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A
HISTORY
OF THE
REVOLT OF
ALI BE
AGAINST THE
Y,
OTTOMAN PORTE,
INCLUDING
An Account of the Form of Government of
Egypt; together with a Deſcription of Grand
Cairo, and of ſeveral celebrated Places in
Egypt, Paleſtine, and Syria:
To which are added,
A fhort Account of the prefent State of the Chrif-
tians who are Subjects to the Turkiſh Govern-
ment, and the Journal of a Gentleman who tra-
velled from
ALEPPO TO BASSORA.
いたし
​By S. L. Kooμotoilus.
LONDON:
Printed and Sold for the Author, by JAMES PHILLIPS,
George-Yard, Lombard-Street: and Sold alfo by
L. DAVIS, in Holborn; PAINE and Son, Mew's-
Gate; J. SEWELL, in Cornhill; J. WALTER,
Charing-Crofs; and by the Author, N° 27, Comp-
ton-Street, Soho.
M. DCC, LXXXIII.
DT
98.5
.197
Entered at Stationer's-Hall.
Near East
Hardenig
2-12-54
86454
TO THE
READER.
HA
AVING met with fome paffages
concerning Ali Bey's revolt a-
gainst the Turkish Government, lately
printed in the German language, I
thought it would be a lofs to the pub-
lic, not to know the whole hiftory of
this unfortunate prince; and therefore,
having been intimately acquainted with
him for a confiderable time, and an eye
witneſs of many of his adventures, I
have, at the defire of feveral of my
friends, drawn up the following faith-
ful narration of his life and tranfactions:
and fince Egypt, Paleftine, and Cælo-
fyria,
a 2
iv TO THE READER.
fyria, were the principal fcenes of ac-
tion, I have prefixed a fhort defcription
of Egypt, with an account of the pre-
fent mode of government (which is part-
ly monarchical, and partly aristocrati-
cal), of the laws, privileges, and reve-
nues of the republic, and the cauſe of
the laudable revolt of Ali Bey againſt
the Ottoman Porte. Then follows an
account of his life and tranſactions, in
which I have endeavoured to relate every
thing with correctnefs and truth, but
hope to be excufed, if fometimes I am
not quite exact in diſtances of places,
and fome trifling circumftances, having
had the misfortune to lofe my journal,
with
many other valuable things, after
the defeat of Ali Bey, which obliges me
to trust to my memory. Thirdly, I
have added a deſcription of ſeveral places
in Cælofyria and Paleſtine, to illuſtrate
the hiſtory, and affift the traveller in
thoſe countries; and for the fame pur-
pofe
TO THE READER.
V
pofe, I have copied, by permiffion of a
friend, the journal of a gentleman who
travelled by land to Eaft-India, by the
way of Aleppo, Bagdat, and Baffora;
and as frequent mention is made of the
Greek Chriftians under the dominion of
the Turks, I have (I hope not impro-
perly) added fome account of the pre-
fent ftate of that church.
The reader may doubt of the veracity
of the author, and wish to know how
he became acquainted with Ali Bey;
I will therefore fatisfy his curiofity as
far as delicacy will admit. In the year
1746, about the end of May, a very
intereſting affair happened to our fa-
mily; my eldeſt brother, to avoid death,
or change of religion, thought proper to
baniſh himſelf for ever from his native
country; he took me with him, and we
went to Damiata, or Pelufium; I ſtayed
with him there two weeks, being then
about the age of ten years, till he re-
ceived
vi TO THE READER.
ceived an anſwer from Grand Cairo, to
a letter which he had written to a rela-
tion of my mother, who was then in
the fervice of Rahip Mahomet, Paſha
of Cairo; from thence I was fent from
my brother's, to my uncle at Cairo.
My uncle was intimately acquainted with
Ibrahim Kiahaya, whom I mention in
my work. Ali Bey was then in the
office of hafnadar, and my uncle ufed
frequently to take me with him to
Ibrahim Kiahaya, who often ordered
Ali to give me one thing or another as
a prefent; Ali uſed alfo to come very
often to my uncle's houſe, in the caf-
tle, and had many prefents from my
uncle, fuch as furs and broad cloth,
and other foreign things; by theſe
means I became intimately acquainted
with Ali, though a youth. This firſt
acquaintance lafted till the year 1749,
in which time, the Pafha being dif-
miffed by the Divan, in the manner
hereafter mentioned, my uncle was ob-
liged
TO THE READER.
vii
liged to follow him, and I alſo went
with him to Natolia, to a town called
Giuſel Iffar, at which place we remain-
ed fourteen months; but my uncle's
health being in danger, as the air of the
country did not agree with his conftitu-
tion, he begged leave of the Pafha to re-
move for change of air, and having ob-
tained it, we departed from thence to
Smyrna, and from thence to Conftanti-
nople. I ftayed with him till the year
1753, at which time fome circumftan-
ces obliged me to part from him, and
live independent; I therefore thought
proper to lead a mercantile life, and hav-
ing ſome money in my poffeffion, in-
vefted it in goods there, and putting
them on board a fhip which was going
to Syria and Damiata, I went with it to
Damiata, there I met Maalim Michael
Farha, who was then under-commif-
fioner in the customs, and protected by
Ibrahim Kiahaya, and favourite to Ali
Bey, with whom I became acquainted,
and
viii
TO THE READER.
and he bought of me moſt of my goods.
From him I heard of Ali Bey's eleva-
tion, and begged of him, whenever he
found an opportunity, to pay my re-
ſpects to him. From that time I uſed to
correfpond with Maalim Farha, and in
his letters he affured me, that he`al-
ways preſented my refpects to Ali Bey,
whenever he received any letters of me.
He alſo very often uſed to fend me a
commiffion for European goods, for Ali
Bey, which I punctually complied with.
In the year 1769, while I was in
Europe, I received an order from Ali
Bey himſelf, accompanied with Farha's
letter, defiring me to endeavour to
fettle fome affairs for him in my tra-
vels, and go to Cairo as foon as pof-
fible, becauſe he had fome fervice to
employ me in. My affairs detained me
in Europe till the year 1771, when I
went to Alexandria, and from thence
to Cairo, where I had the honour to
be
TO THE READER. ix
be preſented to him, by Maalim Farha,
and fince that time I remained in his
fervice, till his defeat, which involved
me in ruin. As for the things of which
I was not an eye witneſs, they were re-
lated to me by Farha, Tantavi, Riſk,
Sulficar, and fome by Ali Bey him-
felf.
The reader will pleafe to obferve,
that the dates mentioned in the life of
Ali Bey, are according to the old ſtilę.
THE
THE
GREEK LANGUAGE,
Both ANCIENT and MODERN,
TAUGHT BY THE
AUT
H O R,
And rendered familiar in Converfation,
ACCORDING TO THE
TRUE GREEK PRONUNCIATION.
THE
CONTENTS.
AN Account of Maft, Grand
Α
Cairo, Bulak, the River Nile,
and the Government of Egypt. Page 1
Of the Monarchical Part of the
Government of Egypt.
The Form of the Republican Go-
vernment, with its Privileges
and Strength.
The Hiſtory of Ali Bey, Sect. I.
containing an Account of his
Birth, Captivity, Arrival in E-
gypt, and Advancement.
29
39
69
Sect.
xii
CONTENT S.
Sect. II. Containing Anecdotes of
Ali Bey till his Revolt.
Page
79
Sect. III. Containing the Origin
and Progrefs of Ali Bey's Revolt. 93
A ſhort Deſcription of the preſent
State of Tyre and Sidon, with
Directions for Travellers on that
Road.
- 165
A Deſcription of fundry Places in
Paleſtine
A Short Account of the preſent
State of the Chriftians, who are
under Subjection to the Turkiſh
Government
Appendix. Containing a Journal
of a Gentleman who travelled
177
209
from Aleppo to Baffora.
225
ΑΝ
AN ACCOUNT OF
MASR, GRAND CAIRO, BULAK,
the RIVER NILE,
AND THE
GOVERNMENT OF EGYPT.
EGYPT, divided into Upper and
Lower, is fituated in the north eaſt
part of Africa, between 29 and 38 de-
grees of east longitude, and 21 and 3 I
of north latitude, extending 600 miles
from north to fouth; 100 to 200 from
eaſt to weft; bounded on the north by
the Mediterranean; on the eaſt by the
Red Sea, and ifthmus of Suez, which
divides it from Arabia; on the ſouth by
Abyffinia and Ethiopia, and on the weſt
by the deſerts of Barca and Nubia.
A
The
( 2 )
The government of Egypt is monar-
chical and ariftocratical; the firſt is re-
preſented by the Grand Signior's Vice-
roy, and the ſecond is adminiftered by
the Mamluks, or flaves, which the word
fignifies, for no free-born man is admit-
ed to the dignity of Bey, neither can
the children of a Bey ever attain to it.
Theſe flaves are all natives of Iberia, com-
monly called Georgia, Circaffia, or Amaf-
fia and Mengrelia, bought by the flave
merchants, or ftolen by banditti, who
often make excurfions into thofe coun-
tries, for the expreſs purpoſe of ſtealing
the male children of the natives, which
they carry with them into Egypt, and
fell for flaves.
In Upper Egypt there are eleven San-
giaks, or governors of provinces, and
thirteen in lower Egypt, all of whom
are Mamluks.
There
( 3 )
a
There are twenty-four Beys, the chief
of whom is the Bey of Mafr, which is
the capital of lower Egypt; and the ſe-
cond in dignity is the Bey of Saide," the
metropolis of Upper Egypt. The Kia-
haya and Chaouſh of the Janizaries are
included in the number of the twenty-
four Sangiaks, by virtue of their office.
c
d
The city of Mafr, or Grand Cai-
ro, ftands about one mile from the
river Nile, to the eaſt, and extends from
north to fouth, about four miles and a
half, and three from east to west. It
is fituated at the bottom of the moun-
tain, called by the natives Mokatam,
having on the eaſt a caftle, built up-
on a rock. About a mile to the weſt
ftands the town of Bulak; on the north
b The
a The Egyptian name for Grand Cairo.
Capital of Upper Egypt, fituated on the banks of the
Nile, 150 miles fouth from Cairo, and fuppofed to be
the antient Thebes; it is 32 by 20 eaft longitude, and
22 north latitude. Steward or Inſpector General of
the Janizaries. Adjutant General of the Janizaries.
A 2
the
( 4 )
the ruins of the ancient Heliopolis ;
on the fouth the town called Old Cairo,
or Mafr-el-kadim, by the natives. The
principal ſtreets of Cairo generally ex-
tend from north to fouth, and the leffer
from eaſt to weft; theſe laſt communi-
cate with the chief of theſe capital ſtreets,
which commences from the north-gate,
and ends with the fouth, called by the
natives Darbe-el-kibear; this ftreet on
both fides is lined with fhops, filled
from top to bottom with all forts of
merchandize; but great caution muſt
be obſerved in dealing with the Arabs,
eſpecially thoſe of the lower clafs, as
they frequently aſk double to what they
mean to take.
The houſes of the better fort of in-
habitants are built of ftone, and gene-
rally two, and fome three ftories high;
the rooms are large and lofty; but thoſe
of the lower clafs are built of unburnt
bricks, and only one ſtory high. This
city
( 5 )
city is divided into diftricts, and at the
entrance of each ftands a gate. The
aldermen and other officers appointed to
keep peace and order in each quarter, are
guarded by a corps of Janizaries, poſted
at the gate, and relieved once a year, who
are not obliged to do military obeifance
to any of their fuperiors. If any riot or
diſturbance arife in any of the quarters,
and they neglect to affift the officers to
quell the mob, and punish the culprits,
they are not only difmiffed from their
places, but anfwerable for their neglect
of duty with their lives. The houſes
of the grandees are ſurrounded with high
walls, and are very magnificent build-
ings; the rooms are elegantly furniſhed,
and painted and decorated according to
the Afiatic tafte; their gardens are
planted with all forts of fruit trees and
flowers; water works and pools alfo are
conſtructed and made in theſe gardens,
with a fine ſpecies of marble, brought
from Upper Egypt. The eſtabliſhed
religion
A 3
( 6 )
religion of the country is Mahometiſm,
yet all other religions are tolerated; the
Mahometans have many giamees, or mof-
ques, and the greater number of them
are very grand ftructures; the moſt
magnificent is the Mofque of Sultan
Haffan; next to that is the famous hof-
pital Muriſtan, in which fourteen thou-
fand men, and the greater part of them
blind, are fupported out of the revenue
of the country. Near this giamee ſtands
an academy, which is a very beautiful
edifice. Not far from thence is a noble
building called In-Stuck-Selah, where
the merchants meet to tranfact buſineſs
from this giamee the great ſquare of
Roomeli begins, extending towards the
fouth, about twelve hundred yards, and
from east to west, about eight hundred.
To the fouth of this fquare there is
another leſs ſquare, called Kara-Meitan,
befides the ſtately buildings of giamees
mectebes, or academies; there are
houſes belonging to the grandees, vekia-
les,
( 7 )
mams, no
les, or inns, and public baths, or ha-
In the
no leſs magnificent.
middle of the city the Greeks have a
large church, dedicated to St. Nicholas;
near which the Armenians have one, and
the Copts two; one near the Greek
church, and another in a ſtreet called
Harte-Room, in which ſtreet their pa-
triarchs, and that of Alexandria, of the
Greek perfuafion refide: the archbiſhop
of Mount Sinai has another, in a street
called Juwania; though this prelate
refides in Mafr, nevertheleſs he is not
a fuffragan to the patriarch of Alexan-
dria, but to that of Jerufalem. The Jews
alſo have a fynagogue not far from the
Greek church, and they live all in one
quarter of the city, which is fhut up
every night; the natives call that quar-
ter Har-tel-Ihut, or the Jews ftreet.
A canal traverſes the city from fouth to
north, and divides it into two parts;
the eaſtern part is called Uſbekie and
Fundukie, the weſtern Mofque, in which
ftreet
A 4
( 8 )
ftreet the European confuls and factors
refide. There are fifteen bridges over
this canal. I. Kantaret-fuem-el-cha-
lidfg. 2. Kantaret-ed-jeneine. 3. Kan-
taret-is-fabbà. 4. Kantaret-emeer-fei-
hee. 5. Kantaret-ed-jamemys. 6. Kan-
taret-fuqun. 7. Kantaret-abdurahman-
kiahaya. 8. Kantaret-bab-el-harka.
9. Kantaret-el-emeer Hufein.
Kantaret-el-moſque. II. Kantaret-ed-
12. Kantaret-el-gidide. 13,
feidide.
IO.
Kantaret-el-bab-el-fkarié.
14. Kanta-
ret-el-charub.
15. Kantaret-ed-daher-
beber.
The gates round the city on the eaſt,
are, 1. Bab-el-mafr. 2. North east,
Bab-el-fituch, both fine ftructures;
from the laſt, the proceffion of Emeer-
harge to Mecca, is always commenced.
3. On the north, Bab-el-med-bah.
North weft, Bab-el-nafha.
4.
5. Bab-el-
fcarie, an ancient ftructure, and very
trongly built. 6. On the weft, Bab-el-
luk,
( 9 )
luk. 7. South weſt, Bab-el-Bakrié,
without the walls, and amidſt gardens.
8. Bab-alaudan, between the gardens.
9. On the fouth, Bab-el-me-da-begh.
10. South east, Bab-el-fhech-jehaip.
11. Bab-el-hadid, or iron-gate. Through
theſe gates all the most valuable com-
modities are brought into the city. The
gates which lead into the different quar-
ters of the city, are, 1. Bab-el-favelle.
2. Bab-el-have. 3. Bab-el-fuel-batui.
4. Bab-el-ſche-chrihan. 5. Bab-en-
nafrie. 6. Bab-gheit-el-paſha. 7. Bab-
afup-bey. 8. Bab-fetti-feinab. 9. Bab-
teilum. 10. Bab-el-califa. II. Bab-
el-Carafe. 12. Bab-el-fiaebbel. 13.
Bab-el-arab-liffar. 14. Bab-el-cara-
meitan, which leads from the great
fquare of Roomeli, into that of Cara-
meitan. 15. Bab-el-azab. 16. Bab-
el-inkiſharie. 17. Bab-el-vizir. Theſe
three laft gates lead to the entrance into
the caſtle. 18. Bab-el-hatab. 19. Bab-
el-mahruk, or Burnt-gate. 20. Bab-el-
kureib,
( 10 )
kureib, or ſhort-gate. 21. Bab-el-fueli,
The reader muft obferve, that Bab fig-
nifies gate, and Kantaret, bridge.
Proviſions of moſt forts in this city and
country are very cheap; wine, ſweet
oil, and fire-wood, being brought from
diſtant parts in Turkey, are rather dear.
In the winter, when the water retires
from the canal, it is rather ſcarce, for
which reaſon, all houſes having cifterns
and wells, the former are filled from
the canal, when the water of the Nile
is let into the city, but the well water
is rather brackish, and is only uſed for
waſhing their houfes and clothes,
The waters of the Nile begin to in-
creaſe annually on the 16th of June, old
ftile, which anſwers to our 27th. Oppo-
fite to Old Cairo, is the key of the water,
a houſe fo called, built upon pillars in
the middle of the river. In this houſe
is a bafon, with a column in the centre,
on
( II )
on which are cut figures of meaſure-
ment, and as thefe marks are covered
by the rifing of the waters, the criers
daily proclaim the height throughout the
ftreets of the city. The river rifes gra-
dually till it increaſes to fifteen or fixteen
fpans, as they ſay, to which height it
uſually attains on the fixteenth of July,
old ftile. On that day the Paſha, attend-
ed by all the Beys, goes in proceffion by
land to a Kioſk, or ſummer-houſe, built
on the banks of the river; and in the
mouths of the canal, multitudes of peo-
ple affemble in barges and boats.
a fignal given by the Pafha, the work-
men directly open the mouth of the
canal, and as the water then ruſhes into
it, the Pasha throws handfuls of filver
coins into the ftream, and the Arabs
diving after the money, are allowed to
take away as much as they can get. In
the fame moment the people in thou-
fands of boats rufh into the canal, and
with the found of vocal, and many ſpecies
On
of
( 12 )
B
of inftrumental mufick, join to ex-
preſs their joy on the occafion. Then
the Paſha goes on board his bark, with
his attendants, and is followed by the
Scheik Bellet, in his bark, and all the
Beys, who form a proceffion by water,
fimilar to that which preceded the
opening the canal by land,
Although this canal is of the utmoſt
utility to Mafr, as long as the water
flows, yet when it decreaſes, it leaves
fuch quantities of fish where it hath
formed lakes out of the city, that the
air is corrupted by them; this it is fup-
pofed is the primary cauſe of the plague
every autumn in this place, and which
ſpreads throughout the whole Turkiſh
empire. This is indeed evident, as the
air is remarkably pure and falubrious in
Upper Egypt, and in this very ſpot, be-
fore the waters decreaſe; and could this
ftagnation be prevented, by turning the
waters
( 13 )
waters into different cuts, this fatal dif-
order might be prevented.
The foil here is very rich, and needs
but little cultivation, as the river over-
flows the lands from three to fix miles
on each fide of its banks. Theſe lakes,
which near fix months appear like ſmall
feas, in and around the city, gradually
decreaſe till they are quite dry, but
then the grounds are laid out into gar-
dens, meadows, and ploughed fields,
for the remainder of the year, and
are fo fruitful, that the corn fown
in them produces an increaſe of an
hundred fold. Befides thefe lakes,
there are canals in the city, especially
at a place called Ufbekie, where moſt
of the Sangiaks have their fummer pa-
laces; each of theſe palaces have their
own canals, which are called by the
natives, burget, and on theſe burgets
there are many barges and feveral other
pleaſure
( 14 )
pleaſure boats, for the uſe of the gran-
dees and their domefticks.
The banks of the Nile are thickly
planted with fugar canes, efpecially on
the ifle of Delta, where the crocodiles
often concealing themſelves, watch
for their prey, and fometimes fur-
priſe men and boys; but the Arabs
are well guarded against them, as they
never go out without having a ſtrong
ftick, with a ſharp and pointed lance at
the end of it; whenever the crocodile
makes an attack, which he doth open
mouth'd, they thruft the lance into his
throat, and kill him
kill him upon the ſpot
the Arabs alfo hunt them merely for the
worth of their ſkin, which they fell
to the ſhield-makers, who cover with
it the outſide of their fhields. The
Arabs are very expert in diving, they
will remain under water for a long
time, eſpecially in hunting ducks, the
method of catching which is this, tak-
ing
( 15 )
ing a long rúnning knotted ſtring in
their hands, they dive into the river, and
fwimming under the ducks, pafs a
nooſe over their feet, and fwimming
back to the ſhore, as eafily catch them
by this method, as people do fish by
angling.
The number of the inhabitants in the
time of Ali Bey, was calculated by Malem
Riſk, to be between eight and nine hun-
dred thouſand; the moft numerous clafs
of them are the Fellahs, or Arabs; next
to them are the Mamluks, and Turks;
then the Copts, or the circumciſed
Chriſtians, and of the fect of Monothe-
lites; next to them the Jews, who are
moftly employed in the cuſtom-houſes;
the laſt are thoſe of the Greek church,
and Roman Catholicks, who are very
few; befides thofe mentioned already,
there are Perfians, Eaft-Indians, Magre-
pys, or Weſtern Africans, Hapeffians,
and of other nations. The upper ranks
of
( 16 )
D
of the Egyptians are rather affable, ho-
neft, and hoſpitable, clean in their
per-
fons and in their houſes, but the lower
clafs of them are very deceitful, thieviſh,
filthy in their perfons and in their
houſes; foreigners must be cautious of
them in their walks, or they will be
fure of lofing their money, and every
thing elſe contained in their pockets;
it will be better for a ftranger to hire
an afs, which may be had in every
ftreet, but he must not pafs any of the
giamees mounted; and if he meets any
of the Sangiaks, or other perfon in
high office, in his way, he muft alight,
and ſtand till he has paffed him, or he
will be puniſhed, let him be of what-
ever kingdom or nation. They pay no
regard to any Chriſtian, except he is
protected by the Sheik Bellet, and then
he need not fear any moleftation. In
Maſr, neither Chriſtians, nor any of
the Mahometan prieſts are permitted to
ride on horſe-back.
As
( 17 )
As to the drefs of the common peo-
ple, the men wear next to their fkin,
a fhirt of coarfe callico, without a col-
lar or wriſtband, which hangs down to
their knees; above it they wear another
larger, and longer, of a blue colour,
and round their waiſt a leathern girdle,
about a quarter of a yard in breadth,
buckled on the front with brafs buck-
les. They have no ftockings, but on
their feet they have fhoes made of un-
tanned leather, and on their heads a red
cap, with a piece of callico wound about
it. The women are dreffed nearly in the
fame manner, but without girdles, wear-
ing their outer fhirt loofe, reaching down
to their heels; the feams of it are fewed
with red filk, and both fides are em-
broidered; they wear a fmall red cap,
and over it a coarfe coloured muflin
handkerchief, tied round with a piece of
black or blue callico, leaving two holes
in it to ſee through, which falls down
from their heads over their faces
B
to
( 18 )
to their breafts; fome of them have a
ring hanging in one of their noftrils,
and their hair plaited behind, at the
end of which hangs a taffel, made of
beads and filk; and others, instead of a
taffel, adorn it with filver coins: moſt
of them walk barefooted. In the fu-
perior claffes the men are dreffed in
different manners, but generally in long
robes, excepting the Magrepys, who
are dreffed like the Tunifians and Al-
gerines; the women, when within doors,
are dreffed like all Turkish women,
excepting their head dreſs, which is a
fmall red or white cap, with fome
pieces of gold, or Venetian fequins
round the edges of it; the top of the
cap is curiouſly embroidered with gold
and pearls, covered with a printed fine
muflin handkerchief, embroidered alfo
round the edges. When they walk a-
broad they cover their bodies from head
to foot with a large
piece of fine
white
or
black filk,
except their
faces,
( 19 )
faces, which are veiled with a muſlin
handkerchief. They wear boots made of
yellow leather, and foled with the fame,
and over them a pair of fandals of the
fame coloured leather; their hair is plait-
ed and adorned with jewels and pearls,
and hangs down over their ſhoulders.
Having attempted an account of the
town of Cairo, we fhall now take a
ſurvey of the caſtle of Cairo, which is
built on the eaſt ſide of the town upon
a rocky hill; it has three gates, two of
them look into the large fquare of
Roomeli, and the third into that of
Kara-Meidan; the firft, which is to
the north-weſt, is called Bab-el-Azab,
or the gate of the Janizaries, who are
freed from flavery; the fecond to the
weſt is called Bab-el-inkiſharie, or the
gate of the Janizaries, who are foreign
Turks, and hired into the fervice of the
republic. The third is called Bab-el-
vizir, or the gate of the Grand Signior's
B 2
lieutenant,
( 20 )
lieutenant, as it is near the Pafha's pa-
lace, from which the Sangiaks go to
the Divan of the Pafha; the paffage of
it is cut through the rock, over it are
rooms formed out of the rock, in which
the lions and other wild beaſts are kept.
The caftle is divided into three parts, the
firſt contains the Pafha's palace, the mint
of the republic, and fome other old
houſes; moſt of this quarter, which is in
the fouth part of the caſtle, and cloſe to
the mountain called Mocadem, or Dour-
dagh, is fallen into ruin, and the traveller
will be ſurpriſed to ſee the mean condi-
tion of that quarter, where the lieute-
nant of all Egypt refides; but as the
time of the lieutenant's refidence is un-
certain, they care very little about it.
In the ſecond part of the caſtle are the
quarters of the Janizaries, which appear
like a fortrefs, having high walls and
towers, after the ancient manner of
fortifying towns in Europe. The third,
part is the Azab's barracks, in this caftle
is
1
( 21 )
is the famous well of Jofeph, near the
Azab's quarters; according to the beſt
judges, it has not been made above fix
hundred years, namely, in the time of
Saladin, whoſe name was Jofeph. This
well is funk in the folid rock, the
exact depth of which I cannot recollect,
but I think it is about fixty yards; the
deſcent into it is very commodious, and
the water is brought up by machines,
which fupply the caftle; befides this
well there is an aqueduct, which conveys
the water from the river Nile to the
caftle. Jofeph's palace is alfo a very
fine building, in which feveral curiofi-
ties are to be ſeen, eſpecially the place
where the tiffue is woven and embroi-
dered, which is fent annually to Mecca.
The view from this palace is very de-
lightful, commanding all Cairo, New
and Old, Bulak, the river Nile, and
the Egyptian pyramids : befides this
palace there are alſo many other fine and
ſtately buildings, as Giamees, or Mof-
ques,
B 3
( 22 )
ques, hot-baths, and houfes in the mid-
dle of the caſtle; there is alſo a ſquare
planted round with large trees, and
many ſhops, containing all forts of com-
modities, and there are coffee-houſes alſo
for the accommodation of the Janizaries,
and for perſons under every deſcription.
To the eaſt of this fquare you have a
view of the aqueduct, fupported by
arches; this aqueduct, it is faid, was
built at the expence of the Jews, in
the time of one Homar, Calif of Egypt;
near Jofeph's well there is a fquare, al-
ways frequented by vultures, which the
Turks feed with flesh-meat. Nei-
ther Chriſtians nor Jews may ride in the
caſtle, and but few of theſe nations are
permitted to refide there, excepting thoſe
in the Pasha's fervice. The whole cir-
cumference of this caftle I take to be
about three miles; in the ſuburbs there
is a place called Carafa, in which I
found a mofque and burying-ground for
the Mahometans, and to this place the
Turkish
( 23 )
Turkiſh women refort every Friday, to
vifit the tombs of their relations, and
it is a publick walk for them. This
caſtle muſt indeed be very ancient, as
no information can be gained of the
length of time it has remained uninhabit-
ed; probably it may be a part of the
ancient Egyptian Babylon, when this
country was ſubject to the Greeks.
About one mile to the weft of Mafr,
and on the banks of the river Nile, is
the town of Bulak, or the ancient Le-
topolis, which is very populous, having
a continual bazar, or market, for all
forts of commodities; at this place all
the rich merchandiſes are imported and
exported, to and from different coun-
tries, and in this town provifions of all
kinds are cheaper than in Cairo; the
river abounds with all forts of fish, which
are fold very cheap; here are many
chanes or inns, for the accommodation
of foreign merchants. In this town is
B 4
the
( 24 )
the capital cuſtom houſe. The produce
of the country, which is exported year-
ly to all Turkey and Europe, is corn
of all kinds, pulfe, flax, fugar, honey,
bees-wax, faffron, hides of buffalos and
oxen, lambs ſkins, wool, cotton, hemp,
fenna, and other drugs; coffee is brought
from Yemen to Suez, and from thence
to Mafr, by camels; the quantity of it
is annually from twenty-two, to twenty-
five thousand camel loads; five thouſand
of it are paid to the government of Egypt,
as a prefent, who fell it to the Euro-
peans, the reft is for home confumption,
and all Turkey. The Europeans export
alfo from this country thirty thouſand raw
hides, of which ten thouſand are buffalo
fkins; twelve thoufand cantars* of faff-
ron annually; they export alfo rice, flax,
fugar, bees-wax, the Arabian gums,
and fome corn and pulfe. The Egyp-
tians receive all forts of European ma-
nufactures, particularly broad cloth,
Each cantar is about 118 pounds avoirdupois.
velvet,
(25
( 25 )
25)
velvet, filks of all kinds, fine Engliſh
fhalloons, and gold lace.
Old Cairo, or Mafr-el-kadim, is to
the fouth of Cairo, diftant about a mile
from that city, and fituated about an
hundred and fifty yards eaft of the river
Nile it is but a fmall town, and chiefly
inhabited by the Copts. In one of their
chapels there is a ſpring of water, near
which it is faid Jofeph retired with the
Virgin Mary, and the babe Jeſus, when
he fled into Egypt from Paleſtine. It
is alſo remarkable, that no balfam grows
in all Egypt, but about this water; the
Greeks have here a church and a convent
joining to it, dedicated to St. George
the Martyr, in this convent there is a
fubterranean flight of eighty ſteps, at
the bottom of which a freſh ſpring
iffues, called St. George's water. The
houfes in Old Cairo are but meanly
built, and the ftreets are narrow and
inconvenient. Approaching to the river
fide
(26)
fide many ruins of ancient walls are to
be diſcovered, moftly buried in the fand.
At Old Cairo, or Mafr-el-kadim, are
three cuſtom-houſes, in which all goods
that are imported or exported to Upper
Egypt, pay a duty of ten per cent.
On the other fide of the Nile, oppo-
fite to this town, ftand the famous
Egyptian pyramids, being feven in num-
ber, three of them are much fuperior
in fize to the other four; the fouthern-
moſt of the three is confiderably the
largeft, and is the only one unopened.
I went, with fourteen more in company,
and breakfaſted on the top of this an-
cient and venerable pile; but the air was
fo cold, we could not long endure it.
It was not without much difficulty that
we afcended and defcended, the fteps
being two feet and an half high, and
ſome of them much decayed. The diſt-
ance of the pyramids from each other
is very irregular; fome are full half a
league afunder, others more, and others
fill
( 27 )
ftill lefs. They extend from fouth to
north about twenty miles, and are ge-
nerally about a mile from the river,
though fome are ftill farther off; they
ftand in a flat level plain, bounded on the
weft by fome hills, and they are called
the mountains of Pharoah. Ali Bey in-
tended to have opened that pyramid,
which alone remains unopened, in ſearch
of treaſure thought to be hidden there,
but was prevented from profecuting
that defign by the revolt that enfued.
OF
( 29 )
OF THE
MONARCHICAL PART
OF THE
GOVERNMENT OF EGYPT.
I
T hath been already obferved, that
the government of Egypt is both
monarchical and republican. The mo-
narchical is executed by the Paſha, and
the republican by the Mamluks or San-
giaks. We ſhall confider the former in
this fection.
The Paſha is appointed by the Grand
Signior as his vice-roy. On his firſt
landing in Egypt, the Sheik Bellet
fends fome of the Beys from Mafr, to
The chief officer of the republic.
b
Alexandria,
اد
( 30 )
Alexandria, with prefents, to congratu-
late him on his arrival; but at the ſame
time he plants a number of ſpies about
him, to diſcover what particular orders
the Paſha brings from the Ottoman
Porte; whether they are peaceable, or
contain any thing againſt the Sheik Bel-
let, the Sangiaks, or the republic; and,
confidering the number of the Paſha's
retinue amounts to upwards of two
hundred, it is not often very difficult
to bribe the ſecret out of fome of them,
who may have the confidence of their
maſter. If any fuch orders are difcover-
ed, the Sheik Bellet affembles the Divan
of the republic, and acquaints them of
the intentions of the Porte. Upon which
the Divan fends an order to the Pafha,
not to proceed any farther, but to de-
part the country immediately, which
order, although he is the Sultan's vice-
gerent, he is obliged to obey. At the
fame time the Divan writes to the Porte,
that they have difcovered the Pafha's
inimical intentions to deſtroy the con-
ftitution
( 31 )
ſtitution of the republic, and raiſe a re-
bellion, which intentions they are fure
could not be in confequence of any or-
ders from the fublime Porte, but muft
ariſe from his own ambition; they there-
fore thought proper to acquaint their
royal maſter and fovereign with them,
and requeſt him to fend another Pafha,
to preſerve the peace of his faithful fub-
jects; and this method is always uſed,
whenever the Paſha is obnoxious to the
Divan.
But, when no difagreeable orders or
intentions are difcovered, then the Pa-
cha proceeds toward Mafr, and advances
as far as Bulac, where he ftops till his
baggage and retinue arrive, receiving the
compliments of the Sheik Bellet and the
republic, with all poffible marks of ſub-
miffion. The Sheik Bellet, at the head
of the Divan, and the Janizaries, meet
him with a grand proceffion, when the
Janizar Aga prefents him with the
The general of the Janizaries.
keys
( 32 )
keys of the caſtle, and he is requeſted
to refide therein. The Paſha receives
the Sheik Bellet and the reft with the
greatest affability, affures them of his
friendſhip, receives the keys of the caſtle,
and when the ceremony is over, retires
to the palace.
d
The next day the Paſha aſſembles his
Divan, at which the Sheik Bellet and
all the Beys attend, and the Kiahaya ª
reads the Pacha's commiffion and orders
from the Sultan. The Beys then bow,
and promiſe fubmiffion and obedience
to their fovereign, the Grand Signior,
and to his lieutenant, the Pafha, as his
repreſentative, who then inveſts the Sheik
Bellet with a robe of coftly fur, and
gives caftans to all the Beys. A col-
lation is then ſerved of ſherbet, coffee
and ſweet-meats; and when the Sheik
f
The Pafha's lieutenant. • Robes of ceremony,
made of thread and filk, of a white ground, with
yellow ftripes.
f A drink made of fugar, lemon
juice, and roſe water.
Bellet
( 33 )
Bellet departs, the Pafha prefents him
with a horſe richly caparifoned.
The Paſha muſt be a great politician,
and a man of cunning, to keep his in-
tentions fecret in his own breaſt, or his
ſtay will be very fhort, fince every ar-
tifice is uſed to arrive at the knowledge
of his orders and defigns. If ever the
Divan of the republic finds the Pafha
guilty of any attempt againſt their con-
ſtitution, they teſtify their refentment
in the following manner.
A meffenger is fent from the Divan,
clothed in black, with a black bonnet
on his head, and the order of the Divan
in his bofom, a piece of which hangs
out fo as to be vifible: he goes directly,
without any ceremony, to the room
where the Paſha is feated, and omitting
every accuſtomed mark of reverence,
advances toward him with three ſteps;
C
then
( 34 )
then ſtooping, he takes hold of a corner
of the ferchiade, and turns it
g
up,
and
departs without faying a word, or deli-
vering any order from the Divan, his ap-
pearance only being fufficient. The
Paſha is immediately obliged to quit
the caſtle and the city, and retires to
Bulac, where he remains till he receives
the Grand Signior's orders where to go.
As foon as he has left the city, the Di-
van writes to the Porte, accufing him as
aforefaid; nevertheless, if the Pafha is
a prudent man, he may eafily render
himſelf independent of the Divan, as
the Beys are continually in a ſtate of
diſcord with one another, and aſpire
to the dignity of Sheik Bellet, which
is in the Paſha's difpofal, though fome-
times it is affumed by force; but if the
Paſha gains the friendſhip of the Jani-
zaraga, Kiahaya, and Chaouſh of the
Janizaries, he becomes fuperior to the
Divan, and does whatever he pleaſes;
but even then he must be moderate in
* The fmall carpet on which the Pafha fits.
his
( 35 )
his undertakings, or elfe his tyranny
will foon be at an end. As an inftance
of a prudent Paſha, I remember that
when Rahip Mohamet Pafha, was Paſha
of Grand Cairo, he gained the entire
affections of the republic, and was fo
highly reſpected by every one of the
Beys, that nothing could have induced
them to part with him but his laſt ſtep,
which he was obliged to take, in obedi-
ence to his maſter's commands. This
Paſha ruled in Egypt ſeven years, at the
request of the republic, namely, from
the year 1742, to the year 1749, in
which year Sultan Mahamout fent an or-
der to the Pafha, to put to death as
many of the Beys as he could, threaten-
ing, that in caſe of his refufal, his head
ſhould anſwer for it. The Paſha knew
that this order was occafioned by the
jealouſy of the Grand Signior's Divan,
and it was reprefented to the Grand
Signior, by the Divan, that Rahip Mo-
hamet Paſha had joined the Mamluks,
C 2
and
( 36 )
and intended to raiſe a rebellion. Ac-
cordingly the Grand Signior determined
to try the Pafha, and to know whether
the report was true or not, and for this
reaſon fent the before-mentioned order
to him; the Pafha was extremely un-
willing to put this order in execution,
becauſe if he did it publickly, many
lives would be loft, and if he did not
obey the commands of the Porte, he
would be confidered as a rebel. How-
ever, he refolved to rifk his life rather
than diſobey his maſter's command. It
is proper to obferve here, that the Paſha
holds two Divans every week, one on
Thurſday, and the other on Sunday,
and the Divan of the republic is held
every Tueſday. Upon one of theſe two
Divans, the Paſha determined to exe-
cute the order he had received; accord-
ingly he ordered his domeſticks to be
ready, and arm themſelves, on the day
when the Divan met, and to keep their
arms concealed under their clothes, and
a fignal
´on
( 37 )
a fignal being given, to fall upon the
Beys, and kill two or three of them;
but in the mean time, he took care to
ſecure the affection of his domeſticks,
by prefents and promifes of promotions,
left he ſhould be betrayed by them.
When the appointed day arrived, and
his ſcheme was completed, three of the
Beys were killed, and the reft, as foon
as they difcovered the plot, began to
defend themſelves, as they never be-
lieved that their favourite Pafha would
act fuch treachery against them; but
the Paſha directly fhewed his order to
them, and told them why he was obli-
ged to act in that manner. However,
the Beys in two weeks after ſent ſuch a
meffenger as I have before defcribed,
and the Paſha was obliged to go to Bu-
lak, in whofe retinue the author of this
hiſtory was one, though his uncle and
he were permitted to live in the city,
till the Paſha was ordered by the Porte
to go to Afia Minor. The extent of
C 3
the
( 38 )
the Paſha's power is fuch as I have de-
fcribed; as for his revenue it is very
moderate he has no more than three or
four hundred purfes a year, each purſe
being five hundred piaftres. The great-
er part of his revenue arifes from the
cuſtoms of Suez, upon all the coffee
which is imported from Mecca; the
reſt of it conſiſts of his perquifites from
the Beys, and from the mint which is
in his palace, and under his care; out
of this revenue he muft fupport him-
felf and all his retinue. I fhall now
leave the Paſha, and proceed to give a
deſcription of the republic.
1
THE
( 39 )
THE
FOR
OF THE
M
Republican Government of Egypt,
WITH ITS
PRIVILEGES and STRENGTH.
HE Republic of Egypt, as I
TH
have mentioned before, is com-
pofed of four and twenty Sangiaks,
Beys, or Lords. The head of them is
the Sheik Bellet, who is choſen by the
Divan, and confirmed by the Pafha.
Every one of theſe Sangiaks is arbitrary
in his own territory, and exerts fove-
reign power. He ſtrengthens himſelf
C 4
by
(40)
by purchafing as great a number of flaves
as he can, and hires foreign troops,
compofed of Magrepys, or Weſtern
Africans, from Tunis, Tripoli, and
Algiers, forms a party of his own, and
then, when he finds opportunity, endea-
vours to ſuppreſs or overcome the neigh-
bouring Beys, whom he confiders as his
antagoniſts: they often quarrel among
themſelves, and fight till one party gives
way, or is put to flight, and the con-
queror endeavours to gain the Sheik
Belletſhip, either by election, or by
force. As for their public appearance,
a Bey, when he appears in public, is
always mounted on horfeback, before
him four horfes proceed, not mounted,
but richly capariſoned, and led by eight
men, two to each horfe; the men tra-.
velling on foot, if the Bey is in any
town, but when he is on a journey,
each of the four horfes is led by a man
on horfeback. Thefe led horfes are
called yedecks, and are intended for the
Bey
( 41 )
Bey to ride in turn; after them two
Janizaries proceed on foot before the
Bey's horſe, on which he is mounted;
they are in long fcarlet gowns. When
they walk before the Bey, they twiſt up
the right ſkirt of their gown, and
throw it over their right ſhoulder. This
fort of Janizaries is called farratch, or
fadlers after them four other men
march on foot near the Bey's horſe, on
each fide two, who are called feiz, or
grooms; after theſe his flaves follow
him on horſeback, according to their
rank. Here I caution the traveller, if
he is riding on an afs, and perceives any
of the Sangiaks in his way, to difmount
directly, and ſtand out of his way till
he has paffed by; or elfe he will be
liable to be affronted, and perhaps beat-
en by the domeftics of the Sangiak,
becauſe not only the Chriſtians pay this
reſpect to a Sangiak, but all the inha-
bitants, even the Janizaries themſelves,
except thoſe that are in ſome high office.
This
( 42 )
This is the appearance of a common
Sangiak, but that of a Sheik Bellet is
more fplendid; inftead of four horfes,
he has fix; and inftead of two farratches,
he has four, and his retinue is double,
and moſt of the Beys accompany him
in all his public appearances in form.
The Sangiaks, when they buy any flaves,
after caufing them to go through all
the Mahometan ceremonies, and learn
to read their prayers, train them up in
the military exerciſe, ſuch as learning
to ride on horſeback, fhooting arrows,
throwing lances and javelins on horfe-
back, the uſe of fire-arms, the fabre
and the girit; which is a ſtaff about a
yard and a half long, and two inches
thick, this they uſe on horſeback, by
throwing it with fuch dexterity at their
antagoniſt, as to ftrike him from his
horſe at one blow; befide other exer-
cifes which are cuftomary to the coun-
try.
A Defcrip-
( 43 )
)
A Deſcription of the Manner of the
Sheik Bellet's Election.
THE Divan of the republic is ge-
gerally held every Tueſday, at which
all the Sangiaks attend; and if any of
them has a ſtrong party, his party en-
deavours to compel all the other San-
giaks, either by bribery, or by threats,
to fhew their approbation of him, by
electing him to the office of Sheik Bel-
let. Then on the next Thurſday, on
which day the Divan of the Paſha is
held, all the Beys proceed in regular
order to the caſtle, where the Paſha re-
fides, and the newly elected Sheik
Bellet going with them, they prefent
him to the Pafha, who approves of him,
and inveſts him with a valuable fur, and
treats them all as before-mentioned in
the account of the reception of the Paſha
by the Divan; and the Pafha makes a
preſent to the new Sheik Bellet of a
fine
( 44 )
fine horſe, adorned very richly. As
foon as the Sheik Bellet is invefted with
that dignity, he affumes an arbitrary
government and power over all the Beys,
who pay him the greateſt reſpect, as if
he was their monarch. He choofes all
the officers of the Janizaries, except
the Janizaraga, Kiahaya, and Chaoufh:
he appoints proper officers for the po-
lice, commiffioners of the cuſtoms, and,
in one word, almost every thing is in
his power; he can take away life, and
remit the puniſhment of death, to thoſe
that are ſubject to it by the laws of the
country. His colleague, who is gene-
rally the Bey of Saïd, and is appointed
by the Divan, as his lieutenant, partakes
of his dignity; particularly when the
Sheik Bellet is obliged to conduct the
hafné, or treaſure, and the pilgrims to
Medina and Kiabé, or Mecca, he affumes
the fame power as the Sheik Bellet him-
felf. Having mentioned the Sheik Bel-
let's lieutenant, I fhall here give ſome
account
( 45 )
account of the Bey's lieutenants: a Bey's
lieutenant is his Cafhiph, of whom each
Bey muſt have one; theſe Caſhiphs, in
their maſter's abſence, affume full power
over all his vaffals, and throughout all
his houfe, except the harem, or women's
apartments, and his children; but all
the flaves pay the fame refpect to him
as to their maſter, becauſe as foon as the
Bey dies, the Cafhiph inherits his maf
ter's dignity, and all his eftate and
houfhold for the children of a Bey
cannot fucceed to their father's title or
property, but the Divan makes them a
preſent of a handfome portion, and alſo
to their mother; but if he chooſes to
marry the new Bey, then her portion
goes to the female children. Although
the male children of a Bey do not enjoy
their father's rank and title, yet they
have privileges above the other natives;
their title is that of Ebn Bellet, or fon
of the country; they may enjoy all
offices, military, civil, and ecclefiafti-
cal;
the
( 46 )
cal; they may ſerve under a Sangiak as
kiahaya, and defterdar, or treaſurer of
the republic, and fometimes, but not
often, riſe to the dignity of Janizaraga,
but never to that of Kiahaya, or Chaouſh
of the Janizaries, as theſe two offices
belong to the Bey.
I now return to the account of the
proceffion of the Sheik Bellet, when he
goes to conduct the hafné, or treaſure,
and the pilgrims, to Kiabé, or Mecca.
On the day appointed for the journey,
all the pilgrims, with their baggage, go
to the gate called Bab-el-fituch, and all
the Beys, who are to accompany him,
with their baggage, are encamped two
or three days before, at a fmall town
about five miles diſtance from the city.
In the morning the Sheik Bellet goes to
take leave of the Paſha: the Divan alfo
goes, carrying with them the confirma-
tion and fignature of the Molla, or high
prieſt of Cairo, and his kiahaya, or
lieutenant,
(47
( 47 )
lieutenant, importing that the Divan,
according to their promife, have deli-
vered the hafné, in the prefence of the
officers appointed for that purpoſe, to
the Sheik Bellet. Then the Divan and
the Sheik Bellet proceed from the caſtle
to the mofque of Sultan Haffan, in which
is depofited the very rich and magnifi-
cent embroidered cloth, of green velvet,
made on purpoſe, annually, to be fent
to Mecca, for covering Mahomet's tomb,
which cloth is put into a large round
filver cafe, made in the form of a cupo-
la. The Molla then begins the prayers,
recommending themſelves to Mahomet's
protection, and praying him to accept
their prefent, with many other cere-
monies; when all theſe are over, the
cafe, with the cloth in it, is put upon
a camel, which is called by them the
facred camel, and is kept on purpoſe,
and richly adorned upon this occafion.
As foon as he is arrived at Mecca, and
the cloth is taken from his back, they
offer
( 48 )
meat.
offer him as a ſacrifice to their prophet,
and cutting the flesh into ſmall pieces,
divide it among the people, as holy
When they have put the new
cloth over Mahomet's tomb, the fheriff
of Mecca muft perform all the cere-
monies he takes the old cloth, and
cuts it into three pieces, one of which
he gives to the Paſha of Damafcus, or
Sham, who is the chief emir hadg,
which fignifies holy conductor; another
to the Sheik Bellet, as fecond emir
hadg, and the third is divided among
eminent pilgrims. The first piece,
which was given to the Paſha of Damaf-
cus, is fent by him with a letter from
the emir of Mecca, to the Grand Sig-
nior, and the ſecond, which was given
to the Sheik Bellet, or to one of the
Beys, (who fometimes goes to Mecca as
fecond emir hadg, inftead of the Sheik
Bellet), is put into the filver cafe
wherein the new cloth had been car-
ried, and being placed on another ca-
mel,
( 49 )
mel, is conveyed back to Grand Cairo,
when the Sheik Bellet returns, who de-
livers it to the Divan; it is then di-
vided into ſmall pieces, and every San-
giak or Bey takes one, which is kept
with great devotion.
devotion. Thefe camels are
brought up at Mecca for this purpoſe
alone, and never carry any perſon, nor
have any other burden on their backs
they must be males, healthy, and with-
out any imperfection. Many of the
pilgrims perish by thirſt in the Defarts
of Arabia, in their paffage to or from
Mecca, and their bodies being covered
by the dry fand, lofe all their moiſture,
and are often found in this condition.
Their flesh is called Mumnia, and is
uſed as a remedy againſt bruiſes, both
internal and external.
Between Medina and Mecca there is
a fpring, called by the Turks Abou-
zemzem, or Ifmael's water, as they
believe it to be that which was dif-
covered
D
( 50 )
covered to Agar by the angel, as we
read in the ſcripture: in this ſpring
they waſh themſelves three days before
the feaſt of Bairam, and are obliged to
be naked all this time, (except an afuda,
or cloth, round their waifts) left any
vermin ſhould be found upon them.
When they arrive at Medina, on their
journey to Mecca, every one of them is
obliged to marry, or elſe they cannot be
confidered as truly hadgee, or devout;
they alſo uſe many other fuperftitious
ceremonies, the relation of which would
be tedious to the reader. I fhall there-
fore proceed to give an account of the
original of the Beys, and explain how,
from a very low condition, they arrive
at that dignity. I have mentioned be-
fore, that neither a native of Egypt,
nor any of the Beys children, can be
made a Bey, but they must be Mam-
luks, or flaves: thefe flaves are moſtly
Georgians, Mingrelians, and Circaffians,
who are bought by the Beys, and when
they
( 51 )
they have ſerved feveral offices which I
ſhall mention in the account of the ele-
vation of Ali Bey, they are created Beys
by their maſter's intereft and influence
with the Divan and Paſha.
c
f
с
d
The Beys always endeavour to create
as many Beys as they can, of their own
flaves, becauſe by this means they
ftrengthen themfelves, and are more able
to overpower their fellows, as every
Mamluk, as foon as he attains to the
office of Silictar, Chiuhadar, Hafna-
der, or Cafhiph, may purchaſe as many
flaves as they can afford to buy, their
maſter's never prohibiting them the
exerciſe of this valuable privilege. To
this account of the original condition,
and elevation of the Beys, it will be
proper to fubjoin the privileges which
were granted to this Mamluk republic,
by Sultan Selim; the preamble of the
с
• Sword-bearer.
Keeper of the wardrobe.
f The Bey's lieutenant.
с • Treaſurer.
D 2
grant,
( 52 )
grant, to the best of my remembrance,
runs thus:
Though by the help of the Almighty,
we have conquered the whole kingdom
of Egypt, with our invincible armies;
nevertheleſs, our benevolence is willing
to grant to the four and twenty San-
giaks of Egypt, a republican govern-
ment, with the following conditions.
I. That the faid republic fhall ac-
knowledge our fupreme fovereignty,
and that of our fucceffors, and as a token
of this obedience, our lieutenant, whom
we ſhall pleaſe to fend, ſhall be received
as our repreſentative, and have his re-
fidence in the caſtle of Mafr: in the
mean time, he fhall not do any thing
againſt our will, or againſt the republic;
but ſhall co-operate with the republic
on all neceffary occafions, for the wel-
fare of it. But if, on the contrary, our
lieutenant difobliges the republic, or
attempts
( 53 )
attempts to infringe on any of the pri-
vileges which we have granted to it,
the republic is at liberty to fufpend
him from the exercife of his authority,
and to fend to our fublime porte, a
complaint against him, in order that
the ſtate may be relieved from his op-
preffions.
II. That the republic fhall provide
for us and our fucceffors, in time of
war, twelve thouſand troops, at its own
expence, and that theſe forces fhall be
commanded by a Sangiak, or Sangiaks,
belonging to the faid republic, as long
as the war continues.
III. That the republic fhall raife and
fend annually to our fublime Porte, and
to our fucceffors, the fum of five hun-
dred and fixty thouſand aflany," which
This fum is now increaſed to eight hundred and
fixty thouſand: each aflany is in value about half a
crown, English money.
D 3
money
( 54 )
(54
money fhall be fent to our treaſury an-
nually, as aforefaid, and accompanied
by a Sangiak, and that the faid Sangiak
ſhall have a fatisfactory receipt from the
Defterdar of us or our fucceffors, and
fealed by our Vizir, with our own
feal.
IV. That the republic ſhall raiſe ano-
ther haſné, or treaſure, of the fame
fum of five hundred and fixty thou-
fand aflany, for the uſe of Medina, and
Kiabé, or Mecca; which treafure fhall
be ſent annually, and accompanied by
the Sheik Bellet, or the Emir Hadg of
the republic, who fhall deliver it to the
fheriff, and fucceffor of our prophet,
for the ſervice of the holy temple, and
for the people who refide there, to pro-
cure their prayers for us, and all the
believers of the Alcoran.
V. That the republic fhall keep no
more troops, or Janizaries, in time of
peace,
( 55 )
peace, than fourteen thousand men;
but in time of war, we give leave for
the number to be increaſed, in order to
oppoſe our and the republic's enemies.
VI. That the republic ſhall ſend an-
nually to our granary, out of the pro-
duce of the country, one million of
cafiz, or meaſures of corn, namely, fix
hundred thouſand of wheat, and four
hundred thouſand of barley.
VII. That the republic fulfilling the
above articles, ſhall have a free govern-
ment over all the inhabitants of Egypt,
independent of our lieutenant, but ſhall
execute the laws of the country with the
advice of the Molah, or high priest,
under our authority, and that of our
fucceffors.
¹ Each cafiz weighs twenty-five occa, and each occa
is equal to two pounds and ten ounces of English avoir-
dupois weight.
D 4
VIII. That
( 56 )
VIII. That the republic fhall be in
poffeffion of the mint as heretofore,
with liberty to coin money in the name
of us and our fucceffors, and put the
name of Mafr upon all forts and fizes
of coins, but with this condition, that
the ſaid mint ſhall be under the inſpec-
tion of our lieutenant, that the coin
may not be adulterated.
IX. That the republic fhall elect a
Sheik Bellet out of the number of the
Beys, to be confirmed by our lieutenant,
and that the faid Sheik Bellet fhall be
their repreſentative, and ſhall be eſteem-
ed by all our lieutenants, and all our
officers, both of high and low rank,
as the head of the republic, and if our
lieutenant is guilty of oppreffion, or
exceeds the bounds of his authority,
the ſaid Sheik Bellet ſhall repreſent the
grievances of the republic to our Sub-
lime Porte; but in cafe any foreign
enemy or enemies difturb the peace of
the
( 57 )
the republic, we and our fucceffors en-
gage to protect it with our utmoſt power,
until peace is re-eſtabliſhed, without
any coft or expenſe to the republic.
Given and figned by our clemency to
the republic of Egypt.
This grant of privileges was dated in
the year of our Lord, 1517, and in the
887th year of the Mahometan Hegira,
in which year Sultan Selim conquered
Egypt from the Mamluks.
I ſhall now proceed to give the reader
a ſhort account of the coinage of Egypt,
and the method that is taken to procure
a ſupply of materials, I mean the gold,
filver, and copper. The Divan of the
republic appoints a commiffioner to
contract with the weſtern and fouthern
Africans, for bringing gold duft and
filver ore to Cairo, which are brought
to that place upon camels. This com-
miffioner,
( 58 )
miffioner, as foon as he has collected a
fufficient quantity, delivers it to the
commiffioner of the mint, and takes a
receipt from him for the weight of it.
Afterwards the Divan gives notice to
the Paſha, that they have delivered fuch
a quantity of gold duft and filver ore to
the commiffioner of the mint, and re-
quefts him to iffue an order to the faid
commiffioner to coin fo many mahboobs,
zenjirlys, and funduklys, all which
coins are of gold; and out of the filver,
paras, and pieces of five, ten, fifteen,
twenty, thirty, forty, and fixty paras.
Of the three gold coins before-mention-
ed, the value of the firft is fix fhillings
and ten-pence half-penny; of the ſecond
feven fhillings and feven-pence, and of
the third, nine fhillings and fix-pence,
of Engliſh money. Of the filver coins,
a para, which is the fmalleft, is equal
to three farthings; it is called para by
the Turks, and by the Arabs, mafrié,
fo named from the city of Mafr, or
Grand
( 59 )
Grand Cairo, where they are coined.
The piece of five paras is called by the
Turks, befhlic, and by the Arabs ham-
fié; the ten para piece is called by the
Turks, ooroop, and by the Arabs
roobié; that of fifteen paras, ombeſhlic,
by the Turks, and by the Arabs, noos-
zolot, or half-zolot; the pieces of
twenty paras, is called yarim-cooroofh,
or half-cooroofh, by the Turks, and
noos-curſh, or half-curfh, by the Arabs;
the piece of thirty paras is called zolot,
both by the Turks and Arabs; and the
piece of forty paras, is called by the
Turks, coorooſh and aflany, and by the
Arabs curfh.
The copper coins are manghires and
jidits; ten of the former are equal to
a para, and four of the latter. The
word jidit fignifies new, and this coin
is fo called, becauſe this fpecies has
been more lately introduced than the
other. Theſe are the coins of the
country
(60
( 60 )
country of Egypt, but feveral foreign
coins are alfo current there, namely,
Venetian fequins, Dutch and Hunga-
rian ducats; Spaniſh filver coins of all
fizes, and imperial dollars, and half
dollars. The imperial coins are called
pataks, and noos-pataks in Egypt.
The Venetian fequins, and the Dutch
and Hungarian ducats pafs in Egypt for
five
paras more than their intrinfic value.
The filver coins above-mentioned bear
alſo a good premium. I have mentioned
thus particularly the different forts of
Egyptian coins, and the current value
of foreign coins there, in order that
people travelling there may not be im-
pofed on; and I advife the reader to
travel in thoſe countries as privately as
poffible, without appearing to be rich,
or making an oftentatious difplay of his
property, becauſe by ſuch a diſplay of
wealth, he would run the riſk of loſing
it, and ſometimes his life may be in dan-
ger
( 61 )
ger from the lower clafs of people.
Having given this caution, I think it
may not be unentertaining to mention
fome of the laws of the country, reſpect-
ing provifions, and how thofe are puniſh-
ed who are guilty of felling ſhort
weight; I fhall begin with the baker.
If a baker fells fhort weight, or bad
bread, and is taken in the fact by the
inqueft (who go about daily to infpect
proviſions, and examine weights and
meaſures) for the firft offence, the in-
queſt gives all the bread that they find
in his ſhop to the poor, and then the
offender is nailed to his own door,
fometimes by one ear, and fometimes
by both, for the ſpace of twelve hours.
For the fecond offence, his bread is dif
tributed as aforefaid, and he receives the
puniſhment of the baftinado, by receiv-
ing two or three hundred blows upon
his feet, and fometimes upon his back,
and afterwards they put a large and
broad board, heavily loaded with lead,
upon
( 62 )
upon his ſhoulders, which board has a
large hole in it for his head to come
through; with this mark of infamy they
force him to walk through moſt of the
capital ſtreets of the city, till his ftrength
is nearly exhaufted; and if he furvives
this puniſhment, and commits a third
offence, he is condemned to be be-
headed.
If a butcher fells fhort weight, or
ftinking meat, for the firſt offence,
his ſtock of meat is given to the poor,
and he is tied to a poft where the fun
may ſhine all day upon him; then they
hang a piece of putrid fleſh cloſe to his
nofe, and leave him in that pofition till
the piece of fleſh produces worms, and
they fall down upon his body; befides
this, he is fentenced to pay a fum of
money. For the fecond offence he un-
dergoes feveral corporal puniſhments,
and is obliged to pay a very heavy
fine, and the third offence is puniſhed
with
( 63 )
with death.
Thieves and houſe-break-
ers are alſo put to death, after fuffering
torture. If a pick-pocket or thief is
taken in the fact, he is beheaded without
any formal trial
formal trial; but an houfe-breaker
is placed naked upon a camel, and his
legs are tied under the camel's belly;
the executioner rides behind him, hav-
ing in his hands thin candles made of
brimftone. The driver of the camel
drives him through most of the capital
ftreets, and in the mean time the exe-
cutioner having lighted the candles, puts
them upon the criminal's fkin; the can-
dles being very long, hang down over
his fhoulders, on his breaſt and back,
burning from the bottom upwards, and
when all his candles are burnt out,
carries him to a fquare called Kara-
meitan, or the black fquare, where all
criminals are beheaded, who fuffer that
puniſhment; there he cuts his head off,
and if he is a Mahometan, places his
head under his right arm; but if he is
a Chriſtian,
( 64 )
a Chriſtian, under his feat. By theſe
feveral examples, the reader will be en-
abled to form an idea of the puniſhments
inflicted on offenders in Turkey. If a
Janizary is guilty of defertion, he is laid
flat upon the ground, and receives four or
five hundred blows with rods or fticks,.
upon his pofteriors, and afterwards is
compelled to fit in a pail of falt and
water, till the bleeding of his wounds
is ftopped. If a Janizary commits wil-
ful murder, he is ſtrangled in a private
room, left by a public execution, an in-
furrection of the Janizaries fhould be
excited, and foon after they fire a gun
to announce his death; but if he has
done any thing which is efteemed un-
worthy of the dignity of the rank of a
Janizary, fo as to difgrace the honour
of his profeffion, the other Janizaries
take off firſt his turban from his head,
and afterwards tear the collar of his
garment, give him a flap in the face,
and fo difmifs him. It is to be ob-
ferved,
( 65 )
ferved, that all criminals, unless they
are Janizaries, are ſentenced by the
Fefta, or order of the Molah, or high-
prieſt, who is the difpenfer of the law,
though he must obey the commands of
the Sheik Bellet, who fometimes con-
demns offenders without his concur-
rence; but the Janizaries are fubject to
their own peculiar laws, and pay no re-
gard to the Fefta of the Molah. I fhall
here conclude my account of the laws,
and give the reader an idea of the reve-
nue of the republic of Egypt. The
annual revenue is calculated to be be-
tween twenty and thirty millions of
aflany, each aflany being worth about
half a crown, Engliſh money, which
revenue arifes from cuftoms upon all
forts of merchandife imported and ex-
ported, and from a tithe of all the pro-
duce of the country. Out of this fum,
three millions and three hundred thou-
fand aflany go to the Grand Signior's
treaſury, and to Mecca, and the re-
E
mainder
( 66 )
mainder of the money is employed in
fupporting fourteen thouſand Janizaries,
and as many blind men, (as I have men-
tioned before) in paying the expenfes
attending the arrival of a new Paſha,
his reception, and the departure of the
old Paſha; in paying the officers of the
cuftoms, and the collectors of the reve-
nue, the officers of the police, and of
other departments, together with the
Sheik Bellets, and all the officers, the
colleague, or lieutenant of the Sheik
Bellet, the defterdar, chancellor, and
fecretaries, and in fhort every other ex-
penſe attending the affairs of the Divan.
Each Bey's revenue is uncertain, for
they do whatever they pleaſe with their
vaffals, and for this reaſon I cannot give
a pofitive account of their income, but
I think that, one with another, they
have each about one million of piaftres,
or half crowns of Engliſh money. I am
of opinion, that if theſe Beys were unit-
ed,
$
( 67 )
ed, and lived in a ſtate of amity, there
would be no other princes richer and
more powerful (in that part of the
world) than they; for as to the Paſha of
Cairo, I have mentioned in another
place, that he has no right to exerciſe any
power at all over the Beys, or the Jani-
zaries, nor even to interfere in the af-
fairs of government; nor would he be
able to do it, if the Divan of the Beys
preſerved its authority; but their dif-
cord and diffentions afford him an oppor-
tunity of becoming fuperior to them,
and exercifing ſupreme power over the
country.
This introductory account of the
country of Egypt, I thought neceffary
to premiſe to the life of Ali Bey, in
order that the reader may be enabled
to underſtand the better ſeveral paffages
that will occur, and which would not
perhaps be fufficiently intelligible with-
out it.
E 2
The
( 69 )
THE
HISTORY
O F
BE Y.
ALI BE
SECT. I.
Containing an Account of his Birth,
Captivity, Arrival in Egypt, and Ad-
vancement.
A
LI BEY was born in the prin-
cipality of Abazea, or Amafia,*
of a good family, his father being a
prieſt of the Greek church, which in
that country is mixed with Mahome-
difm. His father's name was Daout (or
a Amafia is the name of the northern divifion of the
Leffer Afia, lying on the fouth ſhore of the Euxine Sea,
in Natolia; it takes its name from Amafia, the capital,
near the river Iris. It was anciently the feat of the
kings of Cappadocia, and is now fometimes the refidence
of a Turkish Beylerbey, or Viceroy.
E 3
David)
( 70 )
David) and he was baptized by that of
Jofouf (or Jofeph). Jofeph Daout had
no other children than two daughters,
the youngeſt of whom
of whom was named
Yiachut, or Ruby.
Joſeph was born in the year 1728,
and nothing remarkable happened to
him till he was thirteen years old, when
being on a hunting party, in a neigh-
bouring wood, with fome companions
of his own age, they fell into the hands
of a band of men, who make it their
buſineſs to marand in Circaffia, Mingre-
lia, and Natolia, and to fteal children,
in order to fell them in other parts.
Jofeph was foon after fold to a mer-
chant, named Kiurd Achmet, who
brought him into Egypt, and fold him
again to Ibrahim Kiahaya, a Georgian
by birth, and fecond in command with
Ifmael Chaoufh, under the Pafhalik,
or
( 71 )
or government
Pafha.
of Chiore Achmet
On Joſeph's arrival, he was compel-
led to go through the ceremonies of the
Mahometan law, and received there-
upon the name of Ali. He was then
put under the care of a hogia, or tutor,
to learn to read and write, and to be
inſtructed in the principles of the Ko-
ran. Eighteen months having been
elapſed, and Ali having given great ſa-
tisfaction by his affiduity, and proofs of
a ftrong natural genius, Ibrahim Kia-
haya made him one of his domeſtics at
the age of fifteen, and he fucceffively
executed the offices of Imbrickchee
Chiupukchee Pafha, Caffegi
Pafha, Sarickchee Pafha,* Silictar
Aga, Chiohadar Aga, and Hafnadar
Pafha,
f
b
d
g
b Bearer of the bafon and towels for the waſhing, or
ablution, „which the Mahometans always ufe before their
prayers. Keeper of the pipes and tobacco.
c
d Keep-
er of the coffee equipage and plate. • Keeper of the
Turbans, f Sword bearer. * Wardrobe keeper,
E 4
Aga;
( 72 )
Aga; all theſe offices he diſcharged
much to his mafter's fatisfaction; and
having ferved as Hafnadar Aga for the
fpace of three years, and being then
twenty-two years old, he raiſed him to
the dignity of Cafhiph.
Although Ibrahim Kiahaya had above
two thouſand flaves, many of whom
had been raiſed to the dignity of Beys,
yet Cafhiph Ali poffeffed his eſteem in
a fuperior degree; and he was high in
the eſtimation of even Rahip Mahomet
Pafha, who fucceeded Chior Achmet
Paſha in the government, in 1743, who
was very kind to him, till the year
1749, when he was obliged to quit
Grand Cairo, as I have before ſaid, and
was ſent to the Pafhalik of Giuſe far,
in Anatolia; afterwards he was made
Paſha of Damafcus, or Sham, as the
Turks call it, and then was made Vi-
h Treaſurer of the Houfhold.
zier
( 73 )
(73
zier to Sultan Muftapha, and continued
his favour to Ali Bey. In thefe coun-
tries indeed envy conftantly attends on
favour, and as foon as the protector
dies, the protected finds his enemies
will exert their power. This fate Ali
experienced in the year 1765, when on
the death of the Vizier, his protector,
his enemies joined the Pafha of Cairo
to effect his ruin, as will appear in the
fequel,
A great caravan of pilgrims fetting
out for Mecca, in the year 1750, Ib-
rahim Kiahaya was appointed Sheik
Bellet, and was obliged to accompany
the pilgrims in the character of Emir
Hadg. Ali went with his maſter, and
had a favourable opportunity of fhew-
ing his valour, for the caravan being
attacked by a party of Arabs, Cafhiph
Ali was ordered to head a felect num-
k
Chief of the country.
k
* Conductor of the holy
pilgrimage.
ber
( 74 )
1
ber of troops to repel them: this fer-
vice he executed with fuch ſpirit and
conduct, that he entirely routed the
Arabs, and was honoured with the fur-
name of Gin Ali.'
On the return of the caravan, another
troop of Arabs affailed them, but Ali
attacked them with fuch impetuofity,
that they fled, leaving more than thirty
flain in the fkirmish. This conduct ri-
veted Ali in the favour of Ibrahim,
who, on their entering Cairo, recom-
mended him fo ftrongly to the Pafha,
Idinee Achmet, that he received him
with the greateſt marks of friendſhip,
and honoured him with a caftan."
m
Mean time Ibrahim Kiahaya, anxious
for the promotion of Ali, propoſed to
the Divan of Cairo, to raiſe him to the
1 Ali the genius. The genii are fuppofed to be tutelary
A robe of dignity or honour.
rank
beings.
( 75 )
This was
rank of Bey, or Lord.
ftrongly oppofed by another Ibrahim
Bey, who being a Circaffian by birth,
we ſhall diſtinguiſh by the name of
Cerkes, (or Circaffian) Ibrahim. He
wanted to promote one of his flaves to
that rank, but the Georgian Ibrahim
influenced Idinee Achmet Paſha in Ali's
favour, who was created a Bey in the
Divan. This laid the foundation of
that enmity between the two Ibrahims,
which did not end till the Georgian
fell a facrifice to the party of the Cir-
caffian, in the year 1758.
As Ali Bey had a grateful affection
for his mafter Ibrahim, and was a man
of ſtrong paffions, he was rouſed by
his murder to a determination to avenge
it: he however concealed his intenti-
ons for above three years, and in the
interim he purchaſed a number of ſlaves,
and by repeated and well timed pre-
fents, ingratiated himſelf fo well in the
favour
( 76 )
favour of the Pafha of Cairo, that he
was appointed in the year 1763 Sheik
Bellet; and a few months after he
killed Cerkes Ibrahim.
This action indeed fhewed his affec-
tion for his late mafter was ftronger
than his prudence, for it brought his
own life into danger, and obliged him
to quit his office, and fly into Paleſtine.
The Mohafill" of Jerufalem was his
friend, and accordingly protected him
for two months. But ftrong reprefen-
tations having been made againſt Ali
Bey, at the Grand Divan of the Sultan
at Conftantinople, an order was dif-
patched to the governor of Jerufalem,
to ſeize Ali Bey, and fend him in chains
to the Porte. Ali had notice of this
intention time enough to prevent its
execution, by a flight to St. John
d'Acre, where, being a man of great
■ Deputy Governor under the Paſha of Damafcus,
• Acra, or Acre, the antient Ptolemais, a port town of
Afiatic Turkey, fituate in Paleftine, on the Levant Sea,
fouth of Tyre,
addrefs,
( 77 )
addreſs, he eſtabliſhed an intimate friend-
ſhip with Scheik Omar-dahar, the prince
of that place; and was fo powerfully
affifted at Cairo by his own friends, and
thoſe of his late mafter, who honoured
him for avenging his murder, that the
Divan in Conftantinople was influenced
to reverſe their order, recall him from
exile, and reinftated him in the poft of
Sheik Bellet, towards the end of the
fame year. But in the year 1765, finding
freſh plots raiſed against him, he fled
into Arabia Felix, and from thence in-
to Paleſtine again, and the next year re-
turned to Egypt by the influence of his
party; and finding that fome of the Beys
of Cerkes Ibrahim's party, were re-
maining, he put four of them to death,
and by this means reigned in uninter-
rupted peace till the year 1769.
{
THE
1
( 79 )
{
SECT. II.
CONTAINING ANECDOTES
ALI
O F
BE Y
TILL HIS REVOLT.
As
S fome of the principal flaves of
Ali Bey have a great thare in the
following narrative, it may be proper
to give ſome account of them in this
fection.
In the year 1758, a Jew, who was
commiffioner of the cuftoms in Alex-
M
andria,
( 80 )
andria, had purchaſed a youth from a
Turkiſh merchant, and knowing that
Ali Bey was the favourite of Ibrahim
Kiahaya, made a prefent of him to Ali.
This youth was then about fixteen;
was born in Circaffia; was well made,
bold, and courageous, and very expert
in his exerciſes: poffeffing thefe quali-
ties, and being alfo his countryman,
Ali Bey took him, and having no male
children, he grew very fond of him,
called him his fon, and in the year
1766 got him created a Bey, little think-
ing he was heaping favours on a monſter
of ingratitude; who was known by the
name of Mohammed Bey Abudahap.
As Ali Bey had loft his good friend
Rahip Mohammed Paſha in 1765, and
found his enemies increafing, he refol-
P A city and fea-port in Lower Egypt, fourteen miles
weft of the westermoft branch of the Nile, and one hun-
dred and twenty-five miles north west of Cairo. It was
built by Alexander the Great, and is called Scanderia
by the Turks.
}
ved
( 81 )
ved to ftrengthen his own party by
the purchaſe and advancement of a
number of flaves, fo that he had no
lefs than fix thouſand; fixteen of which
he, from time to time, by his power
and intereft, caufed to be created Beys, or
Sangiacs, and advanced one to the im-
portant poſt of Janizar Aga; having
befides fix thouſand Magrepys, or Weſt-
ern Africans in his pay.
The chief of theſe exalted flaves of
Ali Bey, were Mohammed Bey, fur-
named Abudahap," from his known
avaricious temper. Ali Bey Tantavi,
a Georgian; Ifhmael Bey, a Georgian;
Halil Bey, a Georgian; Abdourahman
Bey, a Georgian; Morat Bey, a Circaſ-
fian; Rofvan Bey (nephew to Ali Bey)
of Abazia; Haffan Bey, and Muſtapha
Bey, both Georgians; Ibrahim Bey, a
Circaffian; Achmet Bey, of Abazia;
P The father of gold.
F
Latiph
( 82 )
#
Latiph Bey,and Ofman Bey, both Cir-
caffians; Ackip Bey, Yufouph Bey, Sul-
phicar Bey, all Georgians; with Selim
Aga the Janizar Aga, and Sulieman the
Kiahaya, or inquifitor general of the
Janizaries, both of the fame country.
q
f
Ali Bey had, in the year 1764, pur-
chafed a most beautiful girl, born in
Red Ruffia, and brought to Mafr by
Muſtapha Trabezonou, or Muſtapha of
Trebizond; he became greatly ena-
moured of her, and ſcorning to triumph
over her virtue, he propoſed to marry
her, if ſhe would become a Mahome-
tan; ſhe obftinately refuſed to change
her name of Mary, or quit her Chrif
tian faith. He applauded her firmneſs,
and affured her, if ſhe would conform
in public to the religion of the country,
9 Red Rufia, or Little Ruffia, is a province of Poland,
beyond the Carpathian Mountains, which divide it from
Tranfylvania and Hungary. r Trebizond is a city and
port of Turkey, in Afia, on the Black Sea; the ſuburbs
are inhabited by Greek and Armenian Chriſtians.
the
( 83 )
ſhe ſhould keep her name, and adhere
to the Chriftian rites in fecret. Mary
confented, and was married to Ali Bey,
whofe love ftill increafed fo much,
that though he had a great number of
other beautiful female flaves, he re-
mained conſtant to his lovely Mary,
who in the year 1765, brought him a
girl, who was named Hatige. Mary
was indeed
indeed deferving of
deferving of his love,
not only for her elegant figure, her
lovely black eyes, dark brown treffes,
and rofy complexion, but for her affa-
bility, ſweetneſs of temper, and noble-
nefs of mind. Though he had many
female flaves, fhe treated them as fif-
ters.
In the year 1766, Ali Bey ſent Tan-
tavi, one of the afore-mentioned favour-
ites, whom he had raiſed to the dignity
of a Bey, to conduct the Hafne' to
• The tribute paid annually by the republic of Egypt to
the Grand Signior.
F 2
Conftanti-
( 84
()
t
84 Conftantinople; giving him inftructi-
ons, that on his arrival in that city,
he ſhould fend a proper perſon to Aba-
zia, to inquire if his father and fifter
were living; to invite them to Con-
ftantinople, and on Tantavi's return, to
bring them with him to Mafr. Tan-
tavi obeyed theſe orders, and diſpatched
his Hafnadar, who found Daout, Ali
Bey's father, and delivered his meſſage.
The old man overjoyed at hearing from
his fon, foon fettled his domeftic con-
cerns, and ſet out with the Hafnadar,
his youngest daughter, and his grand-
fon, leaving his eldeſt daughter at home
with her huſband, to take care of his
affairs.
Having arrived at Conftantinople by
the time that Tantavi had finiſhed his -
commiffion, Daout, and his daughter and
grandfon, accompanied him to Egypt,
His Treaſurer.
where
( 85 )
*
where they arrived, after a journey of
forty days.
Ali Bey having been informed by an
exprefs, of Daout's approach, he went
out of the city with a numerous reti-
nue to meet him, and as foon as he faw
him, he fell on his knees and kiffed
his father's hand. The joy of the fa-
ther and fon was expreffed by tears, be-
ing for a while too great for words.
The fon was tranfported to fee his pa-
rent, after an abſence of ſo many years;
and the father was no lefs happy to
find his fon in fuch an elevated rank.
They all proceeded to Ali Bey's palace
in the Ufbeckie, in Cairo, where Daout's
feet being waſhed by the domeſticks,
he was led into the Harem," and Ali
Bey preſented to him the princeſs Mary
and her child. Daout was rejoiced to
fee his fon fo happy with fuch a beau-
tiful wife. Ali Bey's fifter and nephew
"The Apartments of the women.
F 3
were
( 86 )
were then preſented to the princeſs,
who received her huſband's relations
with every mark of reſpect and affec-
tion. The ceremony being over, Ali
Bey left them, and went to the Divan,
where he received congratulations from
the other Beys, and the Janizar Aga.
The Paſha himſelf ſent his Kiahaya with
his congratulations, and requeſted to ſee
Daout, who was foon after introduced to
the Paſha, and received with great re-
fpect, as the father of the Sheik Bellet.
After a refidence of feven months,
Daout left Cairo, notwithſtanding the
many intreaties of his fon to ſtay lon-
ger. He departed loaded with prefents;
a fhip was ordered to convey him to
Conftantinople, and an order fent to the
Capi Kiahaya, for Ali Bey's agent there,
to fee him ſafe to Abazia: but before
Daout's departure, Ali Bey prevailed on
him to confent to the marriage of his
fiſter Yahud, to his adopted fon Abu-
dahap;
( 87 )
dahap; and to leave Ali Bey's nephew,
then fixteen years old, with him. This
nephew was enrolled in the lift of Mam-
luks, and in the year 1768, was honour-
ed with the dignity of Cafhiph.
Hitherto Ali Bey appears to have been
happy and profperous, and it might have
been expected, that the favours heaped
on Mahammed Bey Abudahap, would
have produced affection; but he joined
the little party of the late Ibrahim
Cerkes, and fecretly plotted to take
away the life of his benefactor.
The main caufes of this defign were,
a ſpirit of revenge in the friends of Ib-
rahim Cerkes, and the jealouſy of the
other Sangiaks, on feeing Ali Bey be-
come fo powerful. They found he was
too ftrong to be openly attacked, and
therefore attempted to inflame the jea-
louſy of the Porte againſt him, that he
might be cut off; but before they could
bring
F 4
( 88 )
bring the Paſha of Mafr to aid their
wiſhes, knowing that Abudahap loved
money more than gratitude to his bene-
volent maſter, and brother in law, they
gave him largefums of money to affaffi-
nate his benefactor, and engaged that he
fhould be chofen Sheik Bellet on Ali
Bey's death.
But Mohammed Bey Abudahap acted
a treacherous part, taking the money,
and immediately made Ali Bey acquaint-
ed with the whole tranſaction. This
was not the effect of honefty, but of art,
for he thereby fecured a continuance
of Ali Bey's intereft, till he could ac-
compliſh his purpoſe. The Sheik Bellet,
inſtead of increafing his caution, laugh-
ed at the defign, and looked upon Abu-
dahap as his faithful friend and ſervant,
and from that moment would not give
credit to any report againſt him.
Secure of this, Abudahap offered two
hundred purfes to Tantavi to kill Ali
Bey,
( 89 )
(89
Bey, when he went to play with him at
chefs; and to accomplish this purpoſe,
ordered his wife, the fifter of Ali Bey, to
put poifon into his coffee, the firſt time
he came to vifit her. Tantavi immediate-
ly acquainted Ali Bey of Abudahap's
treachery, but was not believed. His
fifter alfo fent to him, to defire he
would defift from vifiting her, but he
was ſurprized at receiving fuch a meſ-
fage, and went to her directly to in-
quire the cauſe, when fhe confeffed the
orders fhe had received from her huf-
band; but Ali Bey was fo blinded by
his love for the treacherous Abudahap,
that he disbelieved her alfo.
Ali Bey, unfortunate in his favour-
ites, had taken a ftrong affection for
Maalim Rifk, a Copt,"
W and made
w The Copts are Chriftians of the fect of Mono-
thelites, and are employed by the Beys as their writers,
as they are generally well verfed in the Arabian Ortho-
graphy.
him
( 90 )
him his fecretary for the Arabian affairs;
this man, by his hypocrify, had gained
the confidence of Ali Bey, and no favour
was to
to be procured from him, but
through the means of Maalim Riſk;
this induced the Beys to pay their court
to him, and this puffed up his natural
pride to fuch a degree, that when any
of the Beys went to vifit him, he never
rofe from his feat, but received them
as private men. None were fo much
offended at this haughtiness as Abudahap,
who was equally proud, and feverely
ftung at finding a rival in Ali Bey's
favour, of which he had a ſtriking proof,
when having reprefented the haughty
behaviour of Maalim Rifk, Ali Bey
anſwered him warmly, that the Sangi-
acks were his flaves, but that Rifk was
only his fervant, and knew well how
to behave to them. This reply con-
firmed Abudahap in his refolution of
revenging
( 91 )
-
revenging himſelf on Maalim Riſk and
his maſter; but being very cautious,
and having failed in his former ſchemes,
he refolved to cloke his hatred in
fmiles, till a proper opportunity ſhould
offer to avenge himſelf.
THE
( 93 )
SECT. III.
CONTAINING THE
ORIGIN AND PROGRESS
O F
ALI BEY':
REVOLT.
N the latter end of the year 1768,
IN
the Grand Signior had declared war
againſt Ruffia, and Ali Bey, as Sheik
Bellet, was raifing the twelve thouſand
men which the republic of Egypt is
obliged to furnish to the Porte, when
at war. Maalim
Maalim Riſk thought this a
good opportunity to get rid of the pre-
fence
( 94 )
fence of Mohammed Bey Abudahap,
and adviſed Ali Bey to put him at the
head of theſe troops; at the fame time
Ali Bey's enemies thought it alſo a very
fit opportunity to execute their deſigns
againſt him, and increaſe the jealouſy
they had hitherto fought to excite in
the breafts of the Ottoman governors,
againſt the Sheik Bellet. They there-
fore, by great prefents, prevailed on the
Paſha of Mafr, to write a complaint
to the Porte, that Ali Bey was raiſing
theſe twelve thouſand men, not with a
defign to affiſt the Grand Signior, but
to join the Ruffians againſt him; this
letter was figned by all the Sangiacks
who were inimical to Ali Bey, fo that
when it arrived at Conftantinople, the
Emperor took it not only as the com-
plaint of his Pafha, but as of the re-
public alfo, and fent an order imme-
diately to the Paſha, to ſend Ali Bey's
head to Conſtantinople.
This
( 95 )
This matter however eſcaped not the
vigilance of Ali Bey's agent at the Porte,
who directly diſpatched two meffengers,
one by fea, and the other by land, to
carry this important intelligence. The
former arrived firft, and Ali Bey, con-
ſcious that he had neither done, nor
defigned aught againſt the Grand Sig-
nior, could fcarce believe the truth of
the meffage; but the other meffenger
arriving three days afterwards, put him
on his guard, and made him reſolve to
know how far he had occafion to fear.
Thus refolved, he fent for Ali Bey
Tantavi, on whofe fidelity he could en-
tirely rely. He ordered him to take
twelve of his attendants with him, and
to wait a few miles diftant on the high
road to the city, in the drefs of Arabs,
to ſee if the Capigi Pafha' was coming
▾ The chief of the Porters, who is generally the mef-
fenger extraordinary of the Sultan.
to
( 96 )
to Cairo; if they faw him they were
ordered to ſeize him, and his men, and
examine their papers, and if they found
therein any orders againſt him, to kill
them all, and bring the diſpatches to
him.
orders punc-
Tantavi fulfilled thefe orders
tually; he waited about twenty miles
from Cairo, and on the third day after
the arrival of the laſt meffenger, he be-
held the Capigi Paſha approach, attend-
ed by four men, whom they feized and
bound, and on examination of their pa-
pers, the fatal order was found figned
in due form; on this Tantavi ordered
his men to flay them, which was im-
mediately done, and the five bodies were
buried in the fand.
Tantavi foon arrived in Cairo, and
put the diſpatches into Ali Bey's hands,
who had no fooner read them, but he
fummoned an extraordinary Divan.
There
( 97 )
97)
There he produced the order from the
Porte, to fend his head to Conftanti-
nople, and affured them, that if he fell
a facrifice to the ambition of his ene-
mies, and the tyranny of the Sultan,
they muſt expect a like fate hereafter.
But if they would defend themſelves,
their rights and liberties, he could find
means to humble the pride and tyranny
of the Porte. He reminded them that
the kingdom of Egypt belonged to
them, and not to the Grand Signior;
and if they defired to free themſelves
from his tyrannical power, the time
was moſt apt and convenient; for as
the Sultan would have enough to do
against the Ruffians, they could not
hope a better opportunity to regain their
antient rights and liberties.
The Divan felt the force of his rea-
foning; thoſe of the Beys, (eighteen of
whom owed their rank to Ali Bey) who
were his friends, immediately agreed
with
G
( 98 )
with him, and even thoſe who were
fecretly his enemies, and had figned
the letter against him, were over-awed,
and found themſelves too weak to op-
poſe. Nay, though they had an enmity
againſt Ali Bey, they could not refift a
defire to be free, and the whole Divan
unanimouſly reſolved to defend their
rights, and affift Ali to the utmoſt of
their power.
This refolution being taken, an or-
der was fent from the Divan to the
Pafha, to quit Egypt in twenty-four
hours, or his life would pay for the de-
lay. A meffenger was difpatched to
Sheik Omar Daher, prince of St. John
d'Acre, to acquaint him with this refo-
lution, and what had obliged Ali Bey
to take theſe ſteps, and to intreat him
to join his ſtrength and intereſt with
his. Sheik Daher agreed to join them,
and prepared for war.
In the mean
time Ali Bey was not idle.
As foon as
the
( 99 )
the Paſha was departed, he joined all his
own troops to the twelve thouſand he
was preparing to fend to the Sultan; he
was affifted by the troops of the differ-
ent Sangiaks, and in a few months was
in a good condition of defence.
The Ottoman Porte being early ap-
prized of this revolt, ordered the Paſha
of Sham (or Damaſcus) to march with all
the troops he could raife, to prevent Sheik
Daher from joining Ali Bey. Sheik
Daher was ready to receive him. The
Sheik had feven fons, each of whom
had well fortified caftles, and Ali Bey
had ſent him plenty of ammunition of
all kinds, and provifions by fea. The
Paſha of Sham found himſelf much
harraffed in his march by Sheik Ali, the
fecond ſon of Daher; and when he
got
near the fea of Tiberias, he found
Sheik Daher encamped there. When
the Sheik beheld the enemy near enough,
he deferred an engagement till the next
morning;
G 2
( 100 )
morning; and during the night divided
his army into three bodies, one of three
thouſand men to the eaſt, upon the hills
of Gadera, under the command of Sheik
Sleby; a fecond of three thouſand men
alſo on the weft, towards Mount Liba-
nus, commanded by Sheik Crime, his
fon in law. The third, or main body,
under himſelf, croffed the fea of Tibe-
rias, to the fouth, towards Galilee,
leaving the camp with great fires, all
forts of provifions, and a large quantity
of fpirituous liquors, giving ftrict or-
ders not to hinder the enemy from tak-
ing poffeffion of the camp, but to come
down and attack them just before dawn
of day.
In the middle of the night the Paſha
of Sham thought to furprize Sheik
Daher, and marched in filence to the
camp, which, to his great aftoniſhment,
he found entirely abandoned; and
thought the Sheik had fled. with fo
much
( 101 )
much precipitation, that he could not
carry off the baggage and ftores. The
Paſha thought proper to ftop in the
camp to refreſh his foldiers. They foon
fell to plundering, and drank fo freely
of the liquors, that overcome with the
fatigue of the day's march, and the
fumes of the fpirits, they were not long
ere they were in a found fleep. At
that time Sheik Sleby and Sheik Crime,
who were watching the enemy, came
filently to the camp; and Sheik Daher
having repaffed the fea of Tiberias,
meeting them, they all rushed into the
camp, and fell on the confuſed and
ſleeping enemy, eight thouſand of whom
they flew on the fpot; and the Paſha,
with the remainder of his troops, fled
with much difficulty to Sham, leav-
ing all their baggage behind. He had
come with twenty-five thousand men,
and thoſe of Sheik Daher fcarcely ex-
ceeded nine thousand. The ſpoil was
divided among the conquerors, and then
G 3
the
( 102 )
the
army parted; one divifion going to
join the Motevely's, or lords, of Mount
Libanus; the fecond to fubdue Galilee,
and the third returned to St.
to St. John
d'Acre.
year
During this event, and in the
1770, Ali Bey fent Mohammed Bey
Abudahap, at the head of twenty-fix
thousand men, to conquer Arabia Felix;
and Iſhmael Bey, with ſeven thouſand,
to fubdue the western coaft of the Red
Sea.
In the mean time Ali Bey remained
in Mafr, to regulate the domeſtic af-
fairs. Many abuſes had crept into the
collection of the cuſtoms, which bore
hard on the European merchants; thoſe
he removed, put to death one of the com-
miffioners, a Jew, named Joſeph Levy,
who had ſhamefully impoſed on the tra-
ders, and put Maalim Michael Pharha," a
z Maalim is an appellation of honour, fignifying mafter
or doctor.
Chriftian
( 103 )
Chriſtian of the Greek church, in their
place. He even fent directions to Abu-
dahap, and Ishmael Bey, that whatever
maritime towns they might fubdue, they
fhould leave ſtrict orders with the go-
vernors, to receive all European ſhips
with the greateſt kindneſs, and affure
their commanders, that they ſhould be
protected in their commerce in the Red
Sea, in every part of which they might
freely traffick. He alfo (by the advice
of Rifk, who had been bribed by an Ita-
lian, named Rofetti) fent to offer his
friendſhip to the republic of Venice.
He cleared the country from robbers,
which procured him from the people
the firname of Bulut-capan,' and in
ſhort, every one was furpriſed to ſee a
barbarous nation fo much civilized in
ſo ſhort a ſpace of time.
Whilft Ali Bey was thus providing
for internal peace and fafety, his gene,
a Cloud catcher.
G 4
rals
(104)
rals were extending their conqueſts. In
lefs than fix months, Abudahap con-
quered all Arabia Felix, and dethroned
the Emir of Mecca (a defcendant of
Mohammed) and put another of the
line in his place, named Emir Abdallah,
who afcended the throne as Sheriff of
Kiabé, and Medina: in return for
which favour, the Sheriff gave to Ali
Bey the title of Sultan of Egypt, and
the two feas.
During thefe tranfactions, Ishmael
Bey was as fuccefsful on his part; he
fubdued all the provinces as far as
Jita, eſtabliſhing governors, and leav-
ing garrifons in each place; and then
theſe triumphant generals returned to
Maſr, where Ali Bey received them with
every poffible mark of joy and reſpect.
In the beginning of the year 1771,
Ali Bey prepared an army of forty
thouſand men, and gave the command
of
( 105 )
of it to Abudahap, who fet out with
this formidable force from Mafr, on
the third of March. He had orders to
fubdue all Paleſtine, before he proceed-
ed to Syria, and to treat the inhabitants
of every town, which ſhould either re-
ceive him willingly, or furrender at
diſcretion, with the greateſt lenity and
humanity, and protect them from the
rage of the foldiery; particularly the
Zummies.* He had alſo exprefs direc-
tions to take eſpecial care in marching
through the territories of his faithful
ally Sheik Daher, and his fons, (to
whom he recommended Abudahap) not
to commit any diforder, or give the
ſlighteſt offence.
Whilſt Abudahap was gone on this
expedition, Ali Bey was adviſed to feek
an alliance with the Ruffians, who were
then maſters of all the Archipelago,
and the Sporades Inlands. He accord-
* Tributary Chriftians and Jews.
ingly
( 106 )
ingly wrote to Count Alexis Orlow,
the commander in chief of the Ruffian
forces, expreffing his defire to enter into
a treaty of perpetual friendſhip and al-
liance with her Imperial Majefty, and
conjointly fight the common enemy,
offering to fupply Count Orlow with
every kind of provifions for his fleet and
army; and with money, if wanted,
This exprefs was fent by Jacob, an
Armenian, who went first to the Ifland
of Paros; but not finding the general
there, he followed him to Leghorn,
and delivered his difpatches. Count
Orlow foon returned an anfwer, where-
in, after compliments and congratula-
tions to Ali Bey, he told him that he
would immediately tranſmit his letter
to the Empreſs, and would do all in
his power to comply with his offers.
Paros is one of the largeſt of the islands of Archi
pelago. Lat. 36 56. Eaft-Lon. 25 36, noted for
producing the fineft marble.
That
( 107 )
That he would not at preſent trouble
him for either provifions or money, but
if he found himſelf in any kind of ne-
ceffity for either, he would not fail to
apply for the proffered affiftance. This
letter was fent by Gregory, a Greek
Chriſtian, native of Conftantinople, a
man well verſed in the ancient Greek,
Latin, Italian, French, and Turkish
languages; but he brought it no far-
ther than Alexandria, where he died,
and the expreſs was brought forward by
another hand.
Ali Bey continued to encourage the
home and foreign merchants, and make
every thing agreeable to them. He gave
exprefs orders to the Janizaries, to pro-
tect all foreigners and Chriftians from
infults from the Muffulmen, which
if they failed to do, they were to be
feverely puniſhed: having for that ex-
prefs purpoſe raiſed two natives of
Georgia to the dignities of Aga, and
any
Kiahaya.
( 108 )
1
Kiahaya. The firft was Selim Aga, a man
of
great courage, and an affable difpofiti-
on; the other was Suliman Aga, of equal
bravery, but rather ignorant, and bigotted
to the Mahometan religion. By theſe
wife regulations, commerce flouriſhed
in Egypt, and domeftic affairs feemed
to be in a moſt profperous condition.
As foon as Abudahap had quitted
Mafr, Ali Bey ſent fix fhips laden with
provifions, and all kinds of warlike
ftores, to St. John d'Acre, to be ready
for the uſe of the army. Abudahap,
who had begun his route on the fourth
of March, 1771, arrived on the ninth
before Gaza, and the day after fum-
moned the garrifon to furrender the
town, which being refufed, he took it
by ſtorm in three days; Muftapha Aga,
the governor, and moſt of the garriſon,
having made their eſcape in the night,
c
Gaza, a town of Paleſtine, about fix miles from the
coaft of the Mediterranean.
before
( 109 )
d
before it was taken. He ftaid there
till the 26th, and then, having left a
governor, and a ſufficient garrifon, he
marched to Rama, and on the 31ft
fummoned the governor; but Haffan
Aga ſent for anſwer, that he would de-
fend the town to the laft drop of his
blood. On this Abudahap ſtormed
Rama, but was fo refolutely oppoſed by
Haffan, that he was forced to retreat
with the lofs of one hundred and fixty
men. He then encircled the town
with his troops in fuch a manner, that
no ſupplies of provifions could enter the
place, and kept it thus blockaded till
the 20th of April; when Haffan having
found means to elude his vigilance, and
eſcape in difguife in the night towards
Jerufalem, the town furrendered the
next day at difcretion. Abudahap ſtaid
there till the latter end of May; when
Another town of Paleftine, tributary to the Grand
Signior.
having
( 110 )
}
having fettled every thing neceffary for
the ſafety of the place, he proceeded to
Naploufe, which he took, by ſtarving
the befieged; and from thence fent his
fummons to Muftapha, the governor of
Jerufalem, to ſurrender that city. The
governor, together with the Mollah of
the Mahometans, and the Chriftian vi-
cars of the patriarch of Jerufalem, and
the Armenian patriarch, fent to intreat
Abudahap, firſt to bend his arms againſt
the city of Sham (or Damafcus) under
the juriſdiction of whoſe Paſha, Jerufa-
lem was, and promifing, if he took that
place, Jerufalem fhould be furrendered.
This meffage was accompanied with a
deputation of Chriftian prieſts from the
patriarch, carrying ſome rich preſents.
Abudahap finding his avarice gratified
by theſe gifts, and his pride flattered by
с
• Naploufe, or Neapolis, formerly known by the name
of Sichem, where the Samaritans had their chief temple,
now the refidence of a Sangiak, dependent on the Pafha
of Scham.
the
(III)
the politeness of the meffage; and be-
fides, having no orders to form the
holy city, or fire againſt its walls, he
entertained the prieſts with great affa-
bility, and granted their requeſt.
f
Having fettled every thing at Nap-
loufe, he marched to Joffa, which held
out againſt him for two months, and
then capitulated.
g
In the month of September, Abuda-
hap moved towards Colo-Syria, and
croffing Mount Carmel, encamped in
the plains of Ptolmais. Being arrived
there, Sheik Slebi and Sheik Crime
came from their father Sheik Daher,
with a prefent of furs, and other valu-
able articles, to congratulate Abudahap
f The antient Joppa, a ſea port between Cefarea and
Afcalon, fifty miles weft from Jerufalem, Lat. 32 26
Eaſt. Lon. 36. It ftands on a rocky hill, defended from
the fea by a chain of rocks, which forms an harbour for
fmall veffels, and furrounded landward with a ſtone wall.
At prefent St. John d'Acre.
on
( 112 )
on his fucceffes, and fafe arrival. They
were received with much outward po-
litenefs, but the haughty general found
his pride piqued, at not receiving a vifit
from Sheik Daher himſelf, which he
reſented ſo much, that he would not
vouchſafe to viſit the old ally, and firm
friend of his maſter, but ſent his Kiahaya
to return the viſit and the compliments.
The old Sheik perceived the flight, but
nobly ſcorned to take notice of it, attri-
buting it to his youth and pride. About
the latter end of September, Abudahap
left Ptolmais, and croffing a branch of
Mount Libanus, went to Saïd," which
ſurrendered to him on the firſt ſummons,
and having placed a garrifon therein, he
proceeded in the middle of October to
Sham, (or Damaſcus) which he beſieg-
ed from the 24th of that month, till
the latter end of November, when the
h The antient Sidon, Lat. 33 35 Eaft.-Lon. 36 15.
a famous port on the Levant, ſeventy miles fouth of Tri-
poly, and as many north from Jerufalem.
Pafha
( 113 )
Paſha finding the city no longer tenable,
retreated in the night.to Halep,' and the
half ſtarved inhabitants opened their
gates to the conqueror, and fubmitted
to his mercy.
He did not, indeed, fhow
any cruelty to the people, and reftrained
his troops from plunder, bending his
arms against the citadel, which held out
a week longer, till the governor being
affaffinated by his troops, Abudahap was
admitted therein.
Abudahap ftaid in Sham upwards of
fix weeks, during which time, his rapid
fucceffes infpired him with a defign of
continuing his conquefts for himſelf.
His avarice and ambition prompted him
to forget all his obligations to his bene-
ficent maſter, to whom he owed every
thing, and to refolve to bring all Egypt
under his own dominion. To accom-
1 Or Aleppo, the capital of that government, feventy
miles eaſt from the ſea, Lat. 36 30 eaſt.-Lon. 37.
H
pliſh
( 114 )
pliſh this end, he took his whole army
with him, when he left Sham, and
marching back through the places he
had conquered, increaſed his forces by
taking out all the troops he had left in
the garrifons.
But although his defigns were againſt
Ali Bey, yet he did not march at firſt
towards Mafr, knowing he was hated
by the Janizaries; but directing his
courſe by the deferts, between the Red
Sea and Egypt, he came into Upper
Egypt, where on the 1ft of march, 1772,
he took poffeffion of the capital, and
ſummoned all the Sangiaks either to
join him, or quit the country. They
finding themſelves unable to refift his
numerous and powerful army, already
fluſhed with repeated conquefts, fubmit-
ted to him, and joined him with all their
reſpective forces.
Abudahap
( 115 )
Abudahap finding his ftrength fuf-
ficient to attempt any thing, threw off
the maſk, and openly declared his in-
tentions of deftroying Ali Bey, and
marching into Lower Egypt, encamped
oppofite to Old Cairo, on the 9th of
April. Ali Bey alarmed at the fudden
arrival of Abudahap, too plainly faw
his bafe intentions, and blamed himſelf
that he had ſhut his ears againſt the in-
timations he had of his ingratitude.
He found it was neceffary to prevent
Abudahap croffing the Nile, if he would
preferve Mafr; for that purpofe he raif-
ed an army of twenty thousand, the
command of which he gave to Ishmael
Bey, with orders to difpute the paffage
of the river: but as foon as Ifhmael
arrived there, Abudahap fent a meffage
to him, that if he oppofed him, he
would put him to death if he conquer-
ed, which he doubted not to do, as his
troops had a great fuperiority in num-
bers; but if, on the other hand, he
would
H 2
( 116 )
would join him, he fhould be his part-
ner in the government, and in all his
dignities. Ifhmael did not long hefi-
tate: he thought it was better to fide
with the ſtrongeſt party, and enjoy a
fhare of power, than to loſe his proper-
ty and his life, and therefore, on the
8th of April, he marched his troops
into Abudahap's camp, where they were
received with great joy.
The news of this junction had no
fooner reached the ears of Ali Bey, than
he retired into the caftle of Mafr, tak-
ing with him all his money and jewels,
and thoſe friends on whom he could de-
pend, refolving to defend himſelf againſt
his ungrateful brother-in-law. But on
the third day after he had entered the
caftle, Sheik Achmet, the fourth ſon of
Sheik Daher, then on a vifit to Ali Bey,
adviſed him to quit the caftle, and fly
to Paleſtine, where he was fure his fa-
ther would receive him with open arms,
and
( 117 )
and would be happy to obey his com-
mands. He urged, that by this ſtep,
means might be found to regain his
kingdom; whereas, if he remained in
the caſtle, the enemy would foon pre-
vent any fuccours coming to him, and
then he would be forced either to loſe
his life, or ſubmit to the mercy of his
flaves. Ali Bey yielded to the reaſon-
ableneſs of this propoſal, and reſolved
to quit the caſtle and city the fame
night, before Abudahap had got pof-
feffion of the town, and was thereby
become able to prevent it.
Ali Bey accordingly ordered his bag-
gage to be got ready directly, fent to
thoſe Sangiaks who might be willing to
join him, and gave the command of what
troops he had remaining, to his faithful
Ali Bey Tantavi. He fent alfo to Maalim
Rifk, to bring in all the money arifing
from the revenues, he had in his hands,
but Rifk was not to be found. He
likewife
H 3
( 118 )
likewife diſpatched Jacob, the Arme-
nian, to the Iſland of Paros, to acquaint
Count Orlow, the Ruffian General, with
his fituation, and to beg his affiftance,
and then departed from Mafr with all
the nobles, and thofe of his houshold
who were faithful to him. The num-
ber of troops that accompanied him,
did not exceed, both horfe and foot,
k The Beys who followed the fortune of Ali Bey, in
his retreat, were thefe.
Ali Bey Tantavi. Rofvan Bey, Ali Bey's nephew.
Hallil Bey. Morat Bey, Abdourahman Bey. Latiff
Bey. Muftapha Bey. Ibrahim Bey, (the Circaffian).
Zulficar Bey. Achip Bey. Ofman Bey. Selim Aga,
of the Janizaries, and Suleiman, Kiahaya of the Jani-
zaries.
་
The officers of Ali Bey's houfhold were theſe.
Yusuph Hafnadar Aga (or treaſurer) a Georgian.
Rufvan Chiouhadar Aga, (or keeper of the wardrobe) a
Georgian. Othman Selictar Aga (or fword-bearer) an
Abazian, and nephew to Abudahap. Ofman Aga,
Sarikchee Pafhee (or turban bearer) a Georgian. Yufuph,
Chiupukchee Pafhee (or keeper of the pipes and tobacco)
a Georgian. Huſein Aga, Imbrikchee Paſhee (or keep-
er of the ewers, bafons, and towels) a Circaffian. Ab-
dourahman Aga, Salaher (or maſter of the horſe) a Si-
nopian.
feven
( 119 )
feven thouſand men. His treaſury and
wardrobe were loaded on twenty-fix
dromedaries. His ready cafh confifted
of eight hundred thouſand mahbub and
funduclys; the reft of his treaſure was
in jewels, to the amount of about fix
million of ducats.
It was in the evening of the 12th
of April, 1772, that Ali Bey left Maſr,
and begun his march, which he pur-
fued day and night, left he ſhould be
purſued by Abudahap, and got to Han-
niounus,' on the 15th, but in that ſhort
march, he had the misfortune to have
five of his dromedaries (one of them
laden with money, and the reſt with
his wardrobe) cut off by the Arabs.
On the 16th he proceeded to Gaza,™ but
did not stop there, as that town was in
the hands of the enemy, and arrived on
¹ A ſmall town on the Ifthmus of Suez, on the Mediter-
ranean Shore.
Distance eighteen miles,
H 4
the
( 120 )
{
the 23d at Ptolmais, where he en-
camped near Caifa, on the plains under
Mount Carmel.
The fatigue of his journey, the agi-
tation of his mind, and his ſtrong ſenſe
of Abudahap's ingratitude, had fuch an
effect on Ali Bey, that as ſoon as he
had encamped, he fell into a violent
fever. Sheik Daher immediately went
to him, and offered him every affiſtance
in his power, requeſting he would come
and refide in his palace, which Ali Bey
declining, the worthy Sheik ſent him
his beſt phyſicians, by whofe aid Ali
Bey recovered in about three weeks.
The inhabitants of Barut, (or Berytus)
who are moſtly Greek Chriftians, hav-
ing been greatly diffatisfied with their
government, had written to the Ruffian
general to relieve them from their bond-
age. A fquadron of Ruffian ſhips came off
that city the latter end of April, 1772,
and
( 121 )
and took and plundered it. They then
put Emir Mahamut (a man much eſteem-
ed by the Chriſtians) as governor,
with orders to pay a certain annual
tribute. This bufinefs being effected,
the ſquadron paffed by Acre, ſtopped to
pay the compliments of Count Orlow
to Sheik Daher, and know if he had
any meffage to return. The Ruffians
did not then know that Ali Bey had
been forced to quit Egypt, and were
furprized to hear of that event from
Sheik Daher. However, the chief of-
ficers (of whom were Chevalier George
Rizo, a native of Salonica," and adju-
tant to Count Orlow, and Chevalier
Conftantine Pfaro, a native of the iſland
of Meconos, together with Joſeph, a
Georgian, and a favourite domeſtic of
n Salonichi, the antient Theffalonica, a port of Tur-
key, in the Archipelago. Lat. 41 Eaſt.-Lon. 23
13.
℗ Meconos, or Mycone, an Iſland in the Archipelago,
Lat. 37 28 E.-Lon, 25 51.
the
( 122 )
He
the Ruffian general) went to pay their
reſpects to Ali Bey, in his camp.
entertained them with great affability
for fome days, and at their departure
made them ſeveral valuable prefents,
fending with them Zulficar Bey, one of
his Sangiaks, a man of a very pleafing
carriage, as his ambaffador, to the
Count. To him he fent three of his
beſt horſes, and the dromedary he was
uſed to ride, with all their fumptuous
trappings. In his diſpatches to Count
Orlow, he requeſted he would fend him
fome artillery and ammunition, as the
precipitation with which he was obliged
to leave Mafr, did not permit him to
bring any, and defired he would ſpare
him two or three thouſand of the Al-
banians, who were then in the Ruffian
fervice; as he did not doubt, with this
affiftance, and the troops of Sheik Daher,
but he would be able to re-enter Egypt.
The Ruffian fquadron, with Ali Bey's
ambaffador, in a xebeque, departed from
Acra
( 123 )
Acre the 18th of May, to join Count
Orlow at the iſland of Paros.
In expectation of an anſwer from
Count Orlow, and his health being now
reftored, Ali Bey ordered Tantavi to
take half his troops, and join thoſe of
Sheik Daher, and go to Saïd, or Sidon,
and endeavour to reduce that place.
Tantavi having received his orders from
his mafter, he joined Sheik Sleby, and
Sheik Crime, who were before ready
with their troops, to follow him. They
therefore began their march in the mid-
dle of June, 1772, and croffing the
Antilibanus, arrived at Soor, or Tyrus,
the 17th, where the mutevele, which is
equivalent to the word baron, of the
place, Sheik Haffan, received them with
the greateſt friendship, proffered his
fervices, and told them, if they wanted
more men, he fhould take with him ail
his troops, which confifted of two
hundred horſe, and about four hundred
foot.
( 124 )
foot. Tantavi thanked him for his
offer of the troops, but declared how ac-
ceptable his company would be to him,
if he could agree to join with him.
They therefore, after refreſhing them-
ſelves and their troops, moved towards
Sidon, which is about eighteen miles
diftant, by land. But Haffan Paſha, of
two tails, who was governor of the
place after Abudahap had evacuated it,
thinking himſelf fuperior in force, and
being therefore unwilling to fubmit to
be befieged, fallied out from the city to
meet the army of Tantavi and his con-
federates. Haffan Pafha's force
force was
about thirteen thoufand; Tantavi's, to-
gether with Sheik Daher's, amounted
in the whole to about fix thouſand,
moftly horſe. The two armies met on
the 27th of June, about nine in the
morning, and the engagement was over
about eleven. It ended in the total
rout of Haſſan Paſha, who after having
loft between four and five thousand men,
was
(125)
was put to flight with the remainder of
his army. On Tantavi's fide about two
hundred were flain, befides two Cafhifs,
and Ofman Bey wounded. He entered
Sidon the next day in triumph, and
took poffeffion of the caſtles and the town
in the name of his mafter, and after
refiding there a fortnight, Tantavi left
a garriſon in Sidon, with Haffan Bey as
governor, and then, with his army, came
back to Acké, and from thence to the
camp near Caïpha. On the 29th of
July, Ali Bey having re-eſtabliſhed his
health, and being in a ſtate to co-ope-
rate with his army, applied to Sheik
Daher for affiſtance in artillery and am-
munition, to fubdue Joppa, or Jopha.
Daher not only complied with his re-
queft, but even offered himſelf and his
fons to accompany the army, which
offer Ali Bey accepted with thanks.
I forgot to mention, that while Ali
Bey was indifpofed, and Tantavi abfent,
fome
( 126 )
fome of his troops found means to de-
fert, and went into Egypt. His Haf-
nadar, Jofeph, growing tired of Maho-
metifm, and having fallen in with fome
Chriſtians, and from their converfation,
reflecting on his former religion with
grief and fondneſs, refolved to ſet him-
felf free; and having feven thoufand
ducats of his own money in his poffef-
fion, by the affiftance of an intimate
friend he procured a boat, and made his
eſcape into Cyprus.
Dahar loaded two fhips with provifion
and ammunition, to proceed by fea, and
two other tranfports to carry fome of
Ali Bey's troops, and having prepared
all things neceffary, Ali Bey began his
march by land the 12th of Auguft, and
croffing Mount Carmel, came on the
16th near Joppa, and pitched his camp
by a brook, at the diftance of about a
mile and a quarter to the north eaſt of
the town. The ſhips with the troops,
provifions,
( 127 )
proviſions, ammunition, &c. arrived be-
fore, and anchored in a creek about fix
miles to the north of Joppa, and having
there difcharged their loadings, camels
were immediately provided, and next
day most of the neceffaries arrived in the
camp. On the 17th Ali Bey ſent a
fummons to Muftapha Bey, brother to
Haffan Paſha, of Naploufe, who was go-
vernor of the town, to furrender it.
But Mustapha Bey having before-hand
provided troops and provifions, did not
chufe to obey this fummons; upon
which Ali Bey ordered the Sangiaks to
draw a line round the town, and every
one of them to take two hundred men
for their poſts.
Halil Bey, and Latiph Bey, were poſt-
ed on the north eaft, at the diftance of
two hundred yards: Addourahman Bey,
and Morat Bey, were on the caſt, with
Muſtapha Bey, and Akip Bey on the
fouth. The fiege was carried on, and
a battery
( 128 )
a battery raiſed againſt the eaſt gatė, on
which were mounted two iron twelve
pounders. Abdourahman Aga, a native
of Trebezonde, who had acquired fome
fkill in artillery, had the charge of theſe
cannon, which were ferved by fome
Greeks. He alſo made another battery,
of one braſs piece of fixteen pound ball,
and a fixteen inch mortar; with theſe he
did great miſchief to the houſes of the
town, though he had no other means
than a plumb line to meaſure the ele-
vation of the mortar. After a fiege of
fourteen days, Ali Bey ordered a gene-
ral affault to be made, but he was brave-
ly oppofed, and forced to quit the ſtorm,
with the loſs of above fixty killed and
wounded.
Ali Bey held the town of Joppa ftill
clofely befieged on the land fide, but
ſent off a ſtrong detachment, under
Tantavi, of his own, and Sheik Daher's
troops, to attack Gaza, which he took
in
( 129 )
in about a fortnight, and then the inha-
bitants of Rama and Lidda fent depu-
ties to put themfelves under Ali Bey's
protection, and offered to receive his
governors. Haffan Bey was therefore
fent to command in Lidda, and Selim
Aga to govern Rama, and then the de-
tachment returned to Joppa.
Although Joppa was clofely begirt
by land, yet the befieged had the port
open, by which they fometimes receiv-
ed fuccours from Egypt. At length
however their provifions began to grow
fhort, and they had no wood left for
firing. They fent a petition to Muſta-
pha Bey, to fpare their lives, houfes,
and fine gardens, which were planted
without Joppa, the moſt pleaſant per-
haps in that part of the world, but he
refuſed their requeſt. The wretched
inhabitants were then forced to grind
rice with hand mills, to make bread,
having ſcarce any other fubfiftence left;
and they ſtole out in the night to cut
I
down
( 130 )
(130
down the fine orange and lemon trees,
for the fake of the wood to bake their
bread. Ali Bey had at firſt ordered his
foldiers to fpare thofe trees, and con-
tent themſelves with eating the fruit;
but when he ſaw the befieged make that
uſe of them, he then had the whole cut
down, and deſtroyed thofe beautiful and
valuable plantations to deprive the be-
fieged of the fire wood; which greatly
increaſed their miſery.
The fiege had continued one month,
when on the 17th of September, Sulfi-
car Bey, who had been fent to Count
Orlow, returned, in a Ruffian tranf-
port, under English colours, command-
ed by a captain Brown. In this fhip
came alfo Jacob, the Armenian, who
had been fent to the Count before Ali
Bey left Mafr, and two Ruffian officers,
with a letter from their general, and
fome prefents. The tranfport put into
a fmall harbour, named Abu Daout,
and Sulficar Bey diſpatched a meffenger
to
( 131 )
to Ali Bey, to inform him of his arri-
val; camels and horfes were immediate-
ly fent to bring the officers and baggage
to the camp. Sulficar Bey first went
to Ali Bey with the Ruffian general's
letter, and acquainted him that the of-
ficers were without; they were imme-
diately admitted, introduced by Sulficar
Bey, and had the honour to kifs Ali
Bey's hand. The letter from Count
Orlow, written on one fide in Ruffian
characters, and on the other in Italian,
was then read and interpreted to Ali
Bey, in the Turkiſh language; it con-
tained many promiſes of ſpeedy affift-
ance, in which Ali Bey then confided;
but alas, they were never fulfilled, and
the two Ruffian officers, who were
M. Clinglinoff, a captain of horſe, and
lieutenant Sergey Plefchoff, were the
only affiftance that ever arrived, and
theſe were merely fent to examine the
ftrength of Ali Bey. The prefents con-
fifted of eight pieces of filk, flowered
with gold and filver, of the manufac-
I 2
ture
( 132 )
ture of the iſland of Cio; three brafs
field pieces, of four-pound ball; feven
barrels of fine gun-powder, five hun-
dred fhot, and three carriages for the
cannon, of a new construction.
After the Ruffian officers had had an
audience of Ali Bey, they were then
conducted to old Sheik Daher, who re-
ceived them with the greateſt affabi-
lity, and treated them with coffee.
tent was pitched for thefe gentlemen,
furniſhed with every thing neceſſary for
their accommodation, and a cook and
other fervants.
A
Another battery was now raiſed to the
fouth of Joppa, about one hundred
yards from the walls, on which were
mounted three twelve pounders. Cap-
tain Clinglinoff requeſted to have the
command of it, and with the affiftance
of his fervant Jacob, of Norway, did
great damage to the town, and demo-
liſhed a part of the walls. The day was
very
( 133 )
Ple
very hot, and captain Clinglinoff ceaf-
ed the fire, to refreſh himſelf after his
fatigue, when, curious to fee what hurt
he had done, he was not contented to
behold the falling of the battered walls,
from the ſmall holes in the intrench-
ment, but thruft his head out of the
embrazures; whilft he was thus em-
ployed, he was feen by the befieged,
one of whom pointed his gun fo well,
that the ball lodged in the captain's
breaft, who died in about an hour af-
Lieutenant Plefchoff, and Jacob,
took the body to the tent, and having
firſt cut out the piece of his waiſtcoat,
through which the ball had paffed, they
buried him near the tent, in his clothes
and boots. This brave man,
This brave man, fome days
before he was killed, offered to go
and burn the ſhipping that were in the
harbour of Joppa, in the night. He
accordingly prepared fome combuſtibles,
and went with lieutenant Pleſchoff in a
long boat, but the enemy fired fo hotly
on them, as to force them to defift.
ter.
I 3
The
( 134 )
(134
The befieged alfo fired one day on the
English flag, but captain Brown return-
ed the compliment with a whole broad-
fide.
Ali Bey was greatly chagrined at the
death of captain Clinglinoff, which he
wiſhed to revenge.
He requeſted cap-
tain Brown to lend him three of the
fhip's guns, fix pounders, which were
immediately fent on fhore, and added
to the north eaft battery of Halil Bey,
and Latiph Bey; with thefe, fuch
breaches were made in the wall, that
Ali Bey reſolved on another ſtorm,
which was attempted on the ſouth part
of the town, in the beginning of Octo-
ber, but with as little fuccefs as the for-
mer; Ali Bey's troops being repulſed,
feveral of Ali Bey's own flaves being
killed, and Ibrahim Bey, of Circaffia,
and ſeveral others wounded.
On the 22d of October, the Ruffian
tranſport, with lieutenant Plefchoff, left
Joppa,
( 135 )
Joppa, to return to Count Orlow; with
him there was fent a letter from Ali
Bey to the Count, thanking him for
his prefents; and another to the Em-
prefs of Ruffia, requefting her affift-
ance. Theſe were carried by Suleiman,
Kiahaya of the Janizaries, for Sulficar
Bey was dangerously ill; indeed he died
a few days after, univerfally regretted
for his affability and gentleneſs; he was
the third Sangiak who had died during
the fiege; the others being Achmet
Bey, who was wounded in the expedi-
tion againſt Sidon, and Ibrahim Bey of
Circaffia, wounded mortally in the fe-
cond affault.
In the month of November, whilſt
Suleiman Kiahaya was on his journey,
a Ruffian ſquadron came a ſecond time
to Barut (or Berytus) to enforce the
payment of the tribute that had been
agreed upon at the former furrender of
the place. Having fettled that buſineſs,
the fquadron came, in the middle of
December,
I A
( 136 )
December, before Joppa. Some of the
officers paid a viſit to Ali Bey in his
camp; one of whom, Chevalier Pana-
gioti Alexiano, brought letters from
Count Orlow, for Ali Bey; and from
Chevalier Rizo, for Sulficar Bey. The
Count's letter contained nothing material,
but compliments and affurances of friend-
ſhip and affiſtance against the common
enemy. The ſquadron bombarded Joppa
for two days, but with no effect; and the
commander having no orders to co-operate
with Ali Bey, and the road being un-
fafe for ſhipping, if bad weather ſhould
come on, they departed.
When they were gone, Sheik Daher
fitted out an half galley, and a ſmall
fhip, to watch the harbour of Joppa,
and prevent the arrival of any ſupplies;
but a veffel of twenty-five tons eluded
their vigilance, and got in with a ſmall
cargo of rice and biſcuit. With this
affiftance they held out a fhort time
longer, but famine at length obliged
them
( 137 )
them to capitulate, which they did on
the 31st of January. Haffan Bey, the
governor, with his troops and baggage,
marched out in the night, by the fea
ſhore, and went to his brother at Nap-
loufe; and Ali Bey and Sheik Daher
entered the town on the 1ft of Febru-
ary.
Ali Bey ſtaid in Joppa till the 22d
of February, when Suleiman Kiahaya
being returned from Count Orlow, he
gave up the town to Sheik Daher, and
quitted it on the 26th,
Whilft the fiege of Joppa was carry-
ing on, and in the month of November,
Maalim Riſk, prime minifter for the
Arabian affairs to Ali Bey, (who was
not to be found when Ali Bey was
compelled to quit Mafr,) came into the
camp, to the furprize of every one, in a
moſt miſerable condition. He had on a
coarfe dirty fhirt, girt with a leathern
girdle; feveral ftrings of large beads
hanging
( 138 )
hanging down to his breaft; his hair
cut short and curled, like that of the
Abyffinians; without any cap, and his
feet bare; in fhort, in the drefs of a
Mahommedan hermit; his fkin was
brown, and his perfon meagre as a
ghoft. When Ali Bey was firft inform-
ed of his arrival, he could fcarce credit
the report. He ordered him to be
brought before him, and then could
not avoid laughing at his grotesque
figure. After aſking him a few quef-
tions, Ali Bey bid him retire to take
fome reft, and bid his Hafnadar to give
him proper clothes. All who were at-
tached to Ali Bey, and recollected that
Maalim Riſk was once his favourite,
haftened to give him prefents of necef-
faries. I alfo gave him a filver watch,
with fix china coffee cups, and fix filver
fillagree cups to hold them (as faucers
are not uſed in that country) two coffee
pots, and a cheft to hold his clothes,
with fome other trifling articles. Thus
Maalim Rifk was foon furniſhed like a
gentleman,
( 139 )
gentleman, and enabled to appear abroad
as fuch. It has been fince known, that
when Ali Bey quitted Mafr, and fent to
Maalim to bring what money he had
in his hands, that treacherous wretch
buried the treaſure in the earth, and
then diſguiſed himſelf like an hermit,
quitted Mafr, and wandered about in
the deſerts of Egypt, from April till
November, when finding Ali Bey's af-
fairs were in a promifing fituation, he
came to his camp to try his hypocrify
anew,
The reafon of Maalim Rifk abfenting
himſelf, when Ali Bey fent for him, was,
his being afraid of Abudahap, left he
ſhould fall into his hands, as he knew
very well that Abudahap would not ſpare
his life. Ali Bey was fenfible of it, and
for this reafon received him again, and
re-eſtabliſhed him in his former charact-
er, eſpecially as Riſk pretended to be an
aftrologer, and by this means had gained
Ali Bey's patronage.
Whilft
( 140 )
Whilſt Ali Bey was encamped before
Joppa, he received another unexpected
vifit; this was from Sheik Abdallah
Emir, of Mecca, who had been dif-
poffeffed of his dignity and government,
after the flight of Ali Bey from Mafr,
and forced to deliver both to Emir Mo-
hammed, by the order of Abudahap, as
being the will of the Grand Signior.
With this he complied, being unable to
refift Abudahap, and quitting the fche-
rifſhip, came to Ali Bey's camp.
He
was received as a holy prince, with great
devotion and reſpect, and ftaid a fort-
night, after which he went with his
retinue to Medina. He was about five
feet eight inches high, rather lufty, of
a dark complexion, black eyes, and a
long black beard,
As it may feem ftrange to fome read-
ers, that Ali Bey ſhould deliver Joppa
to Sheik Daher, after he had been
at ſuch pains to take it, it may be ne-
ceffary
( 141 )
ceffary to give the reafon for that mea-
fure.
When Ali Bey came to Acre, and de-
fired the affiftance of Sheik Daher, he
entered into a treaty with him, by which
he agreed to pay Sheik Daher one hundred
fequins, (fifty-feven pounds, ten ſhil-
lings Engliſh) per day, for his auxiliary
troops, which money Ali Bey not being
able to pay the arrears, he put Joppa,
Rama, Lidda, Azotus, Gaza, and Han-
neunus, in the Sheik's hands, as pledges
for the payment: and Sheik Daher was
to furround Joppa with a new wall, the
foundation of which was laid, and fome
progreſs made before the departure of
Ali Bey.
During the ſtay Ali Bey made in
Joppa, about the latter end of Febru-
ary, 1773, Maximilian Bongarde, a na-
tive of Germany, in the ſervice of Ruf-
fia, was fent by the Ruffian general to
examine
( 142 )
examine the harbour of Alexandria :
he put into Joppa by diſtreſs of wea-
ther, and being willing to fee Ali Bey,
I preſented him to that prince, who re-
ceived him with great affability, aſking
him many queſtions relative to his un-
dertaking, and recommended him to
the abbot of the Greek convent, during
his ftay. In a few days he went to
Acre, where meeting with Count Gio-
vanni Molinari, he went with him to
Tyre, from whence he found an oppor-
tunity to return.
It was on the third of March, 1773,
that Ali Bey left Joppa. He had re-
ceived a meffage from the Janizaries of
Mafr, and the principal inhabitants of
that city. They being tired of the co-
vetous and tyrannical government of
Abudahap, aſſured Ali Bey, that if he
would return to Mafr, they would open
the gates to him, and in cafe of any
reſiſtance from Abudahap, they would
all
( 143 )
all arm as one to oppoſe him. Ali Bey
accordingly marched with all his army,
and Sheik Daher, Sheik Slebi, Sheik
Crime, and the Sheik of Tyre, accom-
panied him towards Naploufe. It was
at firſt his intention to reduce that town,
but finding it well fortified, and that it
would be difficult to tranfport artillery
in that mountainous country, he return-
ed towards Lidda, where he ftaid three
days, ordering the inhabitants of all the
villages to bring in their contributions,
and all the barley that was ripe. He
went next to Rama, where having in
three days received all the contributions
that could be got, he took the gover-
nors and garriſons of theſe towns with
him, and proceeded to Azotus, raifing
the contributions there for two days,
and arrived at Gaza the 21st of March:
Sheik Daher having ordered all the pro-
vifions that could be procured at Joppa,
with all the ammunition, to be fent by
fea to Hanneunus (a fmall port town on
the
( 144 )
the Ifthmus of Suez, fixteen miles weft
of Gaza. Ali Bey marched towards
Egypt from Gaza, on the 4th of April.
The whole of Ali Bey's force was as
follows two thouſand cavalry, and two
hundred and fifty Mamluks, with a few
hired horſe, under Tantavi, Abdourah-
man Bey, Morat Bey, Halil Bey, La-
tiph Bey, Muſtapha Bey, Haffan Bey,
Rofvan Bey, Ofman Bey, Haffan Bey
(who had been Caſhiph of Sulficar Bey,
and fucceeded his maſter in the dignity)
Selim Aga, and Suleiman Kiahaya of the
Janizaries. The infantry were three thou-
fand four hundred Magrepys (or weſtern
Africans). Sheik Daher had five hundred
horſe, headed by his eldeſt fon Sheik
Slebi, and his fon in law, Sheik Crime,
(Sheik Daher remaining at Gaza), and
Haffan, Sheik of Tyre, had one hun-
dred and fixty horſe, ſo that the whole
number was fix thouſand, three hundred
and ten men, horſe and foot.
On
( 145 )
On the evening of the 4th of April,
the army arrived at Hanneunus, and after
a halt till the 6th, proceeded to Sala-
chia, (a town fourteen miles ſouth weſt
from Damiata, and fix miles fouth of
the lake Merotis), where Ali Bey arrived
on the 9th of April. On the 11th the
garrifon of Salachia, which were the
van of Abudahap's troops, fallied out,
to the number of eleven thouſand, to
give battle to Ali Bey. The action laſt-
ed four hours, when, notwithſtanding
the inferiority of Ali Bey's forces, the
enemy was put to flight, leaving behind
them three hundred and fixty killed and
mortally wounded, with the lofs of
only one hundred and fixty killed and
wounded on Ali Bey's fide, and Tan-
tavi took poffeffion of the town. Ali
Bey then learnt, that when Abudahap
heard the Janizaries and inhabitants of
Mafr had ſent to invite Ali Bey to re-
turn, he affembled the principal people
K
of
( 146 )
of the city, and ſpoke to them to the
following purport.
He told them he was well acquaint-
ed with the meffage they had fent to
Ali Bey to return back. For my part
(faid he) I am alſo a Bey, and when-
ever I retire from Mafr, can always live
as fuch. But before I quit this coun-
try, I think it my duty, as a good muſ-
fulman, to acquaint you, that Ali Bey,
who, you imagine, will govern you better
than I, is in alliance with the Ruffian
infidels, and will bring a great num-
ber of Europeans, as an army, to fet-
tle here: nay, more, he is, himſelf,
more an infidel Chriftian in his heart,
than a muffulman: hence you may be
certain, that as foon as theſe Chriftians
get poffeffion of your country, they
will take your properties, your wives,
and your daughters from you; and a-
bove all, will force you to change your
religion. I defire you not ſo much to
believe
( 147 )
believe me, as your own obfervation of
the ſtate of our brethren, the muffulmen
of Hindoftan. When the Chriftians
first appeared on the coafts of Malabar,
every
caft of the natives behaved to them
as friends. They pretended their fole
defign was to traffic, which was gene-
rouſly permitted them; but the hypo-
critical infidels no fooner got that per-
miffion, but they began to make ſettle-
ments, under the pretence of factories,
and then, by degrees, became maſters
of Hindoftan; robbing the natives of
their properties, taking their wives, and
violating their daughters;
nay, fill
more horrid to relate, ſpread their hea-
theniſh Chriſtian infidelity amongſt the
true believers of our holy prophet.
Hence you may guess what the infidels
will do, if they come into your coun-
try, headed by fuch a man as Ali Bey.
I have now acquitted my duty as a
true believer, and you are to act as you
pleaſe.
K 2
As
( 148 )
As foon as he had concluded his ha-
rangue, he roſe, and pretended to take
his leave of them, when the whole au-
dience cried out with one voice, they
would defend their religion and pro-
perty, if he would take the command
upon him.
him. To this Abudahap replied,
he was ready to fhed his blood in the
defence of their properties, rights, and
religion, if they would as refolutely
ſtand by him. This they promiſed, and
in leſs than a week he raiſed an army
of twenty-four thouſand volunteers out
of the populace, (the Janizaries all re-
fufing to take up arms againſt Ali Bey)
and with this force he marched out of
Mafr to meet Ali Bey.
As foon as Ali Bey had heard this
fatal news, it operated fo ftrongly upon
him, that, joined with the great fatigue
he had undergone in the journey, and
the extreme heat of the weather, it
brought on fuch a violent fever, that
he
( 149 )
he could not attend on his army; yet,
notwithſtanding his fickness, which
hindered him from lying down, he uſed
to fit at the door of his tent on a ftool,
covered with fcarlet cloth, to fee his
troops exerciſe.
On the 13th of April Abudahap came
in fight of Ali Bey's camp, and though
we were fo greatly inferior in number,
yet the army was drawn out in proper
order to meet Abudahap. Our left
wing was commanded by Sheik Slebi,
and Sheik Crime. The right by Tan-
tavi, and the other Beys; the infantry
was in the center. The
The battle began
about eleven o'clock in the morning,
and Tantavi was very fuccefsful on the
firſt attack, but Slebi and Crime were
not fo fortunate, however, victory feem-
ed to favour us, when our faithlefs in-
fantry deferted to the enemy. Then all
was horror; Tantavi was furrounded
and flain; Slebi met the fame fate
K 3
Sheik
( 150 )
Sheik Crime ſeeing his brother and moſt
of his men killed, joined Sheik Haffan,
and came towards me. With much
difficulty we got to Ali Bey's tent, who,
as foon as he faw us, afked, What news?
Crime, with tears in his eyes, told him
all was over, no time was to be loft,
and befought him to mount his horſe,
and fly immediately to Gaza; but Ali
Bey was inflexible, and faid he would
rather die than go back. Whilft we
were thus difcourfing, Rufvan Bey came
up. Ali then ordered that all, who
would fave their lives, fhould haften
their flight before the enemy approach-
ed; we obeyed his command, took our
leaves of him, and departed about four
in the afternoon, with Abdourahman
Bey, Morat Bey, Suleiman Kiahaya,
and about three hundred of his flaves,
We travelled all that day and the
next, till ſeven in the evening, when
we got to Hanneunus, and took fome
refreſh-
( 151 )
refreſhments. At four the next morn-
ing we ſet out for Gaza, and got there
at noon. When the good old Sheik
Daher faw us approach, and heard of
the death of his eldeſt ſon, and the lofs
of his friends and army, he fell on the
ground on his face, crying out, From
this day I am undone. His fon in law
Sheik Crime, with Sheik Haffan, and
all of us ftrove to comfort him as much
as we could, but alas, we were ourſelves
inconfolable for the loſs of our prince,
and all our property. Sheik Daher, how-
ever, having recovered from the ſhock
occafioned by this intelligence, ordered
all his troops to be ready the next morn-
ing. But on the evening of the 15th
of April, fome of our men, who had
eſcaped in the night after we came away,
arrived at Gaza, and brought us the
melancholy news of Ali Bey's fatal
cataſtrophe, which was effected in the
following manner.
Soon
K 4
(152)
Soon after we had left Ali Bey, the
Kiahaya of Abudahap approached his
tent with a party of about thirty men,
and forced their way in, through ten
pages of Ali Bey, who oppoſed their
entrance as much as they could, killing
and wounding fome of the enemy. They
being foon overpowered, Ali Bey, fick
and infirm as he was, endeavoured to
defend himſelf with his fabre; he kil-
led the first man who approached, with
one blow, and wounded two more, when
the enemy finding fuch refiftance to their
taking him priſoner, fired their piſtols
at him, and wounded him through his
right arm and his thigh. He ſtill re-
fifted, and fired his piftol
with his left
hand, which wounded the Kiahaya.
He then received a blow with a fabre on
his left arm, which brought him to the
ground, and he was taken alive, and
carried to Abudahap's tent. When Abu-
dahap beheld Ali Bey in this condition,
he could not refrain from tears, and
feverely
( 153 )
ſeverely chid his Kiahaya and his men,
for daring to wound him, as his pofitive
orders were to take him without any
hurt to his perfon. They excuſed them-
felves, by laying their breach of orders to
the reſiſtance made by Ali Bey, which
obliged them to ufe their arms before
they could take him. The unfortunate
prince was then carried to Mafr, where,
eight days afterwards, he died of his
wounds; his fever, and his anxiety of
mind joining to make them incurable.
Such was the end of Ali Bey, in the
forty-fifth year of his age. He was
five feet ten inches high, of a fair com-
plexion, light brown hair, and an oval
countenance, with large eyes, and a
majeſtic appearance. He was of an un-
daunted courage, affable in his difpo-
fition, of a free and generous mind, of
great juſtice, and of rigid feverity in his
puniſhment of offenders.
The
( 154 )
1
The reader may be curious to know
fomething about Abudahap's proceed-
ings and end, but I am very forry that
I cannot fatisfy his curiofity with an
exact account, as I was obliged to leave
thoſe countries by the firft opportunity.
On my arrival at St. John d'Acre, I
found a merchant fhip under French
colours, ready to fail for Europe, I
therefore haftened on board it, with one
of my ſervants, and came in it to Malta,
and from thence to Europe. What I
have learnt fince, concerning that trea-
cherous man, I ſhall relate.
Abudahap, after the death of Ali
Bey, for whofe death he fhewed ſome
grief (whether it was real or hypocriti-
cal I cannot fay), buried him at Grand
Cairo, in an honourable manner; and
fuffered not his head to be fent to Con-
ftantinople, as was requeſted by the
Porte.
Having
1
( 155 )
L
Having thus attained his ambitious
wiſhes, he governed Egypt as Sheik
Bellet, afterwards, for the ſpace of ten
months, having for his colleague If-
mael Bey. In the courſe of this time,
Sheik Daher being informed that Abu-
dahap had not any intention to invade
Paleſtine, garriſoned all the towns which
Ali Bey left to his care, eſpecially Joppa,
and furrounded it with a ſtrong ſtone
wall. Abudahap,
Abudahap, jealous of Daher's
proceedings, could not reft in peace;
his haughtiness and ambition would not
ſuffer him to ſee his maſter's ally in
poffeffion of thoſe places; he therefore
prepared a powerful army to go againſt
Daher the following year. He began
his march towards Paleſtine, and in his
way fubdued Hanneunus, Gaza, and all
the other towns, without refiſtance
but when he came to Joppa, he found
it
very difficult to fubdue the place; he
therefore fummoned the inhabitants to
furrender, and offered to grant them
free
( 156 )
free pardon and ſafety in their perfons
and properties; but Sheik Crime, who
governed the place, trufting to the af-
fection of his troops, and the inhabi-
tants, and to the new fortifications of
the town, would not liften to any of
Abudahap's terms; Abudahap finding
his offers refuſed, begirt the place very
cloſely, but could not find any means
to ftorm it for a long time; till at laſt, an
European engineer offered to Abudahap
to dig a mine, and blow up the walls
of the town, which was accepted, and
performed in a little time. The walls
being thus demoliſhed, Abudahap en-
tered the town, and put to death moſt
of the inhabitants, without regard to
fex or age. After this bloody action,
he left Joppa, and marched towards
St. John d'Acre. Sheik Daher having
heard the fate of Joppa, and its inha-
bitants, thought proper to retire from
Acre, to his fons fortified places, with
his family, leaving orders with the in-
habitants
( 157 )
habitants of Acre, that as foon as Abuda-
hap arrived there, they ſhould
open the
gates of the city to him, and receive him
with the greateſt fubmiffion. They obey-
ed his orders with grief and mortificati-
on; he told them that he knew Abuda-
hap's ambition and inhumanity, and for
this reafon he would not oppoſe him, for
fear they ſhould meet the fame fate as
Joppa; therefore he chofe rather to
loſe his property, than the lives of his
faithful ſubjects and their properties.
A few days after his departure, Abuda-
hap arrived at Acre; fome of the emi-
nent inhabitants went to invite him to
enter their city, as Sheik Daher had
evacuated it before his approach. Abu-
dahap accepted the invitation, and went
in and took poffeffion of Daher's palaces,
and every thing that belonged to him.
Afterwards he ſent to Nazareth, for the
Roman Catholick friars, who refided
there in a convent, to come before him,
becauſe he had fome bufinefs with them;
they
( 158 )
they therefore went to him, being afraid
of diſobeying his orders; as foon as they
were brought before him, he ordered
them to bring immediately the treaſure
which Maalim Ibrahim Sabah (prime
minifter to Sheik Daher, and of the
Roman Catholick perſuaſion) had depo-
fited in their convent, and which be-
longed to Sheik Daher, or elſe their
lives ſhould be anfwerable for it. They
anſwered him that they had not receiv-
ed any treaſure from Maalim Ibrahim
Sabah, nor from any body elfe, and if
he would not believe what they ſaid, he
might ſend to ſearch the convent; but
Abudahap not willing to liften to their
excuſe and interceffions, ordered three
of them to be beheaded, and the reft to
be put in priſon, and his orders were put
into execution. The friars of Jerufa-
lem hearing this melancholy news, ap-
plied to the Mollah of that city, and
to the governor, to write to Abudahap,
to fpare the lives of their innocent fel-
lows;
( 159 (59)
)
lows; they obtained this favour, and
accompanied the letters to Abudahap,
with fome valuable prefents, and by
this means, the other friars that eſcaped
death, were releaſed. Abudahap, dur-
ing the time of his refidence in Acre,
was a terror to the inhabitants, and all
Sheik Daher's territories; however, they
were foon relieved from this monſter.
I heard that he went to bed one night
very well, and the next morning was
found dead in his bed; and thus his ini-
quities were rewarded according to his
proceedings.
After this unexpected
death of Abudahap, his army left Palef-
tine immediately, for fear left old Daher
fhould come upon them, with his fons,
and went back to Egypt, carrying with
them Abudahap's body, and buried it
at Mafr; and Ifmael Bey fucceeded
Abudahap as Sheik Bellet.
Sheik Daher having heard of Abuda-
hap's death, and the retreat of his troops,
returned
( 160 )
1
returned to his capital, and took pof-
feffion once more of all his former ac-
quifitions. I heard that the Porte fent a
full amnesty to Sheik Daher, if he would
return to his duty; Sheik Daher thought
proper to accept of it, and ſent a ſum
of money to the Porte, as a tribute and
acknowledgment of his fubmiffion. The
captain Paſha, or the high admiral of
the Porte, was ordered to go as far as
Cyprus, and Para Sham, or the Coaſt
of Syria, and in his way, to vifit Sheik
Daher. The captain Paſha, according
to his inftructions, having fettled his
commiffions in the other places where
he was fent, came to Acre to pay a viſit
to Daher; Daher not knowing the ad-
mirals intentions, received him as a
friend, and fent him fome valuable pre-
fents, and invited him to take a few
days repofe in the city; the admiral
accepted the invitation, and went on
ſhore; Daher fhewed the greateſt hof-
pitality
( 161 )
pitality to him, and to all his attend-
ants; but the admiral foon excuſed him-
ſelf, ſaying, that the harbour of Caifa
not being ſafe, his abfence would occa-
fion neglect of duty in his officers, and
therefore thanked him for his eſteem,
and the honour which he had done him,
but he would take it as a favour, if
he would oblige him fo far as to
dine with him on board his ſhip, and
would be very glad of his company.
Sheik Daher truſting to the Porte's affu-
rances of his full forgiveneſs, and not
thinking of any danger, confented to
go; and taking a few of his attendants,
went the next day on board the Capi-
tania (the name of the admiral's flag
ſhip). The admiral received Daher with
feigned friendship, and to remove all
fufpicion, faluted him with a diſcharge
of twelve guns; as foon as they went
into the admiral's cabin, the admiral
took out his orders from the Porte, and
read
L
( 162 )
read them to Daher. Poor Daher was
diftracted at the treachery of the Porte,
but it was too late to repent his impru-
dent boldneſs: therefore not being able
to refift, he ſubmitted, and his head
was cut off; and thus this brave old
prince ended his life, in the eighty-
fifth or eighty-fixth year of his age.
Maalim Ibrahim Sabah, who was on
board with his mafter, was put in chains,
and was carried to Conftantinople, where
he died under torture, for not diſcover-
ing more treaſure than he knew of.
Maalim Ibrahim Sabah had two fons,
the eldeſt, named Jofeph, was a commif-
fioner of the cuſtoms at Joppa; the other's
name was George, he was under com-
miffioner of the cuftoms at Acre; but
what became of them I know not. As for
Daher's fons, I heard fome of them fhared
their father's fate, one after the other; as
for the Sangiaks of Ali Bey's retinue,
who
( 163 )
who escaped with us, and the others, I
cannot give any account of them. I
hope the reader will excufe me, if this
narration about Abudahap and Sheik
Daher is not wholly correct, becauſe
I was not an eye-witnefs of the things
mentioned in it, but learnt them from
reports.
L 2
A SHORT
( 165 )
1
A
A SHORT
DESCRIPTION
OF THE PRESENT STATE OF
TYRE AND SIDO N,
With Directions for Travellers on that Road.
HOEVER defires to ſee theſe
WHO
places, and chufes to go by
land, muſt hire a horfe or a mule at
St. John d'Acre, to carry him to Tyre;
this he gets for about five fhillings
fterling, though the diſtance is about
fifty miles. The road is very ſafe the
whole way, as the different Mutevelys,
in their ſeveral diftricts of Mount Liba-
nus, keep the place clear of robbers.
L 3
On
( 166 )
On leaving Acre, you travel about twelve
miles northward, by a good road,
through a very pleaſant country. On
the right hand are the plains of Anti-
libanus, which mountain joins Carmel;
they are tolerably well cultivated, and
produce great quantities of corn, cot-
ton, and vines; and on your left are
feveral gardens, planted with mulberry,
and other fruit trees, and a village fituat-
ed upon the fummit of a ſmall hill.
When you come to the bottom of Anti-
libanus, (which is another branch of
this celebrated mountain, to the north-
ward of Acre, and extending to the fea,
divides Ptolmais from Cœlofyria) you
find a ſmall tower built of stone, but
now in decay; fome fig trees planted for
fhelter from the heat of the fun, and a
ſpring of freſh water. Round the fpring
the foil is very marfhy, and in fummer
exceedingly noxious: here, however, you
muſt ſtay till your guide and horſes are
refreſhed; and for yourſelf, you muſt
carry
( 167 )
carry provifions from Acre, or elſe go
without any.
After being thus refreſh-
ed, you begin to afcend the mountain ;
the road is rather ſteep, but not danger-
ous; when you come to the fummit of
the mountain, you meet a very fine tower,
built of ſquare ftones, and which was
erected in the time of the Chriftian go-
vernment there; from that tower begins
the territory of a Mutevely, or Baron,
one of the five who inhabit Mount Li-
banus; travelling on this mountain you
enjoy a very fine profpect; on the right
the declivity of the mountain, and part
of the top covered with trees, eſpecial-
ly cedar. On the left, an unbounded
profpect of the fea. The road, as I
obſerved before, is rather ftony, but
not dangerous; proceeding towards the
north, and north east, for the ſpace of
about ten or twelve miles from the firſt
tower, on the mountain you meet with
a fecond, of the fame ftructure, but ra-
ther in decay; from thence you croſs a
fmall
L 4
( 168 )
}
ſmall valley, and then travelling ſtill on
the mountain, the fame diftance, you
meet on the road, on your left hand,
another tower, inhabited by the Mute-
vely, when he is in that quarter, and
there you muſt ſtop to paſs the night,
and pay the caphar, or toll, which is
thirty paras, or about one fhilling and
ten pence ſterling; by paying three or
four paras more to the toll-men, they
find you a room to fleep in; and if you
have any defire the next morning to walk
out and fee the place, even as far as the
declivity of the mountain, by giving a
few more paras to the toll-men, they
will accompany you, and you may gra-
tify your curiofity with all ſafety imagi-
nable. Leaving that place, about a mile
and a half towards the north, you enter
into the territory of another Mutevely,
and after going the fame diftance, you
deſcend into the plains of Tyre, where
you travel by the ſea ſhore on your left,
and on your right the plains, which ex-
tend
( 169 )
Near
tend from weft to eaſt, about two miles,
and in length, from north to fouth,
about eight. When you approach the
Ifthmus, on the Peninſula of Tyre,
you fee fome gardens planted with mul-
berries, for feeding filk worms.
theſe gardens are fome curious bafons,
built with fine ftone; they are of a cir-
cular form, and raiſed about ten feet
above the furface of the earth; one of
them, which is the largeſt of the three,
meaſures, in circumference, about fixty
yards; the infide of the bafons is built
with ſteps all round, like an amphi-
theatre, and narrower gradually from the
furface to the bottom, as far as I could fee,
and the water is fometimes very clear;
the force of the water, which iffues
from the fpring, is ſo very ſtrong, that
no ſmall weight can reach the bottom;
I have tried with a ſtone, which weigh-
ed thirty occas, each occa is about two
pound ten ounces, Engliſh weight, but
it did not reach the bottom.
Theſe
bafons
1
(170)
bafons pour ſo much water, that all the
adjacent gardens are ſupplied from them,
befides fome water mills, which are
worked by their ftreams. They were
conftructed by the ancient Tyrians; the
modern natives often endeavoured to
diſcover the ſpring of theſe waters, but
could never fucceed.
fucceed. Leaving this
place, you proceed north weſt about
three quarters of a mile, then again to
the weft, and paffing the Ifthmus, which
is very fandy, you behold the ruins of
ancient Tyre, which confift of the re-
mains of the walls, fcattered in different
parts, and moſtly buried in the fand; they
are built of brick and ftones, and their
thickneſs (as they now appear) is about
ten feet. To the fouth of the ruins
are two wind mills. Proceeding to the
weft, about a quarter of a mile, you
enter the gate of the modern Tyre,
which was rebuilt by Sheik Haffan, the
preſent Mutevely (if he be ftill alive).
The walls on the land fide are of ſtone,
and
( 171 )
171)
and fufficiently ftrong; they are about
eighteen feet in height, and feven in
breadth; and the circumference of the
whole town, if I may call it ſo, about
a mile and a half. On entering the
gate on your right hand, you meet with
fome ruins of the old town, and a little
further on the fame fide, an old arch,
which was the gate of the harbour, of
which very little is now to be ſeen, as
it is moſtly choked and filled up with
the rubbiſh of the old town, though
fmall boats can ftill come into it. On
your left
you fee
many ruins, and fome
fmall houſes, which are newly built,
and inhabited by Chriftians and Maho-
metans. Farther on to the weft, on the
fame fide, is a very large houſe, built in
the European ſtyle, two ftories high, by
an Italian merchant, of the name of Count
Giovanni Molinari, by whom I was en-
tertained for three days at this houſe;
it was then inhabited by himſelf, and
ſome of his partners, who had entered
into
( 172 )
into a contract with Sheik Haffan, the
Mutevely of the place, to farm his reve-
nue at a fixed rent, and they were to be
at the trouble of collecting the income,
and difpofing of the produce, which
confifts chiefly in filk, wool, corn, cat-
tle, and timbers. From Mount Liba-
nus, on the north weft, is a chapel, dedi-
cated to the evangelift St. Matthew,
which belongs to the Greeks; and
near to that another was building, for
the Roman Catholicks. Towards the
north of this place there are fome houſes
newly built, better than the others
the fouth weft is the Sheik Haffan's
houſe, which is arched, and has only one
ftory. On the ground, and in the yard
of the houſe, there are four or five
pieces of cannon, difmounted, and ſome
mounted on carriages, and which point
towards the ſea to the weft. Going to
the weft of the town, cloſe to the ſea,
you meet a part of the walls of antient
Tyre, now moftly in ruins; this part
ز
to
was
( 173 )
was built of ſtrong fquare ftones, fome
of which meaſured twelve feet in length,
eight in breadth, and fix in thickneſs.
Upon theſe ſtones are fixed fome large
iron rings, and fome pillars ftanding
in the fea. Near the walls to the
fouth east of the town, there are the
ruins of an old large church, in the midſt
of which are two large granite pillars
lying on the ground, and extending from
eaſt to weft, each of them confifts of a
triple column on a flat ſtone, the length
of which is about fixteen feet, befides
the piece which is broke off the main
body; the diameter I could not meaſure,
as they lay on the ground covered with
nettles; but as nearly as I could gueſs,
the diameter of the three united columns
(which were of a fingle granite) might
be about feven feet. To the east of the
church on your right hand, is a ſteeple,
with a fine ſtone ſtaircaſe, and when on
the top of it, you have the fineſt prof-
pect on every fide. The inhabitants of
the
( 174 )
1
the new town are about four or five hund-
red;
the houſes are built on the ruins
of the old ones; the air is very healthy,
though in fummer very hot. I take
the whole circumference of the penin-
fula to be about fix miles.
Leaving the Ifthmus, and proceed-
ing towards the north, you travel by
the ſea ſhore on your left, and fome
plains, and the declivity of the moun-
tain on your right; and when you come
into the neighbourhood of Sidon, you
meet ſome gardens planted with orange,
lemon, and all forts of fruit trees, and
fprings of water very fweet and freſh.
From thence you proceed towards the
north west to enter the city, and when
you have got into the middle of the
town, there is a han (or inn) for
ftrangers, where you may take up your
abode, if you have not letters to intro-
duce you to any European merchant.
Sidon is ſtill in a flouriſhing ſtate.
The
(175)
The town is furrounded with a ſtone
wall; a citadel on the land fide, and
another towards the fea. The houſes
are built chiefly of ftone, and are two
ſtories high; fome of the ſtreets are
paved, and of a fufficient breadth;
others are not paved, and are very nar-
row. The inhabitants are chiefly Chriſ-
tians of the Greek church, and the
place is the feat of a biſhop of that per-
fuafion, who is fuffragan to the patriarch
of Antioch. The whole number, Chriſ-
tians and Mahometans, is about fix-
teen thousand. The Greeks have two
churches, the Catholicks only a chapel.
The French merchants have a factory
for their nation. There is a market
place in the middle of the city, in
which provifions are fold very cheap.
There are in the town two public baths,
and two mofques. The produce of the
neighbouring country is chiefly filk,
cotton, wool, fome medicinal drugs,
tobacco, corn, and timber, from Mount
Libanus.
( 176)
Libanus. The imports from Europe
confift chiefly of broad cloth, velvet,
brocades, gold lace, knives, fciffars,
looking glaffes, and trinkets; moſt of
which articles are again carried from
hence to Damaſcus.
1
Sidon ftands on a neck of land over
againſt Tyre, and both form a bay of
about fixteen miles in breadth. The
hire of a horſe from Tyre to Sidon, is
twenty-five paras, and fometimes thirty.
A DESCRIP.
( 177 )
A
DESCRIPTION
OF SUNDRY PLACES IN
PALESTINE.
ST
T John d'Acre ftands on the nor-
thern point of the Bay of Caïfa,
on your left hand as you go in. It is fur-
rounded by ſtone walls, which reach from
the cuſtom-houſe, which ftands on the
fouth part, and near the harbour to-
wards the weft, as far as that point
which ends in the fea to the weſt ſouth
weft; and likewife on the other fide to-
wards the north, are parts of the an-
cient walls of Ptolmaida, which were
built by the knights of St. John, or
M
Malta ;
( 178 )
Malta; but from thence towards the
eaft, fouth east, and the fouth, they are
wholly new, being built by Sheik Daher;
befides the walls, there is a long ditch,
fixteen feet broad and twelve deep from
weft to eaft, in which are fome various
forts of flowers and vegetables. The
houſes are built of ftone, and generally
two ftories high, with flat roofs; fome
of the ſtreets are tolerably broad, but
others narrow. To the north eaſt, ad-
joining to the walls, are Daher's gar-
dens and palace; the gardens are water-
ed from a well, dug between the walls,
and from which, by means of a ma-
chine, the water is raifed twenty-three
feet, equal to the height of the nor-
thern fide of the walls, and there fills
the bafons or refervoirs, which are built.
in the gardens; after fupplying which,
it is from thence conveyed in pipes to
different parts of the town. The rooms
of the palace are lofty, large, and well
furniſhed in the Afiatic tafte. Near it
to
( 179 )
1
to the eaſt, is the gate of the town,
with a drawbridge; on the outſide of
which is a bazar (or market place) for
the country people to diſpoſe of the pro-
duce of their farms, to the inhabitants
of the city; within-fide of the gate
are ſeveral large brafs and iron cannon,
laying on the ground, and ſpiked, as I
imagine, by the Chriftians. As you
come in at this gate from the land, on
your left hand, clofe to the infide of
the walls, to the fouth eaft, are more
houſes, which belong to Daher and his
fons. The capital ſtreet which extends
from eaſt to weft, is filled with fhops
on both fides of the way, in which all
forts of commodities are expofed to
fale. In the ſouth part of the town,
not far from the mole and the custom-
houſe, is the European hotel, which
is a very fine building, about as large
as the Royal-Exchange, and much in
the ſame ſtile; it is three ftories high,
with rooms all round, and galleries fup-
ported
M 2
( 180 )
ported by marble pillars.
The gate of
this building is on the weft fide; the
piazza is round, and very well paved ;
there are two ſtaircaſes of ſtone, one on
the north eaſt, and the other on the ſouth
weft fide, which form a very commodious
afcent up the galleries. In the weſt
end of the town is another hotel, lately
built, for the fame purpoſe of lodging
Europeans; and in theſe two places, all
theſe, and their feveral vice confuls,
take up their abode.
To the fouth eaft is the palace of the
archbishop, who is fuffragan to the
patriarch of Jerufalem; cloſe to that is
the Greek church, dedicated to St.
George, the martyr; further on, the
Roman Catholicks have a chapel, and the
Mahometans two jiamees, or mofques,
and two public baths, befides a market,
and a han (or inn) for ftrangers. The
inhabitants are computed at forty thou-
fand. The government in Sheik Daher's
time
}
( 181 )
time was extremely mild, and great in-
dulgence was fhewn to the Chriftians.
Since I have deſcribed the town of
Acre, it may not be improper to relate
fome circumftances of the life and ad-
ventures of its fovereign. Sheik Daher
fucceeded his father Omar, when he
was thirty-five years old, as chief Mute-
vely, or baron, over the other four
barons of Mount Libanus. From the
time he came to the government, he
ſtudied to render himſelf, and his fellow
barons, independant of the Baſha of
Damafcus, and with that view made a
propofal to the Porte, of an annual tri-
bute, which he engaged to pay punc-
tually once a year, to the treafury of
the Grand Signior. The Porte, to pre-
vènt all future miſunderſtandings, grant-
ed his requeſt, which as foon as Daher
obtained, he endeavoured, by every act
of kindneſs, to render himſelf the idol
of his ſubjects. With a view to in-
creaſe
M 3
(182)
creaſe the population of his territories,
he invited many Chriftian families to
take
up their refidence in Acre, to whom
he fhewed equal indulgence with the
Mahometans: he encouraged agricul-
ture, trade and manufactures, and in
fhort, every thing which he thought
might prove of advantage to his fub-
jects. And as the port or harbour of
Acre is not fafe for fhipping, they are
therefore obliged to ufe that of Caïfa,
in which place, as there were no houſes
nor water, he ordered a ſmall town to
be built, and wells to be dug, and
eſtabliſhed a fmall market for the ac-
commodation of foreign veffels which
put in there; this town was inhabited
chiefly by Chriſtians. He had fix wives,
by whom he had ſeven fons and a
daughter, whoſe names are as follow.
Slebi, Ali, Achmet, Otman, Maho-
met, Muſtapha, and Seïd; and the
name of his daughter's huſband Crime.
All theſe had their own feparate caſtles
and
(183)
and territories.
In the year 1773,
Daher was eighty-four years old, and
his whole family of children, grand-
children, and great grand-children,
amounted to two hundred and ſeventy-
two in number.
I fhall now proceed to give fome de-
fcription of Caïfa. Caïfa, as I faid,
was newly built by Daher; the town
ftands on the declivity of Mount Car-
mel, to the north; it is about a mile
from the weſtern point of the harbour
to the eaſt, and about two hundred
yards from the fhore; it is oppoſite to
Acre, from which it is diftant about
fixteen miles by water, and about twen-
ty by land. The houfes are built of
ſtone, and are about two ftories high;
the inhabitants are ſuppoſed to be about
two hundred and fifty; to the weftward
of the town is a road, which afcends
to the mountain; on the top of which is
the cave of the prophet Elisha; to the
M 4
weſt
( 184 )
weft end is a Chriftian chapel. Pro-
ceeding to the east on this mountain,
is a field, in which are found petrefac-
tions of various fruits, eſpecially water-
melons. To the ſouthern declivity near
the fea, is the town of Salha, with a
harbour for boats and ſmall craft. I
proceed next to give fome account of
the road from Acre to Joppa. The
diſtance is reckoned by the Arabs about
one hundred and twenty-fix miles, but
I do not think it more than one hund-
red. The hire of a camel is five curfh,
or half crowns; that of a horſe feven.
When you leave Acre, you travel to-
wards the fouth about fix miles, and
then you afcend that neck of Mount
Carmel, which divides it from Antili-
banus; as you proceed in this direction
about twelve miles, you come to a place
where you pay a toll of thirty paras, or
fometimes forty, From thence you
proceed towards the fouth weſt, leaving
on your left the mountains of Galilee,
and
( 185 )
and thofe of Naplouſe; on your right
the plains of Cefarea of Philip; you
fee on the declivity of thefe mountains,
ſome ſmall towns, and a village or two
in the plains, where you ftay to paſs
the night in your journey; the road is
fmooth, and by no means dangerous.
When you come near Cefarea, you may
change your courfe to the weft, and fa-
tisfy your curiofity by a fight of the
ruins of this once famous and magni-
ficent city, in which now there is not
a houſe to be feen. The remains of
the walls however teftify its former
grandeur. From thence to Joppa, is
but fifteen or fixteen miles; about a
mile and a half before you come to
Joppa, you croſs a ſmall rivulet, which
is the only running water in all this
fertile country; you then defcend a
hill, and get into a road, which is co-
vered on each fide with orange and le-
As you enter the gate of
Joppa, under the arch, are ſeats on each
mon trees.
fide,
( 186 )
fide, where the Janizaries fit who guard
the gate; proceeding in a ftrait line is
the market for provifions; on the left
hand is the public bath, and cloſe to
that a jamee, or Mofque; on the right is
a large coffee-houfe, beyond which
are many ſhops on each fide of the
ſtreet; on the left fide is a han, or inn,
for ftrangers. You then come to ano-
ther gate, on paffing which, on your
right, are the ruins of a caftle cloſe to
the fea. On your left is the cuſtom-
houſe, from which you may walk on a
fine mole, which is built of large fquare
ſtones; it is about eight hundred yards
in length, and about fourteen feet broad.
After you paſs the cuſtom-houſe, on the
fame fide is the Armenian convent, a very
large ftructure, in which four or five
hundred pilgrims are accommodated on
their journey to Jerufalem. The ground
floors of the houſes, from the cuſtom-
houfe to the end of the mole, are all fhops
and warehouſes. A little further is a con-
vent
(187)
vent of Roman Catholick friars, not fo
large however as the Armenian; at ſome
fmall diſtance from this is a ſtone ſtaircaſe,
of about eighty-fix fteps, on afcending
which, you go up a ſtreet, and turning
to your left, proceed about twelve
yards, and then to your right to ano-
ther ftreet, on going up which
you meet
an old ſquare built tower, which is fill-
ed with rubbiſh; higher up is the ci-
tadel, inhabited by the governor of the
caſtle, and a few Janizaries. Before
you enter the gate on the outfide, are
three old large brafs cannons, about
ten feet long each, and laying on the
ground, with fome infcriptions in Roman
letters, which I could not read, as moft
of the letters are on that part which
lies on the earth. The caftle is built
in the antient ftile; on the top of the
parapets are planted fome guns, which
are pointed towards the fea. On the
arch of the gate on the outfide are ſome
Latin infcriptions, but as they are moſtly
covered
( 188 )
covered with mortar, I could make no-
thing of them. To the eaſt of the caſ-
tle is the houſe of the cadi, or Turkiſh
judge. Round the caſtle from the ſouth
eaft of the town to the north east, as
far as the gate, the inhabitants are Ma-
hometans; and from thence, all the
weſtern part is inhabited by Chriſtians.
By deſcending the ſteps which you be-
fore afcended, and proceeding to the
harbour on the fouth, you come to the
Greek convent, which is very commo-
diouſly built on the declivity of this
rocky hill. Further on is a han, or
inn, which belongs to the Armenians,
but in which, apartments are let out to
merchants of every perfuafion. At the
end of the mole is a battery of three
guns, and a ſmall gate to the ſouth eaſt
near it. The gardens of this place, and
the wells in them, which are worked
by camels or horfes, by the means of
machines to bring the water up from a
certain depth, are very curious and en-
tertaining
( 189 )
tertaining to ftrangers. This town, as
I mentioned in a former chapter, is
furrounded with a ftone wall, but as
foon as Ali Bey got poffeffion of it, he
ordered Daher to build a new wall round
the tower, as the old one was gone very
much to decay. The whole circum-
ference of the walls is about two miles,
and the number of inhabitants com-
puted to be feven thouſand. From
hence, if a traveller wishes to go to
Rama, which is twelve miles diftant to
the eaſt, he may hire a horfe or a mule
for about twenty paras. The road is
very ſmooth and pleaſant; the fields on
each fide abound with feveral forts of
flowers, and are planted with olive
groves, and in fome parts with caffia
and fenna trees, and other aromatic
plants. In all this journey there is no
village to be feen, except one on the
left fide near half
near half way, which ſtands
on a ſmall hill, oppofite to which is the
mauſoleum, or tomb, of a Mahometan
faint,
( 190 )
faint, called by the natives Sheik Mu-
ſtapha. When the traveller arrives at
Rama, he may, if he is an European,
go and lodge at the Roman Catholick
convent, in which there are conſtantly
fix or ſeven friars; it is not far from
the gate of the town, and lies on the
left hand, cloſe to the ftreet. This
town was formerly very populous and
magnificent, as appears by the ruins
of many large antient palaces, and other
grand ſtructures. The prefent ſtate of
Rama is very deplorable; the walls in
decay, most of the houſes empty, and
the ſtreets narrow; the fituation how-
ever is extremely pleaſant. The houſes
are ſtone, two ſtories high, and in the
town are two mofques, and a public
bath. The Armenians have a convent
here, as have alfo the Greeks, who have
likewiſe a church
church dedicated to St.
George the martyr. The French fac-
tory is very trifling, in the year 1773,
only two French merchants refided
there,
( 191 )
1
In
there, Monfieur Melan, who was the
vice conful of Joppa, and Monfieur
Bonet. The traffic they carried on
was chiefly in European goods, broad
cloth, filk, velvet, gold thread, and
fuch other articles as I mentioned be-
fore in the deſcription of Sidon.
exchange they fend to Europe, cotton-
yarn, cotton, foap, drugs, and other
trifling things. The whole circumfe-
rence of the place is about three miles
it has a market, and the number of the
inhabitants is between three and four
thouſand. To the weft of the town is
a fuburb or village, inhabited wholly
by Arabs, who fubfift by huſbandry.
To the fouth east, about one hundred
yards from the walls of the town, is a
large ftone building, of a fquare form,
in which are many things to teſtify its
former grandeur; it is about three quar-
ters of a mile in circumference. To
the eaſt of the town is a large fquare
pool, built of fine ftone, about fixty
feet
(
(192)
feet in length, thirty in breadth, and
twenty feet deep, and furrounded by a
wall about five feet in height from the
furface of the ground on the outfide, it
is fupplied by rain water. To the
north, about the diftance of a mile, is
a fubterranean cavern, the entrance of
which looks to the eaft; the traveller
defcends by a ſtone ſtaircaſe; four rows
of arches fupport the roof, each row
containing four arches, the height of
which from the pavement, which is of
poliſhed ſtone, is about thirty feet; the
length of this place is fixty yards from
north to fouth, and the breadth about
fifteen from eaft to weft; the order of
the building is Corinthian; it is filled
with rain water in the winter, but this
being confumed by the natives, or other-
wife dried up in the fummer, the tra-
veller can walk about and indulge his
curiofity with the fight of it; the roof
is very little higher than the ſurface of the
ground. About a mile from this place
is
( 193 )
to the weft, is another pool, in the
form of the firſt, and deeper, but it is
now in decay, and without water. Half
a mile to the north weft of the town, is
the old famous church or convent of St.
John the Baptift, the ruins of which
enable the traveller to judge how mág-
nificent the ftructure must have origi-
nally been. To the north weft of the
ruins ftands a fquare fteeple, built of
large granite ſtones, which are cement-
ed together, not by mortar, but melted
lead it is a matter in difpute whether
it was originally built by a Chriſtian or
a Mahometan, as over the door of the
ſteeple is a marble flab, with an Arabic
inſcription on it, importing that it was
built by a Sheik Omar; but in my opi-
nion it was built by a Chriftian, both
from the ſhape and ſtructure of it. As
you go in a door on the fouth fide,
there is a winding ſtaircaſe of eighty-
fix ſteps, about a foot and a half each,
from the bottom to the gallery, and
twelve
N
( 194 )
twelve more from that to the top; this
ſtaircaſe is lighted by oval holes in the
walls; the profpect from the top is
delightful. This ruin is in the hands
of the Mahometans, who uſe the out-
fide for a burying-place. One of the
monks of the Armenian convent afked
me one day to take a walk after dinner
in the fields round the town; finding
ourfelves fatigued, we refted ourſelves
upon the grafs under the fhade of fome
olive-trees, which were planted between
the church, and a hedge of Faraow fig-
trees. As we were talking together, I
faw two animals come out of the hedge,
of a greyish colour, with long tails, about
fifteen yards from the place where we fat;
as I could not conceive what animals they
were, I aſked the monk, who inform-
ed me, to my great furprize, that they
were rats; for I can affure the reader,
that in all my travels, I never faw any
of ſuch a fize; as well as I could gueſs
at
( 195 )
at that diſtance, they were about a foot
and a half high, and two feet long.
Jackalls in this country go in flocks,
but are not mifchievous; foxes and wild
boars are alſo very plenty. The pro-
duce of the country is corn, oil, tobacco,
drugs, foap, cotton and callico; fpring
water is very ſcarce, but they have cif-
terns and wells, befides thofe pools
which I mentioned before. From hence
to Lida is a pleaſant walk of about three
miles, the road is fmooth, and the coun-
try on cach ſide delightful. The great-
eft part of Lida ftands on rather a hilly
fituation; it is an epifcopal fea, and
fuffragan to the patriarch of Jeruſalem;
fome of the houfes are tolerably built,
but the reft are chiefly low and mean.
The moſt remarkable ſtructure to be
feen here is the church of St. George
the martyr, now in ruins, in which is
the tomb of that faint. The streets are
narrow and filthy; the inhabitants are
moftly Chriftians. The Mahometans
N 2
have
( 196 )
have a mofque and a public bath; there
is beſides, a market for provifions, and
an annual fair, which commences the
3d of November, old ftile, to which
the people of the neighbourhood refort,
to diſpoſe of the produce of their farms,
or their induſtry, which is much the
fame as at Rama. The inhabitants are
computed at about two thoufand. To
the eaſt of Lida is a valley, which parts
that country from the mountains of
Judea and Samaria. The tame animals
of both countries are camels, horfes,
mules, affes, oxen, and ſheep, together
with the wild beafts I mentioned be-
fore. Befides theſe two places, there are
fome other ſmall towns or villages,
which generally ſtand on the declivity
of the two mountains, which extend
from north to fouth; but as they con-
tain nothing remarkable, except fome
monuments or old towers, and other
buildings, I do not think proper to trou-
ble the reader any further, but to re-
turn
( 197 )
1
turn to Rama, or Joppa, and give fome
account of the journey to, and defcrip-
tion of, Azotus, or the city of the Phi-
liftines, and from thence to Gaza.
If a traveller wishes to fee either of
thefe places, or both, he may go from
Rama or Joppa: you may hire a horſe
or mule at Joppa, or Rama, for two
curfh, or five fhillings fterling, and a
few paras to the guide who accompa-
nies you. The road is pretty much of
the fame kind as that from Joppa to
Rama, and Lida, except in ſome part
of the country, where there are no large
The diſtance from Joppa to Azo-
tus, which is called by the Arabs, Ha-
faneyun, is forty-fix miles to the fouth.
The traveller muft therefore reckon on
paffing one night on the road, and in
order to do it with comfort, muft pro-
vide himſelf with accommodations be-
fore he fets out; for though the Arabs
are naturally hofpitable, and provide a
trees.
N 3
ftranger
1
( 198 )
ftranger with victuals, and a place to
lodge in; yet, as they have no furniture
for themſelves, he who is not uſed to
lie on a carpet, or on mats fpread on
the floor, muſt carry with him a thin
mattreſs ſtuffed with cotton, a pair of
fheets, and a quilt. The refting-place
is at a village which lies on the left
hand, about thirty yards out of the
road; from whence, after breakfaft,
which uſually is on milk, or bread and
cheeſe, and coffee, and a pipe of tobacco,
if he be fond of ſmoking, he proceeds
on his journey; but in the courſe of
this he muſt neither appear generous nor
ftingy; neither affect to be rich, or give
figns of poverty. In the latter cafe he
cannot expect to be well ferved, and in
the former he expofes both his property
and himſelf to be plundered; and this
maxim holds good in all the country
with which the Arabs are connected.
On his arrival at Azotus, he muſt
go to
the han, or inn, if he has no particular
recom-
( 199 )
recommendation from Joppa or Rama;
but in general the kiragee, or conductor
of the party, procures a proper place of
entertainment, and proportioned to the
means or appearance of the perſon who
travels under his protection. The town
is but thinly inhabited, though the fitua-
tion is very pleaſant; with regard to
the houſes, thofe that were built in the
time of Chriſtianity, and which are
now inhabited by Mahometans, ftill
preſerve fome claim to admiration ;
but the modern buildings, though ge-
nerálly of ſtone, have nothing in them
which can attract the notice of a tra-
veller. The streets of this town are
broader than I expected to find them
the inhabitants moftly Mahometans,
with a few Chriftians of the Greek
communion, who have a church under
the jurifdiction of the archbishop of
Gaza. The town is about a mile and
a half in circumference, and has in it
a mofque, a public bath, a market-
place,
1
N 4
;
( 200 )
place, and two inns. The number of
the inhabitants is between two and three
thouſand. The moſt remarkable things
in this place, is an old ſtructure with
fine marble pillars, which the inhabi-
tants fay was the houſe that Sampfon
pulled down; and to the fouth east,
just out of the town, the water in
which the eunuch Candakys was bap-
tized by the apostle Philip. Befides
theſe two, there are feveral ancient build-
ings, with capitals and pillars ftanding;
weftward of this place about three miles,
was Afcalon, of which very little is
now to be ſeen, except the remains of
fome walls ſcattered about the place.
From Azotus to Gaza, are twelve miles
more; it lies to the fouth weft; the
fields on each fide of the road, as in the
others, are planted with olive, and ſome
palm trees. The traveller as he ap-
proaches to Gaza, makes a ſmall de-
fcent, and then turns to the weſt, and
afcending the hill upon which the town
ftands,
( 201 )
ftands, enters through an old gate, which
is called the Old Town of Gaza; in this
part are all the ancient buildings, and
old towers, now almoft in decay, ex-
cept the citadel, which is ftill maintain-
ed in a ſtate of defence. Gaza ſtands
upon a hill, and extends in length, from
eaſt to weft, about three miles, and
about a mile in breadth. It is divided
into two, the old and the new; the for-
mer is to the eaft, the latter to the weſt.
In the Old Town is the governor's pa-
lace, the caftle, which ftands clofe to
the walls on the eaſt fide, and is a very.
magnificent building, with a fine gar-
den. The caftle ftands to the fouth,
and is a very old ftructure, with fome
pieces of cannon on it, which are
mounted on carriages; befides theſe, are
the barracks for the garrifon, which
was formerly the hotel of the knights,
and a very excellent ftructure. The
church of St. John the Baptiſt, now
converted into a mofque, and the Greek
church,
( 202 )
church, dedicated to the Virgin Mary.
The befeftain, or merchants market,
and that for provifions, two publick
baths, two inns, the quarter for the
Chriſtians ſhops, where all forts of mer-
chandize are expoſed to fale; in this
town alſo, the better fort among the
Turks refide. Some of the streets are
broad, and well paved, others very nar-
row. The houſes are generally of the
fame fize, and built in the fame tafte
with thoſe I have already deſcribed in
other towns. There are fome old build-
ings which ftill attract the admiration
of the traveller. New Gaza is inhabit→
ed by the inferior Mahometans, and the
Arabs; there are a few gardens, in which
they grow fome vegetables and fruits, a
fmall market for provifions, and a bath.
The houſes are very mean, and the
ftreets narrow and dirty. The number
of the inhabitants in all Gaza is reck-
oned at about twenty-fix thoufand. The
country around is very fertile; its chief
produce
(203)
produce is corn, oil, flax, cotton, honey,
bees-wax, and wines. Outfide the town,
towards the fouth, is a market for the
country people to difpofe of their com-
modities to the inhabitants, for they
are not permitted to enter the town.
In time of peace provifions are very
cheap. Gaza is about five miles from
the fea, and the bare expence of travel-
ling from Joppa thither will not ex-
ceed feven fhillings. But the European
traveller, who wishes
who wiſhes to vifit thefe
countries in ſafety, and fee things to
advantage, muft drefs himſelf in the
faſhion of the country, let his whifkers
grow, and endeavour to learn a little of
their language, or elſe they will impofe
upon him.
him. And if I may be allowed
to give my opinion, I think if the
Eaſt-India Company wiſhed to promote
a more expeditious intercourfe with
their fettlements in India, Gaza would
be a more proper place than any other,
from whence to forward their diſpatches,
provided
(204)
provided they appointed a refident there,
who was well acquainted with the lan-
guage and cuſtoms of the country, and
directed him to eſtabliſh a correfpon-
dence at Raithu, which is about feven
miles diftant from the convent of Mount
Sinai, to the fouth eaft, and near the
Red Sea; their letters could be forward-
ed from thence to Mocha much fooner
than they could from Suez. Gaza is
about eight days journey from Mount
Sinai, and a good dromedary will per-
form it in four. They might, in the
first inftance, diſpatch their letters from
Europe, to the Britiſh conſul at Cyprus,
from which place to Gaza, is about
thirty-fix hours fail, fo that in a week,
or ten days at furtheft, letters may be
conveyed from Cyprus to Raithu. Be-
fore I quit the fubject of travelling in
thofe countries, fince I have mentioned
the India Company, I think it may prove
not unacceptable, if I give ſome inſtruc-
tions
( 205 )
tions to thoſe gentlemen who wiſh to go
to India by land.
To thoſe who prefer the way of Suez,
my advice is, as foon as they leave Eu-
rope, to let their whiskers grow, and as
foon as they arrive at Alexandria, to
change their drefs for the habit of
Greeks or Armenians, but not in the
Arabian ftile, unless they be perfect in
the language; and inſtead of putting up
at an European houfe, I fhould recom-
mend to them to go and lodge in the
convent of St. Sabba, which lies on the
fouth east, near the ruins of Old Alex-
andria. They can eafily prevail on the
Abbot, to procure them a Greek or Ar-
menian interpreter, of whom there are
many to be found; as foon as they have
got one, they may enter into agreement
with them to go as far as Suez.
their ſetting out from Alexandria for
Cairo, let them go and lodge at the
On
hotel of the archbiſhop of Mount Sinai,
which
(206)
which is in a ſtreet called Juvania; their
interpreter can procure them all necef-
faries, and direct them ſafe to this place ;
there they meet with many eminent
Chriſtian merchants. The traveller muſt
be informed that there are two hotels
which belong to the convent of Mount
Sinai, one is for the refidence of the
archbiſhop, and his clergy, and the
other for the ufe of travellers, and fo-
reign merchants; a few monks and an
abbot refide in this laft, to fupply their
cuſtomers with rooms, for which they pay
ſo much a month. Out of the revenue
arifing from this, the archbishop purcha-
fes provifions for his other convent at
Mount Sinai, which he fends by his Arabs
once a month; and as theſe Arabs paſs by
Suez, the traveller, on being recom-
mended by the archbishop, or in his
abfence, by his vicar, may, through their
means, travel to Suez without danger. I
muſt however adviſe him not to diſcover
his intentions, nor to be too generous
in
(207)
in his preſents to the Arabs, who often
aſk from ſtrangers a bakeeſh, or prefent;
a para or two at a time is full enough;
but when he arrives at the place of his
deſtination, he may give them ten or
fifteen paras. The leſs money, in ſhort,
which he ſhews in his purſe, the better.
In order to avoid fufpicion, I recom-
mend to every traveller in thoſe coun-
tries, to fupply himſelf with a harach,
or receipt from the Grand Signior, for
the poll-tax; of theſe there are three
forts; the firſt of which is called ela, and
cofts twelve curfh, or half crowns, and
is that paid by gentlemen and merchants;
the ſecond is called efsat, it coſts half
as much, and is for tradefmen; the
third fort cofts only three curfh, and
is the tax on labourers; by buying either
of the two firft, the traveller may go in
ſafety through all the Turkiſh domi-
nions, as by means of this he appears
as a fubject of the Grand Porte to all
intents, and is confequently entitled to
its
(208)
the protection it affords. My reafon
for advifing the traveller to follow this
method, is, that when Mahomed Bey
Abudahap rebelled against his maſter,
he, with intention to draw all the Egyp-
tians to his party and intereft, filled
their minds with fuch enormous lies
againſt the European travellers, that the
Arabs, out of their enthufiaftic zeal for
their religion, think it a meritorious
act to kill a perſon of that deſcription.
I have related the reafon and the fpeech
of Abudahap, which he made ufe of to
the Arabs, in the concluſion of Ali Bey's
life. I imagine I may have ſaid enough
about travelling in thoſe countries, and
from theſe hints the traveller may conſult
the beſt method for the fafety of his
perfon and his property.
}
Remarks
( 209 )
A ſhort Account of the prefent State
OF THE
CHRISTIAN S,
Who are under Subjection to the
TURKISH GOVERNMENT.
T will not be amifs to give to the
IT
reader fome account of the prefent
ſtate of the Chriftians, who are under
the dominion of the Turks, I mean the
Greeks and Armenians, and how they
are uſed by that arbitrary and abfolute
government. I fhall therefore begin
with their chiefs, which are the four
patriarchs, with their titles, how they
are elected, what power they are inveſt-
ed with by the government, and finally,
how far each patriarch's dioceſe ex-
tends,
I ſhall
t
( 210 )
I fhall begin with that of Conftanti-
nople; when the patriarch of Conftan-
tinople dies, or is difmiffed from his
fee, the twelve metropolitans, which
are called by the Greeks go, or
electors, and are the following, to wit,
firſt, that of Heraclea, fecond, of Ce-
farea of Cappadocia, third of Nice, fourth
of Ephefus, fifth of Chalcedon, fixth
of Lacedemon, feventh of Crete, eighth
of Athens, ninth of Dreftas, tenth of
Patrafo, eleventh of Trebifond, and
the twelfth that of Nicomedia, theſe
twelve prelates hold a council in the
patriarchal palace, and out of the num-
ber of the metropolitans, archbiſhops,
biſhops, or prieſts, chooſe one; and if
he is of the firſt claſs, he is only in-
vefted with the patriarchal mantle,
which is made of purple fattin, adorned
with gold lace, having in the front the
emblems of the four evangelifts, and
then the metropolitan of Heraclea pre-
ſents him the paftoral ſtaff, and charges
him
( 211 )
•
him to be a true guardian of the church
of Chrift, which is entrusted to him,
with many other exhortations. After
this the whole body of the prelates joint-
ly takes hold of him, and ſeats him
es
upon
the patriarchal throne, pronouncing three
times the word 2, or worthy. He then
rifes, and gives his benediction to the
congregation, who in return cries out,
ἔις πολλὰ ἔτη Δέσποτα, or, for many years
O Lord. The day after, the report
of the proceeding is made to the Grand
Vizier, by the great logothete of the
great church, who is generally the
principal interpreter to the Porte, and
of the Greek perfuafion. The Grand
Vizier appoints a day to receive him,
then the elected patriarch goes to the
Porte on horſe back; the prelates fol-
low him on foot; and the Grand Vizier
receives him and them with affability;
the ceremonial reception being over,
the Vizier aſks the prelates whether the
patriarch was duly elected, with one
02
voice
( 212 )
voice they anſwer he was: and whether
he is worthy to occupy a place of fuch
importance, they anſwer in the affirma-
tive; then the Vizier fays to the patri-
arch," as your nation found you wor-
"thy to govern them in their religi-
"ous rights, fo my maſter
maſter approves of
"the choice of his zummees, or tri-
"butaries, and confirms you in that
"dignity, with this condition, that
66
you keep them in obedience to him
" and his fucceffors." He then takes"
the paſtoral ſtaff from the metropolitan
of Heraclea, and puts it into the right
hand of the patriarch, inveſts him with
a caftan, and treats him with coffee or
fherbet. The patriarch then takes his
leave of the Vizier, and returns to his
palace. But if he is of the latter clafs
of prieſts, he must be first confecrated
by the twelve prelates, and then goes
through the before-mentioned ceremo-
nies. The title of the Patriarch is
as follows, the most Holy Archbishop of
Conftantinople,
( 213 )
Conftantinople, New Rome, and Univerfal
Patriarch; his juriſdiction is all Turk-
ifh Europe. The Ionic Islands, Cor-
fu, Leucadia, Cefalonia, and Zante,
Cethyra, or Cerigo, the Morea, and all
Greece, with all the islands of the Ar-
chipelago, as far as Rhodes, and all Aſia
Minor, as far as Tarfus, except Cyprus,
which belongs to the Archbishop of
that ifland, who is called the Moft Blef
fed Archbishop of Cyprus, and New Juf
tiniana, and is independent.
The patriarch of Conftantinople pays
annually to the Porte, as a tribute, from
eight to twelve purfes, each purſe five
hundred kouroufh, or half crowns, Eng-
liſh, befides various fees to the Grand
a
Except Bofnia and part of Macedonia, and Illyria,
the firſt of which belongs to the Archbishop of Och-
ridon, who is an independent prelate, and is called
the Moft Bleed Archbishop of the Second Juftiniana,
and the latter belongs to the Archbishop of Dyrrhachi-
um, now Durazzo, and is called the Most Blessed Arch-
bishop of the first Juftiniana, who is alfo independent.
0 3
Vizier
(214)
Vizier, and other officers. All the pre-
lates who are fuffragans to him, are con-
fecrated by him jointly with two or
three other prelates, after they are elect-
ed by the bishops, who are fuffragans to
each archbishop, who are above two
hundred. They fend annually each of
them the Porte's tribute, with a furplus
towards the expences of the patriarchal
fee. The patriarchs and all other pre-
lates, who are under the Turkish govern-
ment, have patents from the Grand
Signior, which allow them to hold
courts of judicature, to fettle all difputes
which ariſe amongst the Chriftians, and
chaftife their
their own clergy; they are
exempt from all other taxes to the go-
vernors of different provinces; they ride
on horſe-back without being molefted
by any Mahometan whatſoever.
The ceremonies before mentioned, on
the patriarch's tranflation, or confecra-
tion, are the ſame for all prelates in their
own
( 215 )
own diocefe, except that of being con-
firmed by the Grand Signior, which
belongs only to the patriarchs, and the
independent archbishops. The reader
perhaps wishes to know what is the
revenue of theſe prelates, and how they
are ſupported; the reader will be dif-
appointed, who forms his notions of this
matter, from the wealth and magnifi-
cence of European bishops, for I can
affure him, that the richest diocefe never
exceeds fifteen hundred pounds per an-
num, and the pooreft is not above one
hundred and fifty, even out of this they
are to pay the Grand Signior's miree,
or tribute; make prefents to the gover-
nors, and other officers, and fupport
themſelves and their families. This
revenue ariſes from a tax upon houſes;
each houſe inhabited by Chriſtians, pays
from five to ten paras, according to their
circumftances. In their appearance a-
broad, they can hardly be diftinguiſhed
from the other monks, or calogeros,
except
0 4
t
( 216 )
except when they are in their own dio-
cefs, when generally two or three of
the clergy walk with them, and this is
all the pomp of the Greek prelates.
I fhall now proceed to give an account
of the other patriarchs.
The fecond is that of Alexandria,
whoſe riches are comprized in the reve-
nues of eight churches, and the magni-
ficence of his title, which is, The most
bleed Pope and Patriarch of the great
city of Alexandria, Lybia, Pentapolis,
Ethiopia, and all the land of Egypt;
Father of Fathers, Shepherd of Shepherds,
Prelate of Prelates, the Thirteenth of the
Apoftles, and Univerfal Judge. I hope
the reader, inſtead of laughing, will
lament with me, the deplorable condi-
tion of that once famous fee, which
formerly contained three hundred Me-
tropolitans and Archbishops, and was
the refidence of many of the fathers.
As for the titles which the Greek pre-
lates
( 217 )
lates enjoy, I think they have more
right to them than ſome monarchs have
to theirs, becauſe they were beſtowed
upon them by general councils, and by
Emperors, whilft thoſe of the monarchs
were given them by a ſingle prelate.
The third is that of Antioch, he is in
rather a more flouriſhing ſtate than the
former, though his capital now is a
fmall village; he retains ftill fome fuf-
fragans, and metropolitans, of whom are
the following, of Mefopotamia, Berea,
or Veria, now Aleppo, and Damafcus,
now called Sham by the Turks, Tripoli,
Laodicea, or Latekia, Tyre and Sidon,
and Berytus, and one or two others,
whoſe dioces I cannot recollect; his
jurifdiction formerly extended over Per-
fia, all the Eaft-Indies, Babylon, Mefo-
potamia, and all Syria, as far as Anti-
libanus, which divides Paleftine from
Syria; his title is The Most Bleſſed Pa-
triarch of the Great City of Antiochia,
and
(218)
and the places which I have mention-
ed before.
The fourth is that of Jerufalem, who
generally refides at Conftantinople, not
being able to defray his expences at
home, as his preſence there requires pre-
fents to the governors, and the chiefs
of the Arabs; he keeps ftill thirteen pre-
lates under his juriſdiction, viz. fix me-
tropolitans and ſeven archbishops, who are
the following, viz. of Cefarea of Philip,
of Scythopolis in Arabia Petrea, of Beth-
leem, of Petra, on the other fide of the
river Jordan, of Ptolmaida, and that of
Nazareth; the archbishops are theſe,
of Neapolis, of Lydda, of Gaza, of
Joppa, of Sebaſtia, of Mount Sinai, and
the laſt of Mount Tabor. Though there
are yet fome Chriftians in the diocefes
of fome of thefe prelates, they dare
not vifit them on account of the enor-
mous exactions of the Arabs, except
thoſe of Bethleem, Nazareth, and Lydda,
who
( 219 )
who fometimes go and refide there for
a month or two, but they generally re-
fide at the patriarch's palace, or convent
at Jerufalem. The patriarch's income
is the charity of the Chriftians, who
come from abroad to viſit the holy land,
and ſome voluntary contributions from
abroad; his title is The Most Bleſſed Pa-
triarch of the holy city of Jerufalem, and
all Palestine, Syria, Arabia, the other
fide of Fordan, the borders of Galilee, and
Holy Sion. The patriarch of Jerufalem
is not elected by his fuffragans, but he
chooſes his fucceffor in his will, who is
generally the metropolitan of Cefarea;
but in caſe he is infirm, or over aged,
or not a man of great learning, and of
eminent piety, he chooſes the worthieft
from amongſt his fuffragans. After hav-
ing faid thus much concerning the chiefs
of the Greek church, I now come to
the Armenians.
The
( 220 )
The Arminians have three patriarchs,
the chief of them is that which refides
in Armenia Minor, at a place called
Four Churches, he confecrates the other
two, one of which refides at Conftanti-
nople, and the other at Jerufalem.
They are rather titular patriarchs, and
fuffragans to the former, he having more
fuffragan biſhops under his juriſdiction,
which the others have not; they are all
three richer than thofe of the Greek
church, on account of their people be-
ing richer, and more converfant in trade
and mercantile life, than the Greeks.
The Greeks have at Conftantinople
and Galata, or Pera, twenty-five
churches; the Armenians fix, and the
Roman Catholicks two at Pera, The
titles of metropolitans and archbishops,
is that of Moft Sacred, and the bishops
the Lover of God. When any of their
fuperiors write to them, they give them
only the title of Sacred, and Lover of
God,
(221)
God, and Brother in God; fuch a one of
fuch a fee. The patriarchs when they
write to each other, give always their
proper title; they are independent of
each other, and when one of them is
in the juriſdiction of the other, he can-
not preach or perform the liturgy, with-
out the conſent of the proprietor, or his
vicar. Thus far of their chiefs; I ſhall
now treat of the community.
"
All the male Chriftians who are fub-
jects to the Ottoman Porte, pay a capi-
tation tax to the Grand Signior, from
ſeventeen years old to fixty; the rich
people and merchants pay twelve half
crowns a year; tradefmen fix, and la-
bourers fix fhillings and ten pence half-
penny. Thoſe that live in Conſtantino-
ple are fortunate enough, becauſe they
pay no other taxes; but thoſe who live
at a diſtance from that capital, can
ſcarcely ſupport their families and them-
felves, becauſe the governors impoſe
whatever
(222)
whatever taxes they pleafe, and the poor
wretches have no redrefs, though they
might eaſily be relieved, if they would
join together, and ſend deputies to Con-
ftantinople, with a petition to the Grand
Signior; but it muſt be with the great-
eft fecrefy, or elſe, if the governor learns
their intention, woe betide them; they
would be dragged into prifons, loaded
with irons, whipt, and perhaps deprived
of life. Such is the condition and pre-
ſent ſtate of the poor Chriſtians, except
fometimes when their biſhop is a man
of ſpirit, and can afford them ſome re-
lief from their calamities; but for want
of money this comfort very ſeldom hap-
pens.
The inhabitants of the iſlands of
the Archipelago, are rather better off
than thoſe on the continent, becauſe
they belong to the Capitan Paſha, or
high admiral, and purchaſe the govern-
ment of him among themfelves, and
have no other Turks among them but
a cadi, or judge, and their taxation to
the
(223)
the Porte is no more than five fhillings
a year per head, The inhabitants of the
ifle of Chio are better off ftill, becaufe
that iſland belongs to the princeſs royal,
or the first born Sultan, and the inhabi-
tants are all united, fo that the gover-
nor and Janizaries have not power to mo-
left them, or impofe on them; but Crete,
Rhodes, and Cyprus, are in the fame
predicament as thoſe on the continent.
And now kind reader, having made
you acquainted with the prefent mife-
rable and deplorable condition of that
once learned and valiant nation, make
yourſelf eaſy in your happy fituation
under the English government, and
pray to Divine Providence, to deliver
your fellow Chriftians from their op-
preffors. As for myſelf, I thank my
Go
God who has delivered me from that
tyrannical government, and conducted
me to this generous nation, under
whoſe laws I enjoy my liberty, though
in an obfcure fituation,
I cannot
(224)
I cannot but make ufe of this oppor-
tunity, to exprefs the grateful fenfe I
have of the many inftances of kindneſs
and civility which I have received from
fome benevolent friends, and I hope,
though I cannot make any adequate re-
turns, they will ftill continue the fame
generous protection, and that I may be
thereby enabled, at this diſtance from my
native land, to obtain a decent ſupport.
APPENDIX.
( 225 )
APPENDI X.
AS I have given the reader an idea of
the mode of travelling in the Turkiſh
dominions, I think it will not be un-
pleafing to the curious, if I annex the
following journal of a gentleman who
travelled by land to India, by the way
of Aleppo, Bagdat, and Baffora; which
journal I was favoured with by a gen-
tleman, to whofe friendship I am great-
-ly indebted, on this and many other
occafions.
P
Remarks
(226)
1
Days
Day Mar.
Months
Aleppo, Thurſday, Nov 2, 1780.
Camel Where
Paces
Water
Eng.Miles
Computed
Places
Course IH M
Names
corrected
Nov. 3 From Aleppo
to
นา
Fine clear
Rivulets of
10700 Wa tr
Spheree
SEby S
11 //
2
8
4
Remained
5
encamped
6
at Spheree
to
71 Hagla
SE S
4 12 93 9270 Well of
bad Water
(227)
Remarks on a Journey over the Little
Defert of Arabia, from Aleppo to
Bagdat and Buffora; commencing
November 2d. arrived at Buffora 26th
December.
LOUDY hazy morning, wind eaſterly, at eight
CL
A. M. mounted my camel very aukwardly, and
fet off with thirty camels; paffed feveral plantations of
olive trees and pistachio nuts. At noon paffed a village
called Neireb, and at one P. M. encamped at Spheree,
to wait for Mr. Rubin, and the Sheik of the caravan.
Remained encamped from the third, till the ſeventh
in the morning, waiting for Mr. Rubin, a Jew mer-
chant, who, I have great reafon to believe, has been the
occafion of fifteen days detention; befides, makes me pay
for guards and guides for the expedition, and has al-
tered my plan and agreement, from a light fnug travel-
ling caravan, to a heavy loaded one: how far I may be
right, in judging that thirty camels I had agreed for,
eight only with light loads, might reach Bagdat in half
the time the preſent caravan, confifting of eighty-fix
camels, fifty of which heavily laden, are likely to do
it in, time will determine,
Travelled only four hours from Spheree to Hagla, and
encamped for the day to prepare for the regular march.
P 2
Fine
(228)
Days
Day Mar.
Months
Places
Courfe H M
Names
corrected
Camell Where
Paces
Water
Computed
Eng. Miles
Nov. 8 to Has Meferr SE by S8 30
8 30 19 18190 No Water
to
91 Anda Veau-
gul.
ESE
9 15 20 19970 No Water
to
10 Elga or Tchi- SE by E 10 30 238 22470No Water
eltiora
to
111 Ain il Kom SE by E7 30 16 16050 Bad Water
16|
121 Ain il Kom SE
1 30 31 3210
Good
Water
( 229 )
REMARK S.
Fine weather; decamped at forty-five minutes paft
fix, A. M. paffed over the ſouth end of the Salt Plain,
that ſupplies great part of Syria with that neceſſary ar-
ticle. Encamped at a quarter paft three, P.M. our
caravan ſpreads a long diſtance, and goes heavy.
Fine weather; decamped at a quarter paſt fix, A.M.
now fairly on the defert; wild rural ſcenes, and appears
like a calm day at fea; nothing to intercept the view to
the viſible horizon; encamped at half paſt three, P.M.
Pleaſant morning, cold, not agreeable to the Arabs,
but makes it pleaſant to me; decamped by fix, A.M.
and travelled until half paft four, to get into a fnug
place, ſhould the deſert Arabs attack us.
Pleaſant and cold weather; decamped at half paſt
four, A.M. and encamped at noon near a ſpring of
fetid ſpaw water; however, the camels drink greedily;
I have been for three days much tormented with the
Spheree water.
Fine pleaſant weather; moon totally eclipſed from fix
A.M. to about thirty-five minutes paft. Mr. Rubin
remained laſt night at Elga, and we decamped at half
paft fix A.M. and at eight ditto encamped, making
three miles diſtance, at a run of very fine ſpaw water;
this manoeuvre was on account of Mr. Rubins travelling
P 3
all
(230)
Places
Names
Courfe H M
corrected
Days Mar.
Days
Months
Camel
Where
Eng. Miles
Computed
Paces Water
Nov. 13 1
the Plain of
Geboul
Bufshier
to
SEE 8 30 19 18190 No Water
14 Hopra Fadle SSE E 10
22 21400 No Water
to
151 Ferraſche
ESE
Two Wells
6 30 14 13910 of bad Wa-
ter.
71 271613153360
( 231 )
2
REMARK S.
all laſt night, we now muſt give him a refting day; in-
deed he is the patrone, as he orders the fheicks to do juſt
what he pleaſes.
Decamped at half paſt fix, A.M. paffed to day feve-
ral water channels, but quite dry at this ſeaſon of the
year; at three P.M. encamped.
Freſh north weft wind; makes it very cold for the
Arabs, and with a very large fire of defert weeds they
had made to windward of my tent, had fet fire to my
tent ropes, but waking prevented further miſchief
only the fall of my tent. Decamped at a quarter paſt
fix, and encamped at a quarter paft four, P.M. under
a hill of alabaſter.
but
Very cold, but pleafant; at fix A.M. decamped, and
at a quarter paſt nine came to Ferrache, where are two
wells of fpaw water, which the camels drink greedily,
very diſagreeable to the nofe; the wells are cut out
of the alabafter rock, about twenty-five feet deep, and
have been a work of great labour; we found here the
freſh dung of a number of camels, ſo ſuppoſe that the
defert Arabs have been here yeſterday; ftaid here about
three hours to refreſh the camels, and then travelled un-
til three, P.M.
P 4
Fine
( 232 )
#
Days Mar.
Days
Months
Places
Names
Courfe H M
corrected
Camel Where
Computed
Eng. Miles
Paces
Water
Nov 16 Giboul Buf
fhier is the
SE by E 8 45 19 18725 No Water
particular
Name
to
171 Dickaynia ÉSE 8
to
18 the Defert on
the rout to
18
17120 Several
Wells of
bad Water
Routgaugh SE by S | 3
10100
6 8025 No Water
( 233 )
REMARKS.
Fine pleaſant morning, wind foutherly; at a quarter
paſt fix all in motion; the Arabs find it very cold, but
to me pleaſant; my flux continues, but not fo ſevere;
wiſhing to aſcertain the exact diſtance between Aleppo and
Bagdat, I have taken a good deal of pains, and made an
amuſement for felf and fervants, in counting the camels
paces every time fhe lifted the right foot, and found as
follows. The defert being full of ſmall fhrubs, they
continually graze as they march; in fome places their
favourite ſhrub is more plenty, then there is a good deal
of time loft. Little grazing 2240 paces in the hour;
midling grazing, 2120; good grazing, 2060; medium
2140 per hour. I alſo meaſured many of their paces,
and found on a medium five feet fix inches, and for
thirty hours, his medium travel was two Engliſh miles
and a quarter per hour; I alſo walked a good deal, and
found, that loaded camels in a caravan, of more than
fifty, can never exceed two miles and a quarter per hour,
by the above computation my journal is regulated. En-
camped at three, P.M. 16th. The 17th decamped at a
quarter paft fix, A.M. and encamped at two P.M.
the 18th being Saturday, Mr. Rubin prevented the
heik from moving until one P.M. two ftrange Arabs
came into our encampment, and they were permitted
to go away, as they were believed ſpies. Mr. Rubin
confented to move three hours out of the common track,
where we encamped, and had no difturbance from the
tribe the fpies belonged to.
Cloudy
(234)
Days Mar.
Days
Months
Places
Courſe H M
Names corrected
Camel
Where
Paces
Water
Computed
Eng. Miles
to
Nov. 191 Routgaugh
SE 8
18 17120 No Water
to
201 Quoerlaftep ESEE 8 30 19 18190 Little Rain
Water in
the Rocks
to
21
1
Gelta
ENE
9 15 20 19970 No Water
to
22 1 Anna
NE by E 9
203 19260 Euphrates
23 1 Paffed from
SE
the North-
1 30 33 3210 Ditto along
the Banks
24
ward of the
Town to the
South.
Encamped
Remained
encamped
(235)
REMARK S.
Cloudy weather, and cold; at a quarter paft fix de-
camped; a very romantick plain, with fome afcents, or
ſwells; and at about eight miles to the north eaſt, ſaw
the Euphrates; we have been in its neighbourhood
three days, but our people do not chufe to go too near,
as the tribes of Arabs are along it, on account of their
flocks; at two P.M. encamped.
Small rain to day; at half paſt fix, A.M. decamped,
and had a full view of the Euphrates, north eaft; the
banks appear rugged, and in fome places very high;
found ſome rain water under a broken alabaſter hill;
foon drained by the camels; encamped at three P.M. a
camel was butchered to fave his life, to the great joy of
the Arabs, who are very fond of camels flesh. De-
camped at ſeven, being very cold; at four P.M. en-
camped cloſe to a range of chalk hills, which is very
foft, and crumbles like whiting.
Very cold morning, wind north west; it was feven
A.M. before we were off our ground; at ten A.M. paf-
fed two hills, look like kitteſauls, computed ten miles
from Anna; paſſed ſeveral aſcents and deſcents, and many
hills of chalk; the most romantick country I ever faw,
many of the hills of old ftone, that are full of cavities;
at a diſtance it has a pretty effect, and looks as if culti-
vated, but when you draw near it, is a diſmal object. At
three P.M. came to a rifing, where we firſt diſcovered
the
(236)
Days Mar.
Days
Months
Nov. 25
Places
Names
Course IH M
corrected
Croffed the
Euphrates
to
26 DerMahomet SSE
271
to
Camel
Where
Paces
Water
Eng. Miles
Computed
Encamped
5
11 10700 along the
Euphrates
El Maface SE by E 7 30 163 16050 DittoDitto
From Maface
left the Car-
ravan, and
28 1 with 13 light
Camels tra-
velled expe-
ditiously to
Ther Thur
SE by E
Left the
Euphrates
9 45 31 25350 No Water
(237)
REM
ARK S.
the Euphrates, and the town of Anna along the borders,
all which was delightful, and a feaft to the eye of a
traveller juſt coming off the defert. Anna has a number
of date trees, which is a pleaſant diverfity from barren
rocks, and a flat defert with ſmall fhrubs.
As my paper
allows me to give but fhort extracts, I have ſelected
the moſt neceffary for a traveller. We encamped very
regularly, the ſheik having light camels, went a head,
and pitched the ground for me and family, which was
always to the eastward, being the first to fet off on the
line of march; the reft formed a circle, the camels and
baggage in the center for a citadel; in cafe of a fericus
attack, I had learned all the Arabs two words, drugh-
roo and bono, to ferve as watch words in cafe of an
attack in the night, not otherwife being able to diftin-
guiſh the Arabs of the caravan, from the defert Arabs ;
they were fo expert, that every one when on guard, uſed
to repeat either drughroo or bonno, and the other would
anfwer; this I particularly recommend to the traveller,
for his own fafety, and the Arabs of his caravan, in
cafe of being attacked in the night; and coming out of
his tent in the dark without a watch word, it will be
impoffible to know friends from foes. The 28th per-
fuaded Mr. Rubin to fet off with twelve light camels
for Bagdat, that I might prepare for my journey to
Buffora; now the difference was difcovered, we travel-
led at the rate of three miles and a quarter per hour,
and continued ten hours on the march; alfo were able to
haſte
(238)
Days Mar.
Days
Months
Places
Courfe H M
Names
corrected
Computed
Eng. Miles
Camel Where
Paces
Water
Nov. 29 1 To the north-
ward of Bag-
dat Salt Plain SSE
9 20 303 24260 No Water
Defert from
the Salt Plain
in the Night
SE
6
19 15600 Well
Water
Over a level
Defert, and
30 14the beaten
Track of the
Salt Cara-
vans
Same track in
the Night
over
A very Level
SSE
8 30 27 22100 Paffed two
Wells of
S by E
Dec.
I
Defert, and
the beaten
Track of the
Salt Cara-
vans to Bag-
Idat
23 23/0
tolerable
Water.
3 30 11 9160 Suppofe
∞
there is
Water, but
being
Night
could not
fee.
Several
Wells and
of good
Water.
River Ti
SbyEE9 30 30 24700 refervoirs
186 324663422840gris
(239)
REMARK S
hafte forward in the night, and I declare I was not more
fatigued than in keeping company with the caravan.
We arrived at Bagdat the 1ft of December, and the
caravan did not come in until the 6th at night, juſt the
day before a grand feſtival, which detained me three
days before I could get my effects from the cuſtom-
houſe; its now verified, that with the light travelling
caravan which I had paid for, and ought to have had,
I ſhould with eafe have reached Bagdat in fixteen
days, all this I through a linguift at Bagdat ex-
plained to Mr. Rubin, who only fmiled at the relation,
and faid, its true the Arabs did not behave well, but he
had no fault; I only hope that the old Turk, Amond
Ackmet Agely, will give Mr. Robert Abbott a clear
account of all he knows, and if its true what he has
depoſed to me of Rubin, his character ought to be
known, that my worthy Aleppo friends may not be
deceived by a man who has their confidence,
The Aleppo gentlemen have great merit in their ci-
vilities, and kind affiftance to travellers for the defert,
and neither ſpare themſelves, time, nor good offices to
accommodate them in the best manner they are able; of
courſe we ſhould not only be thankful, but live in hopes
to fhew our gratitude. I do not think I fhall ever at-
tempt the fame rout again, ftill there may be many ne-
ceffitated as well as I have been, for thoſe I wiſh my re-
marks may be ferviceable, and in the latter part of thefe
fcraps
(240)
fcraps I have made fome hints for the traveller to attend
to, and which he will find uſeful.
Days of travelling. Say 24 days, making 7 hours
50 minutes per day, and 197 miles each day : with light
camels I went 151 miles in 46 hours, which is 34 miles
per hour, and was not near fo much fatigued as creeping
two miles each hour; and had my caravan confifted of
thirty light camels, we ſhould with eaſe have reached
Bagdat the 16th day inſtant; what detention the loaded
caravan has been! we left them the 28th, and reached
Bagdat the ift, and they did not come in until the 6th ;
its true we travelled 9 hours 30 minutes of our time in
the night. Mr. Rubin and his ſheicks have been the oc-
cafion of a detention to me of forty-two days, by which
I have loft three opportunities in getting forward; firſt
in joining my friend Stevenſon, who waited at Buffora
for me until the 18th of December, and then he took
his paffage in a large convenient trankey for Mafcat.
Second, I miffed a paffage in a large ketch, which failed
the 16th December for Busſhire and Bombay. The 24th
of December, three days before my arrival, the Mer-
cury Packet, Capt. Forbes, belonging to the Honourable
East-India Company, failed from Buffora for Busfhire
and Bombay; this was a capital diſappointment. In
hopes to overtake her at Busſhire, I took my paffage the
29th, fame trankey, and the 31ft December was near
being wrecked in the river, in a hard gale of wind from
the fouth eaſt, which continued four days, with heavy
rains, by which I got a cold and flow fever, and did
not arrive at Bushire.
The
(241)
The underwritten declare to have agreed with Sheik
Mahommed El Fehairy, and Sheik Mahommed Mamtavy,
to conduct me to Bagdat, with twenty guards properly
armed, and four friendly Arabs from the defert, of the
different tribes we are likely to meet, and I am to give
them two hundred and ninety-five Zurmacobs, or fequins,
in lieu of every expence and charge attending the
journey, and the above to be paid as follows, ninety-
five fequins at Aleppo, on figning this agreement,
and one hundred fequins the day of departure, and the
laft hundred fequins on my fafe arrival at Bagdat.
The above-named two Sheiks are to provide for ſelf,
ſervants, and baggage, five camels, and they engage to
leave this place in twenty-five days from this date, but
in caſe of their not being able to procure the four
friends to accompany me, they then agree that I am to
deduct eighty fequins from the above named fum of
two hundred and ninety-five.
Dated in Aleppo this 28th September, 1780.
Signed,
R. H.
Addition. Should the above-named Sheiks take any
goods with them, they oblige themſelves to take only
eight loads, and they are not to exceed one kintall of
Aleppo for each camel.
Signed R. H. and folemnly agreed to by the Sheiks,
in the prefence of Mr. Rubin, Mr. R. Abbott, &c.
Q
The
( 242 )
}
The before-mentioned was the agreement, thought
full and fufficient by my friends at Aleppo, which might
have been fufficient with honeft men; how far the above
gentleman has complied with it, I will relate, adhering
ftrictly to the truth, which has come under my own
knowledge; and what I advance as hearfay, I fhall men
tion the names of the parties, who I believe can clearly
prove their affertions.
To my own knowledge Mr. Rubin detained my ca-
ravan eight days, firſt at ſetting off, four, from the 3d of
November till the 7th. on the rout to Anna two fab-
baths; at Anna two days, a fabbath, and refreſhing him-
felf. Mr. Rubin, a Jew merchant of note at Aleppo,
was the perſon whom my friends applied to for procuring
guards, and guides, to eſcort me over the defert; on
his being ſent for, he pretended the difficulty and fear
in obtaining any; at the fame time he was in treaty with
the Sheiks he brought for me, to procure him twenty
camels and guards to go with goods to Bagdat; and
fome days after his firft vifit, he brought the two above
Sheiks, and faddled me with the whole coft and charge
of a caravan chiefly loaded by himſelf, and friends,
who were eafy whether they arrived in November or Ja-
nuary: and in the room of a light travelling caravan
of thirty camels, it confifted of eighty-fix, fixty of
which were loaded with the full weight of fix hundred
pounds; fo that we were thirty days from Sperree to Bag-
dat, which is evident could have been performed in fix-
teen days, with light travelling camels, (vide journal.)
Befides
( 243 )
Befides Mr. Rubin was the occafion of fifteen days deten-
tion at Aleppo, on account of his holidays, &c. from the
23d of October, until the 7th November; the excuſes that
were made, that the friendly Arabs were not arrived,were
falſe, as they never intended having but two; that we
had only one friendly Arab, was proved, when two ftrange
Arabs came into our camp at Dickaynia; eighty fequins
was paid for four, which ought to be returned. As
this can be proved by Amound Achmet Agily, who was
the beſt guide and guard we had, I gave him a line to
Mr. Robert Abbott, (who I hope will be able to procure
fome fatisfaction from the Sheiks, that have fo grofly
impoſed on me,) to endeavour putting a ftop to theſe
mock agreements, calculated for the advantage of a fet
of rich Jew merchants: and if the Sheiks will not enter
into a reaſonable penalty, to perform their contract, tra-
vellers must not expect to procure light camels, or to tra-
vel expeditiouſly; and to prevent the enormous expence
and diffatisfaction, they muft wait the general caravans,
when they will know at fetting off what they are to
expect.
Q 2
Rout
1
(244)
Places Names
Miles
Hours
Minutes
Bagdat to Azad
13
4
30
To Berranefs
6
2
To Scandera
7፤
HIN
2
30
To Mahavil
12
4
To Hillah
II
3
45
To Emmum Ali
30
10
( 245 )
Rout from Bagdat to Sammeva, with
loaded Jack Affes, or Mules; they
carry about 150th luggage, each, and
you fit like a Baker with two panniers,
A
Fine beaten road, and near the Tigris. Azad is a
caravanfera, and a well of water, with twenty or
more miferable Arab huts.
We put up for the night at Berranefs; it is a very
fpacious caravanfera, and two wells of good water, with
a number of Arab huts.
Scandera, a very miferable caravanfera, with a well
of water; the Arabs huts in ruins.
A fine large Arab village, with a good run of water,
let in from the Tigris; a good caravanfera, and a
mofque.
Hillah, a very confiderable frontier town, belonging
to the Turks; here you paſs the Euphrates, over a
bridge of thirty-two boats; and now you leave this
part of Mefopotamia; we have been near feventeen
hours with horfes and light baggage it may be per-
formed in about twelve hours.
:
Emmum Ali is a famous town, with a grand mofque,
with two minarets all gilded; this town is faid to have
the great Ali, Son in law to Mahomet, buried here, and
is as much frequented as Mecca.
Q3
An
(246)
Places Names
Miles
Hours
Minutes
20
6
To Ramahie
with Horfes loaded
Sammeva
52
16
( 247 )
REMARK S.
An Arab town called fortified, with mud walls, and
turrets; juſt ſtopped to refreſh, and ſet off in the night,
as the inhabitants are reputed robbers. Take water and
provifions, as you have fifty miles a barren defert, and
no water; and you paſs many Arab tribes, none of
them to be trufted, fo endeavour to paſs them in the
night, and be on your guard; have leading halters to
the baggage horſes, and let the fervant lead them in
the night.
A large ftraggling Arab town, called fortified, with-
out guns or works, built along the Euphrates; and the
river is as broad here as about London-Bridge; this is
a very proper place to take water for Buffora; but the
Arabs are the moſt impoſing people I ever met.
I ar-
rived alſo at a very diſagreeable time; the Baſhaw of
Bagdat having a war with the neighbouring Arabs, he
had preffed all the boats, and I was detained four days
before I could procure a boat, the fize of a common
canoe, for which I was obliged to pay fifty dollars;
the crew and boat were not worth half the money.
We were 48 hours, 15 minutes from Bagdat, or five
days and one night, and tried jack affes, mules and
horfes, but with light baggage and horfes you may
perform it with eafe in four days.
Q4
It
( 248 )
Miles
It makes the diſtance from Aleppo to Bagdat 466
From Bagdat to Sammeva.
From Sammeva to Baffora by Water
1
151
257
874
874 English Miles, and as H. took a good deal of
pains in computing the distance, he is certain of being
right.
Now with dromedaries and good Arab meffengers,
from Aleppo to Bagdat, they may make the rout with-
out any extraordinary fatigue, in twelve days; and freſh
meffengers at Bagdat, for Sammeva, four; boats ready
there, properly equipped, four to Baffora, allowing fome
detention: fo that in twenty days your expreffes may be
conveyed, and without any extraordinary exertion,
diſpatches of confequence, one this way, and the other
direct over the defert to Bufforah.
Paffage
( 250 )
Paffage from Sammeva, in a long narrow-built boat, like
a canoe, called a Muſhook, with a miferable coxen,
and two boat-men, that could eat rice, mutton, and
ghee, and ſmoke from morning to night. After the
fecond day, finding the crew could not manage the
boat, nor keep her off the banks of the river, I took
charge of her, and with three volunteers I had en-
gaged at Bagdat, my Aleppo fervant, and Indian, we
made ſhift to manage her very well, and the Arabs
were very well fatisfied to remain inactive.
Thurſday the 21st December, at half past ten A.M.
left Sammeva until Friday fix, A.M. is
Friday the 22d ditto, from fix A.M. until Saturday
fix, A.M.
Saturday the 23d ditto, from fix A.M. until eight
P.M. obliged to haul afhore on account of wind
and rain
Sunday 24th ditto, detained by the flood, and freſh
eaſterly winds, ſeven hours
}
Monday the 25th ditto, ftrong flood tides and con-
trary winds, only made
}
Tueſday the 26th, half paſt ten, A.M. until four,
P.M. a fine freſh gale, northerly
}
Hours
(251)
Hours Minutes
Miles
per hour
Miles Courie
19
30
2
39
ESE
24
2/1
60
E by S
ત
13
21
35
Eaft
17
3
51
E by S
15
5
30
94 hours
3
45
SE by E
เด
5
27
S by E
257
Miles
(252)
This paffage is a very extraordinary one, as we did
not advance as faft as the ftream runs, owing to our
apparatus and a bad crew: as the river was not broad,
we were the two first days brought up againſt
the banks of the river, from fide to fide, by which much
time was loft; but a tolerable boat with four oars, and
eight men to ſpell each other, would with eaſe make the
paffage in three days, and part of two nights. In re-
turning from Buffora, it muſt be very difficult in trace-
ing, on account of the banks having many high ſhrubs,
and buſhes, and alſo a great number of openings, cut
by the Arabs, to let the river in and out of their
grounds; this would greatly retard your progrefs, and
I have a very deſpicable opinion of Arabs activity. There
is no flood above thirty miles from Buffora, but in the
fprings, and without the wind is freſh eaſterly, it is not
ftrong, fo that the return meffengers must go by land
from Buffora to Aleppo, but by Bagdat from Aleppo,
if the road is clear to Sammeva, then by water; an
European refident will be neceffary at Bagdat; little
dependence on Armenians, or country fervants.
R. H. found on this rout over the Little Defert of
Arabia, many diſagreeable circumftances that might
have been avoided, had any of the numerous travellers
left their remarks with a friend at Aleppo, which I hope
they will do in future; H. now begins the example, and
as he took fome little pains in obferving how remedies
could be applied to prevent thofe that may follow him,
from getting into a train of difficulties which he experi-
enced, if travellers will only pay a little attention to
the
( 253 )
the following remarks, they may pafs over with ſome
degree of pleaſure, and eaſe the mind, to counterpoize
the fatigues of the body. A fingle gentleman intend-
ing to go via Buffora to the Eaft-Indies with diſpat-
ches, is to obſerve two periods for his proceeding from
England: firſt, if he fets off from the beginning of
Auguft to February, he ought to proceed via Vienna,
Conftantinople, and Aleppo, by land; to Vienna the
poſts are tolerably agreeable, and he can get reft in his
chaife; but from thence to Aleppo will be very fatiguing
to a perfon not accuſtomed to riding, as he muſt travel
the whole way on horſe-back; fo let him confider this
before he fets off, and provide himſelf with a comfort-
able faddle. If he leaves England from the beginning
of March to the laſt of July, he will find at Triefte, Ve-
nice, or Leghorn, a conveyance by fhipping to Cyprus ;
but I must adviſe, that a month, or at leaft a fortnight
before he fet off, he write to Triefte, Venice, and
Leghorn, to a good houſe, defiring they will make in-
quiries at what time the firft veffel is likely to fail for
Cyprus, Alexandria, Alexandretta, or Lathecia, and
if no veffel is yet determined in going there, then de-
fire they will inquire if a fnug veffel can be procured on
freight, directly to Lathechie, or Cyprus, and the terms,
and that they will be as expeditious as poffible to forward
this anfwer to your friend at Vienna, to remain until your
arrival, you will act according to your intelligence;
and fhould it ſo happen that you are early in April, and
there is no appearance of a veffel going, or procuring on
freight at either of the above-mentioned ports, then you
muft not heſitate, but pufh on by land. Your baggage
muft
X
سیله
(254)
muft confiſt of only two middling portmanteaus, and a
port folio letter-cafe for your papers; two good Engliſh
muſkets, and two pair of piſtols for your ſelf, and fer-
vant from Aleppo; if you have more baggage, you will
find it very inconvenient; having the Eaſt-India Com-
pany's protection, you will be affifted by the conful, and
gentlemen, and they will ufe their beſt endeavours to
procure you every neceffary. On your arrival at Alep-
po, requeſt the conful will order fix light camels or dro-
medaries, four Arabs to accompany them, and two of
his beſt meſſengers, with horfes; and if it is the cold
feaſon, hire a horfe for yourſelf, otherwife ride a camel,
and get a proper ſaddle, fitted agreeable to my remarks
to Mr. Robert Abbott, and remember to take ftore of
water from the town; your principal want is a good
linguiſt, he may act alfo as a cook for fuch things as
you may want, the principal part of your diet being
tea and bifcuit, cold tongue, beef, or heating your fried
If your meſſengers are good, they may pre-
vent your falling into any confiderable tribe of Arabs,
who keep a very indifferent look out: and as you muſt
conftantly in the day time keep one of them a mile or
two a head, looking out, and mounting every fwell
that is in your rout, where they can have a clear look
around them; of courſe, if any Arab encampments are
difcovered, it is only altering your rout in time, and mak
ing a circuit round them; have fignals to your advan-
ced meffenger; if he wants you to ftop, let him put his
handkerchief on his fpear, and wave it, until he fees
you ftop, then let him advance to reconnoitre, but be
Careful not to go too near to be perceived; and ſhould
mutton.
his
(255)
his fears turn to bufhes, or fhadows, he may again hoift
his handkerchief on his fpear, and keep it flying as a
flag, until he perceives you begin to advance again;
this is to prevent your lofing more time than is necef-
fary, by waiting for the Arab going backward and for-
ward. Should you diſcover a large encampment of
Arabs a-head, and the defert on each fide quite level,
that it would be difficult to take a circuit without a pro-
bability of their ſeeing you, you had better ftop in
time, and remain till dark, and then you will fee their
fires, and paſs them accordingly; you and your fervant,
or linguift, fhould be well armed, your Arab meffengers
lances and match lock, as alfo your camelliers, making
together eight. Two hours before you expect arrive-
ing at the principal watering places, diſpatch one of
your meffengers forward to reconnoitre, giving him
particular orders to be very circumfpect, and not to
advance too far, until he fees the coaſt clear, and let
him repeat the fignals as before-mentioned, or any
other you may think better; remember always to have
one meffenger near you, for any ſervice you may have
for the horſes and when you have nearly advanced to
the watering place, top your camels until your dif
patched meſſenger makes you the advancing fignal, or
returns to you with an account of what he has ſeen
and if he has difcovered a confiderable tribe of Arabs
encamped, you muſt then confider if you can hold out
for water, until you reach the next place; if you can-
not, then advance with a proper fpirit, keeping clofe
together, and prepared for the worft; always on guard,
but let prudence direct your actions, both with the Arabs
under
(256)
under your command, and alfo to ftrangers. Theſe lat-
ter must never be allowed to come nearer than thirty
yards, and always be careful of permitting them from
falſe pretences, to get within the length of their fpear,
and if they advance, tell them to keep their diſtance,
and by your linguift, whom you muſt let mount the mef-
fengers horfe, let him advance and fpeak to the Arabs
friendlily; firft to inquire where the fheik is; when he
comes, tell him you are a foldier going to Bufforah;
that you have no merchandiſe, or any thing but letters
to your friends, and fome provifions; that you look
upon all the Arabs of the defert as your friends, and
that if you find him fo, you will tender him a pre-
fent; that you defire he will not moleft you in the
watering, and will give orders to his people not to ap-
proach too near your baggage; and to convince him
that what you fay is true, you are ready to allow him
to fend two of his trufty people to look over all the
baggage, and they ſhall be treated kindly. This appears
to me to be the only mode to deal with confiderable
tribes, wherever you may meet them, either on the de-
fert, or at the watering places; act always with ſpirit,
and refolution, keeping prudence for your guide; and
remember before you fet out from Aleppo, to get your
friends there to inform your meffengers, Arabs, and
fervants, that they must on no pretence whatever enter
into difputes, or give bad language to the Arabs you may
meet, if they do, by your linguift informing you
the fame, you will, if the fheick of the tribe requires
it, deliver up the delinquent, to be puniſhed by the
fheicks orders, agreeable to their own cuftoms; this
caution
( 257 )
caution may be of general good, as your fervants under
your protection often act very improperly, from a be-
lief you will take their parts: much depends on your
linguift; firft, that you underſtand each other, and
that he is always careful to explain your orders, and
not confound them with his own notions or prejudice.
"I muſt ſay I have a very low and indifferent opinion of
"the Arabs, however, it would be cruel in me to con-
"demn the whole tribes, on account of thofe few I have
"had dealings with. And I have been credibly in.
"formed by a gentleman who has refided long among
"them, that they have many valuable good qualities,
"intermixed with the bad, and that they are remark-
"able for mercy to their bitter enemies; that they are
"neither cruel, or revengeful. Robbing is their trade
by profeffion; ftill they do not call taking your pro-
perty, robbing, it is only a tax they think their due,
"as proprietors of the defert, and they appear fully
"fatisfied in receiving fmall prefents, which they will
always infift on when they can and it is remarkable,
that after they have robbed you of every thing, go
"immediately and crave their protection, and they will
"cover your nakedneſs, and give you a part of the
"fame fare they have themfelves, and keep you with
"them until they can fet you forward with another
"tribe on your route. When drove to neceffity they will
<<
fight, but chiefly to defend themfelves, for they are
«in all their meaſures very careful of being wounded,
"as the lofs of either man or beaft leffens the confe-
quence of the fheick; fo much for their characters,”
R
The
( 258 )
The above principles of the Arabs make it appear,
that they will always avoid extremes, fo that when your
force is not fufficient to put them at defiance, behave
with fpirit and prudence, and treat with them with arms
in your hand
hand; as they never quit their ſpear, you should
never ground your muſket while they are near you, and
keep your piſtols loaded in your girdle. At Aleppo pro-
vide yourſelf with Arab coats, fugar, and toys proper for
the Arabs, to the amount of one hundred piastres, and
with a few hundred in cafh, you may fatisfy many tribes;
if you have no occafion to give the preſents, you may
always turn them into caſh at Bagdat or Baffora. Theſe
are the hints that occur to me at preſent, and can be
greatly improved on by the gentlemen at Aleppo; and
if every gentleman that either goes or returns over the
defert to Bagdat or Baffora would communicate the
moſt remarkable events he meets with in his route, and
leave them with the chief at Baffora, and conful of
Aleppo, I doubt not but in time the defert will be as
eafily paffed as any of our English forests, heaths, &c.
and lefs liable to collectors than they are. Thefe remarks
are calculated for only one European perfon, if more,
the greater your force, and it is only adding a camel
more, provifion, &c. in proportion; and if a gentle-
man chufes to go in company of a caravan, you have
only to be careful in having a good faddle and Aleppo
water, a horſe in the cold feafon, with a grey hound
and hawk, and you may have courfing every day; the
whole defert being full of hares and rabbits.
Your
( 259 )
Your Aleppo baggage, if you travel expeditiouſly, muſt
confift of the following, and do not upon any account
lumber yourſelf with a fingle unneceffary article.
Half a ſheep
Firſt, a foldiers tent, with two poles eight foot
long, and one ridge pole, with thick canvafs; if not
procurable, then double dungree: this will hold five to
fleep in, and four may fit very well; it will keep out
hard rain, and the dews; fet up and taken down in five
minutes, and carried by a child. With a caravan you
may indulge yourſelf with a bell tent, hanging cot,
camp table, chairs, &c. &c. as you are to have ſome
Arab great coats, they will ſerve you for bed, rug, and
pillows. Rice and bread fufficient for twenty days.
Meat for your camellers and meffengers.
each European, fried down in butter. Some dried
tongues. Corn'd beef. Plenty of coffee, tea and ſugar.
Eggs. Tobacco for yourſelf and Arabs. Lanthorn
and twenty candles, fteel, tinder, and matches. Tea
kettle, coffee pot, rice pot, and frying pan. Drinking
cup. Barley for your horfes. Four ſkins of water, and
two holders. Two large fkins for your horfes water.
You will never be above three days in travelling expe-
ditiouſly, from watering places for your cattle. Vide
journal.
FINI S.
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