a raonastery but now converted into
a handsome dwelling, is to be envied on a
bright and beautiful night, such an one as is
so often beheld in the East ; the heavenly
bodies, shining with excessive brilliancy, ap
pear almost the only living and awakening- ob
jects around. No huraan habitation,is nigh ;
the plain and town of Sidon are at a dis
tance below, and no footstep dares approach
the spot, except sent on a special embassy or
comraunication. Indeed, three and twenty
Arab servants, alraost wholly men, are a re
tinue too formidable to be trifled with; and
with the numerous "stud of blood Arabian
horses, raight forra an escort fit for a Pacha,
These horses have either been purchased or

428 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
sent as presents by the Arab chiefs : a present
not unprofitable to the owner, as the Bedouin
who brings the courser is rewarded with a
douceur of a thousand piastres. The genero
sity, indeed, of Lady H, S, knows no bounds,
and is prodigiously admired by the Arabs,
among whom it is considered a cardinal virtue.
Extremely abstemious in her own habits, with
a little tea and dry bread for breakfast, and
some sonp, with (the furthest that her luxury
extends) a boiled chicken for dinner, the resi
dence contains a store of the choicest wines
and delicacies for her visitors. With the Arab
scheik she sips coffee and smokes a pipe,
seated on the carpet, and converses with ori
ental aniraation. The rich arras that are at
tiraes sent as presents to the various chiefs, are
most acceptable to them ; they prefer those of
Englan^ to their own manufacture, but they
look cold on them, except they are embossed
in gold or silver. Large chests, full of English
pistols and other arras, richly ornaraented, are
sometimes sent to Marilius ; one was waiting
shipment at Alexandria a few months before
for the same place, and was to be accora
panied by a collection of tea-cups and saucers
frora that port, as the old stock was nearly
exhausted.

LADY H. S. 429
As raay be imagined. Lady H. S, is not very
popular with the few European ladies settled
in the East, One of them, a resident at
Sidon, asserted that those peculiar manners
and habits would lose half their charra to their
possessor, if they ceased to excite notoriety.
That she chanced to reside once for sorae
weeks in the sarae house with her ladyship ;
and never manifesting the slightest curiosity
or interest respecting her, the former became
uneasy and displeased, and raade many and
pointed inquiries who the stranger was. This
was a Frenchwoman's tale, prompted a little,
perhaps, by envy, though this is the last pas
sion the life of the noble recluse need excite
in the bosom of a pretty woraan. Indeed, the
softer sex are seldora welcorae visitors at the
residence. When a nobleraan and his lady,
during their eastern travels, went there in the
expectation of being gratified with an inter
view with its illustrious tenant, they found she
had flown a few hours before thpir arrival, on
one of her Arab coursers, leaving orders with
the housekeeper to receive the visitors with
the raost attentive hospitality.
Yet the door that is often closed to the rich
and curious, is ever open to the poor and dis
tressed. It would fill many pages to detail

430 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
every generous and noble action of the recluse.
The sick are furnished with raedicine, and the
poor and wretched of the neighbourhood are
never sent erapty away.
If it be asked if the Orientals have derived
any benefit from the residence of her ladyship
among them, in point of information, or raan
ners, &c. it raay be replied in the negative. It
was said at one time she was engaged in in
structing and civilizing a tribe of Bedouins,
and that these children of the sun were making
rapid iraproveraents. In the science of flattery,
and a rooted veneration for gold and the hand
that bestows it bountifully, these Syrians are
equal to any of their fellow-creatures ; but in
all other respects they are, and will be, as the
prophecy was spoken of them, " a wild and
reckless people, and artful as the father of
lies." The prince of the Druses received a
Bible with thanks from a missionary who vi
sited him, and a few days after sent a body of
his troops to plunder one or two Greek mo
nasteries. Perfectly tolerant in her religious
sentiments, and surrounded by at least six or
seven different creeds of Christianity, besides
the Mussulman and the Druse, her ladyship
shows no marked preference for one more than
another ; were it otherwise, Marilius would
soon be inundated by Turkish santons, or

LADY H. S. 431
imauns, Maronite, Greek, or Armenian priests.
The Missionaries have tried of late to engage
her powerful countenance in their cause, but in
vain. Of the cause of the unhappy Greeks she
is a warm and decided supporter ; and, raore
than once, she has stepped in between law
less oppression and those who were about to
becorae its victiras. Long will the English
narae receive additional veneration in the East
on her account ; and were the gates of Marilius
but thrown open to the reception of her coun
trymen, it would be the raost luxurious resting-
place, and her influence the surest safeguard,
in the land of the East, Yet the strict etiquette
preserved there, though unfelt by the stronger,
falls not so lightly on the gentler sex. Two
young ladies were invited, from a former friend
ship to the father, who was an English gentle
raan, to spend a few weeks at Marilius, They
were delighted at the thoughts of so rare a
privilege, and set out with anxious hearts.
Their reception was raost kind and friendly,
and the first few days passed gaily away ; but
ungifted with the peculiar resources of their
hostess, the hours soon began to raove heavily.
No amusements, no change of scene, often no
sound but the wind moaning through the few
trees on the surarait of the hill. During the
greater part of the day, the only faces they

432 LETTERS FROM THE EAST,
saw were Arab ones ; at night, and hot till
then, they were admitted to an interview with
her ladyship, seated a la Turque, in her Mame
luke dress, who conversed with perfect good-
humour, and ridiculed them sometimes fdr
their effeminacies and weaknesses. They
were not able to ride the mettled Arab cour
sers through mountain roads and passes, over
which, without a skilful hand, a lady un
accustomed to the country might well break
her neck. When any illustrious Turk or Arab
showed his bearded face and turbaned head
before the door, the two visitors, so far from
having their curiosity indulged with an inter
view, were bidden to confine themselves
closely to their charaber, and not to look
through the window, lest the follower of
the prophet might catch a glimpse of their
features, and the strict etiquette of the place
be thus violated ; and they left it, as they told
us after their return, with feelings like those
of a nun leaving the walls ofher raonastery.
The other residence of Lady S. is called
Mar Abbas, and is situated further in the in
terior, and during the winter is a preferable
situation to the one near Sidon, and has raore
wood to shelter it. When any infectious dis
order prevails on the coast, she always"' r^-

LADY H. S. 433
tires there. At Jerusalera she lodged in the
Catholic convent; and visited the Dead Sea
and the valley of the Jordan with a strong
guard of Arabs. At the lake of Tiberias, the
rich old Jew, in whose house we lodged, told
us, her ladyship was the only native of Eng
land whora his roof had received before : he
spoke ofher in high terras of admiration. She
spent several days at the lake, to use the cele
brated warm baths, about a mile frora the
town ; and the natives beheld with astonish
ment her progress along tBte shores on her
beautiful Arab charger, which she managed
with the utmost skill. Had she lived in the
days of chivalry, the East had heard the farae
of raore than one Clorinda. " What is your
strength of arra or nerve ?" she said to a young-
lady of ray acquaintance, who visited her:
" could they brave the burning heats and fa
tigues of the Desert, as raine have done ?" It
is strange her exploring spirit has never car
ried her to Mecca ; as it is doubtful if the
Turks, in the excess of their respect, would
refuse her entrance, or venture to put their
law in force, of decapitating the infidel who
trespasses on the sacred territory. It would
be a cruel and posing question to put to a
Turk or Arab of the neighbourhood, whether
2 F

434 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
the " noble lady" eould possibly be admitted
into paradise by the law of the Koran that
bars the gates against the tender sex: he
would probably answer, after stroking his
beard and looking dignified, " that the pro
phet who made the law, had power, on a par
ticular occasion, to break it ;" or, as the go
vernor of Beirout said to us, that " we should
all be true believers together by and by."
The village of Antoura, where she resided
for sorae tirae on her first arrival in the
country, is finel^ituated, with its convent, on
the declivity of Mount Lebanon, and, frora its
situation, raust be remarkably healthy. The
celebrated Wortley Montague resided here
during a visit he made to this country, and
was delighted with the situation ; although
the object of his stay here was neither a
laudable or honourable one. His beautiful
mother would have smiled at sight of the si
tuation of Marilius, and wondered what could
raake such a residence agreeable, sa?is society,
sans lamour. There is indeed scarcely a par
allel to be found of a retirement .like this of
Lady S.^ There have been a few women, and
of talent, who have surrendered the manners
and agremens of their own sex, but have culti-
v^fted assiduously the superior society, as they

LADY H. S. 436
called it, of the other ; and some, who have
rushed to religious seclusion, have found their
recompense in the enthusiasm they have che
rished there, and in the brilliant hopes it has
inspired ; but here, with no food for vanity,
araidst unlettered and mindless pachas and
scheiks only — cutoff from the civilized world
— the spirit must be powerful that can exult
in such a path, and continue in it to the last
in tranquillity, and without a sigh or regret !

2 f2

436 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.

LETTER XXII.

Having resolved to take a passage to Cy
prus, we set sail on a fine afternoon from
Beirout in a small boat, crowded with passen
gers, reckoning only on a passage of twenty-
four hours. Four nights and five days passed
over us in this wretched boat, which had no
cabin but a dark hole sufficient for one person
to drag himself into, and the space without
was crararaed with bales of raerchandize. The
weather was very hot, our water fell short, and
the distress of the poor passengers, araong
whom were many women and children, was
dreadful. We were becalmed at last off a desolate part
of the island, and two or three of the crew
were sent on shore for sorae water, and in a
few hours returned with a plentiful supply.
The joy of the people on board was excessive.

LARNICA. 437
and they drank the water turaultuously, as if
they were never to drink again ; those who
were unable to rise lifting up their heads with
rapture, while the streara was poured into
their lips by others.
On the fifth day we entered the port of
Larnica, and proceeded to the house of the
consul for England, M. Vondiziani, a Greek,
to whom we had letters of introduction. This
friendly and amiable man raade his house quite
a horae to us : he was a widower, had five
sweet children, and was perfectly doraestic in
his habits ; he allotted us apartraents cora
manding extensive views of the country, where
we were served with breakfast in the English
style, and his table was covered with a vari
ety of dishes at raid-day and at eight in the
evening. The country around Larnica is perfectly
naked and rugged, and the climate sultry and
unwholesome. The consuls for the different
European nations reside here, and their houses
are fitted up in a good style. With the excep
tion of sorae patches of verdure in what are
called the gardens of sorae of the houses, the
territory around is destitute of shade, and the
ground parched with heat. In the apartments

438 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
of the consul's house, the sun was excluded f
but for several hours in the day the heat in the
streets was insnpporta|jle.
The island was at this time in a state of
deceitful tranquillity ; the massacres of thd
Greeks were for a while partially suspended,
only to be renewed with greater fury. At the
consiul's table each day appeared an unfortu
nate Greek faraily, who resided in his house,
and received from him the utmost kindness;
It consisted of a widow in the prime of life,
her eldest son, a fine young man, and two or
three children. The father, who was a rich
Greek boyar, had been murdered, and all his
effects confiscated. This poor lady was most
anxious for every detail of the war, and to
know if the English would assist her oppress
ed country.
The governor of the island was a brutal and
savage character ; and the Greek monks trem
bled at his threats to destroy and ransack their
monasteries. The fathers were most unfortu
nately situated in this war : timid from their
habits, they saw only certain destruction in
store ; or else girded on a sword and joined the
ranks, in which they cut but a sorry figure.
Several priests had been slain a short time be
fore our arrival ; and one evening, while sitting

ALARM AT LARNIQA. 439
quietly in the consul's parlour, an unhappy
Greek was shot at the door, while passing
along, by a Turkish soldier.
The island having been placed under the
pacha of Egypt's protection, he sent a body of
soldiers to defend it ; who not long after rau-
tinied for want of pay. They resolved, about
two thousand in nuraber, to raarch to Larnica,
seize on some vessels, and embark for Egypt.
The intelligence reached us at Larnica on the
evening of their approach : the greatest con
sternation instantly prevailed ; the Austrian
consul shipped off his most valuable effects,
and went on board with his faraily. As the
troops would arrive in the night, a general
scene of pillage and turault was likely to take
place. The consul was raost alarraed for his
children, two or three of whora were pretty
girls ; and having mustered all the arms and
domestics in the upper apartraent, whose win
dows fronted the street, v/e took post there
before dark, assured that the Turks would not
stand more than one volley from a defensive
position like this ; and Mons. V.'s little garri-
sori, mustering more than a dozen people well ,
armed, made no eohtemptible appearance. , ^
Report said the mutineers were only a few
miles from the town: the women were dread-'

440 LETTERS FROM tHE EAST,
fully alarmed ; but hour after hour passed away
quietly, and we found in the morning that they
had altered their course, and gone to Famar
gousta. A few stragglers only arrived, one of
whom was shot in a quarrel by his comrade
the same evening. At the latter town they
coraraitted several excesses, but were quieted
at last by the interference of their commander,
and promises of pay.
In the course of the revolution, several of
the Greeks, to save their lives, had become
Mahometans ; araong- these was a rich raer
chant : this man we frequently met, and he
invited us to visit him. He was a smooth,
good-looking, and corpulent Greek, and con
fessed it was to save his head only that he had
apostatised. It was now the fast of Ramadan,
and he bitterly exclairaed against the Koran,
and its absurd laws, which corapelled hira to
fast frora one sunset to the next, and this
agreed dreadfully with his habit of body.
" Sixty-three tiraes to-day, said he, have I been
obliged to prostrate myself towards Mecca,
and touch the ground with my forehead ;" —
which could have been no easy matter, from
his extreme corpulence. He cursed the pro
phet and his paradise too. " I must put ray
self to torment," said the Greek, " for what I

RELIGIOUS STRUGGLES. 441
care nothing about : and what are all his bow
ers and pleasures to rae, while I ara famishing ?''
Besides, the faithful had their eyes sharply
upon hira, and he was obliged to raodel his
subtle face into a soleran and reverential ex
pression, and keep from other indulgences,
which mortified hira more than the loss of the
good cheer, for, from his own account, he was
a thorough profligate.
Another Greek family were placed in a
rather more tragical situation at Larnica. A
certain time was allotted thera to decide
whether to erabrace Islamism or die; the hus
band leaned to the former alternative, and
strove to persuade all his family ; but the wife
was firraly resolved to adhere to the faith of
her fathers, and, like raany other Greek
woraen in this warfare, showed a heroisra, of
which the raen are too often destitute : the
tirae allotted was not yet expired.
Cyprus, frora its vicinity to the Egyptian
power, the cutting off of nearly all the rich and
distinguished Greeks, and the want of spirit in
the remainder, was more unfortunately situated
than the rest of the Greek islands ; and yielded
without resistance to the cruelties of its op
pressors. The military force at this tirae dis
persed over so large a space was weak ; and

442 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
had a body of resolute Greeks ^effected a land
ing in any part, the island would probably
have been free, at least for a time.
It was sad to see this large and beautiful
island so desolate and ravaged ; chateaus and
their rich gardens laid waste and deserted,
and their surviving possessors dependant on
others for shelter and support ; women, bred up
in luxury, deprived of their husbands and
parents ; and the sons of nobles imploring re
fuge from strangers. Large doraains of land
could be bought for a trifle; and a chateau,
with a garden, together with a sraall village
on the doraain, and an extensive tract of land,
were offered for a few hundred pounds.
We left Larnica on a fine evening, on a tour
into the interior of the island. The Consul
caused his secretary and one of his servants to
accorapany us ; so that, with the Janizary and
his servant, we forraed a party of nine. The
Tnrk was a fellow of humour and good nature,
and, unlike these guards in general, accoramo
dated himself entirely to our movements.
In about two hours, after travelling over a
parched plain, we came to a fine fountain^
with some trees, and stopped for a short tirae;
and towards evening arrived at a hamlet of
Greek peasants, and took up our lodging in a

DESERTED CHATEAU. 443
neat cottage. The fare the good people pro
vided, with some additions from Larnica, fur
nished an excellent supper. The horses being
ready to start soon after day-break, we took a
simple yet luxurious breakfast in the court,
and which, from its being so speedily provided,
we often adopted afterwards : the new milk
from the cow being placed over the fire, and a
quantity of coffee thrown into it, made a repast
in a few minutes, with a crust of bread, fit for
an epicure.
The day was exceedingly beautiful ; every
day indeed was alike, and the atmosphere was
so pure, that the outline of each raountain in
the horizon, however distant, was traced with
perfect distinctness. The way led over a
plain, more verdant, however, than the one tra
versed the day before ; and in a few hours we
came to a deserted chateau, that had belonged
to a wealthy Greek gentleman. It afforded a
melancholy and affecting scene. The cham
bers were all empty, and the furniture de
stroyed or plundered. Through the small and
rich garden ran a beautiful stream : we sat
on its banks beneath the shade of the trees,
and partook of some refreshment brought by
a peasant, whom we found in the house, and
who belonged probablyHto a village not far dis-'

444 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
tant. The windows of the house looked over
a spacious plain in front, and a range of firie
mountains on the right. The owner had been
murdered by the Turks ; and his widow and
children, sorae of whom were very young,
were driven out to misery and dependence.
Leaving this spot, we travelled over the
plain beneath a sultry sun, and saw with joy
the rich and deep groves of Cytherea at a dis
tance, which soon afforded a welcome shade.
We proceeded to the house of a Greek priest,
and ascending a long flight of steps, entered
the garden, into which the dwelling opened.
It was a sweet and retired place, full of orange
and lemon trees ; the fruit of the latter hung
in quantities, and of an enormous size. The
father seeraed well pleased with our visit, and
killed, not a fatted calf or kid, but a goat,
which being raade into soup, and two or three
sorts of dishes, was served up in the corridor.
This good raan had a wife and faraily, and
seemed to live in rauch corafort.
The village of Cytherea consists of detached
cottages, each having its garden and rivulet ;
for so great is the abundance of streams around
this spot, that they appear to flow close to
every dwelling. The groves are chiefly Of
raulberry, orange, and leraon trees, and a

CYTHEREA. 445
quantity of silk is produced here.. Next to the
gardens, the chief attraction around this spot
is the picturesque and irregular chain of moun
tains that rises above and around it, the waving
and rocky outline of which is beautiful. Not
far from the father's was the handsorae dwell
ing of a Greek boyar, the coolness of whose
garden and rushing streara almost invited us
to become purchasers, and settle in this place,
where the diraate is healthy, and free frora the
scorching heats of the coast. The possessor
of this raansion had been beheaded a short
tirae before, and it was left desolate : the Turks
would have sold it for a trifle, and an English
raan raight have enjoyed it in perfect safety.
In the evening we visited the greater part
of the scattered village : one seldom sees a
raore inviting and attractive spot ; and we as
cended, about sunset, one of the raountains to
the west. The light was nearly faded when
we had gained the top ; yet we had a fine
view of the sea, the coast beneath, and the
high shores of Cararaania on the opposite side,
but it soon becarae indistinct, and we had to
find our way back nearly in darkness. The
descent over the rocks was very annoying, and
we regained the priest's horae with no little
pleasure, and being parched with heat, had

446 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
the table placed in the garden beneath the
orange and lemon trees, and plucking the fresh
fruit, drank insatiably of excellent lemonade.
To lie down to sleep beneath the deep foliage
was a luxury ; and the perfume was wafted
by the cool night-breeze around us.
We took leave of our host next moming,
whoi if subsequent accounts are correct, pos
sessed not his sweet garden and cottage much
longer, but was soon after numbered with his
murdered countrymen. Ascending the moun
tains, the path soon became wild and rocky ;
and in a few hours we beheld the monastery of
Chrysostom on the declivity above, and' wound
up a steep ascent to it. It is overhung on
three sides by lofty mountains, and looks down
in front on an extensive plain, in the midst of
which is the city of Nicosia. The convent
is very ancient, and contains about a dozen
Greek monks ; whose larder did not appear to
be very well provided, as we soon found to
our cost. They had abundance of room and
sohtude, and could inhabit only a part of their
edifice. The church is paved with raarble,
and the walls adorned with the usual daubings
of Greek saints, male and female, who must be
all of one family, from their marvellous like
ness to each other.

MONASTERY OF CHRYSOSTOM. 447
Whatever raight have been the forraer repu
tation of the convent, it is little resorted to
now, and its finances are probably very low.
It was founded by a rich Cypriot lady, sorae
centuries ago ; and beneath the portico of the
church is her tomb, over which a lamp was
kept always burning. Two slaves, or domes
tics, to whom their mistress was strongly at
tached, are laid in the same torab, according
to her wish in her last raoraents. It is a wild
and tranquil spot to be buried in, where the
raountain-winds breathe fresh over her grave.
In the garden of the monastery are cypress-
trees of immense size and beauty, exceeding
all we ever beheld; and a fountain breaks
away, and descends over the rocks into the
plain beneath. These monks lead a cheerless
life, being under a vow of poverty and chas
tity, besides other severe rules ; for which
they have, probably, to thank their lady-
foundress. — On the brink of a steep mountain,
that rises to a great height over the convent,
are the colossal ruins of a castle, whose posi
tion raust have been almost invulnerable. It
was built as a place of defence against the
oppressions of the Knights Templars, at the
time they possessed the island. A long,
steep, and most toilsome path leads up to it ;

448 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
but the prospect from the summit, as wdl as
the remains themselves, amply repay 'the
trouble. A number of small and ruinous
chambers, and massive walls, spread over the
face of these craggy rocks, have a singular
effect ; and the view extends over the greater
part of the island, the imraense plain that in
tersects it, and its mountain border, with -the
coast below, and the sea and shores of Asia
beyond. On returning to the convent, the good fa
rthers, who never eat flesh themselves, soon
after introduced different parts of a goat for
our dinner ; but he raust have been sorae ve
nerable attendant on the convent, or else
bound under the sarae laws of self-denial, fbr
it was iraposslble to partake of a single mor
sel, and we bade the monk make us rid of it.
However, he produced sorae excellent honey,
for which Cyprus is faraous, as well as for its
wines. ='•
In the evening we rode down the mountain
and over the plain, entering the gates of Ni
cosia before sunset. Having sent a letter ®f
introduction to the Greek archbishop of tlie
island, he iraraediately provided an excellent
house and garden for our residence, and after
dark honoured us with a visit. Cyprian, so

GREEK ARCHBISHOP. 449
cruelly raurdered not long after our departure,
was a fine and dignified looking man. He
came to accorapany us to supper at his pa
lace ; for which we soon after set out, lighted
by a number of torches. The archbishop
walked at the head, and his priests followed
in order, according to their dignity. His ta
ble was suraptuously spread, and the cookery
exquisite ; the Cyprus wine of the oldest qua
lity. Every raorning he sent us breakfast in
the English style, which was served by his
domestics; at mid-day we dined at the pa
lace ; and every evening he carae to converse
for an hour, and then conducted us to his
home, in procession, as before, to sup and
spend the evening. His kindness and atten
tions were excessive, at the very time that he
was labouring under constant alarm and agi
tation of mind.
What situation could be more affecting and
distressing ? Chosen to his high office by the
Porte, as well as by his people, he formerly
possessed^ great temporal influence in the
island, even beyond that of the 'governor, till
the breaking out of the revolution caused it to
be taken from him. For some time, he had
been compelled to look on the massacres of
his countrymen and the plunder of their pro-
2 G

450 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
perty, and stifle every expression of feeling.
The oppressed and menaced Greeks often
sought him for refuge ; but, watched vigi
lantly by the Turkish authorities, he dared not
afford protection to any, save by his private
charities, for which he had numberless objects.
But now affairs were assuming a darker and
more threatening aspect, as it regarded his
own safety : he had been frequently insulted
by the Turkish soldiers ; the governor had
spoken in abusive terras of him. "My death
is not far distant," said Cyprian to us; "I
know they only wait for an opportunity to
despatch me !" — and this was very evident.
One evening as we sat at supper, he was
called out by one of his attendants respecting
a message from the governor. We accorapa
nied hira to another apartment, where the sol
dier waited, who spoke in the most insulting
terms : the calmness of the archbishop for
sook him, and he replied with great warmth,
refusing to obey the message. The soldier de
parted, and we returned to the table, but its
harraony was corapletely destroyed. The ec
clesiastics looked pale and terrified, and
Cyprian sought by every effort to encourage
thera : he was deeply agitated and affected ;
but his fine features were lighted up with a

Cyprian's danger. 461
noble energy, as he dwelt on the cruelties of
their oppressors, and protested his deterraina
tion no longer to subrait to such aggravated
insults, at the sarae time that he warned his
hearers to prepare for the worst.
No one interrupted hira, for it seeraed like
the farewell address of this excellent pastor to
his trerabling people ; who felt, no doubt, that
when the high and noble spirit that had
guarded and consoled them, took its flight, they
would fall a helpless prey into the hands of their
enemies. The lamp-light, falling on the group
of listening ecclesiastics, and on the remarkably
fine countenance of their leader, whose long
white beard descended nearly to his girdle,
rendered this a scene not easily to be forgotten.
It grew late, and we waited with anxiety the
return of the soldier, who would probably
bring a fiercer raessage from that wretch the
governor ; but, to the satisfaction of all, he re
turned no more.
Highly eminent for his learning and piety,
as well as for his unshaken fortitude, Cyprian
was the last rallying point of the wretched
Greeks ; and his frequent remonstrances and
reproaches had rendered him very obnoxious
to the Turkish authorities. He often shed
tears when he spoke to us of the slaughter of
2 g2

452 LKTTKIiS FROM THE EAST.
his countrymen. We asked hira why, in the
midst of such dangers, he did not seek his
own safety, and leave thd island ; butbd; de
clared he would remain to afford his people all
the protection in his power to the last, and
would perish with them.
The garden attached to the residence afford
ed a very pleasing walk amidst the burning
heat of the day ; having plenty of shade, and
fountains. The climate of Nicosia, from its
situation in a wide and flat plain, is oppres
sively hot, and it was scarcely possible lo
walk in the streets in the raiddle of the day.
The construction of the houses and streets
being more Venetian than Turkish, the city
does not enjoy the shade and coolness of most
other Oriental towns. It is surrounded; by
a very strong wall, in which are three hand
some gates.
We went one day, by the governor's permis
sion, to visit the large and splendid mosque of
the city, and were attended by a fierce and
brutal Sclavonian soldier, who had been the
executioner of the unfortunate Greek nobles, in
the great square, a short time before. This
mosque was forraerly the Christian church of
St Sophia ; it was built by the Venetians in the
Gothic style, and consists of three aisles, forra-

MOSQUE AT CYPRUS. 453
ed'by lofty pillars of raarble. Around are the
tombs of .princes, of knights templars, and
Venetian nobles. Every vestige of the Chris
tian worship was destroyed when the Turks
Stormed the city in the fifteenth century ; but
it has been impossible to give it the air of a
mosque. The imaun's pulpit is erected where
once, probably, stood the altar, and the walls
are coveted with inscriptions from the Koran,
in large letters of gold : the pavement is of
marble. At the time we visited it, the imaun
was seated a few steps above the floor, on
which sat a circle of Turkish gentlemen, each
with the Koran in his hand, to whom he was
expounding with much earnestness, and they
listened very attentively.
This noble edifice conveys an impressive
idea of earthly vicissitudes. The ancient kings
of Cyprus were crowned within its walls,
where also their ashes were laid : the war
riors ofthe Teraple have their torabs here, and
many a haughty Venetian senator ; but now
the Turk tramples on their ashes, and invokes
the Prophet over the graves of those who sjigd
1/heir blood in defiance of his name.
It is difficult to form an idea of the popula
tion of the town at present, — so many of the

454. LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
Greeks have fled or been sacrificed, or keep
concealed in their houses.
We went to the palace to have an audience
of the governor : he was absent in the country,
but his chief officer, a young and handsonie'
raan, received us with great politeness. Sorae
of the apartraents of the palace were very ele
gantly furnished, with a double row of win
dows on three sides of the walls, for the ad
raission of air. Refreshments were served,
and the Turk assured us of perfect safety in
travelling to any part of the island, and re
quested, that, if we wanted any thing, we
would make it known to him. The palace
stands in the great square, in the midst of
which is a beautiful fountain : it was here that
the cruel execution took place, of the Greek
nobles and merchants. The governor sent to
inform thera, that he had just received des
patches from Constantinople, which not only
assured them of protection and safety, but
granted them sorae additional privileges ; and
he invited thera, frora different parts, to attend
at his palace on a certain day, to hear these
docuraents read. Too credulously trusting td
the governor's professions, alraost all the prin
cipal Greeks in the island asserabled, and were
admitted into the chamber of audience, from

TURKISH TREACHERY. 455
which they were almost instantly conducted
by a passage, one after the other, into the
square, without, where the sight of a strong
guard, and the executioner with his naked
sabre in his hand, revealed at once the base
treachery practised on thera. The latter, who
was a Sclavonian soldier, boasted to us of his
dexterity in the execution, for he had struck
off every one of their heads with a single blow
of the sabre. The father of the faraily who
found refuge at the consul's at Larnica, was
araong the nuraber. The unhappy raen bore
their fate with singular resignation, and sub-
raitted their necks to the blow without a raur-
raur or coraplaint. Their houses and effects,
lands and villages, were instantly seized and
confiscated, and their families rendered deso
late ! It is not easy to estimate the misery
occasioned by this sudden and cold-blooded
cruelty. The archbishop described this scene, which
was quite recent; and the anguish of his feel
ings was bitterly augraented on the following
day, when the Sclavonian soldier waited on
hira and demanded a reward. Cyprian asked
for what ? The other answered, because he
had put the archbishop's countrymen to death
with so little pain, having beheaded each at a

456 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
single blow, and that he deserved a recom
pense. But this wretch had been richly paid
before ; as he affirraed on our way to the
raosque, that he had received a certain sura of:
the governor for every head. '
While at Nicosia, we passed some part of
every day in visiting the Greek families, with
the consul's secretary, and were always re
ceived with the most attentive politeness.
They, in general, lived retired, and many of
their residences were handsome, opening into
a pleasant garden, and surrounded with a cor
ridor ; the interior was furnished in the Tur
kish style. The women of the faraily were
always present, their long tresses unconfined,
of a dark colour, as well as their eyes ; their
coraplexion was seldora fair. One of these
ladies, the wife ^f a raerchant who was ill,
was a reraarkably intelligent and clever wo
raan : she sometimes sat with us in the corri
dor, and conversed with deep feeling on the
distresses of her people. Her husband, to
save his life, and his family from ruin, had
assuraed the turban, and then every para of his
property became as secure as in a fortress.
Coffee, sherbets, and wines of the finest
quality, were introduced on these occasions.
One species of the latter, forty years old, was
exquisite.

GRECIAN WOMEN. 4.17
The often boasted beauty of the women
of Cyprus has long ceased to exist : they are
now a plain race ; the Grecian cast of features
in some measure survives, but the form of
symmetry, slender and elegant, is looked for
in vain. It is, perhaps, doubtful how far the
women of ancient Greece were a generally
handsome race ; the statues which -survive
raight be the beau ideal of the sculptor, or ra
ther an assemblage of the beauties of various
woraen, than the possession of any single one.
Whenever this exquisite beauty really exist
ed, it becarae the theme of the poet, and the
subject of the painter, who lavished all their
powers in the description, which would hardly
have been the case if beauty was the comraon
or frequent gift. Immured as they were in
the seclusions of their own walls, their lives
and minds in general insipid and uncultivated,
their society must have been, in some degree,
regarded with a similar esteem and respect by
the intellectual Greeks as the Ottoman ladies
are by the Turkish lords of the present day.
— ^Another circurastance, unfavourable to the
growth or preservation of beauty in the
Greeks, was, that they confined their connex
ions chiefly to their own country, and did not
generally interraarry with other nations. It is

458 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
evident, that the personal advantages the Turks
possess over other nations, are exclusively
owing to their taking wives from all countries;
Arab, Grecian, and Persian blood all flow in
the veins of an Ottoman, and conspire to
make him the handsomest of human beings.
One afternoon, a messenger came to invite
us to an audience of the governor, who was
returned. He was sitting on a cushion, in a
sraall and cool apartraent, and was a raost fe
rocious and savage looking fellow. He had
none of the gentleraanly and dignified raanners
which generally characterize Turks of rank.
We were scarcely seated, before he broke out
in furious terms against the Greeks, on whom
he lavished the foulest epithets. He abused
the excellent Cyprian ; and bitterly menaced
a Greek monastery on the sea-shore, a few
"leagues from the city: it would raake an ex
cellent post, he said, for his soldiers, and those
dogs should not possess it long. This con
vent, in a noble situation, was inhabited by a
few poor raonks, and during our stay in the
city some soldiers entered it, and grossly in
sulted and beat one or two of the fathers, and
plundered whatever they could lay their hands
on. Not long after our departure, it was at
tacked and taken possession of by the troops.

EGYPTIAN GENERAL. 459
and all the fathers were raurdered. The beha
viour of the governor during our interview
with hira was raore like that of a wild beast
than a raan ; he evidently looked forward with
delight to the heaping fresh cruelties on the
wretched Greeks.
On leaving hira, we visited the General of
the Egyptian troops, sent by Mahraoud Ali to
secure the island. He was seated in a sraall
and beautiful kiosque, in the raiddle ofthe gar
den; the roof in the forra of a cupola, was
light and gilded, and the windows, which
looked into the garden, were surrounded by a
nuraber of fine trees.- This commander was
an elderly man, with a dissolute, yet inanimate
countenance ; he was attended by several of
his officers : he conversed freely, and asked if
Erigland was not as hot as Cyprus ; the air at
this time was quite oppressive. The pipes
brought by the attendants were very richly
ornamented, and the napkins of purple silk,
flowered with silver. The chibouques we
smoked at the palace every day were splendidly
enamelled, and valued at thirty guineas each ;
those of the general were little less valuable.
We quitted this chief with pleasure, and return
ed' to the archbishop's, who gratified us, after
dinner, with an exhibition of sword-playing.

460 LETTER.S FHOM THE EAST.
Two men, arraed 'with sword and target; and
who were habited like mountaineers, and of a
wild aspect, displayed considerable skill' in
attacking and warding off" each other's blows
for some tirae : the shield was of the size and
form used by the Highlanders in forraer times.
The church of the Greek convent at Nicosia
is adorned with costly ornaments, particulariy
a small image of the Virgin, almost covered
with precious stones. Deraetrie, who was a
bigoted Greek when he joined us, had lost so
rauch of his intolerance by associating with
Michel, that he warned those around hirai to
our no sraall arauseraent, not to put faith in
idols, such as this splendid Virgin. An b^ld
Greek, who stood by, raised his hands and
eyes in utter astonishment at such blasphe-
raous discourse.
We took leave, at last, of the excellent Cy
prian, whose fate, as it was easy to perceive,
was near at hand. He gave us his blessing,
and requested us to reraember, and carry* to
our country, the details of his sad and melan
choly situation. Indeed, he appeared weary df
his life : raany of his ecclesiastics having been
executed alraost before his eyes, others im
prisoned, or plundered of all they possessed.

DEATH OE LEONDIAS, 461
and the remainder subjected, with himself to
constant insults and persecutions.
, Leondias, son of the; late Vicar, was seized,
and suffered cruel tortures during several days,
to compel him to reveal the place where the
nephew of the Archbishop was concealed. —
This young man, Theseus by name, had bribed
the executioners sent to arrest him; and, having
paid large suras to some of his chief enemies,
succeeded in saving himself by flight from Ni
cosia, into some of the reraote parts of the
island. Leondias, who was an. old man, either
not knowing or refusing to tell the place of his
concealment, expired at last, after enduring-
extreme tortures. The prelate was filled with
anguish at the unhappy event.
It was not long afterwards that the perfi
dious governor invited Cyprian to summon his
chief ecclesiastics, saying that he wished to
injpart to thera sorae intelligence which par
ticularly concerned their safety and welfare,
and requesting an iraraediate interview. All
the clergy whO' were suraraoned to attend,
wer^. filled with suspicion of sorae treacherous
design,; but all hope of escape, or of avoiding
this asserably, was vain, as the island was
filled with the troops of the pacha of Egypt.

462 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
But these unfortunate ecclesiastics hoped,
that by offering all that reraained of theiri pro^
perty, they might satisfy the rapacity, and ap
pease the fury, of the governor. .
The next day, the prelate and his, devoted
flock were assembled in the Turkish palace, in
the great square of Nicosia ; when the gover
nor, having placed guards at the gates and in
all the passages, ordered the massacre to
begin. Cyprian, in this trying raoment, be
haved with uncommon courage and dignity:
he demanded of the governor, what crirae
these ill-fated men were guilty of tliat they
should suffer so dreadful a fate ; recounted
the spoliations and insults they had already
endured, declared their entire innocence, and
that, if nothing but blood would satisfy the
governor's cruelty, he was ready to shed his
own rather than they should perish.
The Turk returned a short and brutal reply ;
and the bishop's self-devotion only accelerated
his own destruction. Many insulting questions
were put to hipi; but he declared he had always
served the sultan with perfect integrity, who,
he now found, had deserted him, and given
hira up to the raalice of his enemies. He re
quested a few raoraents to spend in prayer.
By this time, his beloved people lay raurdered

MURDER OF CYPRIAN. 463
around hira, and he knelt down amidst their
dead bodies, and comraended his spirit into
the hands of God. His head was then struck
off, arid he died without a raurmur, evincing
the same serenity and exalted piety, which
through life had endeared him to all his people.
Filled with horror at the death of their
revered prelate, many of the wretched Greeks
of both sexes took refuge in the churches ; but
these retreats were soon violated by the infu
riated Turks, and the pavement streamed with
blood. The altar itself did not protect those
who clung to it from violation ; and the dread
ful scenes of Scio, although to a sraaller ex
tent, were acted over again on those fatal days
at Nicosia !

464 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.

LETTER XXin.

Leaving Nicosia in the morning of a beau
tiful day, we travelled through a country that
had little interesting- in its appearance, till, in
the afternoon, we came to the small plain and
village of Dale, the ancient Idalium, and gladly
sought shelter frora the heat in one of the
cottages. Michel brought a sraall sheep for
our evening's repast, which did not prove too
rauch to satisfy so large a company, increased
by two or three of the inhabitants. In the
mean time, the good cottagers set before us
some delicious honey, and a preparation of
creara. As soon as the heat was in sorae measure
abated, we sallied out to explore the neigh
bourhood, which is very beautiful, shaded by
a variety of sraall groves, and abounding in
fragrant shrubs. A fine streara, on the banks
of which the village is built, runs through the

ANCIENT CitY OF IDALIUSI. 465
plain. The soil is excessively rich, though
only partially cultivated. A large and confused
heap of ruins, the remains of the ancient city,
are on the plain, at about a mile from the vil
lage ; but not a coluran or fragment possessing
any beauty, is left to tell of its forraer magni
ficence. A lofty eminence, on the right, is co
vered with remains of a similar kind, but raore
raassive in their appearance : a circular wall,
in spite of its decayed state, may be distinctly
traced. The view over the plain from the
"summit of this hill is uncoiriitionly fine; a
i. . . - ^ - _ • . *-
riiore delightful and superb site for a city can
scarcely be imagined. We Avatched the siin
*gbirig slowly down on its groves and stream
"%ith great delight, and theri bent our way lo
bur rude habitation.
Near the foot of this hill, in a raost londly
' spot, and in a wretched cottage, lived a family
of lepers. These unfortunate people were
avoided by all the other inhabitants, who
dreaded to come near their dwelling. The
disease was hereditary; for everj^ one of this
numerous family was afflicted with it. Some
¦of them stood at the door, and looked the pic
tures of sadness and solitude. They would be
Starved, did noi some ofthe people who lived
iri the plain bring food occasionally, and place
2h

466 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
it at a short distance frora the cottage. So
great is the horror entertained of this disease,
that the Mosaic law is fulfilled to the letter, of
thrustirig thera out frora all society, without
the hope of ever returning to it.
Returning to our cottage, by the river side,
we found the sheep ready to be served up,
cooked in half a dozen different ways, and ac
companied by some very good Cyprus wine.
The table was spread in the court, and the air
was now delightfully cool. The twilight at this
season of the year (June) was longer than it is
often thought to be in eastern climates, afford
ing us excellent light for nearly three quarters
of an hour. Sorae of our party danced in high
glee to a guitar, played by one of the na
tives, till the lateness of the hour induced us
to retire to our rude couch.
Early the next raorning, after a hasty break
fast, we took our departure from the pleasant
environs of Idalium, and bent our way towards
Larnica.. Some parts of the country were ro
mantic, particularly a long and winding defile,
on each side of which the rocks rose precipi
tately ; and a monastery perched on the top of
a small and conical hill, that was perfectly
bare, was on the right. In the afternoon, we

LARNICA. 467
came to Larnica, and the hospitable home of
the Consul.
It was now time to think of proceeding to
Greece, as Cyprus became every day raore
and more a prey to tumults and massacres.
But we waited sorae days in vain for a passage
to the Morea : it was a dangerous destination,
and no vessel was likely to undertake it.
The new superior of the Catholic convent
at Jerusalera arrived here on his way : he was
a good-natured, cheerful raonk, and preached
on the Sunday an eloquent serraon, in Italian,
in the convent chapel. He seeraed to like his
destination uncommonly well. So fond are
these ecclesiastics of power, that many of them
would go again to the rocks and caves of the
Thebais, to have dominion over their brethren.
Our resources for arauseraent at Larnica
were very few ; the occasional visits to the
farailies extended only to sitting for an hour
on the divan, or beneath the trees in the gar
den, and the refreshment of a cup of coffee, or
a glass of Cyprus wine. The Cq^nsul, though
a Greek, and perfectly secure beneath the
protection of the English Government, would
raost gladly have left the island with his chil
dren, to place thera out of danger during the
2 h2

468 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
present unhappy state of affairs. His eldest
daughter, a fine young woraan, was married to
a raerchant of good property in the town, with
whora she appeared to live very happily : we
passed a very pleasant evening at their house.
The Consul had a covered caleche, of curious
appearance, in which we sometimes drove
during the sultry hours of the day, and passed
some hours in a sort of coffee-house, chiefly to
enjoy the cool breezes from the sea, beside
which it stood.
Deraetrie, Mr. G.'s servant, drove his bar
gains here to vast advantage ; he was a mer
chant whenever opportunity offered ; and he
never omitted to embrace it. When at Jeru
salera, he carried to the holy sepulchre a large
heap of necklaces of beads, and crosses, and
laid them on the sacred marble, that they
might be rendered precious, and have the in
cense sprinkled on thera. These he was sure
to sell among his countrymen at home at a
very high price. Milk of the Virgin, relics of
all kinds, were treasured up with the same
irreverent purpose. But he was rigid in all
his observances, and contended stoutly for
the excellence of the Greek faith, though he
confessed hiraself to be a desperate sinner,
and even doubted soraetiraes if the saints

IONIAN BRIG. 469
would be able to do any thing for hira.—
He contrived, while at Larnica, to buy a large
quantity of wine at a very low price, of a
young Greek, whose father had been behead
ed sorae time before. The merchant declined
parting with his wine so cheaply ; but De
raetrie corapletely frightened him into it, by
declaring he was servant to some Lords Ing-
lese, who would not be trifled with in this
manner, and who had power to have his head
taken off, as his father's had been, and with
as little ceremony.
An Ionian vessel, bound to Trieste, afforded
rae an excellent opportunity of visiting the
Morea, as the captain engaged, for a handsorae
douceur, to deviate from his course, and put
me on shore at Navarino. Mr. G. resolved to
visit Constantinople; and a large Austrian ship,
that lay in the harbour of Famagousta, being
about to sail for that city in a few days, he en
gaged a passage ; but the Ionian brig was
ready to depart first, and we parted with deep
regret, having passed through various and
trying scenes with the greatest delight, and
with a harmony that scarcely ever experienced
a moment's interruption.
It was a lovely evening when I went on
board, and we sailed the same night in the

470 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
confident expectation of a passage of only four
or five days. But never were hopes more
raiserably disappointed. We had on board a
strange asserablage of passengers, and an odd
cargo. There were eight fine Arabian horses,
sent as a present by a rich Jew-merchant of
Aleppo, to the Eraperor of Austria, and two or
three servants to take care of thera. Owing
partly to the extreme heat of the weather,
these aniraals collected clouds of large flies
about them, which also found their way into
every part of the ship. Two Franciscan
priests, who had' been sent to Jerusalem from
Italy with a supply of money to the Catholic
convent, were on their way back to Rome.
They were good-natured raen, very bigoted ;
and having never been on a journey before,
they were heartily tired, and longed to be
back in their convent. They provided for the
flesh, however, even araidst raore iraportant
concerns, having brought a large stock of fowls
and sorae excellent wine. A rich Albanian
gentleraan, with three or four attendants, gave
a variety to the scene: he was a handsorae
raan ; and had long resided iu the Turkish do
minions, but had now resolved to go to Trieste,
and put his property in greater safety. He
and his servants wore the Albanian dress.

PASSENGERS IN THE BRIG. 471
with a poniard and pistols in their sash ; they
were wild and joyous fellows. There were, also,
an unfortunate Servian and his wife, who had
travelled an iramense distance from their coun
try on a pilgrimage to Jerusalera. I had seen
this raan in the latter city, where he requested
to join our party to the Dead Sea, when we ex
pected a guard frora the governor to go by
the regular route. So great was the Servian's
enthusiasm when he saw the holy sepulchre,
that he gave forty pounds to the priests, which
he could very badly spare. Several Greeks
had obtained a passage, on finding the vessel
was to touch at Navarino. These raen were
going to fight for their country ; one or two of
thera were fine young raen : they all wore a
long poniard concealed beneath the right arra,
the point being level with the elbow joint, and
the handle with the wrist. One of thera had a
guitar, which, though he played but rudely,
proved a great resource to us afterwards.
f.3ut the greatest curiosity of all was De
raetrio, a Sclavonian, coming from pilgrimage
also. He had been servant to the Armenian
merchant, who died in Jerusalera. The con
vent took possession of his effects, and refused
to pay the doraestic his wages, but recommend
ed him to another of the pilgrims, who pro-

472 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
cured hira a passage in this vessel. Deraetrio
was a very little raan, with a nose and chin as
sharp as a hatchet, and his head covered by an
old hat that had lost all its brim. He had a
singularly soleran expression of countenance,
had the reputation of being very devout, and
would seat himself for hours in the stern, with
his face turned towards Heaven, or cast on the
waters with a raortified look, as if he despised
all earthly concerns. He was soraetiraes very
officious in serving me. It was Lent time ; and,
though the poor fellow was occasionally half
starved, so strict was he, that he would never
drink any of my tea and coffee, because an egg
was used with them in lieu of milk. He would
take the basin offered him, filled with this
beverage, in his hand, and gaze at it with a
longing eye, but it was utterly lost to him :
never did it approach his lips — it was Lent
tirae, and Deraetrio would have suffered any
extremity rather than touch auy thing defiled
with an egg. "Thank God!" he was often
heard to exclaim, " that I have seen the Holy
City !"
We went on very well for two days ; and
the night was so fine and tempting, that 1
had my mattress laid on the deck, but was
awoke soon after morning-light by a high

PASSAGE AT SEA, 473
wind, and a violent pitching of the vessel ; and
frora that tirae misfortune never left us. Baf
fling winds were succeeded by calms, that
lasted several days, when the ship lay motion
less on the water, and not a breath of air was
to be felt. The heat during these calms was
very oppressive, and obliged us to seek shelter
beneath awnings on deck. The captain was
evidently ignorant of the navigation of this
part of the Mediterranean, as we were at one
time in view of the coast of Cararaania, and
again caught a glirapse of sorae distant isle,
A hard gale came on afterwards, that obliged
us to drive under bare poles, and lasted a day
and night. Towards evening, we passed near a
rocky isle, precipitous on every side, and un
inhabited, over which the sea broke furiously.
Week after week passed in this way, and
we found ourselves drawing little nearer to our
destination. The worst raisfortune was, that
a great many of the passengers had laid in a
stock of provisions for a few days only, and it
speedily began to fall short. The fowls of the
two fathers were lodged in the large boat on
the deck, and one or two would sometimes
disappear in the course of the night. One of
the monks, every morning, the moraent he
turned out of his birth below, ran on deck

474 LETTERS FROM THE EAST,
to count over the fowls ; and when he found
one or two raissing, he raade a loud and sad
laraentation, declaring they should soon have
nothing to eat, and accusing one or another of
the crew, who all declared their innocence.
Every raorning and evening they recited their
prayers in a loud voice on deck, and often dis
puted on religious points ; but, when the storra
coramenced, they were excessively frightened;
kept theraselves in the cabin, and called on
the saints in a piteous manner, declaring that
the Devil had brought them into their present
condition. At each roll of the vessel in the
plough of the waves, " O santa Virgine !" cried
Father Pietro — " O santissiraa ! we shall lose
ourselves," One saint followed another ; — ¦
while Father Giuseppe, on whom a large trunk
had been overturned, groaned heavily, and we
missed him for two or three days, during
which he had secreted hiraself in the hold,
where he kept praying without ceasing, di
vided between his faith and his fears, but still
rejoicing, that, though a great sinner, he had
seen Jerusalera,
A dead calra, of raany days continuance,
followed this storra ; during which the even
ings were delightful, and the sunsets full of
beauty. The hours then passed raore gaily

PASSAGE AT SEA. 475
away : the Albanian and his servants, forming
into a circle, danced their war-dance to the
guitar ; the Greeks followed in the dance of
their own country ; one or two sung, and
others formed parties for conversation. The
Servian was the most unhappy of all : during
the bad weather he sat on the deck, weeping
like a child, and exclaiming he never should
see Servia again. He would receive no conso
lation; even his visit to the sepulchre had
lost all its charms; his wife he scolded and
upbraided, when she attempted to corafort
hira ; and then she sat by his side for hours,
without uttering a word, the very picture of
misery. Indeed, adversity, instead of riveting
the chains of affection, seemed to sever these
unfortunate pilgrims from each other. Many
of the poorer passengers would have been
nearly starved, their provisions being ex
hausted, as the voyage had now lasted nearly
three weeks, had not some who were better
provided assisted them.
The Albanian was very generous on this oc
casion, and also offered a poor, yet haughty
Greek, who appeared to have seen better
tiraes, a present of fifteen piastres, who re
fused to accept of less than fifty. This man
had retired every day to a secluded place on

476 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
the deck with his pittance of bread and cheese,
his only raeal during the day ; and when that
was consuraed, he never uttered a murmur, or
the slightest request to any one who could
have befriended him. The pride of this man
was intense ; but it was mournfully humbled -
aftervvards. One day, during ray residence
at Tripolizza, walking through the streets,
a pale and wan-looking man accosted me,
and smiled as he spoke of the wretched
voyage we had passed in the same ship ; and
in his emaciated features I discovered, with
difficulty, the Greek, whose demeanour on
board I had often admired. He had fancied
his raiseries would be at an end when he carae
araong- his countryraen ; but his pride plunged
him in a worse condition than ever. Too
haughty to work, and too delicate to take his
musket and join the ranks, his countrymen,
who had been kind to him at first, had at last
totally neglected him. Hunger and wretched
ness were both preying on hira then, and he
was in his own land without a friend.
At last, to our infinite joy, we drew near
the island of Rhodes. We had seen it at a dis
tance two or three tiraes before, but it only
tantalized us: one evening, in parricular, when

RHODES. 477
the sea was perfectly calra, the last bearas of
day had lingered on its high hills with a splen
dour that made us long to be there. We now
gazed on its palm and orange groves, its green
slopes and summer-houses, with exquisite
pleasure : our past privations were forgotten
in a raoraent. The Captain was in rauch fear
lest the Turks should visit his ship; as they
would have probably seized and carried off
the Greeks, who were going to join their
countryraen in the Morea, and fight for their
liberty : he, therefore, kept thera close, and
would not allow one to set his foot on shore.
I shall never forget the transition frora that
crowded wretched ship, filled with flies and
a stifling heat, where sickness and disap
pointraent had been our constant corapanions,
to the rich shores of Rhodes, the loveliest isle
in the Mediterranean. We walked with rap
ture in the shade of the gardens, devoured the
oranges without moderation, and entering a
coffee-house, seated ourselves beside a tall
fountain, that fell with an incessant murraur.
After sorae tirae, we went to the Catholic
convent, a building in the raiddle of a garden,
and inhabited only by one elderly father, a
Spaniard. The two Franciscan priests frora

478 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
Jerusalem accorapanied rae : they were anti
cipating a most affectionate reception frora
their brother in the faith, who was of the sarae
order. The old raonk, knowing that he never
lost any thing by entertaining Englishmen,
received me with much profession of hospi
tality, but looked very indifferently upon the
two pilgrira fathers. We found out after
wards, he was a bon vivant, and a voluptuary,
but he had a very stern and keen cast of coun
tenance. He ordered a fowl and fried eggs for
my dinner; and, to prevent the two priests
from partaking of any part of it, he set sorae
raw salted fish, with sorae bread and vinegar,
before thera, to console their storaachs after
so long a voyage. Indeed, he evidently
,wished thera on board, or at the bottom, ra
ther than within his walls, as it was only for
the love of the Virgin or St. Peter, and that
would not enable him to touch any cash. The
fowl at last made its appearance, with the
eggs covered with a quantity of soft sugar;
and with the assistance of sorae of the red
wine of Rhodes, and some excellent fruit,
furnished a good repast.
We afterwards walked round the fortifica-
rions of the city, built by the Knights of St.
John, and defended by them with such obsti-

RHODES. 479
nate valour against the Turks, in the sixteenth
century. The walls are of iraraense strength,
and flanked by a number of towers, some of
which are in a ruinous condition ; but the
Turks trust entirely to the defences themselves,
which are not manned, or mounted with any
cannon. The remains of the palace of the
Grand Master possess some magnificence, and
prove how luxuriously and splendidly the
knights lived in this seat of their empire. The
church of St. John is now a spacious raosque,
and has a rather naked appearance. The gates
and portals of the walls of the city are of great
thickness and strength, and the faithful raay,
without any great difficulty, iraagine the place
invulnerable to any foe likely at present to
come against them. Sorae pillars and ancient
marbles, which have, however, little beauty,
yet reraain in the government house, or, more
properly, the ruins of it.
The appearance of the town is raore re
gular and clean than that of most Oriental
cities. The width of the streets and the foot
pavement by the sides, prove that they still
retain the form given them by their ancient
possessors ; and a great many of the houses pre
serve their European aspect. The Jews have
their particular quarter of the town, which is

480 LETTERS FROM THE FAST.
a narrow street ; and the quarter of the Greeks
is much larger and cleaner. In one of the
streets there is a row of trees on each side,
which have a very pleasing appearance. Some
of the coffee-houses are handsorae. It was the
first day of the feast of Beirara, and they were
crowded with well-dressed Turks, who were
extreraely civil. They obliged us, however, to
wait above an hour outside the gate,- which
they would not open till the aftemoori prayers
in the mosque were over. The sraall harbour
or basin of Rhodes is very fine and conve
nient ; the rocks approach so near on each
side, that scarcely raore than one ship can
enter at a tirae : the water within is only deep
enough for raerchant vessels. The hou.ses stand
close to the water's edge, round part of this
harbour ; and the quays, on which grow some
fine trees, afford an agreeable, but short pro
menade. Tradition says, the Colossus stood
at the entrance of this basin, with its feet on
the rocks on each side. — But one of the chief
charras of Rhodes, is its superb climate. The
air is pure and healthy, and few diseases are
known ; the heat of the weather is seldom op
pressive, being cooled by the -\vesteriy winds,
which blow during the greater part of the
year. It is an old saying, that the sun shines

RHODES. 481
at Rhodes every day in the year; and there is
scarcely ever known a day so cloudy or cheer
less, that the sun does not clear the heavens,
and bless the isle with his rays for some hours
at least. The high mountains on the coast of
Cararaania, only a few leagues distant, add to
the scenery. The town rises gradually frora
the shore, in a kind of amphitheatre ; and the
walk on its massive walls is very comraanding.
The Charges-d'affaires for France and Aus
tria reside there, where they can have little or
no society, save a few of the raore intelligent
Greeks, as there are no European raerchants
in the town. The Frenchraan was a very
amiable and lively young man, of genteel fa
mily, and only nineteen years of age ; yet he
appeared to like his situation very well. At
the Austrian's., we met with the captain of an
English merchant-ship : he was an instance
of the many unjust interpositions of his coun
trymen in aid of the Turks, of which the
Greeks have complained so much. He had
carried two cargoes of corn to the. relief of the
garrison of Patras, and was now engaged to
carry a-body of Turkish troops to fight against
the Greeks in the Isle of Candia. Tbe case was
rather pressing ; the governor had no Turkish
vessels in which to embark them, and he had
2 I

482 Lh,TTLRS FROM THE EAST.
paid the Englishman a high price for! thCi bu
siness. The latter held a large purse of money
in his hand, which he shook with high glee,
saying' it was the sum he had just received for
taking the Turkish soldiers to Candia. He
set sail that evening ; and walking near the
harbour, we met these fellows hastening down
to the shore, in order to embark : they were
near three hundred.
In the evening we returned to the convent,
and its solitary tenant, who seemed tobe like a
Grand Seignor in the place, and to have only
his own sovereign will to consult. We took a
turn with hira through part of the town, where
he was greeted by many of his small flock with
srailes and recognitions ; with the women he
appeared to stand particularly well. But at
supper the old gentleman quite forgot himself:
he abused, in a strain ofthe utmost bitterness,
the upholders of the Spanish Revolution, as
children of the devil, and lost everlastingly^
By their means, he said, all true religion was
vanishing from the earth; and he had been pe^
culiarly shocked lately by the irreverent be
haviour of two Spaniards, who had landed and
come to his chapel while he was performing
mass, and which he imputed entirely to the
progress of the new sentiments. The g»6d

RHODES. '! 483
father poured forth his anathemas with such
ardour, and drank his Rhodian wine with such
good will, that he soon became quite tipsy, to
the great scandal of his two brethren, the pil
grims. They were directed by him to sleep
that ' night in a passage, where one got a
sofa, and the other lay down on the floor,
while the Englishman was indulged with a
decent apartment and corafortable bed. The
next day, the weather was beautiful, and the
sun shone frora a cloudless sky ; yet, although
it was the raonth of June, the heat Was so
tempered by the sea-breezes, that it was not
oppressive. The country-houses of the Turks are mostly
without the Walls of the town, situated on de
clivities which shelve down to the water's edge.
They are surrounded by ¦ gardens of various
kinds of fruit-trees, araong which there are
always fountains, gushing with a luxurious
and iluUing sound. The houses, from their
elevated site, coriimand a delightful view of
the bay, and are the favourite and constant
retreats of the richer Turks. They extend for
two or three miles along the sides of the hills,
which rise gently from the water.
jnMuch of the scenery in the interior of the
Mand ik of the most romantic kind. Wild
2 I 2

484 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
and lonely valleys, where the rose and myrtle
spring in profusiooy open into the sea, and are
inclosed by steep mountains on every sid^**
The greater part ofthe island is uncultivate4;
and the number of the villages in the interior
is small : pomegranate and fig-trees abound
here, as well as peach-trees, but the fruit they
produce is very inferior in flavour to those of
Europe. The island is supposed to contain
thirty thousand inhabitants, two thirds of
whom are Turks, and is near forty leagues in
circumference ; but so small a portion of the
soil is cultivated, that it scarcely raises corn
sufficient for its own support : wine is the
only other produce of the soil of any conse
quence, and of this very little is exported.
But Rhodes is one of the cheapest places in
the world to live in. One may not be able to
procure here a variety of meats ; yet, such as
there is, sheep, kid, fish, and poultry of various
kinds, with excellent wines and fruits, cost a
mere trifle. For a few hundreds a-year a stran
ger might live en prince, in this deliciods
island, — -have his chateau amidst gardens in a
retired and beautiful situation, his Arab horses,
a number of servants, a climate that will pro
bably add ten years to his life, if he will con
sent to live without the enervating pleasures

RHODES. 485
of high society. It is well known tliat an
Eftglish gentleraan of handsome fortune raade
Scio his abode for many years: he had his
faraily with him, lived in a charming spot,
and kept a yacht, in which he often visited the
other Greek islands, but always returned to
his own abode with undiminished pleasure,
and resolved never to forsake it. He died
about four years ago, before the breaking out
of the Revolution.

486 LETTERS FROM THE EAS'l',

LETTER XXIV.

' In the raiddle of the isle of Rhodes, is a
very lofty raountain : from its steepness, it
can only be ascended on foot, and this oc
cupies several hours. A sraall Greek chapel
stands near the suramit, to which the people
often make pilgrimages. From the top of this
mountain the prospect is very fine and ex
tensive, including the whole of Rhodes, which
lies like a map at your feet, the coast of Ca
raraania, and a nuraber of the isles of the Ar
chipelago. The summit and parts ofthe sides
of this noble mountain are covered with trees ;
but the hills and valleys are, in general, bare
of wood ; the pine forests, which formerly
shaded many parts of the island, have been
in part cut down by the Turks, for various
purposes. One morning, I rose very early, before the
old priest was stirring ; and passing through

RHODE.s. '187
the streets, took my way towards a lofty hill
to the north of the town. The weather was
splendid, and the coolness of the air de
lightful ; the sky, the earth, and sea, being
all covered with the richest hues of morning.
A deep silence reigned throughout ; no noise
of carriage or horsd, no song of the milk-
raaid, or hura of raen. Nature, in Oriental
scenes, is generally undisturbed, and a poet
of the lakes raight here revel in the raost
lonely and hushed comraunion with woods,
waters, and precipices. The path along the
surarait of the hill was narrow, overgrown
with foliage, and sprinkled with various-co
loured wild -flowers; and the scenery below
was rocky and bold down to the water's edge ;
but the path conducted from the summit
down the opposite side of the hill fronting the
bay, and wound amidst various country seats,
each placed amidst gardens, in the shade of
which fountains played. Sorae of these
abodes were irresistibly terapting: they rose
on the declivities above each other, araidst
rocks and groves of fruit-trees, and from
their elevated site, looked down on the most
lovely scenery. The grapes hung in clusters
frdm the trees, and the oranges were fully
ripe. The air had be(#me rather sultry as

488 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
the day advanced, and I came with no sraall
pleasure to a fine fountain of water, built by
the Turks for the use of passengers ; it was a
neat stone structure, and a bason was suspend
ed by a chain, to drink out of The way, at
last, led out of the woods and gardens to the
sea-shore, and, after sorae tirae, entered the
town at the western gate.
The island was at this tirae in a state of
tranquillity ; the horrors of the Revolution had
not extended to it, and the Turks were too
strong and nuraerous for the Greeks to make
any attempt for their freedom. Our stay here
was of the utmost service to us ; it quite
broke the raiseries of the voyage, and enabled
us at last, though unwillingly, to corarait our
selves to our bark and its ignorant captain.
The privations which many of the passengers
had suffered, were, however, at an end ; some
fresh provisions, and a whole sheep, had been
sent on board for their use.
We again set sail, on a very fine day, and
with the wind somewhat in our favour; but
this soon died away, and on the following
evening we were embayed among the rocks
and sraall isles at the back of the island. The
sea was quite calm and unruffled, the sun had
set with its accusl(^ied beauty, and not a

THE SIOREA. 489
breath of air filled our sails. We rested ira-
raoveable in a sraall lake, around which was
an araphitheatre of hills and rocks, precipi
tous, or covered with verdure, and of various
forras. At the foot of one lofty and shelving
cliff stood a small fishing-village, at the edge
of the water ; it contained only a few habi
tations, but looked so neat, lonely, and tran
quil, that we could not help contrasting it
with the ruiried dwellings and persecuted out
casts we had so frequently raet with. A
faint breeze at last sprang up, and slowly
wafted us through this chain of precipices
and islets.
For ten days raore was this unfortunate
voyage prolonged ; till, at length, we arrived
in sight of the Morea, and soon after came
within a few railes of Navarino. The Alba
nian, in his handsoraest dress, and gold era-
bossed pistols at his sash, accompanied us on
shore. We were received by the Greeks, on land
ing, with great civility, and were conducted to
the house of the governor, who was a German.
From him we obtained a passport, as we were
about to proceed into the interior. Michel
then sought out a comfortable lodging, and
procured one not far Irom the sea, with a

4B0 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
small garden in front, and an open corridor
above, that coraraanded a very extensive view
of the beautiful harbour, the castle of Sphac
teria, and the mountains on the right
This abode was not wholly our own ; three
unfortunate Frenchmen and a German had
previously occupied part of it. One of tbe
former, Prosp^re, was a handsome young man ;
had been an officer in Buonaparte's army, and
served in some of the last campaigns ; but' af
terwards having nothing to do and not much
to live on, and incited by the. desire of fighting
for the cause of Greece, he had left Paris,
much against the will of his mother, whose
only child he was, and embarked with his
companions at Marseilles. He knew nothing
previously of the real state of things in Greece ;
had formed romantic idieas of the glory to be
gained there, and doubted not of being well
maintained, and of having his services appre
ciated; — but he had not been raany davs in
the country ere he found hiraself fatally de
ceived. He was a good artillery officer, and
the senate, then residing at Argos, gave him
the command of the forrificarions of Navarino,-
which was surrounded by a wall, and mounted
with about a dozen pieces of cannon. •
His three com|)aniqns, who had been non-

DEFENCE OF NAVARINO. 491
commissioned officers in tbe French army, and
about a hundred Greeks, were all the force
for the defence ofthe place; but, from its
situation, it was very little exposed to attack.
One night, however, a part of the Turkish
garrison of Modon, a very pretty and well-for
tified town at a little distance, thought to sur
prise Navarino, knowing it to be but weakly
defended : they landed in the dead of nighti,
and Prosp^re and his companions were roused
by the accidental report of a rausket. The
Turks, asserabled on the beach just belOw
the town, were on the point of marching up,
when the Frenchraen with difficulty prevailed
on five or six of the Greeks to assist them in
firing two or three cannon ; for most of the
others, who assembled confusedly when they
found the Turks had landed, and were close at
hand, ran away in affright. Two or three
cannon were fired^ and, though the balls, from
the darkness and confusion, never probably
went /near the enemy, they had the desired
effect of frightening the Turks ; who, contrary
to ?their expectation, believing the "garrison to
hei on the alert, embarked with precipitation,
and returned to Modon.
The Senate allowed these unfortunate
Frenchmen rations of wine, meat, and bread,

49.2 LETTEliS FROM THE EAST.
every day, and a house to live in, hut, their
bounty extended no farther. Their clothes were
in a sad plight ; in shoes and stockingsi they
were nearly bankrupts, and could not obtain a
farthing of pay to relieve their necessities.
Prospibre, shortly before my arrival, went to
Argos, to endeavour to obtain better terms
from the Senate : he was received with great
civility ; they acknowledged that he had prer
served Navarino to them; "but we cannot
afford you any pay. Monsieur," they said;
" our own officers serve witbout any ; we have
no money ; let us wait for better times ; go back
and defend Navarino, and when we have re
conquered our country, your services shall be
well rewarded." Hope was indeed the only
consolation these adventurers had ; they had
not even the solace, so dear to a soldier, of
good wine. Throughout the Morea the wine at
this time was execrable, in consequence of the
confusion and the neglect of the vintage, which
the war had occasioned. The only sort in
general to be met with was of the colour of
gin ; and a plant that had been steeped in it, of
whose flavour the Greeks are fond, had given
it so horrible a flavour, that the fear of being!
poisoned deterred us, after the first trial, from
ever touching it again.

SIEGUE OF' NAVARINO. 493
Michel bought a sheep, and, having dressed
some part of it, we made a pleasant repast
together^ and finished the remains of the Cy
prus wine left from our voyage, and which put
the exiled officer into excellent spirits. The
retnainder of the mutton served thera subse
quently with sorae good dinners, for they were
not seldom badly supplied with meat ; and a
loan of a few dollars enabled poor Prospfere to
re-furnish hiraself with shoes and stockings.
Navarino had been besieged nine raonths by
tbe Greeks, and, during the whole of this time,
no succours had been sent by the Porte. It is
surrounded by a pretty strong wall, and stands
oo a gentle declivity, sloping into the sea. It
was never very Strenuously pressed, yet the
Turks defended it with spirit, till their pro
visions were entirely consuriaed. They had
hoped for relief to the last, and for several days
had been compelled to drink sea-water. A
deep pit is now to be seen near the foot of the
wall, within which this unfortunate garrison
had hoped to find some fresh water : they had
dng at last into the solid rock, before they
gave up the attempt. Reduced to utter ex-
tiemity, they still made a kind of capitulation,
which was very indifferently observed by the
Greeks. A great many were put to the sword

404 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
on the spot : the governor, ' whd had retreated
to his house, shared the same fate, with all hh
family ; and the mansion, which was a very
spacious one, was completely sacked, and at
the time we visited it, was ruinous and empty.i
This chief begged hard for his life, but it would
not avail. The next evening, the Greeks led
several hundreds of the women and children
to the sea-shore, below the town, and put then^
all to the sword, so that the waves were dyed
with their blood. This account we had from
the Greeks themselves ; and Prospfere, who
landed soon after, said, this was a most piteousr
and' cruel scene— mothers embracing their
children, and young women imploring mercy— ^
but all were speedily put out of their misery.'
Still more raerciless than this was the don*
veying five hundred of the Turks to a small
island, tabout two miles from the shord, iquite
desolate and uninhabited, and frora which it
was iraposslble to escape: they were all
starved to death on this isle, and their bon^
are still to be seen there. Happily for the
cause of Greece, atrocities like ihesC' have-
been long since laid aside; and, in the com-j
mtericement of the struggle for liberty, muiBh>
allowance is to be made for men, on wliose
minds the remembrance of the oppressions
they had eridrired so long was still recent.

SPHACTERIA. 495
Seveial of the Mainotes were tobe seen in
the streets. It was the first tirae we had met
with these lawless but brave people. They
were dressed in the rude fashion of their
country, which had sorae resemblance to the
Highland costurae ; and they looked prepared
for any mischief.
The - neighbourhood of Navarino, or Neo
Castro, as it is now called, is very romantic
and pleasing ; hills, isolated and sharp, rise
just behind the town. The harbour of Na
varino is one of the most secure in the world ;
the entrance is not wide, and you may sail a
long way between the shore and the sraall
isles and rocks which confine the port. Se
veral of these rocks are arched, and have a sin
gular appearance, the waves having a wide and
open-passage through.
I The Isle ¦ of Sphacteria is about three miles
from the town ; it is small and rocky, and the
spots so obstinately defended by the Spar
tans, and the torabs of those who were slain
there, are still pointed out. The ignorance ofthe
Greeks in general, however, respecting these
parts of their country, which were illustrious of
old, is very great On asking some respectable
Greeks of Tripolizza what the plain of Manti
nea, about three hours distant, was famous for,
they appeared to have no knowledge of the

496 LETTER.S If ROM THE EAST.
subject; one, however, observed that a 5g*eat
battle had been fought there. An'It&hdh
had settled here, and kept a liqueur-shopfih
which he did not seem to have much custoriii.
It was mot entirely,'/ however, destitirte 6f
every kind of luxury; there was a '^Cpiife'^
house, in which Greeks, Mainotes, Italia'n&,
and French mixed together, and behind was a
very pretty garden, well provided with trees ;
benches and tables w^re laid beneath, wbe*e
th-ese people assembled together during the
heat of the day, and talked over the war and
their exploits, a The women of the town were
rather ill-looking ; the close dress they are
accustomed to wear injures the appearance df
their figure. iiii ii
A considerable part of the town had been
injured at the time of its capture by the
teeeks"! houses were to be seen shattered, or
in ruins, on every side ; >the best <! wettings had
all more or less suffered, and the one "WhicT:^
we obtained for a residence 'Was in some parts
ina very infirm state. i^^ ^df lo
The Frenchmen expected Pertly to leave
tbe townj"^ having -reipeived orders id miweh
to* Tripolizza, ^and join the troops aSsembfetf|^
therd. Prospfere possessed a tattered vohimte'Of
Raoine, in which was the play of Britahnicu^,''*

FRENCH ENTHUSIASM. 497
and he set a peculiar value on it. I borrowed
it of hira, and hinted that I should be very
happy if he would part with or exchange
it; his reply showed a trait of feeling truly
French, and in unison with that displayed by
raany of his countrymen who fell at Waterloo,
and on whose bodies a volume of poetry, songs,
or even of mathematics were often found: " I
would part with it to you, my dear friend," he
said, " with delight ; but it is my only conso
lation. Whenever I read Britannicus, which is
very often, the love of glory, and the admira
tion of patience araidst sufferings, live again, in
my heart ; though I can assure you this cursed
war had nearly crushed all ray railitary virtues.
If I part with Racine, I shall have no comfort
left !"
We now resolved to leave Navarino, and
proceed into the interior. Having- procured
horses and a guide, on the following forenoon
we passed out of the gate, and bent our way
alfang the cliffs ; haying the attractive prospect
of the bay on our left. The way soon became
woody, and varied with high and pointed hills
on tiie right. The weather was not oppres
sively hot; and delicious springs, which,
gnslu^ng ill rivulets, or dug into the earth,:
a|)pund in -Greece for want of' rivers, fre-
2 K

498 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
quently crossed our path, and terapted us to
stop and quench our thirst. '
In the course of a few hours we carae to
a sraall Cluster of cottages, and rested awhile
beneath the shade of the trees, while the vil
lagers brought us some milk, which proved a
most grateful refreshment.
After advancing again some time, we enter
ed a long and thick wood, and soon perceived,
at a short distance in front, a large body of
people pursuing the same path. They went
on very slowly, and on joining them, we found
they were a party of unfortunate Sciots, who
had with difficulty escaped from the Island
after the massacre ; and were now seeking a
place of refuge and a home in Greece. It was
a scene that would have touched the hardest
heart ; the women were some of them dread
fully ill, reduced by famine and suffering, yet
carrying their infants in their arms ; the men
were all on foot ; the few surviving branches
of families, strangers, orphans, and widows,
were all blended together in one coramon
bond of misery. — We gave up our horses for
the relief of some of the young and delicate
girls of the party.
Passing out of the wood, we proceeded
down a long and gentle declivity into a fine

MISERY OF THE SCIOTS. 499
plain. The scene was magnificent : mountains
rose around covered with groves nearly to
their sumraits, and the sea opened a few railes
in our front in the bay of Calaraata : but
these children of sorrow were alive only to
their own destitute condition ; with their eyes
fixed on the ground, they gave vent only to
bitter complainings. At the foot of the hill
we halted, beneath the shade of a large spread
ing tree ; with difficulty the woraen, who were
ill, were lifted off the horses, and seated on
the grass.
Most of them had been of a very respect
able condition in society, but, flying from Scio
amidst the massacre of their relatives and
friends, had left all behind thera. One, a fine
young woraan, was supported against a tree,
her countenance was pallid, and her eyes sun
ken, and her fortitude had wholly forsaken
her ; she seeraed resolved to receive no con
solation. A tedious voyage, want of food, the
fetigue of travelling, her lover murdered, —
all raight well conspire to overwhelra ber.
Being better provided with refreshraents, we
were happy to administer some relief to them :
a fountain gushed out in the shade of a rock
near by; and, having rested some time, we
again proceeded. The path wound amidst
2 k2

500 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
rocks and narrow vallies, affording a variety
of pleasant scenes. Our course was very slow
on account of our unfortunate companions:
they were going to Calaraata, where some of
them had friends: — 'but what a change from
the lovely and luxurious Scio, its handsonae
dwellings embosomed in gardens, and elegant
ly furnished, — to the outcast dependant life
which must, in future, be their only lot !
A lofty yet barren raountain excited our ad
rairation ; on a projecting point of which, abont
half way down, was seated a spacious raonas
tery. The situation was magnificent. Our path
was often incumbered with the luxuriance of
the foliage : that tall and beautiful flower, the
daphn^ grew wild in profusion. Nothing in
deed could exceed the richness of the soil every
where ; yet very little cultivation was visible.
What a glorious country would Greece make,
were she in the hands of an industrious, en
lightened people !
It was after sunset when we entered a large
village, where we intended to stay for the
night Our companions went to some <rf the
dwellings, trusting either to the hospitality of
the people, or to former acquaintance: we
never heard any more of them : as Calaraata
was only a few hours distance, they no doubt
arrived there on the following day.

GREEK VILLAGE. 501
We proceeded to inquire for the magistrate
of the village, and found his worship in a nar
row street, seated at the door of a coffee-house,
surrounded by several neighbours, and enjoy
ing himself much to his satisfaction. On pre
senting my passport from Navarino, he looked
it carefully over, and then invited me to take
coffee with him. It was a calm and warm
evening, and the last sunset hues were linger
ing on the village and its romantic environs.
A group soon formed around us, and became
very inquisitive to know if we brought any
news, or had heard any thing of the events of
the war. They had not the smallest doubt of
the success of their armies, and of glorious
victories, of some of which they told marvel
lous tales. We had not long since come from
Turkey, and they had many questions to ask
respecting the late events there ; they com
plained much of the conduct of some of the
English vessels, which had assisted their ene
mies by carrying corn to them when reduced
to extreraity.
The French had obtained, at this tirae, the
highest popularity, from the humanity of some
of their merchants and consuls to this unfor
tunate people. The French consul at Smyrna,
had saved the . lives of sorae hundreds of
wretched Greeks, whom the Turks were about

502 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
to butcher : the active and intrepid humanity
of this gentleman, on many occasions, was
admirable. He had resolutely interposed be
tween the murderers and the victims, and had
either protected thera whilst there, or procu
red thera a passage to the Morea, or sorae of
the Italian ports.
This worthy Greek raagistrate had sent a
raessenger to look out a lodging for me, which
was soon effected; and having finished our
coffee and conversation, we took our leave of
hira. After rambling through one or two nar
row streets, we came to our abode for the
night, which stood in the raidst of a large court ;
along flight of steps, but so ruinous and narrow,-
that, being nearly dark, it required sorae cau
tion to ascend thera, led to an open corridor,
which, according to the general construction
of the Greek house, afforded shade and pros
pect at the sarae tirae : here the inhabitants
love to sit for raany hours of the day. On
entering the mansion, we found it consisted
of two rooms, adjoining each other ; the one
contained only a large heap of flax in a
corner, and the other, an old woman, who
was watching a fire on which her supper-pot
was boiling. She was so intent on her em
ployment, that she was not aware of our

WRETCHED LODGING. 503
entrance, till Michel demanded if she could
give us any thing for supper. . A chilling ne
gative M'as , the only reply ; and we were fain
to adjourn to the next apartment, and send
out for some wine, which proved execrably
bad : the poor Sciot refugees could scarcely
be worse accomraodated. The moon rose
splendidly, however, and shone through the
shattered windows of the poor woman's man
sion ; and by her light we laid ourselves down
on the heap of flax to sleep. But it was un
fortunately inhabited by myriads of insects,
and it was impossible for one moment to close
an eye ; we were bitten nearly to death, and
rising while the raoon yet shone clearly, hur
ried our guides to proceed, and left the town
with great good will.
We went on for a couple of hours, overcorae
with sleep and fatigue, till the warrath of the
sun cheered our spirits ; the path was now
amidst steep and rocky hills, but no signs of
either village or cottage ; indeed the whole
tract seemed nearly uninhabited. Passing out
from among the hills into a more t)pen coun
try, we came to a beautiful village on the
summit of a rising ground. It would have
tempted any one to stop and linger a few hours
there, and we hailed it with delight But

504, LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
what was our disappointment at finding: it
totally uninhabited; with the exception of one
house, at the door of which a woman stood, who
informed us it was impossible to procure >t^i8i
least refreshment there. It had been a Tiorli-
ish village,- — but its inhabitants, men, women^'
and children, had all been slain by the iBreeks;
and this wanton cruelty had desolated one of
the sweetest spots we ever raet with in Greece.
It was erabosomed in trees and gardens, had an
uncoraraonly clean appearance, and a small and
delicious stream of water ran through it.; The
white rainaret of the lonely mosque was there,
but the muezzin's voice was hushed; the gar
den-shades, where the Moslem assembled each
day to smoke and recline, were all deserted ;
and the fountains beside them gushed use
lessly away. Yet the houses were entire, as
when their possessors were murdered, but all
empty and silent ; and it stood amidst its woods
on that rising ground, overlooking the plain
below, a spectacle of beauty and of mourning:
for each dwelling, no doubt had contained its
family, who, but a short time before, lived
happy amidst the groves which now spread^
over their tombs ! Its solitary inhabitant was
a Greek woraan, who had corae here perhaps,
because a good habitation might be so cheaply

VALLEYS OF MESSEllrfe.' 505
obtained^.' We left 5itwith'^^ deep regret, exe
crating the .barbarous manner of eoridu'cting
this war, whic^ so often doomed the innocent
to perish with the guilty.
The aspect of the country soon became
wilder, and the mountains rose loftier on each
side; we wished to find onr way to MOssen^,
but the guide appeared to be ignorant of it.
The day was now oppressively hot ; and we
had travelled six hours, after a wretched
night's lodging, and without breakfast, turning
sometimes to one path, and then to another,
but not coming in view of the object we
sought. At last we succeeded in entering
one of the long and rich valleys of Messene,
bounded by high and noble mountains on
each side : the Greeks were gathering in their
harvest) for the valley had been sown thick
with corn. ' It was bounded at the uppdr
end by a high mountain, on the steep side of
w^ch, overhanging the valley, and in a bold
and rugged situation, stood a spacious mo
nastery. At the foot of the mountain w5s a small
Greek village ; wemade up to it, and ascend
ing a flight of steps that conducted to one ofthe
houses, raet with a ready reception. We took
possession of the apartraent into which the

506 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
flight of steps ushered us ; it was small, with two
windows, which overlooked the whole of the
beautiful valley beneath, and the sea beyond.
Excessively fatigued, I had no sooner taken
some coffee, than making the floor my bed, I fell
fast asleep, and did not awake, till the sultry
heats of the day were over. It was then de
lightful to walk out, at the foot of the moun
tain ; the convent stood on a fearful steep
overhead, where the monks' passion for lone
liness was gratified to the full ; no habitation
sharing with them their lofty seat. Yet the
prospect they possessed was glorious, with an
air as pure as earth could furnish. About two
hundred yards from the village, at the preci
pice's foot, was a fine fountain, that appeared
to gush out of the rock, and was so thickly
overhung by a mass of trees, that no ray of the
sun could fall on it, — here the young women
came almost every hour for water: a few of
them were well raade, with agreeable features,
dark eyes, and a complexion not particularly
fair; but their costume, their light step, and
long tresses falling down behind, gave them
a very Grecian appearance. This valley, co
vered with corn and pasture, studded with a
few cottages, and opening so finely to the sea,
was near the scite of the celebrated city of

MESSENi, 507
Messen6. Several heaps of ruins were scat
tered about it, but of no great magnitude.
The cool air of evening was most acceptable
to our feelings. The Grecian climate is very
fine, and less sultry than those of the East,
with nights almost equally pure, sunsets as
raagnificent, and equally free frora rain. But,
in general it cannot be called a very healthy
cliraate, being in many parts extremely sub
ject to fevers.
Returning to the Grecian cottage, the good
people had prepared a very corafortable re
past : we sat down beside the windows that
looked over the valley and its mountain bar
riers ; and felt that glow of spirits which the
vicissitudes of travelling, from hardship to
comfort, and barrenness to beauty, so often
give.

608 LETTERS FROM THE EA^T.

LETTER XXV.

This village, situated at the foot of Mount
Ithom6, consists of but few cottages. Besides
the beauty of its situation, the climate must
be very fine ; being shut out from all cold and
sharp winds from the surrounding mountains,
yet open to the sea at some distance in front.
The raonastery, on the suramit of the moun
tain, is a very large building ; tod extensive, as
is often the case, for the raonks, who are, how
ever, very corafortably situated, and have poul
try in abundance, as well as raufton, and other
good things. On and about this mountain
are the ruins which yet mark the powet' and
skill of the ancient Messenians : massive walls,
inclosirig a spacious area, in which are remains
of two gates, cf considerable size and magni
ficence. Large fragraents and piles of' stones
are found in various parts around these ; and
the rich verdure that partially shrouds them.

SCENER-r NEAR MESSEnJi. 509
gives sorae of thera a picturesque appearance.
The ruins of a theatre, possessed, however, of
little beauty, are the raost entire araong thera.
It was not safe at present to reraain long in
this neighbourhood, as raany of the Mainotes
were wandering about ; and, owing to the dis
orders of the country, it was vain to think of
visiting Laconia,
We left the neighbourhood of Messene in
the evening, and, turning to the right, passed
up a narrow defile overhung with trees, araong
which were the ruins of a church. It becarae
wider after a tirae, and opened on a long and
gentle descent down the mountain side. This
was covered with wood nearly to the foot;
and we entered on a verdant and beautiful
plain, inclosed by a noble amphitheatre of
mountains. Not a single village or habitation
was to be seen in its whole extent, yet the soil
appeared extremely rich, and presented every
advantage for tillage and habitation-
The daylight had left us, and we were wan
dering on the plain in the middle of a thick
wood ; for the guide had lost his vs^y. We
had lost all hope of finding any lodging better
than the bare earth beneath the trees ; and, in
the present disordered state of the country,
this was not a very safe alternative : it was

510 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
quite dark, and the wood was so thick that it
was difficult to discover any path, when we
suddenly heard the voice of a woman. My
servant called out in the Sclavonian language,
and was answered in the same, Advancingj
we discovered a cottage, inhabited by an Al
banian and his family, who gave us a friendly
welcome. The cottage consisted of one long
and low apartraent, which a fire, blazing in
the raiddle, filled with smoke ; amidst which,
dimly seen, were the wife and children of the
owner. Its appearance altogether was so dirty,
that we declined the shelter of the roof, and
preferred reposing on the ground without.
An excellent fire was kindled, and a crust of
bread, with a little tea, formed our frugal sup
per. A few other peasants arrived and formed
a circle round the fire, and sat chatting till a
late hour. These men had been at the storm
ing of Tripolizza, and spoke of it with exult
ation, wishing that such an affair raight soon
occur again, as they longed for more plun
der. My host, amidst the general massacre
and capture, had secured a young Turkish
woman, and brought her to his home Her
fate was very hard ; her husband had been slain
in the storm, and she was no better than a
slave in the house of her captor, and was treat-

THE MAINOTES, 511
ed with neglect and indignity : she was rather
good-looking; but her dejected and pale
features showed that her misfortunes weighed
heavily on her heart. This man had the base
ness to offer to sell her to ray servant for five
piastres, but the latter had feeling enough to
reject it with indignation.
These people, like all the rest of the Greeks,
held the Mainotes in fear ; as rauch for their
lawless and plundering habits, which they
exercised on friends and foes, as for their bra
very, " As several of them," the Albanians
said, " were now in the neighbourhood, and
generally made free to take what they pleased,"
we were obliged to sleep almost with our arras
in our hands. The night was very calra ; and
the raoon, rising frora behind the high moun
tains, close on the left, shone beautifully on
the forest, and the cottage of the Albanian ;
and, lying down, in its light, on my coarse bed,
in the open air, I soon fell fast asleep.
Next morning we crossed the plain, and
again ascended the mountains. The path, by
degrees, lost its rich verdure, and became
barren and craggy ; but on descending, in a
couple of hours, into another plain, the sce
nery was once raore rich and varied. The only
defect in the Grecian scenery is the want of

612 LETTERS FROM THE EAST,
water ; you seldom meet with a river, and for
this reason, wells of cool and delicious water,
dug deep in the earth, are to be met witb fre
quently. The Eurotas is completely dried up,
and the Kissus nearly so ; and you often pass
over long tracts without finding the smallest
stream. About raid-day we halted beneath a tree on
the surarait of a mountain, and the country
all around had a delightful and romantic ap
pearance. The view extended over some of
the plains and mountains of Arcadia. The
hills were, in general, covered to the summit,
with verdure that afforded pasture for nu
raerous flocks ; but the habitations were
very few.
A little before sunset we rested for an hour
by a fountain; a Greek joined us from Tri
polizza, to which city we were going. He
brought us the news of a cruel event that he
had seen perpetrated there a few hours before ;
the massacre, in the streets, of twenty Turkish
woraen, many of them of respectable condi
tion. It was the deed of the soldiery, unau
thorised by the officers, and was perfectly
wanton and unprovoked. The shrieks and la
mentations of these unfortunate women were
enough to have raoved any heart Michel,

coLdcoTRoii'r,'^*^ 513
a Greek in his descent, had hitherto, warmed
by his love of the cause, resolved to join their
ranks, and fight for their liberty, but changed
his sentiments frora that raoraerit, ' He cursed
the Greeks bitterly for their cold-bldoded cru
elty, and declared that Heaven would never
prosper a cause disgraced by such deeds.
¦ The way now led over a long and rugged
raountain, where we cduld proceed but slowly,
and then descended iiito a wide and flat plain.
The light was rapidly leaving us, when we fell
in with sorae Mainotes, who had straggled
frora Colocotroni's array. This chief had sud
denly raised the siege of Patras, without the
consent of the Senate; and his array had dis
persed in various directions, while he was sup
posed lo be raarching on Tripolizza with a
small body who adhered to him. These Mai
notes urged us with great earnestness to spend
the night with them at a sraall village on
the plain, to which they pointed, and where,
they said,' they would kill a lamb for our sup-
pel>.' A9 body of sixty more of their Comrades
we¥e about an hour's distance behind. We
hadiJ previously intended stopping at this vil
lage, J-as it3 would be very late^ere we could
reach Tripolizza ; but their earnest invitation
decided the matter. Among them and their
2 L

514 LETTEBS FROM THE EAST.
fellows every thing we had would have quickly
been taken, and perhaps our lives too. They
were enraged at our refusal ; but as we were
on horseback, and they on foot, we passed
rapidly on, and soon got at a good distance.
It was now quite dark ; the raoon being
hid, the path becarae difficult aud tedious;
and we were not a little rejoiced when we
found ourselves close to the walls and towers
of the town ere we perceived them. We
knocked long and loud, and were answered
from within by a shrill feraale voice, frora an
adjoining house, that no admission could be
had. The guard at last came, but he abso
lutely refused to give us entrance at that time
of the night. We waited at the gate for an
hour, and had nearly given up all hope of an
asylum for the night, when a well-dressed
Greek, whora we had overtaken and passed in
the course of the day, came up, and obtained
admission for himself and us.
It being far advanced in the night, we de
manded of the guard if he could not give us a
lodging till morning? The soldier willingly
consented, and led the way through several
narrow streets into a small court, where a
flight of steps conducted us to his dwelling.
We were ushered into a neat inner apartraent

GREEK COTTAGE. 515
the floor of which was covered with a carpet
and cushions. A sraall lamp was placed in
the middle, and a low table, spread with a
cloth, was placed before me by the soldier's
daughter, who soon after brought the mate
rials for. my supper. She was a fine Grecian
girl, tall and well-made, and her jet-black
hair hung down her back in long and graceful
tresses. The tone of her voice was very sweet,
and she did the honours of the house with
the utmost agility and good-will. The supper
was a frugal one ; but the transition from the
dark and dangerous path we had passed, to the
comfort of the Greek cottage, the larap, the
soft cushions, and the bright and kindly looks
of the fair attendant, would have raade a
draught of water taste like the wine of Shiras.
Several soldiers, friends of the host, soon after
entered the apartraent, and sat down with
him and Michel to supper. They had taken
part in the massacre of the unfortunate Turk
ish women this day ; and their conversation
turned wholly on this subject. They talked
of it with the utmost coolness. After their
departure, making the carpet and cushion
serve as my bed, fatigue made me soon enjoy
a sweet repose.
The next morning we went to the office of
2 l2

516 LETTERS FROM THE EAST,
the police, and presenting ray passport frora
Navarino, I requested them to provide me with
a good lodging ; Nicolai, one of their body,
rose up, and said he would conduct rae to his
house, where I should be well accoraraodated,
Nicolai was a gentleraanly raan, of an effemi
nate appearance; and before the Revolution
was in good circumstances, but was now re
duced almost to poverty. He had still three
good houses left, but they were useless, as no
one inhabited them. The flight of raany of
the Greeks at the coniraenceraent of the war,
and the slaughter of the Turks at the capture
of the town, had quite thinned the population.
The house to which he led rae was tolerably
spacious, with a garden, over which was a
corridor, that looked on the mountains which
bounded the plain. In a small part of this
residence lived two sisters of Nicolai: the
husband of one had been raurdered at Con
stantinople, but of this the poor woraan was
kept entirely ignorant and still expected his
return. Nicolai had a brother, who was, like
himself too timid to go to war. Their father
had held an office of some iraportance under
the Turkish Governraent in the town, and
during the siege had been useful to raany of
his unfortunate countrymen, and assisted them

TRIPOLIZZA. 517
to escape out of the town; and, during the
storm, the old man vainly thought this would
have given him a title to mercy ; but he was
slain araong the rest, because he had held an
eraployraent under the Turks. His sons cora
plained bitterly of the ingratitude of their
countryraen in not sparing their father, all
whose property also they had seized.
Tripolizza is situated in the raiddle of a
large plain, the greater part of which is uncul
tivated : the raountains form an araphitheatre
around it. The scene is altogether of an unin
teresting character ; but the climate is pure and
healthy. The town is large and ill-built ; and
contained, a few months before, a large popu
lation ; but this was now reduced to one-
third. From its having few trees or gardens,
it possesses little of an Oriental appearance.
It is surrounded by a wall, about ten or twelve
feet high, so much the reverse of formidable,
that, when we first walked round it, we could
not help laughing at the idea of its having
e-mployed an army of thirty thousand Greeks
for some raonths to take it. One or fwo wells,
sunk deep without the walls, form the chief
supplies of water for the lower order of the
inhabitants. The devastations occasioned by
the capture of the place were visible on every

518 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
side; the finest palaces either wholly or par
tially in ruins. Like the Scotch reformers of
Knox's days, the Greeks, in the irapulse of
the moraent, appear to have thought only
of destruction.
Near the western gate was a spacious and
elegant palace of a Turk of high rank. Being
very wealthy, he had adorned this house at
great expense; the apartments were richly
gilded and painted, and overlooked the whole
plain and mountains beyond. He was a man,
as his enemies allowed, of a mild and amiable
character, and very generous. During the
storm, he retired with his wife and his nume
rous children to an inner apartment, into
which the captors soon burst their way, and
all were slain. One son only was spared,
and this unfortunate boy wandered about the
streets without a home or a friend. He carae
one day to my apartraent, and sat down very
dejectedly: he had just been, he said, to the
Senate to endeavour to get sorae pittance al
lowed hira, but in vain. The palace of his
father was turned into a kind of barracks : — I
frequently went there ; the prospect frora its
windows is fine; but the rich apartments
were filled by the lowest Greek soldiers, gam
ing, drinking, and destroying. In a small re-

TRIPOLIZZA. 519
tired apartraent were one day seated sorae
renegade Greeks, who had changed their re
ligion out of fear, and had been spared by their
countryraen : they had with thera two or three
children of sorae of the Turkish lords, whora
they appeared to treat with great kindness ;
and this was an excellent trait in their be
haviour; they had been the dependants of
those families in their prosperity. One boy,
whose noble descent was visible in every
feature, and who still wore his turban and
pink robe, was the son of one of the chief
commanders. Almost every day, in my walks without the
walls, I passed by a heap of unburied bones of
Turks, many of whora must have fallen in that
spot. The town was not fairly taken, a cir
curastance that not a little aggravated the
horrors attending its capture. After the
siege had continued some months, and the gar
rison, which included a considerable part of
its male population of all ranks, was reduced
very low, a treaty was entered into for a ca
pitulation : the Greek army, as agreed on,
drew off to the raountains, and sorae stragglers
only wandered near the walls, where the Turks
were off their guard. Several peasants, who
sold fruit, approached the rampart, and dis-

520 LETTERS FRO.M THE EAST.
posed of it to the Turks, a few of whom came
down and mixed with thera ; and some Greeks,
who happened to be not far off, seeing the
confusion and unguarded state of this part of
the garrison and the town, climbed on the
walls, attacked the Turks suddenly, and,
uttering loud cries, called to the troops on
the hills, who rushed down turaultuously.
The Mainotes first storraed the northem gate,
and opened a passage for the entrance of the
rest. The slaughter in the streets v/as im
raense ; men, women, and children, all perish
ed ! every other passion was quenched in the
bosora of the Greeks, except the thirst for
blood. Nurabers of the raost beautiful women
in Tripolizza were conducted to the small ra
vine without the town, and sabred, without
mercy. Between one and two thousand Al
banian troops, who formed part of the garrison,
were allowed to raarch out unraolested ; and
being conducted to the nearest port, were era-
barked. Atrocities such as these often mark
ed the conduct of each side in the first period
of the war. The Greeks, fortunately for their
cause, have for some tirae adopted a more hu
mane conduct as in the capitulation of Napoli
di Romania, where no violence was committed,
and the garrison, together with the chief part

Carelessness of the greeks. 521
of the population, were safely embarked for
their own country.
The house in which the senate asserabled
every day at Tripolizza, had been a large and
handsorae Turkish dwelling; they did not
seera to take their office very laboriously;
pipes were generally in their hands, and the
table, around which they sat, was covered
with newspapers.
Affairs at this tirae were in a critical and
alarraing state : it was said that Raschid
Pacha was advancing rapidly with forty
thousand raen. On the way to the city, we
had heard sorae ruraours of this kind, but so
confused and contradictory, that little con
fidence was to be placed in thera ; but now
they were spoken with greater confidence,
and filled the minds of the Greeks with dis
may. Colocotroni also had broke up the army
with which he was besieging Patras, and it
was not known what step he would next take.
With their usual thoughtlessness, however, the
Greeks continued to saunter about the coffee
houses, or play a kind of chess garae : a uni
versal arauseraent, for they were seen every
hour of the day engaged in it, seated in the
open air. The costurae of these soldiers was
light and graceful ; a thin vest, sash, and a

522 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
loose pantaloon, which fell just below the
knee. The head was covered with a sraall and
ugly cap, as the Turks never allowed thera to
wear a turban. They had most of them pistols
and muskets, to which many added sabres or
ataghans. The mosques in the city exhibited a curious
appearance: they were very numerous, but
the Greeks had strove to turn them into
churches. The minarets were deserted ; the
Muezzins, as well as the Imauns, having all
been slain. The sentences frora the Koran, in
large gold letters on the walls within, were,
with great industry, partially or wholly ef
faced; and where the Imaun's pulpit stood,
small altars were erected, and laraps were
burning. But it was impossible to efface the
Islamite features of the buildings ; they looked
as if Mohamraed and the saints had become
friendly, and agreed to be worshipped under
the sarae roof Although divine service was
often perforraed there, very few of the Greeks
ever attended : indeed the effect of the Re
volution thus far has certainly been to weak
en the attachraent of the Greeks to the re
ligion of their country ; and if it is protracted,
it will, in progress of tirae, like the Revolu
tion in France, perhaps first destroy the con
fidence and respect the people have been

GREEK PRIESTS. 523
accustomed to give to their priests, and next
discover to them the folly ofthe superstitions
and ceremonies of their faith.
In the coffee-houses in Tripolizza we every
day met with priests, mingling with the
common soldiers, and frequently drinking with
them. These ecclesiastics were soraetiraes
obliged, against their will, to raarch in the
ranks ; others served of their own accord, and
their appearance, with a sabre at their side,
pistols at their girdle, their priestly dress,
and a long beard sweeping their breast,
was sufficiently grotesque. Two or three of
those poor pastors deplore the necessity that
takes thera frora their peaceful avocations, and
places thera in the rank with the rudest of the
populace, who soon lose all reverence for thera.
Indeed the growing disrelish of the people for
the services of their church, is pretty evident,
in their frequent desertion and neglect of thera.
The religion of Islam, also, since its foundation,
had never received so complete a downfal as
here. Could the Prophet walk the earth again,
and behold the utter ignominy and scorn cast
on his narae, his own houri-bowers would fail
to console hira afterwards. The very children
in the streets spit on the earth at the sound of
his narae, and laugh at and execrate it in every
possible way.

624 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
All the copies of the Koran that could be
found, some of which were very elegant, were
either burned or dispersed. An Imaun, the
only one who was left alive in the city, and
who was spared by the Greeks on account of
the excellence and amiableness of his cha
racter, often carae to visit rae. His two sons
had been slain. He had little left to live on,
but drank his gratuitous wine with infinite
relish, a luxury that seldom came in his way.
He was extremely coraraunicative, and bore
his raisfortunes with equaniraity ; coraplaining
soraetiraes, however, that in his old age he
was left desolate, and that his two sons had
been raurdered alraost before his eyes ! This
horrible circurastance, whenever he perraitted
hiraself to dwell upon it, seeraed to convulse
hira with agony. He was a tall and raild-
looking raan, and, like most other Turks we
had conversed with, not intolerant in his
opinions ; believing that people who professed
other faiths would go to Heaven, as well as
the followers of the Prophet; though the
latter would be favoured with the best place
there,— a sentiment that could never be wrung
from a Catholic, and seldom from a Greek,
corapared to whose bigotry that of the Mus
sulraan is faint indeed. The Iraaun, in the
spoliation of his mosque, had saved a very

FRENCH SURGEON. 526
handsorae copy of the Koran, which he sold
rae. On asking hira, if it was true that the
Koran raaintained that woraen did not go to
paradise, he protested there was no such pas
sage, and that no Turk held such a sentiment.
Their belief, he said, was, that the women
would not dwell in the sarae seats of bliss
with the raen, but that a separate paradise
was provided for thera, where they were all to
live together.
It was very fortunate for us that we were
lodged in Nicolai's house, as he was one of the
police. His dwelling Avas respected, while a
number of others were entered, and plundered
by the Mainotes, many of whom were in the
town. These lawless fellows had belonged
to the array besieging Patras, and cared not on
what they laid their hands. A young French
surgeon frora Marseilles at this time resided
in the city, and had obtained considerable prac
tice, though he was very badly paid for it.
Being the only man of his profession who pos
sessed any skill in the place, he was much re
garded both by the Senate and people; and
numbers of the wounded, who were brought in
at tiraes frora distant skirraishes, were in
debted to his care. His house, however, was
broken into by the Mainotes, and plundered
of raany articles. He went and coraplained

626 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
to the Senate the next day, which expressed
itself very angry at the outrage, but con
fessed that it had no power at that raoraent
to prevent the disorders of the Mainotes.
Many of these were uncoraraonly fine-looking
raen, and were the flower of the Grecian
troops : they had been accustoraed from child
hood to habits of rapine, but paid implicit
obedience to their chiefs ; and on their native
hills of Laconia, their manner of life, as well as
governraent, bore a close resemblance to those
of the Highlands of Scotland as they were a
century ago. Like the Sul lots, brave and de
sperate, and fondly attached to their native
mountains, which they would defend to the
last gasp, — both are infinitely superior to the
faithless and fickle Albanians, men who would
at all times change their religion and their
master for higher pay.
Walking through the streets, I met one day
with an Italian adventurer, who had been en
gaged in the siege of the town, and had the
direction of two light pieces of artillery, — all
the Greeks were possessed of. These, in the
storming, were brought into the streets, and
were of singular use in deraolishing sorae of
the finest buildings. This scoundrel, without
the sraallest feeling of regret, pointed out to rae
the reraains of a large palace, the walls of

ITALIAN ADVENTURER. 527
which were miserably shattered. The Greeks
were unable to enter this mansion, as it was
well defended ; when he brought his two
pieces of artillery into the narrow street that
led to it, and at one discharge blew open the
then Turkish wall ; the breach was instantly
entered by the soldiers, who put all within to
the sword. The Italian exulted in this ex
ploit, and some others of a similar kind. He
invited rae earnestly to enter his house, to
pass an hour or two, and I consented. He
played uncoraraonly well on several instru
raents, but, like many of his nation, was
a thorough villain and sensuaUst. He had
a complete harera in his house, and in one
apartment had eight or ten Turkish and
Grecian women, chiefly the former. These
unfortunate beings were perfectly friendless
and poor : sorae of thera probably had been
respectable ; but in danger of their lives, and
turned out of their horaes, they had been glad
to find a roof and a maintenance on any terms.
The Italian talked of thera and their raisfor
tunes with perfect coolness : he had'no raoney
himself but received rations for each of them
every day from the Government ; and thus
they were supported. It was a raatter of per
fect indifference to this fellow which side he
espoused, the Greeks or the Turks, so long as

528 LETTEHS FROM THE EAST.
he could live as he wished. Several other ad
venturers, of a similar stamp, weregin/thd
town. ./ ' \> Ibpoiirf
The coffee-houses were generally full, .^i^ii
part of the day-, with soldiers and citizehs ;
the forraer from different parts of the Mmsiki
In a narrow street, where an awning wassuss-
pended over a bench before the door,, was, a
shop where very good coffee was tobe.h^xj
and here we took our seat every, day. It was
often arausing to hear the boasting of many of
the people, of their prowess and victories, ag»d
those they were yet to gain. A priest some
times came and seated himself on tho bench; —
even the war did not make the good fathers
forget their avocation, for they -vvere absurdly
building, a new church at this time in the town,
when the money might have been much betteT
applied to the war. AMainote woujd comi^,
take his pipe, and look wildly, round him, Qr
sing one of his mountain songs. A very hai^
sorae young Greek, who had been a merchant,
but was now a soldier, was pointed out to me
as having raet with adventures, and passed
through scenes of peril and of love very like
some of those in the life of Anastasius. Un
questionably that work is drawn more from
real life, than roraance ; for what creature is

REFUGEE SCIOTS, 529
capable of sustaining so many characters,
braving, dissembling, and finally extricating
himself out of every difficulty so well as a
subtle, clever, and elegant Greek ?
Many of the urffortunate Sciots had found
their way to Tripolizza, men and women of va
rious ranks. It was easy to discover that the
light step, laughing yet seducing eye, and ani
mated features, did not belong to the woraen of
the north ofthe Morea. Several of these Sciots,
still possessing enough of these characters to
mark their native home, but faded frora what
they were in their own isle, were to be seen at
times wandering through the streets. Many
of thera, of both sexes, had taken up their
abode in a good-sized house, and earned a
scanty living by selling cakes and sweetraeats.
The finest women in Greece are probably the
Albanians, or the Suliotes; but those of the
Morea are inferior in personal attractions to the
inhabitants of the isles : the Athenian woraen
are in general considered to be plain.

2 M

530 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.

LETTER XXVI,
The scenes of distress presented in sorae
parts of Tripolizza were of the raost affecting
kind. Several Turkish farailies were fortunate
enough to escape the general raassacre at the
storming, by secreting themselves, or were
spared by the mercy of the captors. Some of
these had been araong the first and raost
opulent farailies in the city. Fortunate were
the few who, amidst the general wreck, had
saved a little money ; however small the sum,
it was now of inestiraable use ; but others had
fallen into the greatest poverty, and scarcely
enjoyed the necessaries of life.
Reduced raore by raisery than poverty, was
the faraily of an Aga, consisting of the mother
and five children. This lady was an amiable
and agreeable woman, of middle age : her eld
est daughter was about sixteen; Constantine,
the son, was rather younger ; and three children

UNFORTUNATE AGA. 531
corapleted the group. A fine young Turkish
woman, about eighteen years of age, an in
tiraate friend of the family, had resided with
them through all their misfortunes, her own
parents having been put to death. They lived
perfectly retired, never daring to corae into
the street, and scarcely to quit the solitude of
their apartments ; and the place of their re
treat was known but to few. The Aga was
secreted in another part of the town, but his
family knew only that he existed, being ig
norant of the place of his retreat. I sometiraes
visited this unfortunate Turk : he had received
five wounds at the capture of the place, and
had languished ever since, neglected and des
titute of every attention that his condition re
quired. He was a noble-looking raan, and dis
played araidst his sufferings a great deal of
dignity and fortitude. It was a pleasure to
have it in my power to alleviate his unhappy
condition, as well as that of his desolate faraily.
He always inquired affectionately for his wife
and children, whora he had not seen sirice
their separation at the storraing.of'the town,
and manifested the greatest desire to see them
once more ; but this was impossible, and was
a luxury he was doomed never to enjoy. The
nights were now soraetimes rather cold, and
2 M 2

532 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
he had only the floor for his couch, withont
any covering; a few months before he hajd
lived in his palace, in the midst of affluence,
and in the bosom of his family. The sight pf
them now, the voice of affection in his lonely
charaber, would have been rich consplatipn,,tp
hira ; but he dragged on existence with li^le
prospect, except of death. Wounded^ uUr
pitied, and in pain, he was even in this state
plundered ; for a useful addition to his ojo-
thing, that was sent him, was taken from
him the next day by some unfeeling Greeks.
Yet his look never lost its pride, nor was one
raurraur at his fate ever heard to proceed from
his lips. He entreated me to use no efforts
to make his son Constantine a Christian: a
task, which I had neither industry nor skill to
execute. This unfortunate youth had been se
creted by his mother in an inner apartment
for fear some of the Greek soldiers shquld
enter and put hira to death, while they spared
the woraen. She implored us to try to save
hira, by either taking hira out of the country
on our departure, or keeping hira secluded in
our own house. We promised, if it were pos
sible, to do both, and, in the mean time,, con
veyed hira to the dwelling of Nicolai ; but in
going through the streets wo wero e.xposed to

THE aga's son. 533
sorae dan^dri for severalMainotes'encountered
us, who, seeing the young Turk, g-rew enraged,
and threatened to kill hira, cursing the Eng-
lishraan's iriterference on his behalf ; but Mi
chel, who l^ever went out without being com
pletely arnied with his double-barrelled raus
ket, sabre, and pistols, presented father tod
formidable an aspect for an attack at that mo
ment, and we lodged poor Constantine in an
upper chamber in safety. Nicolai and liis
brother made violent remonstrances against
it, saying that the Mainotes would certainly
break into the house, wheri they knew of
the Turk's being there, and we should all
run the risk of being murdered; but, fortu-
natdy, these raen never paid us a visit. This
ill-fated youth often abandoned hiraself to
grief, and wept every day over the raisfortunes
of his family.
There were many Europeans in Tripdlizza
who had come to fight for the Greeks : the
greater piart Of them were needy adventurers;
and were mostly French and Geripans. A
^oiing Englishman had landed at Navarino a
few days before, for the sole purpose of assist
ing to restore the liberties of Greece. His
name was H  y, of a highly respectable
family of Hull; but his enthusiasm outstripped

534 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
his prudence; he spoke no language but his
own, and his finances, on account of his stay
at Paris by the way, were very reduced. His
arras were rich and expensive, his fusil and
pistols being erabossed with gold; and his
courage was sufficient to cope with any perils.
He was tall and handsome in his person, of a
reraarkably araiable disposition, and, during
the short tirae he was in Greece, attracted the
regard of all who raet with hira ; but his con
stitution had neves: been accustomed to a sul
try climate. After staying a few days in Tri
polizza, he joined a detachment of Greeks who
were ordered to raarch against a body of the
enemy. It was in the month of July, the
weather was excessively hot, and he was on
foot, as were all the Greeks ; but they are ad
mirable walkers, and travel from morning till
night with impunity, without complaining : the
effects of which poor H  soon felt dread
fully. He was accompanied by a young
French gentleman, only eighteen years of age,
erabarked in the sarae chivalric cause. The
Englishman's feet soon became so miserably
blistered, that he could with difficulty keep
up with the rest of the troops. On the second
day the Turkish cavalry, detached from the
array of Courschid Pacha, carae in sight : the

DEATH OF MR. H  . 636
Greeks no sooner perceived them advancing
rapidly, than they began to fly to the moun
tains, which were not far off, calling on H- 
and his companion to keep up with thera.
But this was not in the power of the forraer —
the state of his feet rendered it iraposslble ;
and he gradually fell so far behind, that
he was soon left alone with his unfortunate
companion, who would not desert hira. The
Turks were now at hand, and attacked thera ;
they fought for a few moments desperately,
but were quickly cut down, 'side by side, and,
after being plundered of their arms, were left
unburied on the spot where they fell. A
Gerraan who belonged to this detachment,
and was an eye-witness of the whole, but who
had found refuge with the rest in the moun
tains, gave me two or three days afterwards
the account of this unfortunate affair.
But, araong the sufferers at Tripolizza, no
one was raore interesting than a Turkish lady,
of the name of Handivia Dudu. She was a
widow, and only eighteen years of age : her
husband, together with her parents' were put
to death at the taking of the town. After his
house had been entered and plundered by the
Greeks, and he had been compelled to give
up all his property to them, they promised to

536 LETTERS EKO.M THE EAST.
spare his life, on condition tha^t his wife would
produce all her ornaments and jewels, which.
she had concealed. She sent th^ra to-athe
captors without, a moments hesitation^) too
happy to purchase her husband's life at such a
price. When the jGreeks found they had obtl
tained every thing, they told the Turk to pre
pare to die. He knew them too well to doubtt
the execution of their purpose, andionly re
quested he might be allowed to: see his wife
once raore. "They suffered him," said Handi
via, ".to lay his head upon my bosom for a few
minutes only ; then they took him frora my
arms, and murdered him !" No violence was
offered her, however, and she resided at this
time with two Greek women, in a very good
house, but retired from the street, all commu
nication with which was carefully excludedv
An air of settled melancholy had fixed itself
on her fine countenance, and , in relating, tbe
tale ,of her raiseries she was much affected.
" She never could love again," she said, "in
this life ; her husband, to whom she had beea
married only a few months, was her first* and
only, love, and^her happiness perished > with
him.'io Her situa,tion was truly a desolate one :
every friend she had on earth slain, encom
passed by dangers, she was often the prey of

HANDIVIA DUDU. "J ' 537
the liveliest alarm'¥/%rid/'ifet knowing in whora
tocd'iiffide, she was unable to stir from the house,
for fear of insult or violence from the Greeks.
" Often," said the ill fated lady, " I wished for
death, as my only refuge." Her eyes and
half were of the purest black ; her stature
rather below the middle size, and. possessing
the quality valued so highly by the Turks — an
excess of embonpoint. Her complexion was
exquisitely delicate, but colourless; and her
hand and^arra had a beauty that could not
be surpassed. But Handivia, ''like raost of
her countryworaen, had few intellectual re
sources : she spoke Roraaic* as well as Turk
ish; but her raind had never been cultivated ;
and her fine, large Oriental eye was lighted up
only ;by deep feeling, or impassioned recollec
tions. Seated on the sopha, her dark ringlets
falling on the soft/ swell ofher bosom, with an
elegant chibouque in her hand, or engaged in
embroidery, which she, worked with exquisite
taste, the Trirkish': beauty passed the greater
part of the day ,><" Her temper was perfectly
amiable and mild, yet it was easy td perceitre,
frora the occasional ardour of her expressions,
when recalling the past happy hours of her
life, that her heart *was capable, like that of
many of her sex in the East, of an intense

638 LETTERS FROM THE EAST,
and devoted attachment. Owing to the cus
tom of the Orientals of excluding the women
frora the mosques, and from all external forra
of worship^ they are often grossly ignorant of
their own religion; and this lady was quite
unacquainted with her Koran, its laws, pu
nishments, or its glowing promises. The
prospect of meeting her murdered husband in
Paradise opened not to her ; the Prophet hav
ing forbidden the foot of woman to enter the
same bowers of bliss. Even the proraise of a
separate heaven for the fair was lost on her ;
for she opened one day a gold-illumined copy
of the book of faith, read carelessly a few
passages, then threw it down in disgust.
Scenes of violence and atrocity took place
alraost every day in Tripolizza, which stained
the pure and glorious cause of Liberty ; but
the soldiers were not always under the con
trol of their officers, who did not, in general,
license these excesses. The wretched Turks,
about five hundred of whom had been left
alive, and who now went about the streets
poor and friendless, were often put to death
out of mere wantonness, and their bodies were
left exposed in the street. It was enough to
touch the hardest heart to see the condition
of this people, A short rime before, in Da-

TURKS IN TRIPOLIZZA. 539
mascus and Rhodes we had seen them haughty
and arbitrary, splendidly dressed, and treading
the earth as if it were only created for them.
Here they were prostrate in the dust, tram
pled on, the noble and ignoble, by the lowest
Greek; and when they walked through the
streets, it was with a trembling step and fear
ful and suspicious look, as if they dreaded a
dagger or pistol at every corner. As we stood
one morning in the market-place, near a crowd
of Mainotes and Greeks, three unhappy Turks
rushed by, closely pursued by several of the
latter with weapons in their hands : the live
liest terror was visible in the countenances of
these unfortunate men, as they strove to out
strip their pursuers ; but it was in vain, for
in the next street they were overtaken and put
to death.
But the desolation of a state like this fell
with most force on the softer sex, A Turkish
lady, who had lived in affluence, often came to
the house of Nicolai, to solicit charity of the
strangers. Her supplication was irresistible,
for she always brought her two children with
her, one in each hand, and, weeping bitterly,
told of their desolate condition since their
father was slain. This mother's lament was
often present to our imagination afterwards.

640 LETTERS FROM THE -EAST,
As the plain of Mantinea was Only a few
hours' ride from the city, we set out on a find
afternoon to visit it, A young Greek merchant
had engaged to accompany us, but he rode on
before to find a place that might afford us some
accommodation. The way was over the plain,
which was totally destitute of interest, being
little cultivated, and barren of trees. Turning
td the left, we quitted this plain, and entered
on another, narrower, and more varied, whfdfi
led to that of Mantinea, The sun had set ere
we arrived at it, and it became quite dark as
we ascended the hills ; the way was rugged
and winding, and it was difficult to discern it,
A light appeared not far off, and, guided by
the sound of a stream falling over the rocks
near it, we carae to a poor cottage, where a
Greek woraan directed us to the house of the
priest, situated higher up the mountain. The
.good pastor came out to receive us, and we
found within our acquaintance the Greek, who
assured us of being well lodged here. We
spread our mattress on the floor ; the latrip was
suspended frora the ceiling ; and the Wdraen of
the house, who now and then put their curious
faces into the room, were ordered to prepare
our supper, ^The good father was married,
and had a household of several women, con-

GREEK SONG. 541
sisting, no doubt, of his, wife and daughter.
The merchant sho\yedhira.se,lf,. a bad, caterer;
for, .instead of a, cheerful repast, a, solitary dish
pnly raa4^ it? appearance, the nat,nre of which
it,>y:as difficult, for some time to discover. It
turned out, however, to be composed of eggs
a,nd cheese fried together, and, though novel,
¦was very good ; and some indifferent wine ac
companied it. After the supper was finished,
several Greeks came in frora other cottages,
and the conversation becarae aniraated. One of
them undertook to sing for our amusement ;
it was a Moreot song, all about Georgis, one of
their heroes, but not of the present day. The
song and the sound too were yery dismal, and
we vvere obliged to listen to them for the best
part of an hour. At last we all lay down on the
f^por, and soon enjoyed an oblivion of our carps.
T^he next morning, soon after sunrise, the
scene .from without, near the cottage, was
beautiful in the extreme. The dwelling stopd.
on, /a green bank in the highest part of the
mountain, ,and loojfed down pn the pl^in of
Mantinea, directly beneath. At the jfppt of
1^^ , opposite raounta;ins were scattei^fd some
c,Qttages, and.the,,hary;est was gathering in oil
t\\p^ few cultivated -spots around.. Near the
priest's hfibitation was.a fin^rpld'tree, and we

542 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
took our breakfast beneath its shade, enjoy
ing the magnificent view around and beneath.
The luxuries of sight and sense were both gra
tified at the same tirae ; for this early mountain-
breakfast consisted of eggs, new milk, and ex
cellent honey, with Mocha coffee, and cakes
just baked on the earth.
We soon after rode down into the plain,
with the pastor for our guide. It is sraall and
inclosed by a double amphitheatre of moun
tains, the furthest chain rising higher than that
in the front ; and appears admirably fitted for
a field of battle. On the right is the erainence
where the Athenian infantry were posted, and
this is the only elevation in the plain : the
Theban line of battle would appear to have ex
tended directly across the plain, beginning at
the foot of the mountain, near to which the
pastor pointed as being the spot where, ac
cording to tradition, Eparainondas fell. The
site of Mantinea is distinctly to be traced, not
very far frora the field of battle ; the reraains
of the walls, which are about two railes and
a half in circuraference, are about two feet in
height all around, and eight or ten feet thick.
In winter, these ruins, as well as great part
ofthe plain, are covered witli water, and ap
pear like a vast marsh ; but at present the soil

TENTS OF THE PEASANTS. 543
was perfectly dry, and covered with verdure.
On the erainence is the ruin of a sraall edifice,
which is possessed of little interest.
Except a few cottages on the face of one of
the mountains, there was not a single habita
tion throughout the whole scene. Our reve
rend guide now took leave of us, and we rode
slowly over the plain. It was mid-day, and
excessively hot, and we wished for some wel
corae shade. At sorae distance, on the right,
were several rude tents, of a peculiar kind,
used by the peasants of the country, to screen
them from the heat : they consist of four poles,
fixed on the ground, with a canopy of leaves
and branches for a roof We took refuge
beneath one of these, near which were two or
three peasants, each of them armed : they
brought us some railk and excellent fresh but
ter. The Greek merchant, who took better
care of himself than of his friends, produced
a couple of excellent fowls from his pocket, of
the existence of which we had not previously
the least idea. We were corapletely screened
from the heat, and enjoyed an excellent view
over the plain ; and were induced to reraain till
the cool of the evening, when we had an
agreeable ride back to Tripolizza.
The weather had been for a long time uni-

544 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
formly delightful : since we left Cyprus, the
sky had seldora been clouded, and ifc had
rained only once. The nights were so .oaJI^
and mild, that we always slept under the open
corridor in the garden. It was now July, the
hottest month in the year, but except about
mid-day, the heat was never very oppressive.
The chief food of the lower orders appeared
to be vegetables ; of fruit there was very
little ; and even in the houses of the senators
the wine was execrable. The only meat we
could procure was mutton, and the only lux
ury some excellent honey : the Greeks are
very fond of blending the two together in their
cookery ; and a stew of mutton and honey,
which we often had, was a very good dish.
This town was never considered a place of
luxury by the Turks. The woraen, it is true,
were sorae of the finest in Greece, and one
would iraagine this circurastance to be all-suf
ficing without other attractions ; though it
must be confessed that the dearth of trees,
gardens, and fountains, with the barren plain
around, and the still more barren mountains in
the distance, presented a different scene from
the luxuriance of Nature encircling the Syrian
towns and cities.
Being desirous of seeing the style of dancing

GREEK DANCING. *' '* 545
of the Greel^ women, of which we had heard
so much, Nicolai engaged some of the best
dlincers in the place, and had a supper pro
vided on the occasion, which is always the
dtiitoni 'here. These dancers displayed a
great deal of skill : their raovements were
slow, arid forraing a circle, they joined their
hands, and raoved in exact unison with their
feet, to the sound of the guitar. This was
played by a Turk, who was a raaster of his
instruraent. He had secreted himself' at the
capture of the town ; and probably his skill
on the guitar had some share in inspiring the
mercy he afterwards experienced, as he often
attended the convivial parties of the Greeks.
He was accompariied by his ' daughter, who
Was an exquisite dancer ; and one or two gen
tlemen, with an Englishraan, completed the
party.» 'The history of this gentleman's enterprize
for the fallen glories of Greece is less tragical
than H  's. E — — had landed at Calariiata
from Malta, whence he brought one or two
letters of introduction. He had brbughf one
adidressed-to' the Senate from an English gen
tleman, distinguished for his love of and ex
ertions for, the cause. Unable tOj^speak any
language save his own, his intercourse with
2 N

546 LETTERS FROM THE EAST,
the Moreots was, of course, likely to be very
circumscribed. Being rather ignorant of the
nature of the country he had entered, on land-i
ing near Calaraata he' walked into the town,
and left his trunk on the beach, under the
care of some Greeks. While these worthies
were keeping guard over it, five or six Mainotes
came up, and presented their muskets at the
Greeks^ who took to flight. Poor E  ^'s trunk;^
containing his money, clothes, and books, was
quickly ransacked by these fellows, who, not
contented with the more convertible part of
the contents, carried off " Lalla kookh" and
"Don Juan," which chanced to be part of
them; It would be worth while to know the
subsequent fate of these volumes, made com
panions of the Mainote's wanderings; an ad
ditional canto might certainly be made out of
the adventures of the latter. On his arrival
at Tripolizza, in company with a young Greek
colonel, E  applied to the Senate to recover
his lost effects, who very civilly told him they
could do nothing in the business. He had an
excellent cavalry sword, and pistols, but as
the Greeks had no horse, his prowess in this
way was likely to be little called for. He was
brave however, and longed, on his arrival, ¦ to,
be engaged in active service. But when he

BLOODLESS EXPEDITION. 547
saw the inconveniencies and hardships to which
he was sure to be exposed, and, above all,
when he heard the unfortunate end of H  ,
whom he knew, his zeal considerably abated.
He' was lodged at the hou.se of one of the sena
tors, a quiet old man, who seemed much fonder
of his pipe than of discussing the affairs of the
war. Having studied medicine, the English
man's skill was put in requisition by many of
the sick people of Tripolizza. A detachment,
under the coraraand of the Greek coloneU hisi
acquaintance, was ordered to raarch to Argos,
and E  , and some other Europeans, were
directed to join them. Araong the latter were
two Italians, who had arrived in the sarae
vessel with hira, from Malta. They were needy
adventurers, scantily provided with clothing :
each of them, however, took care to furnish
himself surreptitiously with a coat. The rights
of proprietorship did not seem to enter into
their consideration. Like Falstaff, they were
ready to "take any raan's horses,'' and gar^
ments too. They all Set out for Argos in
tbe evening, and, marching all night, arrived
there next raorning. But they had not been
there above two days, when the alarm was
given that th^e cavalry of the enemy were
drawing near. The cry was raised throughout
2 N 2

54'8- LETTERS FROM THE EAST,
the place, " TheTurks are coraing," The inha
bitants instantly took to flight, after setting
fire to part of the town. Most of thera took
the way to Moulin, a sraall sea-port about tvvo
hours' distance, E  giving up at once Jjjs,
hopes of glory, and abandoning Greece to, its
fate, joined the throng, and took flight on fpot
for the same place; where he had the good
fortune to get on board a bark, and arrivp^
in safety at Malta. Should this page meet
his eye, it will revive the memory of his blood
less expedition, with the recital of which he
has more than once amused an evening circle
at horae.
The Europeans who carae to Greece at this
time were very badly off. The Greek Go
vernment could not afford thera any pay ; and
a ration of bread and raeat, and soraetimes a
little wine, was the utraost they received.
Many of thera appeared, like Prosp^re and his
companions, in want of clothing. To them if
was a war of little emolument or glory; yet
they bore their privations and hardships, par
ticularly the Gerraans, with great patience and
fortitude. There was a regiraent of four hun
dred of these raen, under the coraraand of a
Frenchraan, who had the titie of General
Norraein, and they fought bravely on several

GREEK MERCHANTS, 549
occasions. But they gained as little by suc
cess as they lost by defeat. Indeed, the only
order of people who appear to have been
gaiiners by the Revolution, are the Greek pea-
saiitry : all the taxation and oppressions they
were' used to, are taken off their shoulders,
and they enjoy the full produce of their la-
bdurs, without any raaster or landlord to share
with thera. And even the war does not fall
very heavily on them, as they serve ohly for
a few months, and then return to their homes,
to cultivate their lands. The harvest of this
year was so uncoraraonly productive, that
they said they could carry on the war for two
years on the produce of this, without any
further exertions in agriculture during that
period.
• The Greek raerchants are, perhaps, the
greatest sufferers by the war. Many of thera
with whom we met, deplored the loss of great
part or the whole of their property ; their
houses, raerchandizes, or ships, had all, raore
or less, suffered. Those who resided on the
coasts of Asia Minor, Syria, or in some of the
isles, had been obliged to quit their homes
precipitately, and leave their effects to the
mercy ofthe Turks. Others, whose property
lay in Patras, Napoli, &c, found it now use-

550 LETTERS FROM THE EAST,
less, as the Turks were in possession of these
places : one merchant, who was the owner of
several dwellings in Patras, complained he was
half ruined, as they were now of no profit to
him. Many a lucrative branch of coraraerce
was, of course, now entirely closed to them.
Some of these raen were not patriotic enough
to rejoice in the change of affairs : one of them,
who had lost ninety thousand piastres, asked
with energy, of what use was the war to him,
as it had turned him out of a good dwelling
and many luxuries, and compelled him to live
on a bare competency ?
Sorae of the generals, particularly Coloco
troni, have, perhaps, taken care of themselves :
report says, the latter has had his share of the
spoil on most occasions. In Tripolizza, little
was found, except arms, that could benefit the
government. The private plunder was scattered
araongst the soldiers, some of whom were com
paratively enriched. Ladies' ornaments, rich
dresses, and furniture, might be purchased soon
after the capture at a very cheap rate : arms
embossed with silver, were often in the hands
of comraon soldiers. But the rich divans of the
Turkish palaces had altogether disappeared;
the walls and floors were entirely naked ; the
gardens were suffered to run wild, and the

TURKISH BOY. 551
,^o^t ; magnificent apartraents bdcarae the
scenes pf riot of the soldiery.
.TijiC seraglio of Courschid Pa^ha was also
captured. The Greeks had the prudence not
to put to death, or offer any rude treatraeiit
to ,t|ie,se ladies, knowing it would exasperate
the Pacha to extreraity; but they accepted
his offer of a large sura for their ransom, and
sent them safely away,
A little Turkish boy of ten years of age,
had been saved from the fate of his family
by some of the Greeks, and was now treated
with kindness, and suffered to walk abdiit
the streets. Every effort had been used by
his captors to induce this child to be bap
tized, and become a Christian; but he show
ed a firmness surprising for his age, always
resplutely refusing to abandon the faith of
his fathers, and, when menaced even with
death if he did not consent, declaring be
would rather die than become a Christian.
But his captors, though they put him to the
severest tests, were too humane to have
recourse to the last expedient.

55^., LETTERS FROM THE EAST.

LETTER XXVIL

The state of affairs now became very alarm- ¦
ing : it was known for certain that Courschid
Pacha and bis army were rapidly advancing.
Rumour bad raagnified this force extremely,
but it was now understood to consist of at
least thirty thousand men. The Turks seemed
on this occasion to have entirely abandoned
their indoieri'i and dilatory way of carrying on
a carapaign, and were pouring down like a tor
rent. Courschid had pledged hiraself to the Sulr
tanto subdue the Morea this campaign ; and his
fine array, the flower of which were a thou
sand cavalry, alraost justified the boast. The
Greeks were taken entirely unprepared, and
had no force in the field to oppose the ene
my : divisions among the senators and the
chiefs had distracted their counsels.
The alarra at Tripolizza was excessive on
the first intelligence of the rapid approach of

PANIC AT TRIPOLIZZA. 653
the Turks. The Governraent ordered all the
shops to be closed : the people asserabled in
the streets, and formed into groups, all con
versing on the terrible news with pale and
panic-struck countenances. The next day, ru
mours of a contrary nature arrived : the shops
were ordered to be opened again, and the
hopes ofthe people revived. But, on the third
morning, the intelligence was brought, that the
Turkish cavalry had taken the isthraus of Co
rinth, which was left sharaefully undefended ;
and that the main army was close behind. The
consternation that instantly spread itself over
the town was dreadful ; but when, not loug
after, it was known that the Turkish cavalry
were at Argos, you would have thought
that Courschid was already at the gates of
Tripolizza. It was now evening ; Argos was
only seven hours' distance from the town, and
the cavalry of the eneray could easily arrive in
the course of the night. The raost unspar
ing and indiscrirainate slaughter was sure to
follow their arrival : for they had the raassa
cre of their own countryraen at Tripolizza to
revenge ; and the Greeks could expect no
raercy. The cries and wailings of women
were heard in the streets, all wishing to fly :
some weeping over their children, and im-

654 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
ploring succour ; others pyeparing to take, itheir
way over the plain, and commit themselves to
their fate. Nicolais sister's. gave way to the
madness of their terror, and he was top mudi
frightened himself to encourage theto..
Thus passed the night; the next morning
carae, and still the Turks remained at Argos.
This gave breathing^time to the terrified inha
bitants of Tripolizza. Many had fled in the
night. The woraen and children were now
enabled to depart on horseback. All sought
the mountains, where they were assured pf
being safe from the enemy's cavalry. On the
second day from the alarm, the town was two-
thirds emptied. On walking about the streets,
we were surprised to find thera so deserted;
scarcely a woraan reraained behind, and the
senate had raost of thera joined in the flight. -.
The Turks who were in the town were very
unfortunately situated at this moment, since
the Greeks were resolved, had Courschid's
cavalry advanced from Argos, to put all who
reraained of the Mussulraan nation to the
sword, as they were certain themselves of
finding no mercy from the eneray.
The stern barriers of Turkish etiquette were
entirely broken down in these unhappy times.
At Constantinople or Damascus, it would have

ALARM OF THE TURKS, 556
been iraposslble for a traveller to have found
admission into the interior of Turkish farailies ;
but in Tripolizza, the war had overthrown, in a
good raeasure, the old regime.
A singular scene was presented in a dwell
ing to which we one day found our way. In
one long and large apartraent were crowded a
great number of Turks of all ages, sexes, and
conditions : ladies of rank were mingled with
the lowest orders ; their dress and hair in the
utmost disorder, for many of them had been
wounded, and there was no raedical aid, no
hand of kindness, to alleviate their condition ;
sorae lay stretched on the floor, others crowd
ed together in a small space : they could not
dare to stir out of their retreat, for fear of the
people. It was* an event so new to them to
find that any one took an interest in their fate,
that they poured out their feelings in the name
of AUa and the Prophet with great sincerity.
The resignation and patience with which they
bore their misfortunes were admirable ; no up-
braidings against Providence, no fruitless re-
pinings were heard; but it was the will of
Heaven, they said, and they submitted to it
Early in the morning we went to the house
of Handivia : all those of her country were so
unfortunately situated, that the arrival of their

556 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
dwh'arihy ¦\)vould be the greatest calamity
that could befall them. She was excessively
agitated, and busied in preparing for instant
flight to the mountains. What could be raore
friendless than the situation of this ill-fated
young ladjr; the past was full of raiserable
recoUefctions, and the future presented nothing
to hope for : every relative and friend cut off,
andin the midst Of enemies, whom any casual
exasperation raight urge to inflict on her the
sarae fatd. Just before her departure, her
friend, the young lady spoken of before, who
had beeri the corapanion of the Aga's family in
all thoir distresses, carae to bid her farewell;
It was a touching scene ; the former, whose
features were quite faded with sorrow, and
who seemed to yield helplessly to its power,
threw' herself into Handivia's arms : they em
braced each other passionately, and clasped
their hands, and wept, and then moumed
alOud at being compelled thus to part, with
out a hope of ever meeting again. But the
danger was pressing, and Handivia hastened
to depart, without a friend to aid or protect her
in that perilous journey. Misfortune, however,
had not yet done persecuting her : she had
not advanced above two hours' distance, when

DESERTED STATE OF TRIPOLIZZA. 557
she met some Mainotes, who plundered mOst of
her rich dresses and others effects, and then
suffered her to proceed, without offering her
or the two Greek women who attended her,
the smallest personal injury ; and they reached
the retreat in the mountains in safety.
Had the Turkish cavalry at this time ad
vanced to Tripolizza, they could not have met
the slightest resistance. There was, scarcely
any force in the town, and the country be
tween it and Argos, though mountainous, was
quite undefended. It is difficult to account
for the supineness of the enemy, which proved,
however, extremely fortunate in the then dis
ordered state of the country. The French
surgeon called on rae, with a large sabre at
his side : he was resolved, he said, not to
leave the town, but to stand his ground, and
remain to the last with the people among
whora he had corae to spend his life. Prospibre
and his. corapanions, from Navarino, had also
found their way here a few days before : they
had marched on foot, and were overcorae with
fatigue and the privations on the way. The
first was very ill when he arrived, of a fever,
frora the heat and the long journey, but under
the care of the surgeon he soon recovered. He

558 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
was resolved, however, like a true Frenchmanj
not to be cast down or despair, and, though
the war had rather a discouraging aspect, yet
he would play his part. He soon had an op
portunity ; for he was quickly after, with his
corapanions, ordered to march out in company
with a small Greek detachment, towards Argos.
All the distress, however, at this period/
did not fall on the Turks, but some of tbe
Greek families drank deeply of the bitter cup.
They could expect little mercy from the ene
my, and they knew, from the experience of
the dreadful scenes of Scio, what would be the
fate of their wives and daughters. In one of
the most respectable families of tbe town, of
the name of S  , a scene was presented on
the first day after the alarm of the Turks' ap
proach, that could have occurred perhaps only
in Greece. On many occasions during this
glorious struggle for their liberty, the Grecian
women have displiayed a fortitude and daring
worthy of the brightest days of their history ;
but these qualities have soraetimes had a de<-
gree of the barbarous and unfeeling mingled
with them. This family consisted of a mother
and three daughters. The two elder were
married to Greek officers, who were at this
time with the array ; the youngest, Eineralda,

GRECIAN SISTER, 659
was a beautiful girl bf eighteen years of age,
superior, in accomplishments to -most of her
countrywomen, for she had resided' a short
time in Russia, and understood French, Ex
cept some skill in the guitar and the dances
of fth^ir country, the Greek girls have little to
boast of,, and are very insipid- companions.
The fan^iily pf S. had been affluent, ,but the cir
cumstances of the war had reduced them, in
common with very many others, to a mere
competency. The house in which they resided;
in the best street of the town, was a very
good onCi and well furnished in the Greek
style. The eldest sister was a woman of com
manding mind and unshaken resolution : shey
in common with her family, bore a deadly
hatred to the Turksj and the thought of their
sacking/ the town and satiating their revenge
was agony .to her feelings. She took an ex
traordinary determination, and did not hesi
tate to express it in the strongest terms, which
was, to put her young and engaging sister
to death, on the Turks entering the town, A
friend of the family called on me the same
morning, and related the circumstance -with
expressions of sorrow and indignation, for he
hadij ust left the house. Struck at so strange
a resolution, we hastened to intercede, and pre-

560 LETTERS FROM THE £AST.
serve the Greek beauty from the fate that hung
over her; but every entreaty was in vain. We
then offered without delay to procure horses
and quit the town, taking the road to the coast,
and thus convey this helpless girl out of the
reach of the eneray ; or should we encounter
thera, the firraan of the Sultan, which we
carried, would prevent any violence from
being offered. But the eldest sister was stem
and inflexible, " I know what wiU be her
fate," she said, pointing to Emeralda, who=
was weeping bitterly. " Were death all, she
should never receive it frora me : it raatters
less for rae and ray other sister, who are mar
ried, and are no longer young — death will be
our portion ; but, sooner than she, so young
and beautiful, should be the prey of the Turks,
I will plunge a dagger in her heart with ray:
own hand." And she would have dared to
do what she said ; for her eye flashed with
fury as she spoke, and she used the raost ira-
passioned gestures. The poor girl, by her
sorrow, showed that the prospect of such a
death was in no way welcorae to her; but
she had not power to escape it of her own
accord, for in this country the elder feraale-
branches of a family often exercise a kind of
arbitrary authority over the younger. She

BOBOLINA, 561
stood bathed in tears, in another part of the
room, and her long dark tresses fell dishevelled
down her neck : she uttered no reproach or
complaint, knowing it was useless to oppose
the resolve of her elder sister. It was a fine
scene for a painter ; for her features were
strictly Grecian, and her figure about the
middle size, while that of her sister was large
and unwieldy, but her countenance was
haughty and resolute. Each renewed effort
to move this woman's resolution, or induce
her to consent to the flight of her sister, with
every assurance of honourable and kind treat
ment, was in vain; no, she would not suffer
her to go with those of another religion and
country, be exposed to various vicissitudes,
and perhaps sorae unhappy destiny in the end,
unknown to her faraily. But, for the honour
of the sex, this lady's hand was not imbrued
in the blood of her beautiful sister. The
Turkish cavalry, contrary to hope, did not
approach the town : the best use was made of
the tirae, and on the following day, the three
daughters and their mother left the town on
horseback, and fled to the mountains, where
they were safe. The name of Bobolina,* the
* An account of this Grecian Amazon, and of the cir
cumstances which led to her violent death, will be found in
2 o

562 LETTERS FROM THE EA.ST.
eldest; for so she was called, has not been
quite unknown during the Revolution, On
more than one occasion, during the war, she
has distinguished herself by her heroic efforts
in the cause of her country ; and had a few of
the Greek commanders been gifted with her
fferde and unyielding; spirit, their oppressors
would long ago have left their shores.
But the hopes of the people grew brighter
when they heard that Colocotroni was ap
proaching with a small force, as they put con
fidence in the bravery of this general. He
drew near the town on a fine evening. We went
out on the plain to see the raarch : it was not
a very iraposing spectacle. There were about
nine hundred raen, who marched in a rather
disorderly raanner. The chief was in the
middle : he was a tall and stout man, with a
fierce countenance; he seemed to be about the
middle age, and had evidently passed throi^^
many and trying changes of fortune. His
nephew was with him, and several other
chiefs ; a French officer, of sorae experience,
always accorapanies this general. The troops
were well armed, and were, in general, good-
looking raen, but without any discipline. The
forces of each village are accustomed to go to
Mr. Emerson's Journal of Ids residence amtJng^the "Greeks.
—See " A Picture of Greece in 1825," page 162-3.

COLOCOTRONl'S ARMT. 563
war beneath their own banner; so that there
were as many flags as colours in the rainbow :
blue, green, white, and yellow, all floated
above the heads of this redoubted army. Afew
poor ragged Europeans were mingled in the
ranks. Firing their muskets, and saluting their
acquaintance, they entered the town, and their
arrival diffused amazing confidence.
The measures of Colocotroni were full of
energy and decision, and well suited to the
urgency of the moraent. Feeling, however,
that he now had the authority, he asserabled
the Senate next morning, and bullied them
without mercy ; telling them he knew they
loved nothing so well as to pass their hours
smoking and lounging, or in the company of
their pretty Turkish captives ; while the fa-
4;igues of the war fell on hira and his officers :
^that they had better attend with vigour to the
affairs of the country, and strive to rescue her
out of her present dangerous condition. He
suraraoned instantly all the forces and peasan
try frora different parts to asserable at Tripo-
slizza, and raarch with hira, without delay,
against the Turks. Intelligence of the general's
resolution to oppose the further advance of the
Pacha, flew like lightning. In the course of the
iollowing day, a division of several hundred
2 o 2

564 LETTER.S FBOM THE EAST,
men arrived, Colocotroni now issued an order
commanding that every person in Tripolizza
above twelve years of age, should join his
forces, under pain of death. The soldiers were
to be seen in the streets pursuing the boys to
oblige thera to join the ranks; some entered
with good will, others ran away in affright.
Nicolai and his brother shrugged their should
ers at the thought of fighting : the forraer's
office in the police was an excuse, while the
latter kept out ofthe way. On the second day,
troop after troop arrived, raarching in with in
finite vivacity and willingness, and welcomed
with loud shouts : among them was a division
of Mainotes, very fine raen, fresh from their
native raountains. About three thousand troops
entered in the course of tius and the next day,
under various banners. The most unbounded
confidence now succeeded to the constant
alarms which, for several days, had agitated
the people : they felt they were now free from
any sudden attack, and knew that their general,
by posting himself, as was his intention, in the
passes of the raountains, could prevent any
force of the eneray from advancing from Argos.
These troops passed the night in the town, but
were ordered to leave it early on the following
day, to join Colocotroni, who was already on
the advance towards the enemy. They march-

THE AGA, ALI COCHI. 565
ed out in the highest spirits, uttering exclaraa-
tions of conterapt for the Turks, and confidence
of victory.
Many of the woraen and children began now
to return to their habitations, and the streets
soon wore a raore cheerful appearance : those
farailies who were of good condition, however,
still kept in their retreat in the mountains, re
solving- to wait till they should see what turn
affairs were likely to take. To any reasonable
calculation, it did not seem very probable that
the small force of Greeks could long resist the
fine army under Courschid, if he continued to
advance in the same bold and fearless style he
had hitherto done: but from this moment the
operations of the Turks appeared paralysed,
and success entirely forsook thera.
In the raidst of the confusion occasioned by
these events, minor miseries were, for a tirae,
forgotten or overlooked. The unfortunate Aga,
Ali Cochi, of whom mention has been made,
was taken from the place of his retreat by sorae
of the Mainotes. They found the noble Turk
seated in his solitary charaber, and, after be
having to him with indignity, conveyed him to
the house of one of the senators. It was un
derstood that this was to be his last habitation,
as sorae of the Greeks told me he would soon,
most probably, be put to death privately ; as

566' LETTERS FROM THE EAST'.
he was known to have been an inveterate
enemy to thera, and to have used the greatest
exertions in the defence of the town. The
iraage of that wounded Turk, iraprisoned and
suffering, comraending his son to our care, and
blessing his wife and children, whora he never
hoped to see again, has often followed me
since amidst scenes of a far different character.
In the same house where the Aga had been
confined, but in another part of it, lived three
young Tuiks, quite retired: they were orphans,
and of different parents. They often inquired
with deep interest how the affairs of the war
went on, and if there was any prospect of their
being suftered to quit the country ; a thing im
possible to be achieved alone, as they would
be sure to meet some of the stragglers frora the
array, or bands on the way to join it, who
would be disposed to show them little mercy.
The last tirae we saw these three unfortunates,-
was on the raorning after the first intelligence
that the Turks were at hand, whose near ap
proach, they knew, would only accelerate their
own destruction. They stood together be
neath the corridor of their house, and broke
out, on our entrance, into loud and affedting
lamentations ; their looks were wild and agi-
tated. Not knowing what to do, they had taken

DESERTED, TURKISH, MANSION. 567
the extraordinary resolution, which despair
only could prorapt, of flying frora the town on
foot: the same evening, they quitted the town
precipitately, to travel over the plain to the
mountains, but never, it was believed, arrived
there ; as it was said, next day, they had been
met in the way by some straggling soldiers,
and put to death.
In a secluded part of the town, to which a
long and narrow lane conducted, stood the pa
lace of a Turkish general, who had been killed
in the storra. Being invited one day to visit
it, we followed the guide for some time,
through this confined passage, and soon came
to the door of the mansion. It was very spa
cious, and had been splendidly furnished ; the
deserted apartraents retained their rich gilding
and ornaments, but the walls and floors were
naked. We came at last to the harera; —the
handsome divan had disappeared, as well as
every trace of luxury. The apartment, which
was large, was lighted by two rows of win
dows, which extended round three sides of the
room, ,(, The upper row was of firfely painted
glass, and beneath each window were nuraerous
sentences from the Koran, in large letters of
gold, inculcating the finest precepts of niorality.
You then passed into a small and elegant saloon

568 LETTERS FROM THE EAST,
that looked out on the garden. The only orna
ment of the room was a painting of Constan
tinople on one of the walls, several feet long,
in which mosques, and groves, ships, and
mountains, were mingled together in admir
able confusion. The garden, into which the
apartment looked, was very large, and had
been an excellent one, but at present was
quite a wild, ruinous and neglected, with its
flowers and rich foliage giving their shade and
odours in vain, A fine fountain was in the
middle ; but it gushed idly away, amidst the
fruit-trees, that bent over it in the time of its
owner's prosperity.
This raansion had been a luxurious resi
dence ; but thp widow and her only child now
dwelt in it alone, — to whom it was, indeed,
as a desert. They were seated at the win
dow, gazing on their desolate garden ; not a
footstep was heard in their numerous apart
raents, which had been all ravaged by the
victor : they had chosen the most remote for
their habitation. Their's was, indeed, a state
of loneliness that pressed on the very soul : fear
ful of ever moving from the apartraents into
the open air ; affrighted at every noise or
sound of turault that carae from the distant
streets ; with the chambers of their former

RUINS OF MANTINEA, 569
luxury and pride for ever before their eyes,
where their husband and father's blood had
been lately shed. Wherever they passed —
into the ruined harem, the garden, or to the
fduritain's side — every spot and every scene
only aggravated their distresses : these were
their beloved retreats but a few raonths before,
where the faces of friends and the sweet voices
df affection met them. But to the widow and
her child, no friend was now left on earth, and
their own home was becorae bitter to thera.
We paid another visit to the plain and ruins
of Mantinea, The latter, which consist al
most entirely of the walls, are nearly circular,
and are fortified, at intervals, with towers.
There are seven or eight gates in these walls ;
but no ruins of a temple, theatre, or other
public building, are to be found. The situa
tion is rather confined for a city of any con
siderable ^ize, the plain being small, and in
closed on almost every side by lofty raountains.
A small sluggish stream flows at the entrance
ofthe plain.
It was now time to think of leaving Tri
polizza, The last accounts from Colocotroni,
whose force had now increased to nine thousand
men, were encouraging.
In the mean time, an opportunity had oc-

570 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
curred of rescuing the son and daughter. of
the Aga from their unfortunate situation, by
conveying them to the nearest port, a journey.
of a day and half, and then procuring for them
a passage to Constantinople, where they had
many friends. The mother, who had resolved
to remain, and share the fate of her husband,
with her youngest children, from whom she
could not part, was overjoyed at this : but.
when the horses to convey away her elder
children were at the gate, and the way was
open for their escape, the mother's feelings
becarae too powerful, and she raourned and
lamented over her daughter, as if she was
doomed to be executed before her eyes. Her
mind, .enfeebled by continued misery, had not
fortitude enough to bear the separation : in-
deedj this ill-fated family seemed to be des-,
fined never to know the slightest change of
fortune. The finest feelings of the huraan
heart were powerfully and passionately dis
played by thera ; and their devoted and faith
ful attachment to each other, and to their,
friends, (for whose distresses they felt as much,
as for their own,) could not be surpassed.
Having procured a passport, we now re
solved on pursuing our journey ; and leaving
-Tripolizza and its various scenes of sorrow and

CREEK SOLDIERS. 571 '
misfortune behind us, bent our way, on a beau
tiful morning, over the plain to the north of
the town.
The weather was calra and cloudless, as we
wound our way between the mountains that
encircle the plain of Tripolizza. As we looked
back on it, it presented no longer the scene of
alarm and distress which it had exhibited a
few days before, covered with fugitives hurry
ing to the hills for shelter. It was now anima
ted by various parties of Greek soldiers, each
under their own banner, raarchingto fight for
their country. These numerous detachraents,
who had left their occupations at horae, and
hastened frora various parts of the Morea, at
their general's suraraons, already augraented
his array to nine thousand raen. This force
was now posted on the hills round the valley
of Argos, in which the Turks had pitched their
carap. The Ottoraan general, Draraali, whose
array consisted, in great part, of cavalry, had
coraraitted a great error in choosing so confined
a position, which was incessantly harassed and
surrounded by the Greek infantry; who, by
keeping up a fire of rausketry, often brought
dowri nurabers ofthe eneray, with little loss to
theraselves. The Mainotes showed a good
deal of bravery in these attacks, in which they

672 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
were generally foremost. Stimulated as much
by the love of plunder as by patriotism, they
were at once, the friends and the enemies of
Greece. Amidst the trouble and confusion at Argos
on the approach of the Turks, the whole of the
town was burnt, and the flying inhabitants^
instead of being defended by the Mainotes,
were plundered by thera without raercy. The
booty thus treacherously acquired, was car
ried by these raen to their native raountains;
and their wives, like true descendants of the
ancient Spartans, carae to raeet and congratu
late them, — urging their bandit-husbands to
return again to the scene of action. These
lawless people fared better in this war than the
rest of the Greeks : perfectly secure in their
fastnesses from the ravages of the invader,
and undisturbed by intestine broils, they de
scended to the war, remained as long as they
pleased, plundered friend and foe, and return
ed again to their mountain refuge.
Many Greek women, on their way to a place
of security, found, too late, that the -valuables
they had saved frora the Turks, had become
the prey of the Mainotes. The unfortunate
Handivia was an instance of this ; whose rich
dresses and few reraaining ornaraents, saved
araidst the storra, could not escape the rapa-

MOUNTAIN-ASYLUM. 573
city of these unprincipled allies. Her raoun
tain abode was now in view. Lofty and dis
tant from the scene of danger, yet almost
overlooking the plain, it afforded a secure asy
lum : a long and narrow path led to it. It was
a small Greek hamlet, situated on the craggy
heights of the raountain, among which a few
spots of verdure were intermingled. Some
goats that browsed around, with bread, milk,
and fowls, were the luxuries the place afford
ed. This retreat was rendered still more
disagreeable by the number of Greek fugi
tives who had crowded to it, and who chiefly
consisted of women and children, with some
old men. But it was safe frora the cavalry of
the eneray, and that was all they sought : they
could not hear frora these solitudes the war-
cry, the prelude to slaughter, that had often
followed their steps. The cottages consisted,
each of them, of a couple of apartraents, with
windows of wooden frame-work, through which,
when the fire was kindled in the middle of the
floor, the sraoke found its way, as well as
through the place of entrance. This was an
unfit asylura for a woraan brought up in the,
lap of luxury, and accustonied to the various
indulgences of a Turkish habitation of the
better order. It was a mountain village ofthe
rudest kind, destitute of every comfort : the

674 LETTEllS FROM THE EAST."
rich Persian carpet of the harem was ex
changed for the cold earth floor, and its coarse
mat of reeds ; and the bath, the surmeh for the
eyelids, the elegant chibouque, and the rose
wood to burn init — these enjoyments had: no
place here. Yet the Turkish beauty, vain even
in the utmost misery, continued to disfigure
her small and lovely hands with the red dye
of the hennah, the only remains of her once
splendid toilette. She inquired earnestiy
after the friends she had left behind in Tripo
lizza, and expressed the strongest interest in
their fate. Her fine and colourless features
had become yet more pale, and her look more
languid and desponding. How could it be
otherwise, after having endured so many sor
rows, and being now left to suffer them alone ?
The few remaining friends of her country,' who
took the least sympathy in her fate, she had
little chance of beholding again. Every at
tention was paid to her situation, that circum
stances admitted of, by some Greeks, who
guarded the few Turkish fugitives; but no
bribe could prevail on thera to allow her de
parture for her own country,— that, to her,
beloved land of Turkey, where her friends
lived in affluence. Her tears flowed fast when
we parted from her to pursue our journey.
Every exertion to procure her liberty hst^^

ECCLESIASTICAL XONSCllIPT. 576
been in vain. We Speedily lost sight of that
mountain retreat, but memory could not so
soon banish the lot of the ill-fated Ottoman
lady. .bifs'^
«.; The path we were now pursuing afforded
little beauty of scenery, being barren and
pugged. In the evening, however, we entered
a narrow and pleasant valley, where we en-
eountered a band of Greek peasantry, march
ing in a very disorderly manner, with several
flags, to join the array. They stopped and
questioned us, and then passed on ; but in the
rear, and the last of the band, carae, raost de
spondingly, a Greek priest, whom these fel
lows had compelled to go with thera, with the
threat of cutting off his head if he refused.
He bore a large sabre at his girdle, and cora
plained bitterly of being corapelled to go to
war against his will.
,i£We soon after ascended a hill, about half
way up .which was a sraall village, the only
resting^rplace for the night within 'view. As
the chief raan of the place, however, was
very inhospitable, and abused us as infidels,
weimado: our oouch beneath a large spreading
tree.il We awoke almost with the first light
of daygthe next morning, and pursued our
¦way over, the mountains. In the course of a
fe\y hours, we met several detachments of

576 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
Greeks, coraing from the scene of aetioni they
had been severely handled by the Turicsi and
some of them were wounded. • ;
Towards evening, we came to a deep and
verdant valley, through which a sraall river
ran. On the hills on each side were a few
scattered cottages, and we found a civil recep
tion at one of them ; the raaster of which
killed a kid for our supper.
The following day, we ascended some very
high hills, covered with wood ; and, after pass
ing them, travelled through a fine country,
halting at raid-day beside a spring, till even
ing induced us to seek shelter at a solitary cot
tage. The weather was so calra, and the sun
set so brilliantly on the wild and finely-formed
mountains around, and the plain at their feet,
that we did not molest the peasant's dwelling,
but passed the night on the bank beside it.
On the fourth day, we reached the sea
shore at a late hour. Lights vivere visible,
however, in a detached building on the
sea-shore, used by the Qreeks as a wine-
house, and which, with a few scattered cot
tages at a short distance, was called Claran-
za. It afforded us a rude accommodation,
during two days we passed here, till a boat
could be procured to convey us to the Island
of Zante, We went on board in the evening,

LAZARETTO AT ZANTE, 577
and sailing with little wind all night, had
the satisfaction to perceive the rocky hills of
the island full in view the next morning. And
here ensued one of the most disagreeable
events of the whole journey. The lazaretto
was nearly full, and we were obliged to take
possession of a sorry apartment, for thirty days
and nights. After so rauch exciteraent, scenes
ever changing, and an independent will, it
was dreadful to be imraured in a wretched
apartraent, destitute of all comfort or accom
modation : no amusement but to gaze through
the open window for hours on very lovely
scenery ; a hill .with a white cottage, and its
garden on the surarait, a few hundred yards
distant; a flight of steps conducted to the
fountain beneath ; and we could see the Greeks
every day, seated in the corridor, happily. en
joying the cool air, while we were suffering
some of the feelings of Tantalus ; and pining
for the fresh atmosphere, and sweet scenes of
nature. Many of the people shut up in the
court below, were ill of the fever, and some
had died of it. My poor servant caught it
also, and removed his raattrass frora the single
charaber that was allowed us into the comfort
less passage without, lest his presence should
give me the infection : and here, after braving
,. 2 p

578 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
SO many dangers and hardships, he had nearly
perished. Indeed, the lazaretto at Zante is one of the
raost infamous places an unfortunate traveller
can ever be imprisoned in ; and the quarantine
laws are so severe, that, even in case of dan
gerous illness, they will not abridge the pe
riod of confinement a single hour. Col. G.'s ser
vant died in this abode a few months before
of the fever; his raaster had nearly shared
the sarae fate, and with difficulty recovered,
after his release from quarantine. The month
expired at last, and we breathed the pure air
again ; and in the way to the town, walked
beneath the trees and on the sea-shore, with
heartfelt joy, and felt like captives who had
burst their chain.
v; After residing a fortnight in Zante, I took
passage on board a large vessel about to
sail for England, and parted from my faithful
and excellent servant, who returned to Con
stantinople. A voyage of seven weeks, witii
the usual vicissitudes of wind and weather,
brought us to our native shore.

APPENDIX.

VISIT TO PALMYRA.
COMMUNICATED BY A FRIEND OF THE AUTHOR.
We had often earnestly wished to visit Palmyra ; and the
difficulties which at first ¦ stood in the way being now in a
good measure removed, we resolved to undertake the journey.
, We made enquiry for an Arab scheik, both as a con
ductor and guardian ; for these scheiks, who are connected
perhaps with one or two more tribes besides their own, assure
you of receiving no molestation on the journey : but they
are apt to promise more than the event fulfils. This Arab
demanded a thousand piastres for conducting us, and talked
a .good de^l of the probable dangers of the way, and the
, importance his guidance would be to us. There had been
lately some disputes between the Pacha of Damascus and one
or two of the Arab-tribes of the desert, several of whose
cliKfs he had severely punished ; and a traveller raight
chance to fall in with some of their followers, who would not,
perhaps, give him the best reception.
About an hour before sun-rise we left Damascus, and pro
ceeded over the plain in the direction ofthe mountain Ash
loon. The path was delightful, as it led over the streams,
2 p2

580 LETTERS FROM THE' EAST.
and thi-ough the forest of gardens which extend for many
miles round the city. The numerous minarets ofthe latter
ribW' flittered in the rising sun, particularly those of the
grdiid mosquej which are conspicuous from almost every-
point of view. No where in tbe East is the stranger so for
cibly reminded of European scenery as around Damascus.
The constant flow of waters through the gardens and woods,:
and the fresh and living green in which they are clothed, are
peculiar features in so hot a climate.
In the course of a few hours we quitted the circuit of tlie
groves and numerous villages, and entered on the wide and
open plain. Our company consisted bf two Bedouins tb
take care of six camels, and the baggage, ourselves, one
servant, three horses, and the guide. We travelled no faster
than the usual caravan pace, about three or four mileis an
hour. Turning in a short time to the left, we lost sight of
the city and its delicious plain, and beheld the desert opening
before us.
The prophets of Israel describe the desert as a dread
and fearful residence in all their allusions to it"; and in their
pfedictioiis of future judgements on their countrymen, threaten
them vfith that " howling wilderness, that waste and weary
land, not inhabited," as one of the heaviest calamities. The
traditions of the forty years' sojourn there wi^, probably,
one cause of this. But the Prophet of Mecca has' fdr-
bope such descriptions, knowing, perhaps,' Arab as he was,
that the wilds had their charms, and that his people lov«d
them. ' -^^
The soil over which we travelled was barfen ; here and
there a cottage was seen. The verdure had not yet-wholly
left us, but continued to intersect the way, in small ^tdies
of oli-ve and other trees. ' ' •

APPENDIX. , 58:1
fhe sun, as it drew towards mid-day, was ve^y. power
ful, and we were obliged to have recourse to umbrellas as
a shelter from the heat. There was no place that offered
a»^ tolerable accommodation till we should arrive at Carie
teen, at the end of two days ; but we were better prbvided
vei^ necessaries than on some of our former journeys. The
path, too, was entirely different. In the Arabian deserts it
was always of soft or hard sand, where a camel only could
travel ; here it was a firm road, covered sometimes with a
coarse verdure, on which our horses travelled perfectly well.
A<^med, the guide, was a spirited and shrewd fellow, very
willing to converse, especially about the consequence of his
tribe, and its great possessions. Greedy of raoney as tlie
Arabs always are, it was evident that the prospect of the
thousand piastres promised him was very agreeable ; and
although these people are very hospitable when their genero
sity is appealed to, it is always much easier to drive a bargain
with a Turk than an Arab, who will grasp at the last para.
, - Soon after mid-day we alighted to rest beneath a small
group of trees, that afforded a scanty shade. We had some
cold provisions from the city ; and, with the aid of some
, very excellent and strong white wine of Lebanon, presented
. by the fathers of the Spanish convent, made a tolerable
dinner. The scene was wild, and spread to a great extent
around us ; the beautiful mountain of Ashloon intercepting
the view to the left.
; , -In ^bout two hours we set out again, and after travelling
till nearly dark, we halted and pitched our tent by a spring
oi water. The night proved extremely cold. In spite of
the tent and our garments, we felt quite chilled with the
:l(eeDness of the air, and found a good fire and a cup of cof
fee very grateful early the next morning, before our depar-

582 LETTERS illOM 'J HE EAST.
ture. This day we passed two -or three villages, and had
not advanced far when we beheld tlie plain before uscovered,
with an immense multitude of Arabs, with their docj^s and
camels. They had come from plaius far distant- — .''iom,.fchqi
extensive tracts which extend towards Babylon and Bagda^r.>
he pastures -being either scanty or else partiaUy exjiauste^t
his season. They had journeyed hither, witli all their flpcks
and herds, for the sake of the superior pasturage the Syrian,
plains afford. Their tents were spread over an immense,
space of ground before us ; those of the scheiks being dis
tinguished by their superior size. Groups of camels were,
standing in some parts, and groups of their masters beside
them ; and herds of cattle, goats, and horses, were dispersed,
over all the plain, mingled with parties of Arabs, who watched.,
and attended them.
We could not avoid passing through the midst of this
large encampment, and its numerous population. Some of
the Arabs were very civil, and did not offer the least mo
lestation or insult ; others looked suspicious and angry, as if
they would like well to plunder us. They invited us more
than once to stop and take some refreshment ; but as in
that case we should have been soon surrounded by curious
and observing groups, we declined the invitation, and pass
ed on; It was some time before we disengaged ourselves
from the numerous scattered detachments of this singular
people, who seemed to live in perfect amity with each otiier,
and to respect inviolably individual property, however expo
sed and intermingled.
Their dress was the same as that of the Arabs we
had seen in Damascus; and their persons were middle-
sized, often tall, but spare, and well-proportioned. Their
flocks were numerous enough to afford them the substan-r

APPENDIX. 583
tial luxuries of the table ; and many of their tents appeared
well furnished in the Eastern style. . . ¦ - .
We travelled on without halting^ and with little variety
in the way, till we arrived at Carieteen, a large village. The
scheik, our guide, ordered a small sheep to be killed, and
dressed for our supper. We were accommodated in one of
the liouses of the village for tbe night ; and, a large fire be
ing kindled on the floor, we seated ourselves sociably around
't, with our conductor and the host of the mansion. A few
of the inhabitants of the village made their appearance after
the repast. We had still a couple of bottles of the strong
convent-wine left, and the scheik and the host seemed to-
gaze on the forbidden draught with desiring eyes, yet dared
not then, at least before witnesses, break the Prophet's com
mand, though it did not appear from their manner to have
been always a stranger to their lips. No men drink it with
more heartfelt, yet outwardly subdued feeling, than very
many of the faithful ; who agree, no doubt, in the opinion of
Wortley Montague, after he had embraced their faith, that
the Turkish life wanted only one thing to make it perfectly
happy — the permission to drink good wine.
Our resting-place this night, was much more comfortable
than on the preceding, as we were fenced from the keen
air. We left Carieteen the next morning, and advanced into
a barren and sandy region, with neither tree nor shade, and
not a salutary spring to afford relief. We were obliged to
provide ourselves with a plentiful stock of water on leaving
the village. The weather was very sultry, ''and the scene
afforded nothins; interesting to amuse the attention. No
deep and secluded glens, the towering sides of which shut
out the piercing sunbeams ; no magnificent mountains, or hai-.
lowed regions, as the path to Mount Sinai perpetually dis-

584 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
played ;ibut a waste and level plain, lined/ on eacji side, .at
the distance of many miles, by barren, low, and misierabi)*?
hiHs. '
We were obhged to have frequent recourse to our waters
skins ; for the thirst occasioned by the heat was extreme.
The two Bedouins, fatigued: with walking on the hot^ sand,
at times mounted the camels. My companion bore the jour
ney with uncommon cheerfulness and gaiety ; for he bad long-
had a passionate desire to see Palrayra, the only great ruin in
the world, he said, that he had not visited. With joy we
beheld the sun declining in the west, and felt the sultry heat
succeeded- by the cool breeze of the evening. In two or three
hours we halted in the middle of the plain, being too fatigued
to travel any farther. The fire soon blazed on the sand, and
the cup of coffee and the pipe were quickly prepared. It
is not on the rich carpet or in the splendid kiosque that
these simple luxuries are most exquisitely enjoyed. Who
that has ever tasted them after a day of burning heat and
wasting fatigue, seated on the desert sand, but will say,
they were sweeter to him there than when presented by the
hand of beauty, or in the palaces of kings ?
Jt soon became dark, as far as darkness can be in this
climate ; for the star-light was uncommonly fine. 1 he tent
was pitched, yet we continued seated round our cheerful
fire ; for the air already began to be very cool. The night on
the desert, especially so calm and hushed a one as this, is
peculiarly solemn and impressive : no sound to break on
the stillness ! no falling of waters or murmuring of groves,
or voice of living thing !
The Bedouins, after their frugal supper, had wrapped
themselves- in their cloaks, and sought repose on the sand,
beside their caraels. We were , obliged ere long to quit the

APPENDIX. " 585
bpen air fbr a more agreeable abode, and take refuge in the
tent. The climate of this country is much more severe during
the night than in the deserts of Paran and Sinai ; and the
vicissitude from the sultry heats of day to tlie piercing colds
is too strong for any constitution save that ot au Arab ; and
verifies' the words ofthe patriarch Jacob to his father-in-law,
who dwelt in this very land — " that in the day the di-ought
consumed him, and the frost by night ;" and this is the case,
inore or less, throngh all parts ofthe yrar.
' On the following morning we hastened our departure;
for this was said to be the most dangerous part of the road,
and there was no water to be had till our arrival at the ruins.
The aspect of the country was the same as on the preceding
day, the range of naked hills bounding the plain on each
side. Not a single passenger appeared to enliven the scene,
which was rather stupid and monotonous; and we halted
again at night in the plain, with no small pleasure; for
the tiresome pace of three miles an hour is inexpreiSsibly
annoying. : -
The next day we quitted our encampment in higher spirits,
knowing that a few hours would bring us in view of the ce
lebrated ruin we had so long ardently desired to see. The
plain became much narrower as we advanced, and the hills
on each side drew close together, and we entered a smdll
valley ; on arriving at the end of which, a plain in front
all at once unfolded itself ; and we had a distinct and ¦ full
view of nhe' glorious ruins with whicii it is covt-red. Like
the first view oP Damascus, this spectacle struck us the more
as it burst suddenly on the sight after dreariness and
disgust. On advancing a little farther, some of the - Palmyi?ekie
Arabs came to meet us ; and, after a civil salutation, con
ducted us to, the babitatioi] of the gi'eat scheik. This man,

588 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
with his follower.s, had made themselves habitations in a part
of the great temple or palace; and they were much bettpn
lodged than in their own rude tents or ruder'cottages. The
scheik ordered coffee and a pipe, and gave us an abode of
the same kind as his own, in a portion of the ruins. These
wild and lawless fellows, herding amidst the most magnificent
ruins in the world, and looking on theraselves as the guar
dians ,of them, present, with their picturesque dress and,
arms, a fine and forcible contrast to the scene around, entirely
in keeping.
As soon as our effects were deposited in our new habita
tion, and we had got rid of the Arabs for the time, we be
gan to explore and walk about these immense remains. This
is, indeed, a work of some tirae, on account of the great ex
tent of ground they cover, and the various fine detached
portions, miconnected now with any building, which every
where meet the view: — a few pillars, standing in loneliness,
the last of some gorgeous structure that is heaped in masses
at their feet — a noble gateway, with the wreck of its rich
ornaments, opening the way to ruin only and destruction
— with tenantless tombs crowding on each other,— are the
characteristics of this splendid solitude.
In this respect they have more resemblance to the ruins
of Thebes in Upper Egypt, than any other ; but surpass them
greatly in regularity and beauty, though not in greatness ; as
the Corinthian and Ionic capitals of these long colonnades
are more agreeable to the eye than the gigantic and unadorn
ed columns of Carnac : — the grey miirble of wliich they are
composed adds to their elegance ; though this, by exposure
to the weather, is often covered with a reddish hue.
The first evening we passed here was a very delightful
one, and the setting of the sun on the ruins of the great temple

APPENDIX. 587
was a noble and almost a melancholy scene. Being destitute
of provision, we purchased a goat of the Arabs, who keep a
herd of them here; and our evening repast was served up
in our new abode — our cottage amidst the wrecks of palaces.
The'next day vve continued to view the ruina with unabated
interest. It is difficult to estimate the entire space they
cover ; but the circumference may be about three miles, —
rather more th;in that of the modern city of Jerusalem.
The whole of this area may be said to be covered with nume
rous rows of cohimns, courts, arches, scattered pillars, and
innumerable fragments of marble which strew the ground. Of
this the great temple occupies the largest space ; the columns,
however, vvhich compose it, are by no means lofty, being
between thirty and forty feet in height ; and they are slender
in comparison with other Oriental ruins, the circumference
not exceeding eight feet. These columns are in part fluted,
and in part plain. The capitals of the temple are all Corin
thian ; but the beauty of these is almost entirely defaced by
time and the mutilating hands of tho Arabs; —the foliage
and ornaments ofthe capitals are often entirely stripped and
destroyed. A few of the columns, of the Ionic order, have
their capitals better preserved. The effect of the superb
colonnades in the great portico, is considerably injured by a
projection from the shaft of the pillars, at little more than
a third of their height, on which statues, perhaps, formerly
stood. The finest view of the temple is from without the
arch, whefe its long flights of columns ave seen in beautiful
perspective, raingled with porticoes and sepulchres. It would
make the finest panorama in the world.
The decorations of the archway, which, by the portion
that remains, appear to have been very minute and rich,
are greatly defaced. Although the diameter of the pillars

588 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
is in general from two to three feet, the height of some of
them amounts to forty feet ; and a small row approedieB
near fifty, and many others do not exceed twenty'^six ffee*;
None of them, in beauty; size, or preservation, eqtial - the
noblo columns which compose the portico of the temple -af
Balbec, which we aftervvards beheld. The entablature6,-tattfl
part of their ornaments, still remain on many of the flights
of pillars ; but among the innumerable fragments of every
kind Scattered over the ground, no fragments of statues are
discoverable, and of the great number that formerly stood
in the temple not a trace remains.
If the site of these remains is the same as that formeriy
occupied by the city built by Solomon, called Tadmor in
the wilderness, which is tacitly believed, it is extraordinary
how that monarch cbuld have founded a city in so remotea
situation — the only very distant one he is ever said to liave
erected. The city of Damascus must have been in his posses
sion at the time, or he could not have built a dty five or six
days' journey beyond it ; — and only a few years afta-wards
it is said that " Rezon was an adversary to Israel all the
days of Solomon ; and he dwelt in Damascus, and reigned
over Syria." It was, perhaps, some other spot, and nearer to
Judea, that contained the city called " Tadmor iji the wil
derness." The Bedouins, however, universally call it Thed-
mor ; and the tribe that resides here confidently believetbat
this was the city founded by Solomon the great king.' : ^ -
The hills round the ruins were probably covered; in' fornier
times with palm-trees, as those around the capital of Fales-
tine, but at present not one is to be seen ; some olive-trees,
growing amidst the fallen fragments, have a very romantic
appearance, and afford a relief to the scene. The sepulchral
monuments scattered about, are very nunierous; some of

APPENDIX. 589
these are in ruins, others, more entire, are of considerable
size-aad altitude, consisting of several stories and chambers,
and displaying a- grandeur of architecture, that brought to
mtnd.the tombs of ancient Thebes. Formerly a great num
ber &£ mummies were found here ; but the Arabs, as in Egypt,
destroyed- them for the purpose of getting at the compo-
sition^with which they were embalmed. Fragments of mum
mies^ and pieces of the cloth used in embalming, may now
be discovered in these sepulchres ; but nothing to repay the
ourious search : though in a few are evidently places where
funeral urns have been deposited; and some sarcophagi yet
remain, but empty. A late traveller has said, he discovered
a hand, entire and well preserved, in one of these deserted
chambers of the dead. They extend to some distance with
out the walls, even to the small valley by which we entered
the {Jaint and prov-e the passion these people had for magnifi
cent mausoleums. A few are built in the form of a tower, and
have actually been employed by the Turks for that purpose ;
others are adorned with a portico; and the tombs are placed
within in front of this, or in the sides ; some, more simple,
are entered by a small door, with a half column on each side,
and a few steps in front. They are all built of- marble,
and.-are 'paved with the same material, and have had the same
fat© aa those of the kings of Thebes, cut into the bowels of
the imountain, or of Judea, hewn out ofthe precipitous rocks;
remaining almost entire, while the ashes they contained have
long been scattered to the winds.
The hill on which the castle stands commands a complete
view of the city and the plain beneath. The ancient city in
its, i glory; with its. woods and streams, must have resembled
an island embosomed in the ocean ; for on every side a
vastextent of desert opens ; the same, no doubt, as it existed

390 LEITKRS' FROM THE EAST.
then, in which you find no water, no shade or' verdure,- till
you arrive in the plain of Palmyria, vvhere you find plenty of
water issuing from the very rocks. The castle is oftherudfist
style of architecture, of a date very subsequent to the buildings
beneath, and is probably a work of the Saracens. The adjoin
ing hills are crowned with buildings of a more ancient and
venerable aspect, being the monuments of the Palmyreiles,
who made the highest summits, as well as the valleys, abbdes
of their dead.
A few miles distant from the city is what is called the
Valley of Salt, said to be the place where " David gat him
a name by smiting the Syrians in the Valley of Salt." This
circumstance shows how httle the features of the surround
ing country are altered since his time ; for Damascus, besides
other places, procures salt' at present from this spot. The
ground here has a very barren appearance, is impregnated
with salt to some deptli below the surface, but it is chiefly
after showers of rain that the Arabs collect it, as in common
salt-pits : a quantity of salt being found lodged on the sur
face after the moisture has evaporated.
One of the most singular objects in the plain is the sul
phureous water, which is found in several places. At the
base of a rocky mountain is the finest of these springs,
which gushes out into a clear pool, and runs to some distance
over the plain, where it is lost in the sand. The water is
very warm, and is said to be useful in some complaitits,
the Arabs having a good opinion of its virtues. There are
one or two more springs of the same water, but not so
large in quantity as the first. At the foot of a high rock
near the Red Sea, are four or five springs of a perfectly similar
description, but hotter, and known only to the Arabs, with
whom we had visited them, who drink of them whenever

APPENDIX. 591
they pass the spot, for their medicinal virtues. They gush
out of the rock on the sand, and, having formed one or two
pools, flow by a small channel into the sea.
In the evening we returned again to our Arab habitation,
which, though not very spacious, was much cleaner than
one of their tents. Our supper consisted of the same de
licacy as the preceding day, goat's- flesh being the only
food to be procured. As the evening vvas a beautiful one,
we chose to take our meal in the open air. We had the fore
sight to bring a small quantity of brandy from Damascus,
which with water vvas a very wholesome substitute for the
wines of Lebanon. The Bedouins, who gathered round us,
did not decline to partake very cordially of the brandy,' which
is a liquor not forbidden ; strange that the Prophet should
have indulged them in ardent spirits, and denied them juice
ofthe grape!
The tribe settled here, under the great scheik, was not
a very numerous one. He was a middle-aged man, not
over civil in his manners, and proud of his dignity, par
ticularly of the privilege he possessed of conducting the
Pacha of Damascus to Mecca, when he went on his pilgrim
age. This schiek was an imposing and rapacious man, and
grasped at all he could get from the Giaours, as we soon had
occasion to experience.
The Palmyrene women deserve the praise given to their
beauty throughout the East; they are the ' finest-looking
women of all the Arab tribes of Syria; their complexion is
not very dark, and many of them have the' fine and florid
colour of more northem climates. Their manners are npt
so rigid as those of some of the tribes, who would not pass
the tent of a Frank without scrupulously concealing their
features, even in the heart of the Desert. The Palmyrene

592 LETTERS FROM THE EAST.
women possess a cheerful and lively disposition ; and though
the veil is always worn, it does not very strictly perform its
oifice. They are well and rather slightly made, as the ]ife in
the desert is always a foe to embonpoint ; but their artus and
hands are beautifully formed, and their features reg.ular.
Like other orientals of their sex, they dye the tips of the
fingers and the palms ofthe hands red, and wear goldring|,jn
their ears ; and the jet-black dye of the hennah toK the eye
lashes is never forgotten ; they imagine, and perhaps with
truth, that its blackness gives the eye an additional languor
aud interest.
Unlike most other Bedouins, these people never change
their habitation, but remain there from year to year perfectly
contented ; and not without reason, as the cliraate is one
of the healthiest in the world, and they have houses ready
prepared of a better order than they are usually accustomed
to. But they are not a rich tribe, having few flocks or
herds, from the deficiency of pasture. The number of tra
vellers who have visited them has been but iev!, and they
have seldom been so well paid as by the " Great Lady"* some
years since, whose arrival was a kind of epoch in their
existence. The tax these fellows demand for the privilege of
visiting the ruins is an enormous sum, but they have the
power in their hands to compel payment : the fault is not
wholly theirs ; but it is a pity that subsequent travellers are
obliged to pay for the extravagance of their predecessors.
On the last day of our residence at Palmyra we roamed
again amidst the courts and porticoes of the Temple of the
Sun, the magnificence of which, however defaced and mu
tilated, is without a rival ; but it is the general efifect of the
spectacle, more than the beauty of any particular part, that
• Lady H. Stanhope.

APPENDIX. 593
compels admiration. The weather had been very fa,vourable
during our stay, and we resolved to depart ; but it was more
easy to resolve than to execute.
Every thing being ready in the morning, and the baggage
placed on the camels, we bade adieu to our host the schiek,
who looked very sullen, and began to demand more than we
had yet given him, mingling a little abuse in what he said.
Some of his people followed his example ; and to avoid
an unpleasant altercation, we were obliged to part with a
portion of our effects to satisfy their cupidity. We then left
with pleasure their inhospitable region, and rode slowly in
the direction by which we had first entered the plain. Who
ever visits Palmyra, will find the delight he feels at behold
ing it most materially diminished by the disagreeable circum
stances to which he-is liable.' If he is fortunate enough to
avoid the dangers of the way, which are sometimes great,
the insolence and rapacity of the Arabs will annoy him
beyond measure.
Passing through the valley, we again entered the wide
plain, bordered by hills ; and no particular event marked
our journey till we arrived at Carieteen. After resting
here for the night, we pursued our way the following day,
and in the evening entered the delicious plain of Damascus ;
the gardens, rivers, and palaces of which had a look of en
chantment, after the weary progress through the Desert.

THE END.

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