THE LIBRARY 
 
 OF 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY 
 
 OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 LOS ANGELES
 
 A VOYAGE 
 UP THE PERSIAN GULF 
 
 AND A JOURNEY 
 
 OVERLAND FROM INDIA 
 
 TO ENGLAND IN 1817
 
 A 
 VOYAGE 
 
 vr 
 
 THE PERSIAN GULF, 
 
 AND A 
 
 JOURNEY OVERLAND 
 FROM INDIA TO ENGLAND, 
 
 IN 1817. 
 
 COVTAIinNO KOTICE8 OF 
 
 ARABIA FELIX, ARABIA DESERTA, PERSIA, MESOPOTAMIA, 
 
 THE GARDEN OF EDEN, BABYLON, BAGDAD, 
 
 KOORDISTAN, ARMENIA, ASIA MINOR, 
 
 ftc. Sec. 
 
 By lieutenant WILLIAM HEUDE, 
 
 OF THE MADRAS MILITARY ESTABLISHMENT. 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 Piiiilfil hy Smhan and SpotdcwooM, I*riiilcn> Street ; 
 
 FOR LONGMAN, HURST, REES, ORME, AND BROWN, 
 
 rATJUMCnVt-MOW. 
 
 1819.
 
 All rights reserved. No part of this 
 publication may be reproduced, stored 
 in a retrieval system, or transmitted 
 in any form or by any means, electronic, 
 miechanical, photocopying, recording, or 
 otherwise without the prior permission of 
 Gregg International Publishers Limited 
 
 Printed from the original in Bath Municipal Library 
 
 ISBN o 576 03324 3 
 
 Republished in 1970 by Gregg International Publishers Limited, 
 VVcstmead, Farnborough. Hants, England 
 
 Printed Offset in England by 
 R. Kingshott & Co. Ltd., Aldershot, Hants.
 
 TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE 
 
 THE EARL FITZWILLIAM, 
 
 ^. ^. 4^ 
 
 My Lord, 
 
 On mv return overland from India, in the happy and 
 peaceful leisure I enjoyed under the hospitable roof of 
 the kind protector of my youth, the arrangement of the 
 notes I had taken on my travels was first suggested by 
 yourself, and by those learned friends whose acquaint- 
 ance, with many favours, I am proud to hold at Yoiu* 
 Lordship's hands. 
 
 Had I therefore no previous obligations to acknow- 
 ledge, a work that owes its birth to the condescending 
 encouragement I then received, would naturally belong 
 to the generous friend who brought me up, and to whom, 
 
 3014192
 
 IV DEDICATION. 
 
 with my kind aunt, Lady Charlotte Wentworth, I am 
 indebted for those advantages which I enjoy. 
 
 I shall not weary Your Lordship with the expression 
 of that gratitude which lives within my breast, for as my 
 thanks can but ill express the tribute of my heart, so in 
 the placid and contented serenity of Your Lordship's 
 demeanour, the pleasing recollections attendant on a life 
 devoted to every good and every honourable purpose 
 may easily be traced, as its own, and most assured 
 reward. 
 
 May that happiness. My Lord, be continued to the 
 latest moment : the proud consciousness of inborn worth, 
 would I know sooth the trial, if it were crossed with ad- 
 versity. But that Your Lordship's happiness and health, 
 with those of your amiable family, may prove as constant 
 and permanent as your virtues have deserved, shall ever 
 be felt the first, and most sincere wish, of 
 
 Your Lordship's 
 
 Most obedient 
 
 And obliged humble servant, 
 
 W. HEUDE.
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 As this is the first time of my adventuring myself on the opinion of 
 the public, I am not exactly aware of the degree of importance that 
 can entitle a work to the advantages of a proemial discourse ; it is, 
 therefore, more in deference to my readers than to the work itself, 
 I esteem it necessary to premise, that a simple introduction is the end 
 I have in view: whilst in the following pages, a plain narration of facts 
 must have been my only purpose, had I consulted my own inclin- 
 ations in describing what I have seen. 
 
 Amongst the indulgent friends, however, whose kind encourage- 
 ment suggested the undertaking, a very great variety of feelings o^ 
 interest and curiosity, has led me to extend my views ; as I found I 
 could not otherwise have embraced their different tastes, or satisfied 
 their favourite enquiries. 
 
 A presumption, of which I feel the weight, whenever I diverge 
 from the direct course I had originally laid down for the arrangement 
 of my notes, will, I trust, therefore, meet with some indulgence ; for 
 if I have soared above my strength, it has only been in my anxiety to 
 please. Bred in camps from my fifteenth year, I should not other- 
 wise have ventured on the most distant approach to learned dis- 
 quisition or historical relation : I hope, however, that where I have 
 transgressed the bounds of my own diffidence, I shall not be found, on
 
 y| PREFACE. 
 
 the whole, entirely incorrect. I have endeavoured to compensate the 
 want of erudite knowledge, by the assiduousness of my researches. 
 
 I performed the journey entirely alone, and under some disadvan- 
 tage$, at a period when it was attended with additional hazards and 
 di£5culties from the turbulence of the times ; but when these disad- 
 vantages (as I must think) were amply compensated by the interest 
 that belongs to one of those great struggles for authority, which it so 
 seldom falls to the province of the traveller to witness and relate. In 
 the preparation of my materials, I have been equally without assistance ; 
 though I have availed myself of the best information I could obtain, 
 whenever it has been conformable to my own observations ; but never 
 otherwise. I advance few things, I believe, with confidence, that are 
 not thus supported ; whilst, on the other hand, I trust I may avoid the 
 mention of whatever I cannot personally vouch for, without incurring 
 the imputation of absolute ignorance or neglect. 
 
 In some parts of the following work, I may perhaps be thought to 
 contradict myself, when I venture to report what was said to me in 
 the Arabic, — a language, I must confess, I do not understand. It is re- 
 quisite, therefore, I should premise, that I was generally accompanied 
 by an Arab servant, who spoke Hindoostanee with considerable 
 fluency ; and that, as I had previously amused myself at times by 
 looking over my Persian vocabulary, I devoted the five months I 
 spent in these provinces to the acquirement of the little Turkish I 
 might require in cases of emergency. It was very little, most cer- 
 tainly, that I could, afler all, boast of knowing of either of these 
 languages : their afHnity to the Hindoostanee is not unknown ; but to 
 the philologist it may be a matter of some interest to be informed, 
 that it was in Koordistan I found my Hindoostanee of the greatest 
 use ; one half or three-fourths of the proper names of things, in par-
 
 PREFACE. yii 
 
 ticular, being very similar in both these dialects. That they are 
 derived from the same root is beyond a doubt, and that the ear of 
 the traveller is often assisted by the presence of the object that is 
 named, may equally be allowed ; the fact, however, still remains the 
 same ; and without any direct intercourse, or immediate connection of 
 origin or history we are positively acquainted with, the Eoordish is 
 to the full as similar to the Hindoostanee as the Persian has generally 
 been esteemed. 
 
 THE TRAVELLER. 
 
 Bat me, not destined such delights to share, 
 My prime of life in wandering spent and care ; 
 Impell'd with steps unceasing to pursue 
 Some fleeting good, that mocks me with the view : 
 That, like the circle bounding earth and skies. 
 Allures from far, yet, as I follow, flies; 
 My fortunes lead to traverse realms alone. 
 And find no spot of all the world my own.
 
 CONraNTS. 
 
 CHAP. I. 
 
 Introductory. — Observations on the present State of Malabar, and the Changes cflPected 
 in the Condition of the Natives by the Establishment of British Authority. — Advantages 
 and Evils attendant on the Change, &c. &c. Page i 
 
 CHAP. II. 
 
 Departure from Cannauore, Indian Pattamars. — Mangalore, Cadree Hills, Ancient Cells 
 and remarkable Caves : inflexible Character of the Hindoo Anchorite ; Danger of Inter- 
 ference. — Onore, Contai, Sedasseerghur, Goa, Geria, and Bombay ; present State of 
 that Establishment, &c. &c. 9 
 
 CHAP. III. 
 
 Departure from Bombay, Coast of Arabia Felix, Devil's Gap, Maskat, Excursion into the 
 Interior, dangerous Situation of the Ship. — Voyage up the Gulf, Mutiny on board, 
 Ormus, the Pirates, Madness of our Captain. — Arrival at Busheer, Observations made 
 there; Karrack; Pearl Fishery; Arrival at Bussora: its present State, &c &c. 17 
 
 CHAP. IV. 
 
 Departure from Bussora. — Voyage up the Shat ul Arab. — Koma. — The Garden of 
 Eden. — Tlie Euphrates. — ITiree Weeks' Residence amongst the Bedooins. — Occur- 
 rences in the Desert, and on the Road. — Wassut and Hye. — Meeting with the Arabian 
 Army ; the Order of their March described. — Conduct of my Turk. — Arrival on the 
 Site of Babylon. 52 
 
 CHAP. V. 
 
 Babylon, Observations on its former State and present Nothingness. — Occurrences on the 
 Road to Bagdad. — Seleucia. — Ctesiphon. — Canals. — Ruins. — Arrival at Bagdad. 
 
 92
 
 C0NTKNT8. 
 
 CHAP. VI. 
 
 Arabia, Features of the Country; Dangers and Illusions of the Desert. — The Bedooins; 
 their Character, Manners, Customs, Nobility, Treatment of Women, &c. &c. — Remarks 
 on the Camel and the Arabian Horse; its Fitness for our Cavalry investigated. Page 116 
 
 CHAP. VII. 
 
 Summary Review of the History of Bagdad, as a Pashalik of the Turkish Empire, from the 
 Year 1638 (being the 1048 of the Hegira); when it was retaken from the Persians by 
 Sultan Amurat : continued to the present Day. 138 
 
 CHAP. VIII. 
 
 Prdiminary Observations. — Occurrences at Bagdad during our Stay. — Progress of the 
 Siege.— Deposition and Death of Sayud Pasha. — Our Introduction to Daood EfFendi. 
 
 — Description of the City, Government, Manners, characteristic Anecdotes, &c. &c. 
 
 160 
 
 CHAP. IX. 
 
 Departure from Bagdad. — Journey into the Mountains of Koordistan. — Remarkable 
 Pass into the Valley of Sullimaney. — Adventures on the Road. — Robbers. — Fight- 
 Retreat of Heraclius through Koordistan. — Rivers. — Descent into the Plain. — 
 IKoeesinjak. — Koordish Manners, Character, and Customs. — Arrival at Erbil. — 
 Ceremony of opening and reading the Imperial Firman, and Proclamation of Daood 
 Effendi. — Karakoosh ; and Arrival at MosuL 189 
 
 CHAP. X. 
 
 Moaol; traces of ancient Nineveh, &c.&c. — Present State of this City and its Inhabitants. 
 
 — Journey across the small Desert to Nisibin, and Occurrences on the Road. — Nisibin 
 famous in the History of the Roman Wars. — Cassir Jehan ; Dara. — Arrival at Merdin. 
 
 — Obfervations made there. — A short Account of the 2^zidees or Devil-worshippers. 
 
 217 
 
 CHAP. XI. 
 Merdin to Constantinople, and Occurrences on the Road. 280
 
 VOYAGE 
 
 UP 
 
 THE PERSIAN GULF. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 INTRODDCTORY. — OBSERVATIONS ON THE PRESENT STATE OF MALABAR, AND THK 
 CHANGES EFFECTED IN THE CONDITION OF THE NATIVES BT tHE ESTABLISHMENT OF 
 BRITISH AUTHORITY. — ADVANTAGES AND EVILS ATTENDANT ON THE CHANGE, &C. &C> 
 
 A TRAVELLER is sometimes allowed to speak of himself; and as 
 some of my readers will be apt to blame the choice of a journey over- 
 land, and to prefer the snug cabin and complete accommodations of 
 an Indiaman, to the desert and an Arab pad ; it may not be amiss to 
 premise: That having entered the army at fifteen, and served a 
 rough probation of thirteen years, I felt equal to an undertaking, 
 which is commonly supposed to require a considerable degree of 
 physical hardiness. The times, indeed, were extremely favourable ; 
 and the last argument of princes having for once been attended with 
 salutary effects, I commenced the journey under the auspices of a 
 general peace, and nearly general tranquillity. Whenever the like 
 coincidence of times and circumstances, of habits and inclinations, 
 shall arise ; I trust the following representation of men and manners, 
 of countries, and the peculiar incidents of a journey overland, will 
 be allowed, at the worst, the humble merit of a strict adherence to 
 truth, and fidelity of narration. 
 
 B
 
 2 MALABAR. 
 
 My regiment was stationed at Cannanore at the time I obtained 
 my furlough ; I shall therefore begin my journal with such cursory 
 observations on the present state of Malabar, and the condition of its 
 inhabitants under our government, as will not, I trust, entirely fail 
 in conveying to others, the interest I personally feel. I write, indeed, 
 only as I feel, noticing those objects especially that have peculiarly 
 attracted my attention. 
 
 Malabar, the usual appellation of the western coast of the penin- 
 sula, though its parts are more particularly distinguished, is a country 
 too well known and too often described, to render a hasty deline- 
 ation acceptable to the well-informed. Its romantic beauties, its 
 wealth, fertility, and general importance ; its lofty mountains, fruit- 
 ful valleys, and populous towns ; might indeed deserve, and would 
 abundantly assist, the highest descriptive powers of the pencil or the 
 pen. Nature throughout, it would indeed appear, has been too 
 much lost in the mightiness of the work, to spare a moment in soft- 
 ening the stroke that marks sublimity. The mountain towers above 
 the cloud, the abysm sinks into a fearful giddy depth. The loftiest 
 wood crowns the boldest clift ; the chasm frowns, and the cataract, 
 rushing impetuously, threatens destruction to the smiling vale that 
 opens its bosom to receive its spell-bound, and now sportive streams. 
 Watered by the mountain-rivulet, and diversified by every variety of 
 landscape, the country below the Ghaut presents an aspect as smiling 
 and delightful as the other is sublime ; a genial clime completes the 
 perfection of the whole ; and if the rains are peculiarly severe, it 
 must be allowed, the extremes of heat and cold are commonly more 
 moderate than in equal or superior latitudes. 
 
 Possessed of these advantages, and enriched by the variety and 
 abundance of its productions, a considerable trade promotes the ge- 
 neral industry ; and the revenues of Malabar, have accordingly been 
 calculated to be more than adequate to the expenses of its civil 
 and military establishments. Whilst, however, so many, and more 
 accurate sources of information must be acknowledged to exist; 
 it will, I trust, be allowed, the detail may be omitted, in favour of
 
 CHRISTIANS OF MALABAR. $ 
 
 a cursory review of those changes, which have been the conse- 
 quence of its original transfer, and present subjection to the British 
 authority. 
 
 The Malabar coast, once the scene of the proudest successes of 
 Portugal ; is still inhabited by a motley race, the descendants of the 
 motley progeny that claim an ambidextrous title to the honor of this 
 once mighty name. Of these it may generally be observed, as of the 
 native Christians of Malabar in general, that they are not quite so des- 
 picable and profligate a race, as their brethren of the other coast have 
 frequently been regarded. Indeed, a general aptitude to improvement 
 appears throughout their character ; and if the persecutions they once 
 endured be candidly considered, we may discern in that degree of 
 I activity which they now display, the natural and unrepressed conse- 
 I quences of a change of government and more assured security. It 
 is not, however, from any established respectability of character* 
 or from its numbers, that this doubtful race has acquired a prior 
 claim to our attention ; the distinction is only due to the more per- 
 ceptible effects of a change, that may eventually be attended with 
 the most important consequences and improvements. The state of 
 this, (and it is certainly a fast increasing] portion of the population, 
 may evidently be deserving of the attention of the legislature ; it 
 may approve itself eventually the fountain or the poison of our 
 strength ; but as the enquiry is beyond my present purpose, I shall 
 I content myself with marking the change. 
 
 In India, where religion has been rendered subservient to the 
 purposes of an artful policy ; where the book that inculcates par- 
 ticular doctrines equally regulates the conduct of man in the most 
 common offices of society ; where the Koran or the Vedahs, and the 
 commentaries on both, contain the only rule of faith, the only law of 
 inheritance, and of civil and criminal jurisprudence ; where religion, 
 climate, and prejudice, combine for the stability of the work; it 
 might naturally be supposed, that a change of masters, and the intro- 
 duction of a foreign polity, could scarcely have been productive o£ 
 those alterations which I think we may discern. We have seen*
 
 4 NAIRS. 
 
 where a neighbouring country was subdued; that the conqueror, 
 gradually adopting, and imperceptibly assimilating himself to the 
 manners and habits of his more polished subjects, became in time 
 identified and lost, in the superior numbers of the subdued, and the 
 controlling influence of a superior policy. The Chinese, however, it 
 must be allowed, were always a more civilized nation than their 
 Tartarian conquerors. With ourselves, from the beginning, it was 
 certainly the reverse ; as I believe it will be acknowledged, that we 
 entered India with those advantages, of lights more extended and 
 improved, which secured us the ascendance in arts and manners, as 
 well as in arms. Whilst in India, therefore, the natural tendency of 
 a change of government, in respect to the manners and habits of the 
 population, may have been assisted by the paramount influence of a 
 superior nation and more cultivated race ; it is only in Malabar, 
 perhaps, that the effect is fully visible, and beyond the cavils of 
 scepticism itself. 
 
 Throughout the British possessions in Malabar, the lordly Nam- 
 boory no longer rules it (as has so often been described), the arbiter 
 of fate. The injured patient supplicating Teear, no longer shrinks 
 abashed from the stern gaze of his oppressor ; nor falls beneath his 
 ruthless arm, for the venial transgression, of having encountered, or 
 profaned by contact, this sacred personage. The haughty Mahomedan 
 no longer reaps with the cimeter, to recruit his armies or to propa- 
 gate his faith ; but, protected by an equal rule, a simple peaceful 
 race enjoys the fruits of its labours in tranquillity, and is insensibly 
 acquiring that share of wealth and consideration, which it so well 
 deserves. Whilst the Nair, therefore, (who shrinks from an intimate 
 connection with Europeans, as from pollution itself, ) is gradually 
 retiring to the more peaceful labours of the fields, and progressively 
 withdrawing himself from the vicinity of our settlements ; whilst the 
 Mussleman is restrained in the exuberance of his pride, the inferior 
 casts, it may be observed, generally improving in their condition, 
 stimulated to exertion by security, and rising into comparative 
 affluence, no longer brook those invidious and outward distinctions, 
 which so long denoted their inferior consequence and abject state.
 
 INFERIOR CASTS. 5 
 
 The Nair has not lost much in being restrained in the violent and 
 sanguinary assertion of his privileges ; and still less, though it may 
 mortify his pride, in sharing with others those honorary dis- 
 tinctions, he had once esteemed peculiar to himself Still exalted 
 above the common race, and secured in his eminence by those rules 
 that forbid intermarriages with an inferior cast, he enjoys a share of 
 personal consideration, which, if he seeks it, may often lead to wealth 
 and the highest offices. In the accumulation and display of this 
 wealth, in common with the inferior casts, the Mahomedans, and the 
 Moplars, he is no longer restrained by the prudential consideration 
 of its insecurity ; and accordingly it may generally be observed, that 
 as this security is felt, (giving life to industry and spirit to exertion,) 
 a considerable degree of political liberty has been introduced (in 
 respect to the superior classes) at the cost only of greater personal 
 restraint. On the effects of this change, of this increase of civil 
 freedom, at the expense of personal liberty, and as it affects public 
 opinion or individual feeling, it is difficult to speak. The hour of 
 adversity, perhaps, may solve the doubt ; but until it arrives, we may 
 safely conclude, that whilst the man of wealth and the inferior orders 
 rejoice in their security, the disaffected are chiefly those who, in the 
 contrast, feel the distinctions of their birth abridged, without having 
 arrived at that consideration which affluence so commonly bestows. 
 To these, the road to wealth is still open and secure ; they may still 
 pursue the path with very superior advantages : but, as they cannot 
 so readily assimilate, they naturally feel degraded by that equal rule, 
 which, (protecting all and overlooking particular distinctions,) they 
 frequently arraign, as wanting in vigour and efficiency. 
 
 That the perfection of our civil establishment, is far below the 
 eminence which our military system has attained, is what I believe I 
 may venture to assert, without deserving the imputation of partiality. 
 Its defects, however, and the complaints which its imperfections may 
 justify, should not in candour be attributed to any want of zeal or ability 
 in those who are employed in this department. The civil servants of the 
 Company, (I speak of the establishment in general,) with the advan-
 
 5 CIVIL GOVERNMENT. 
 
 tages of a superior and finished education, are frequently remarkable 
 for their zeal, their application, and their industry. That exceptions 
 may exist, where a lucrative situation and duty cannot arouse from a 
 most shameful indolence, and stimulate to exertion, is a melancholy 
 truth which I think we must allow. As this is not however the 
 natural, though it may become the forced character, of this respect- 
 able body, I believe we shall find the solution in the comparative 
 imperfection and general insufficiency of the government they admi- 
 nister, and the system they dispense. To what else can it be owing, I 
 would demand, that whilst every thing which may depend on our mili- 
 tary power is readily achieved, there should be so much wanting, so 
 much undone, and so many improvements necessary to the interior 
 perfection of our civil establishments? From whence do the difficulties 
 of the collection so frequently arise ? Whence is it, that the cultivator 
 so oft forsakes his fields, and refuses to cultivate ? Whence the daily 
 necessity of calling in the aid, or requiring the presence of a military 
 force, to insure the collection of the revenues, and the payments 
 that are due by the zemindars ? Who, that has visited the civil 
 stations, and beheld the crowds of naked wretches huddled together 
 in their melancholy gaols, breathing a pestiferous atmosphere, could 
 for a moment suppose, that the want of a police is still a general and 
 a just subject of complaint ? He indeed, that had beheld these things, 
 and numbered those thousands throughout India, who are doomed to 
 chains and manacles ; might believe that delinquency itself had been 
 rooted from the face of the earth, and removed (for the advantage 
 of mankind] to these melancholy abodes. The picture is not exag- 
 gerated, it is a faithful likeness ; and whilst such things are, if the 
 fault is not in the agent, we may justly attribute these imperfections 
 to the government itself. Peace, and security from foreign invasions, 
 are indeed the great advantages the Company's possessions have 
 obtained ; but these we owe to the vigour of our military policy, tq 
 the efficiency o£ our military establishments, and to tJhe success ot 
 our arms.
 
 MILITARY EFFICIENCY. 7 
 
 The greater perfection of our military system in India, arises from 
 its simplicity, its unity, and greater vigour of action and execution. 
 In all these requisites, our civil rule and civil polity, may be 
 esteemed deficient. It must, however, be recollected, that our 
 military system is original and self-derived, uncorrupted in the 
 practice, by the introduction of any eastern theory ; unshackled in 
 the execution, by the tolerance of any local prejudice of controlling 
 influence. Our interior civil polity from the beginning, was grounded 
 on a les3 assured foundation ; and as a total change in the military 
 system is more easily effected, than any general alteration in the civil 
 departments of the state, so in India, in particular, it became neces- 
 sary to assimilate, and to conform the practice, to those received 
 opinions, and to that general feeling, which custom, religion, and 
 prejudice, had combined to perpetuate. Our civil regulations, 
 accordingly, frequently betray the confusion, of an heterogeneous 
 mass of crude materials ; equally wanting in simplicity and con- 
 sistency of selection, in unity, vigour, and efficiency. In some 
 districts, the amount of the collection is regulated by the produce 
 of the earth, and varies accordingly ; in others, it is fixed. In 
 some provinces it is paid immediately to the collector ; in others, 
 through the zemindar. The practice of our civil courts is equally 
 uncertain and incomplete, varying in its forms and slow in its effects ; 
 the Koran, the Vedahs, and the commentaries on both, are equally 
 esteemed as the rule of judgment ; and are again modified by special 
 regulations, and the paramount superiority of our code in criminal 
 affairs. The result may be surmised. Where simplicity and unity of 
 action are essentially requisite, the police is equally wanting in 
 vigour and effect ; whilst justice (naturally slow in the process) is 
 frequently arraigned, as tardy in its operations, beyond the advantages 
 of a competent redress. 
 
 In speaking of those changes that have attended the perfect esta- 
 blishment of a foreign government, and a change of masters, I have 
 confined myself to Malabar and the western coast ; in attempting the 
 ])arallel, however, that was necessary to the understanding of the
 
 g EFFECT OF CHANGE. 
 
 feeling which these alterations have produced ; I have taken a partial 
 view of British India in general, to avoid the invidiousness of those 
 particular applications that might, though unintended, have been 
 assumed. The picture, I trust, is neither forced, nor easily mis- 
 understood ; as the enquiry (however pursued), may justly be 
 esteemed of greater importance and interest, than a bare detail of 
 facts, or a mere diary of events.
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 DEPARTURE FROM CANNANORE, INDIAN PATTAMARS. — MANOALORE, CADREE HllJ..-., AN- 
 cient cells and remarkable caves: inflexible character of the hindoo 
 anchorite; danger of intekferen(i;. — ONORE, CONTAI, seedassekrghur, goa, 
 geria, and bombay; pre.sknt s latl of that establishment, &c. &c. 
 
 1 HE violence of the monsoon in Malabar has commonly abated by 
 the end of August or the middle of September ; and it was in Sep- 
 tember that I took my passage on board a wretched pattamar, pro- 
 ceeding to Mangalore. An Indian pattamar, is perhaps of all 
 others, the most miserable, noisome bark that sails the seas. It is 
 usually seasoned with quantities of rancid oil, covered with half- 
 putrid salt fish, and affords no shelter beyond a few cajans, that 
 are carelessly disposed to form a roof The future traveller may 
 however, comfort himself with the certainty, that other opportunities 
 are seldom wanting, if he has only the patience to wait for them. 
 As this happened not to be my case, 1 suffered accordingly ; was 
 drenched incessantly for fourteen hours, and after encountering a 
 storm, that broke our yard and destroyed our rigging, arrived at 
 Mangalore. 
 
 Beyond what may have been said of it, by former travellers, 
 Mangalore at present is chiefly to be noticed, as the principal em- 
 porium of any direct trade that is carried on from the Persian Gulf 
 to the dependencies of Madras. A great proportion of the Arabian 
 and Persian horses from Bussora and Busheer, which are intended 
 for that establishment, and the peninsula in general, are commonly 
 landed at Mangalore ; a few of those rejected in the Bombay market 
 are also imported ; whilst the Dekan in general, and its north- 
 em provinces, are usually supplied through the medium of that 
 presidency. A few bags of dates, copper from Diarbekir, pearls, and 
 Turkois, are also brought ; and a direct intercourse subsisting with 
 
 c
 
 10 CADREE HILLS. 
 
 Bombay and the northern ports, Mangalore may be esteemed a 
 convenient point of departure, on account of the various facilities 
 which it affords. 
 
 The Cadree hills, and its caves, are the only objects deserving the 
 notice of the traveller : the pagoda, which marks the holiness of the 
 spot, is situated at the bottom of the hill, and provided with a 
 number of tanks, for the performance of the necessary ablutions. On 
 the ascent, and to the left of the road, a fountain issues from the 
 rock, and pours forth a considerable stream of the purest water ; 
 beyond this, and on the right, we passed a number of small caves or 
 cells, which in their days had each their holy man, whose name 
 they still retain. A narrow well on the summit of the hill was the 
 next remarkable spot we visited ; remarkable, not in itself, but on 
 account of the strange fancy a devotee once indulged, of suspending 
 himself above its brink for near thirty years ; the only relaxation 
 this miserable enthusiast allowed himself, was the occasional resting 
 of his foot upon the rocks ; and certainly the print which it has 
 worn sufficiently marks his perseverance and fanaticism, as it must 
 have been the work of many years. The extreme summit is occu- 
 pied by a number of small pagodas or cells, that are built of stones, and 
 that are each eight or ten feet square ; it is below these, and half-way 
 round the hill, that the principal cave has been excavated. It con- 
 sists of two small apartments, besides recesses, that are joined by a 
 short low passage, and entered by a narrow door. The Bramins 
 informed us, that an inner and much larger cave had been closed up 
 by the collector, some twenty years before, on account of the tigers 
 and other wild animals it frequently concealed. An inspection of 
 the rock convinced us to the contrary, and we retired as assured of 
 this, as amused with the extravagance of their assertions regarding 
 one of the passages ; which they informed us would lead to the 
 famed Benares. The wily Bramin, in this, however, was perfectly 
 correct ; the passage would lead to Benares, though it is a distance of 
 many hundred miles : but any other semi-elliptical passage, with an 
 entrance at either extremity, would do the same.
 
 HINDOO DEVOTEES. n 
 
 Tlie Brarains are fond of allegory and obscure allusions that are ca- 
 pable of various interpretations, exciting wonder without violating 
 truth ; they are frequently unable to solve the metaphor, and adopt it 
 in a literal sense ; but I believe a number of the wonders they relate, 
 might be explained with equal facility. The spot I have described, 
 is in my opinion chiefly deserving of attention, on account of the 
 picture which we may form from it, of the manners and habits of the 
 extraordinary community that must once have occupied those narrow 
 cells, of which an ancient venerable Biragie is now the only tenant who 
 pretends to superior sanctity. He came, as he informed us, from Be- 
 nares, and had in his youth been a soldier of some celebrity ; he had 
 viewed the pomp of war, and had reposed beneath the shadow of the 
 spear ; he felt pleased in the relation, and age, that had unnerved his 
 strength, had scarcely extinguished the lightning of his eye. His 
 figure was commanding and dignified, and near a hundred summers 
 had blanched his venerable locks. Holy was his calling, and sacred was 
 the spot : fancy could scarce have dwelt in more romantic scenes. 
 
 The penances, which our Hindoo devotees frequently impose upon 
 themselves, to obtain superior sanctity, or to expiate some venial or 
 imaginary sin, have been frequently described, but never (if I may 
 judge from my own knowledge) exaggerated in the relation of the 
 miseries they patiently endure when urged by the spirit of religious 
 fanaticism. At our own presidency, it is generally known, that a 
 Faqueer was formerly exhibited, whose clenched fist upheld above 
 his head, had at last become so fixt in this attitude, that his arm could 
 never again be brought to resume its natural position ; whilst his nails 
 had actually grown through the palm of his hand, and encircled his 
 uplifted arm down to the elbow. At the great pagoda of Jaggurnaut, 
 I have also seen the Hindoo devotee stretched at his length on a 
 plank thickly studded with iron spikes, the points of which formed 
 the surface his body rested on. Another enthusiast I once met in 
 my travels, was measuring his length from Benares to Jaggurnaut, a 
 distance of 600 miles ; he had been three years on the journey, and 
 had only advanced 100 miles within the year in this laborious exer- 
 cise ; a friend of mine having met him on his road some months before. 
 
 c 2
 
 12 HINDOO DEVOTEES. 
 
 They frequently expire in the endurance of these unnatural severities ; 
 and I have heard of one, released much against his will when Colonel 
 Harcourt took Cuttack, who had for twenty years been incarcerated in 
 a small cell of masonry, only four feet high and two feet broad. Such 
 is the spirit of a religion which our missionaries, with their pigmy 
 strength, are endeavouring to overturn. Words, in fact, cannot ex- 
 press the patience that is displayed in these voluntary expiations. 
 We may turn away with disgust from those mistaken unnatural prin- 
 ciples, which give occasion to the vow ; but it is impossible not to 
 admire the firm resolution that is evinced in its fulfilment. When 
 therefore these assuming and meddling intruders, many of whom are 
 sprung from the lowest ranks of society, and are a disgrace to the 
 calling which they profess, can display an equal degree of fortitude 
 and faith in expiating their own transgressions, then, and not be- 
 fore, may their labours in the vineyard be attended with success. 
 Extended on his bed of iron, for years immovably fixed in the 
 most uneasy position he can assume, the Hindoo devotee will until 
 then maintain the superiority of the atonement he imposes upon 
 himself; and, in utter derision, will boldly urge the test. Are they 
 prepared for the trial ? With all their professions, will they abide the 
 chanoe? or stand by the responsibility incurred, when religious 
 frenzy shall burst asunder the bonds of opinion, and India shall be 
 lost? The strong hold of our government in the East is religious 
 tolerance; our conduct in this respect being frequently compared 
 with that of the Mahomedans and the Portuguese ; and shall we lose 
 the advantage of the comparison ? Shall we embrace the pillars of 
 our strength to shake the edifice to the ground ; to destroy the work 
 that is the glory of our times? Our religion certainly inculcates the 
 obligation of endeavouring to convert to xcays of righteousucnH and 
 peace; but the argument (if an argument were intended) might 
 rest upon these grounds : That, in point of fact, the attempt at con- 
 version in India is only productive of the most opposite results ; 
 the outcast, embracing the mysteries of our faith, only that he may 
 indulge with the greater freedom in those vices and corruptions, which 
 are more especially forbidden by his own stricter rules.
 
 HINDOO DEVOTEES. 13 
 
 On the 3d of October, having fortunately joined company with an 
 old acquaintance, we engaged for our passage on board a large pat- 
 tamar, proceeding on a coasting voyage to 15on)bay ; taking the 
 precaution of specifying the time when she '.vas to sail, the ports she 
 was allowed to visit, and the length of her stay at each ; a precaution 
 indispensable on all occasions of the kind, to avoid unnecessary 
 delays. On the evening of the 4th, we left ]\hingalore, in virtue of 
 our caution, as it was very certainly against the owner's will, who 
 only wished to profit at our expense. On the 7th we encountered a 
 brisk gale during the night, and were drenched to the skin of course. 
 Having passed Onore, a station tor one company, on the 8th, we 
 landed at Contai, a considerable town, formerly the residence of a 
 judge ; here we met the conservator of the forrests. Major Gilbert, 
 of the IJombay establishment, who entertained us with that liberal 
 hospitality which, (though natural to this gentleman,) I am proud to 
 say, is the virtue of our climes. He was on his tour to select timber 
 ibr the C'ompany. who pay several agents for this purpose along this 
 coast, where the very iinest teak in India is to he procured. Living 
 almost constantly in the jungle, to superintend every thing himself, 
 and scarcely c^ c r cheered with the company of his countrymen, this 
 gentleman is one of the many who have sacrificed their health, with 
 every other comlbrt, to the discharge of an important trust. I am 
 sorry to say, however, when speaking of such liberal masters as ours 
 have commonly proved themselves, that his services have not met 
 with an adequate reward. His emoluments altogether are not above 
 a tburth of the stipend allowed to civilians holding the like appoint- 
 ments ; though most certainly, as the duties are the same, and his 
 exertions perhaps the most active and well-directed of the whole, he 
 may be esteemed, beyond a doubt, the most profitable servant the 
 Company can boast in that immediate line. 
 
 On the 11th we passed Seedasseerghur, a small fort, garrisoned by a 
 company : this is our frontier station • on this coast ; the intermediate 
 
 • It was the frontier station of the Madras establishment, when the author left India; 
 within a few months after his departure, the greater part of Cocan has been subdued.
 
 14 GO A. — BOMBAY. 
 
 space between this and Bombay belonging in general to other powers. 
 On the 12th we made Goa, once the capital of a mighty empire. 
 It had risen, by valour and enterprise, in the brightest era of the 
 dominion and fame of Portugal ; it fell, through the corruption of 
 sloth and luxury, during the reign of superstition. It now contains 
 more priests than soldiers, more churches than battlements ; no 
 merchants, no trade, no manufactures ; though pride and bigotry 
 enough to serve half the world besides. And we ought to keep it in 
 our remembrance, that as we have risen by the like virtues, so we may 
 fall, whenever we shall become equally base and degenerate. May it 
 exist for ever in its present state, as a beacon to warn us from the 
 rock ; as the light to merit in the path of honour; and as the check 
 to the assumptions of power, in the arbitrary distribution of unmerited 
 favors, or in withholding just rewards ! The glory of Portugal was 
 levelled with the dust as soon as the simple virtues of a military life 
 were neglected ; and when the corrupt influence of wealth and pa- 
 tronage became too great ; and so may ours be, even though super- 
 stition and bigotry should refuse their aid, or be repelled by the 
 spirit of a religion that is only established on the conviction of the 
 mind. Malwase, Gerriaghur, and Baucote, were the only other re- 
 markable stations that we made in our course ; on the 16th we 
 reached Bombay. 
 
 Bombay, is one of those settlements, of which the situation, limits, 
 antiquities, and climate, are so well known, that a description of it 
 here would be entirely misplaced. There is another view of the 
 subject, however, that may not be entirely without the charms of 
 interest and novelty. It is the review of its former state only a few 
 years since, with the comparison of the actual importance it lias now 
 attained. So lately back as 1764, it is described by a learned fo- 
 reigner, as a place that had risen very considerably within the twenty 
 preceding years ; its population having increased within that time, 
 firom about 70 to 140 thousand souls : it now contains full double 
 this last amount ; Bombay, Madras, and Calcutta, holding the pro- 
 portions of 3, 4, and 6, towards each other in this respect. At
 
 STRENGTH OF BRITISH INDIA. 15 
 
 that period, according to the same anthority, the Company main- 
 tained 17 companies of foot, 3 companies of artillery, and 3,000 
 sepoys on the island itself, for the service of Bombay, and its de- 
 pendencies along the coast ; the whole of this force being then com- 
 manded by an officer who held no higher rank than that of major ; 
 and was only allowed the third voice in council, on those subjects 
 that were connected with military affairs. At the present day, under 
 the command of a general officer, and with several major-generals 
 and brigadiers under him, the Bombay army includes 18 regular 
 battalions, with the requisite proportion of Europeans, artillery, 
 cavalry, and pioneers ; and without the late additions, or the enumer- 
 ation of those regiments that belong more particularly to the King, 
 though equally maintained by the Company. In 1764, there were 
 10 small cruizers belonging to the establishment, for the service of 
 the coast ; we have now 18 of a superior size, notwithstanding some 
 late reductions ; and might increase this number almost to any extent, 
 either from our trade, which could abundantly supply the means 
 of any sudden outfit, or from our docks, that have lately produced 
 vessels of a most perfect and durable construction, capable of 
 mounting 70 or 80 guns. Such has been the rapid advance of 
 this single establishment, the smallest and least important by far of 
 the three we hold ; the other two are not yet on the decline : a truth, 
 which a population of fifty millions of obedient and industrious sub- 
 jects, a well-disciplined and gallant army of 200,000 men, and a fleet 
 mounting 3795 guns in the immediate service of the Company, will 
 readily confirm. 
 
 Such are the improvements that have taken place within the last 
 fifty years ; such is the present aspect of our strength, when com- 
 pared with its former state : the picture may bear the outward stamp 
 of the vain boastfulness of pride ; but our Indian possessions have 
 indeed attained that eminence, wherein they may trust their peace 
 and security to that open display of our might, which shall repress the 
 aspiring hopes of our enemies, and warn them off from the attack. 
 The invasion of India has often soothed the waking dreanM of mad
 
 Ig SAFETY FROM INVASION. 
 
 ambition ; but whenever the attempt is made, if we are only true to 
 ourselves, as we may believe that success itself will be dearly pur- 
 chased, we shall recollect, that it is not enough to be outwardly secure 
 in the armour of our strength, but that it is necessary we should also 
 guard with equal vigilance, against the inward bruise that brings decay. 
 As yet we do not take the held, borne aloft on palankeens, or with 
 bands of players and balliaders in our train, (as I found was gene- 
 rally believed on our continent) : it may be asserted, however, that 
 there is already too much influence allowed to those departments of 
 the state, which the tenure of our possession had naturally placed in 
 the inferior rank. The gown may rule the sword, and in its pride 
 may even spurn at military deservings, where the civil ranks com- 
 pose the fountain source of the general security : but where it is 
 the reverse, as the assumption is unnatural, so it may stimulate to 
 dangerous discontents ; or, at the best, may so entirely repress that ho- 
 norable feeling of professional pre-eminence, which frequently remains 
 in the midst of corruption and luxury ; that the very semblance of 
 the military spirit shall be lost in the fallen and degenerate time-serv- 
 ing slave. 1'lie Portuguese often fought with the most determined 
 bravery, even when they led the army in their palankeens; but they 
 had still their pride and their honor left, their rank and their dignity 
 to support. The effeminate Pretorians could yet forsake the purple 
 couch and the soft enjoyments of the bath, to encounter the hardy 
 veterans of the Danube and the Rhine ; but they were still the Preto- 
 rian bands, the Jovians and the Herculi of the day. 
 
 My stay at Bombay was too short and busy to make very nu- 
 merous acquaintances ; I had an opportunity, however, of observing, 
 that if more retired habits generally prevail, than is usual at the 
 other presidencies, it is not entirely without its share of attentive 
 kindness and civility. Less profusion is displayed in their enter-r 
 tainments than is common in Bengal ; the welcome, however, is not 
 the less sincere ; and a bare introduction is frequently enough to 
 secure those generous offices of friendship, which, in our colder 
 climes, require the warmth of many a summer day, to be ripened 
 into fruit.
 
 17 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 DEPARTURE FROM BOMBAY, COAST OF ARABIA FELIX, OEVIL'S GAP, MASKAT. — EXCURSION 
 
 INTO THE INTERIOR. DANGEROUS SITUATION OF SHIP. VOYAGE UP THE GULF, 
 
 MUTINY ON BOARD, ORMUS, THE PIRATES, MADNESS OF OUR CAPTAIN. — ARRIVAL AT 
 BUSHEER, OBSERVATIONS MADE THERE; KARRACK ; PEARL FISHERY; ARRIVAL AT 
 BUSSORA : ITS PRESENT STATE, &C. &C. 
 
 On Saturday, the 26th of October, 1816, I left Bombay, and bade 
 adieu to those scenes which I often look back upon with a mingled 
 feeling of pleasure and regret. It was a foreign land that I forsook, to 
 return to my country and my relatives ; the anticipation was delights 
 ful ; and yet, had early habit, and the recollection of many a dear and va- 
 lued friend, their influence over the sentiments of a heart divided 
 betwixt the sadness of remembrance and the cheerfulness of hope. 
 
 The manner of my departure was somewhat sudden and unex- 
 pected. The arrangements for a journey overland, I had been taught 
 to believe completed, when I had disencumbered myself of every 
 article but a few changes for the passage to Bussora, and had carefully 
 inspected the condition of my arms. With arms to defend myself 
 and without the inducement of a cumbrous equipage to excite at- 
 tention or provoke cupidity, I thought myself secure ; and had been 
 readily prepared. There were, however, certain arrangements, which, 
 depending on others more immediately than on myself, were not so 
 easily accomplished. Great was my wonder, therefore, and per- 
 plexity, when about 10 on the morning of this day, I received 
 information that our ship had sailed ; and coming out of my tent, 
 actually beheld the Fuzil Kureem, under a press of canvass, and far 
 beyond the bank. The situation in which I found myself may serve 
 as a lesson to future travellers ; who, profiting by my experience, 
 will even more carefully inform themselves regarding their com- 
 mander, than concerning the worthiness of their bark. The oc- 
 currence, otherwise, was scarcely worth the relation ; and yet it 
 
 D
 
 18 BUNDER BOATS. 
 
 will be seen, that I should have had occasion more than once to 
 repent the choice, had I not felt myself prepared for every chance 
 that might present itself. My notice of embarkation having 
 been for the ensuing Monday, so premature a flight was totally unex- 
 pected, and equally unaccountable ; it was not, however, a moment 
 for surmises and inquiries ; so I set my shoulder to the wheel, in- 
 voking the assistance of the propitious deity, that helps those who 
 exert themselves. To the kindness of a friend (whose attentions 
 shall ever claim a grateful remembrance) I was indebted for the ease 
 and celerity of my progress through the public offices. Within the 
 hour, my certificates had been granted ; my accounts had been 
 passed ; public introductions from government had been furnished 
 me ; and with every wish for my health and safety from this esteemed 
 and valued friend, I found myself at sea, in the Bunder boat. 
 
 The Bunder boats, with their Lascars, belong to a regular establish- 
 ment, under the charge of the master-attendant. Captain Keys; 
 wliose obliging conduct on occasions of the kind has often been ex- 
 perienced by others besides myself. The quickness of their sailing, 
 the safety and strength of their construction, with the boldness and 
 dexterity of the men employed in them, render them equal, if not 
 superior on the whole, to every other variety of open boats that I 
 have seen. On the present occasion, indeed, I enjoyed an opportu- 
 nity of witnessing their performance to a considerable extent ; as 
 we had a chace of four hours, and were nearly out of sight of land, 
 before we reached the ship. My worthy commander, as I subse- 
 quently found out, had formed a very erroneous opinion as to our 
 condition and intents ; and having, poor man, entirely forgotten his 
 passenger, and his engagements, had mistaken our boat for a dis- 
 patch he was not anxious to receive. No wonder, therefore, that 
 with the fear of the law before him, he had leant but a deaf at- 
 tention to the signals which we made. On my coming on board, 
 however, he introduced me to his mate, stammered out an awkward 
 apology for his forgetfulness, and relieved, as he felt, from a load of 
 care and apprehension, insisted on closing the labours of the day 
 with a social glass in the cabin he occupied.
 
 TURKISH LINGUIST. 19 
 
 On the morning of the 27th, I had an opportunity of observing 
 the accommodations and discipline of the ship, with the variety and 
 different manners, of the motley crew which it conveyed. Described 
 as an Arab ship, my readers of Bombay, or in the Persian Gulf, will 
 have no difficulty in understanding the nature of her equipments ; 
 for the information of others, however, who might dislike the trust- 
 ing themselves to such an outset, I may add, that in our trade with 
 the Persian Gulf, an Arab ship (as it is styled) is usually built and 
 navigated on English principles ; being commanded by a European, 
 with a mate or two under him ; which entitles the vessel to the 
 protection of our flag. On the whole, therefore, the owners being 
 Arab merchants, an Arab ship may be ranked amongst the inferior 
 classes of our country trade ; and certainly affords, in respect to ac-~" 
 commodations, a greater variety of comforts than its name might 
 be supposed to indicate. 
 
 / The Fuzil Kureem, be it then known, was an Arab ship of 
 / 350 tons, with a crew of 50 Lascars, and 90 passengers on board ; 
 / of these, 30 were Persians, stout, able, and turbulent ; the rest were 
 I Arabs, Turks, Jews, and Gentiles, of every quality and degree, of 
 ' \ every trade, and occupation that can be named. Merchants, and pil- 
 grims to the holy tomb at Kurbullah ; horse-dealers, soldiers, gentle- 
 men, and slaves ; they had reached Bombay from every part ; and, 
 like the false doctrines which they professed, they were abroad again 
 to taint the world with their follies and their vanities, their false 
 , dogmas, and their presumptuous hopes. 
 
 I shall not tire my reader by a particular narration of our daily 
 progress ; " the proper study of mankind is man ;" and for this 
 study, (the daily taking of an observation excepted,) I had certainly 
 abundant leisure, and a most varied scope. The Nakadar, or super- 
 cargo, (Sayed Kuder,) with another Turk or two, I soon found were 
 men of considerable intelligence ; and had travelled with sufficient 
 profit to communicate a variety of useful information. The fluency, 
 indeed, with which one of the latter expressed himself in the Lingua 
 Franca, and, as I understood, in French, certainly induced sus- 
 picions it was natural to surmise from his conduct in general, and 
 
 D 2
 
 20 DEVIL'S GAP. 
 
 appearance in particular. He was not the only one, I must confess, 
 on whom, in the course of my travels, the suspicion of being an 
 European in disguise might fix itself; but he left us too soon, as I 
 shall have occasion to relate hereafter, to afford us the opportunity of 
 pursuing the enquiry. He may be wronged, therefore, in this belief 
 of his character and pursuits. There are others of this description, 
 however, beyond a doubt, who, under the protection of a beard and 
 a turban, land on our shores with perfect freedom, and traverse our 
 dominions with entire security as peaceful travellers. Observations 
 of longitude, I believe, were entirely beyond the skill of any one on 
 board ; our commander at least informed me, they were totally un- 
 necessary, as the coast of Arabia in due time would bring us up and 
 indicate our course. During twelve days of patient endurance and 
 confinement, we had nothing to relieve the dull insipidity of our 
 course ; besides a dow and two small boats, which our people dig- 
 nified, though with what justice I know not, with the appellation of 
 pirates. The coast of Arabia, however, (to use our commander's 
 own expression,) was at last to bring us up ; and on this day, the 7th, 
 the prognostic was accomplished beyond a doubt ; the Devil's Gap, 
 as this part of the coast is designated by mariners, being at sun-rise 
 directly in front of our course. The Devil's Gap most certainly was 
 not the most convenient land we could have made ; as it was sixty 
 miles at least to leeward of Muskat, our destined port. Whether it 
 derives its name (with our mariners) from the adverse winds and 
 squalls it generally pours forth, or whether (as our Nakadar and our 
 Turks asserted) these adverse winds themselves, and the dead calms 
 which usually succeed, proceed from the wickedness and })rofligacy 
 of the people of its shores, I shall not attempt to decide. Certain 
 it is, however, that as abilities, information, and industry, more com- 
 monly command success, than indolence and sloth ; so those who, 
 like ourselves, may find their barks detained within the magic in- 
 fluence of its surrounding shores, may chiefly blame themselves, and 
 themselves only, (it being out of the usual course,) for the hindcrance 
 it may oppose to their anxiety. During the 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, and 
 11th, we found ourselves at sun-rise most commonly within the Gap ;
 
 LOSS OF TWO MEN. ^1 
 
 its bleak, barren prospect, had little in it to cheer our spirits ; and, 
 like the worthy and celebrated Sinabad, I had begun to apprehend 
 myself within certain magic bounds, which it required a spell of 
 potent influence to destroy ; when, on the morning of the 12th, a 
 breeze sprung up, and we resumed our course. 
 
 Our greater luck in this instance was certainly owing to the length 
 of the tack that we had made ; there were, however, a variety of opi- 
 nions on this score, which, as a faithful narrator, I esteem it my duty to 
 acknowledge and relate. True it is, as I have already hinted, that the 
 length of our first tack from the shore had carried us beyond the shelter 
 of the bay j but a Turk does not always reason as we do ; and there 
 were others, and amongst these my friend the Nakadar, who had attri- 
 buted our ill luck and detention, to the vices and crimes of some 
 unknown individual amongst our passengers or crew. The finger of 
 the Prophet was on the evil one, and whilst he remained amongst us, 
 uncleansed of his sins, no good, it soomed, could be expected. A 
 general ablution, therefore, had been proposed at an early hour on 
 the morning of the 12th. The sea was at hand to cleanse a greater 
 load of filth than we could boast amongst us, though we were by no 
 means deficient ; and the experiment succeeded to admiration : an 
 Arab and a Jew disappearing from our stern, almost at the moment 
 that the breeze sprung up. The occurrence spoke for itself! " Ish 
 aut Allah," said a grave Turk, stroking his beard ; " we have a fair 
 wind ; they must have been bad men." It was the only observation 
 the accident called forth from the worthy ancient ; and within the day 
 it was forgotten, even by those who had exerted themselves most 
 strenuously in behalf of the unfortunate pair. Such is man ! 
 
 On the 12th, at noon, we made Maskat, and when coming in, saw 
 twenty-fiv e_grabs, or small craft, sailing out for Bombay unden^ 
 convoy of the Caroline, an Arab frigate of forty guns. Two otheo / 
 large English-built vessels were in the cove ; whilst thirty or forty 
 small craft were loading or unloading their cargoes of dates, salt, 
 rice, and other goods of various kinds. Our vessel having mercantile, 
 concerns of some importance to transact, a stay of some days was ref 
 
 N^
 
 22 MASKAT. 
 
 solved upon ; and notwithstanding the remonstances of his mates, our 
 captain dropped anchor within musket-shot at most of the upper or 
 northern battery : a choice of situation we had afterwards but too 
 much reason to repent, as I shall have occasion to relate. 
 
 Maskat, on the eastern coast of Arabia Felix, is situated in lat. 
 23* 38' N. and Ion. 57° 27' E. ; in the small but fertile province of Oman. 
 Though spoken of by Arrian and known to the Greeks, it was not a 
 place of any great importance, until the taking of Ormus in 1622 by the 
 Persians ; when a number of its inhabitants took refuge there. Since 
 that period, however, its position at the bottom of a cove remarkable 
 for its safety, convenience, and good anchorage, has commanded and 
 secured an _jextensive trade; for such we may well esteem that (in 
 reference to its size) which employs jso many vessels as we found on 
 our entrance in the cove. With the land of science and romance be- 
 fore me, with so many objects to excite wonder and interest, as the 
 traveller may discriminate, in the novelty of the prospect, or the re- 
 collection which may improve his mind, and direct his enquiries, it 
 may be readily believed I lost no time in visiting the shore. A small 
 ^anoe was plying off our ship, the sight of a roobeea commanded its 
 attendance, and within a few minutes, the African slaves that rowed 
 it for their master had landed me on the beach. 
 
 The custom-house, the palace, and its vicinity, the bazars and prin- 
 cipal streets, were crowded with Arabs of every description and tribe ; 
 with Jews, Hindoos, Belooches, Turks, and Africans. I was now 
 amongst a race, of whom it has been written, " that every man's 
 hand shall be against them, and their hand against every man ;" and 
 every man's hand was armed : The Arabs, each after the manner of 
 his tribe, or his own convenience, with a curved asgailee, a matchlock, 
 or a pike ; the Beloochee soldiers, naked to the waist, with a crooked 
 tofRmg, a knife, and a straight two-handed sword j the wild Bedooin 
 might be distinguished from amongst the first, by a striped kerchief 
 surrounded with lashes of whip-chord, and flying loosely round his 
 head ; by a coarse shirt, a square striped cumlin over his shoulders, 
 and a chubook j wild, and uncontrolled j with a quick burning eye.
 
 BEDOOINS AND BELOOCHEES. 23 
 
 an animated and restless countenance : he appeared the lord of the 
 creation, and was even in his physiognomy the lawless robber of a 
 desert land. The others beseemed, in truth, the condition which they 
 filled ; bare-headed, and with their black luxuriant hair floating to 
 the wind, perhaps to increase the terror of their appearance ; the 
 deadly keenness of their look, seemed to indicate the savage servile 
 instruments of that despot's will whose authority they served. 
 
 It was amongst these, and every other variety that I have named, 
 that I rambled ; a stranger and a wanderer ; every man's hand was 
 armed ; and with steel that had been often used in every species 
 of violence and strife. I met not, however, with the slightest rude- 
 ness or insult, until I encountered some African slaves at work be- 
 hind the town. These were perhaps impelled, by my outwardly 
 unprotected state, and began observations, sufficiently pointed and 
 insulting, to induce me to repel the application, and check their pre- 
 sumption, by a display (as if by accident) of the pistols in my belt 
 The sight was enough to repress their insolence. Unprotected 
 strangers are often plundered by these miserable wretches on the 
 outskirts of the city ; perceiving, however, that I was armed, and 
 known to some who passed, they resumed their work ; whilst I re- 
 turned to procure a guide and an interpreter, from the Company's 
 agent in the town. 
 
 With the guide furnished me by Golam Annundas, and another 
 attendant, I resumed my rambles about 12 o'clock ; revisited the 
 vaulted bazars already spoken of, two small villages in the vicinity, 
 and a mosque, to which access was readily allowed. This is contrary 
 to the usual practice of other Mahomedans. The people of Maskat, 
 however, belong to the sect of Abadi, or Bojasi ; (sometimes called 
 Kharejites *, by the Soonites and Sheeas, by way o( reproach ;) and 
 are extremely tolerant. They are also equally plain in their manners, 
 make little distinction in their conduct and deportment towards 
 those of another religion ; and give no preference whatever to the 
 
 • By Sale, in his Preliminary Discourse, &c. page 1 73.
 
 24 SLAVE BEZAR. 
 
 descendants of Mahomed and Aly, above other men of an equally 
 ancient and respectable family. 
 
 On my return in the evening, I passed through the slave-bazar, 
 where three times a week slaves are exposed for sale, and disposed of 
 by auction, or private contract. The sale had just commenced, as I 
 stopped to view a scene that had at least the interest of novelty. 
 Twenty or thirty young Africans, brought across the desert, and 
 chiefly from the coast of Zanguebar, were ranged in rows on either 
 side of the bazar, and according to their sex. They were, in ge- 
 neral, handsomely trimmed (dressed is an improper term) for the 
 occasion ; and appeared in truth perfectly resigned ; being cer- 
 tainly in as clean and sleek a condition, (with a cloth girdle round 
 their middle, for their only covering) as their owners or purchasers 
 could have wished. The latter, indeed, in walking between the ranks, 
 seemed extremely particular in handling and feeling the bodies and 
 skins of their intended purchases ; extending their inspections to 
 such minute particulars as quite astonished me ; who was by no 
 means a connoisseur, in any animal more rational than a camel or 
 a horse. A tall lusty Arab, who might evidently have claimed re- 
 lationship with those whom he exposed, was parading a boy of ten 
 or twelve, and crying out his price ; vociferating, with an impudence 
 truly professional, his age and stature, his qualities and cast. " Forty 
 dollars," said he to me, in Hindostanee, on observing my approach, 
 " and he is yours ; yours to feed or starve, to work, or bring up as 
 your child. Look up, you rogue," (addressing himself to the boy in 
 Arabic,) " Look up, and see, will you be sold to the Faringee ? he 
 is a rich man, and the lord of wealth." The child looked up, 
 laughed, and still holding by his master's hand, was presented in 
 the same manner to the various chapmen that appeared. He was 
 bought, 1 believe, by an old Arab, whom I had observed critically 
 nice in his selection of the young females that were exposed. The 
 age of the reverend senior ought in candour to acquit him of all 
 improper views in certain parts of his examination. After opening 
 their eyes, however, a close inspection of their teeth might have
 
 CONDITION OF SLAVES. 25 
 
 induced me to believe his skill beyond that of our most learned 
 Yorkshireman ; had it not been pointed out to me, that the teeth of 
 many of these unfortunate creatures had been filed to a perfect point ; 
 an improvement very great in their own opinion, but totally incon- 
 sistent with an Arab's notions of female loveliness ; since, uniting 
 this appearance with certain conceits they have formed from the 
 fabulous tales of their country, they do not hesitate to pronounce 
 those who are thus adorned to be perfect cannibals ; and avoid them 
 accordingly. 
 
 The mention of this subject, might naturally introduce and call 
 forth observations on the present state of personal slavery, and its 
 effects, in the Mahomedan countries that I have visited. Having sub- 
 sequently, however, enjoyed more numerous and favourable oppor- 
 tunities of judging of the condition of household slaves, and of the 
 conduct of their masters in various climes, I shall not avail myself of 
 the privilege of an author, or anticipate a subject that must belong 
 to the more" extended views of improved observation and experience. 
 At Maskat, it is certain, slaves are treated with a degree of humanity 
 that would do honour to our clinics : the hardest work in which they 
 are employed, is in the plying of the small canoes already noticed ; a 
 task of no great labour, from those intervals of rest which it affords. 
 They live at their master's, board and sleep under his roof, eating of 
 his dish, and drinking o^ his cup ; and are never again exposed to 
 public sale, unless they misbehave ; a good and faithful slave being 
 so much valued, that when distress obliges his master to part with 
 him, he disposes of him to some private friend, who esteems him 
 the more for his approved fidelity. 
 
 13th. The length of our stay being uncertain, I determined to 
 make the most of my time ; and after visiting the Imam the follow- 
 ing day, to venture into the interior with such an escort as I could 
 obtain, to visit some gardens and hot medicinal springs that were 
 much spoken of Preliminaries were soon arranged, our Banian in- 
 forming me, that such a dress, guide, and horse, as he could pro- 
 vide me for a few piastres, would be the very best protection I could
 
 26 VISIT TO IMAM. 
 
 desire ; unless, indeed, I could command a host ; and trust to strength 
 instead of prudence for my security. On the morning of the 14th, 
 therefore, I went on shore, dressed in my uniform ; which I soon 
 found entitled me to greater resj)cct and attention, than is commonly 
 paid to that class of ship captains who usually visit these desert 
 shores. I found no difficulty in obtaining access to the Imam, the 
 attendants making way for me, and showing me through the outer 
 court, to the open verrandah, where ho sat employed, surrounded by 
 his secretaries, his nioonshees, and his slaves. Sayed Sayed (the 
 name he bears) is a middle-aged man, of a personable appearance, 
 and plain unaffected manners ; he had evidently been informed that I 
 was a Ih'itish officer, and knew the purpose of my journey ; as, after 
 paying me the compliment of rising from his seat on my entrance, 
 and making those enquiries that are indispensable to good-breeding, 
 he at once observed I was not the only officer belonging to the 
 Company, whom he had seen at the outset or close of their journey 
 home. In the conversation that followed, and wherein he mentioned 
 the names of several officers whom he had seen ; and enquired after, 
 with more good-humoured earnestness than ceremonious form ; he 
 made me tliose offers of service, and paid me those national compli- 
 ments, which he thought might gratify my pride, display the extent 
 of his own knowledge regarding the nature ot' our power and naval 
 superiority ; and finally impress me with enlarged ideas of his own 
 importance in the scale : the man appearing for once, and only 
 once, from under the urbanity and politeness of his general de- 
 meanour. After adverting to the seizure of an ^Vrab slave ship 
 by our government, as a matter that was of no importance, and 
 might be easily arranged (evidently with a view of drawing forth my 
 opinion as to the means) ; on observing that I was anxious to depart, 
 for the prosecution of my intended tour ; he paid me the usual com- 
 pliment of ordering Golab, renewed his offers of services, and wished 
 me health and the Divine protection in my journey home : request- 
 ing I would inform the Company I had seen him, and present his 
 respects to our Shah Zada, George.
 
 EXCURSION INTO THE INTERIOR. 27 
 
 When I went to the Banian's, I found him conversing with two or 
 three Arabs, one of wliom he presented to me, as my intended 
 guide ; and having engaged him to furnish me with three horses for 
 three days, for 20 piastres, I was desired by the Banian to rely 
 entirely on liis fidelity ; and so began the business of the toilet, 
 whilst he was dispatched for our steeds. On his return, we mounted, 
 and commenced, as it proved, one of the most fruitless and harassing 
 expeditions an unfortunate errant ever undertook. The country, in- 
 land, bears the like barren, bleak, inhospitable appearance, with its 
 rocky shores. Neither grass, shrubs, nor trees, are to be seen in the 
 neighbourhood of Maskat ; with the exception of a few date-trees 
 (near the fresh-water wells) to the south and westward of the town. 
 As we rode on, however, and cleared the hills that surround the valley 
 of Maskat, the rocks we trod upon were gradually exchanged for 
 a firm red soil, that was equally barren and desolate ; my guide, and 
 another Arab that accompanied him, appearing the while greatly sur- 
 prised, that I could not imderstand a word of all they said. 
 
 At about the tenth mile we found ourselves on very elevated 
 ground, though we had no longer any of those abrupt and stony 
 declivities to surmount, which had hitherto impeded the progress of 
 our hacks. We had passed a few miserable tents and wretched huts, 
 at a distance on either flank of our course ; we now came to a small 
 village, where some women were at work, uncovered, and in the 
 open air, who fled immediately on our approach, calling out, " Thieves ! 
 thieves !" with all their might. We certainly presented no very in- 
 viting appearance, my companions being two of the most ragged 
 kerns that ever cried out " Stand" to a true man. I must confess, 
 nevertheless, I thought this distrust no very favourable proof of the 
 hospitality of the tribe ; as, however unexpected our intrusion might 
 be, our demeanour certainly was peaceable enough ; and our num- 
 bers too insignificant to occasion any just alarm. The ladies chose 
 to be frightened, and the sex has claims to timidity, even in these 
 desert wilds : we were constrained, therefore, to put up with the 
 afiront, and to wait patiently until their cries had brought out some 
 
 £ 2
 
 28 EXCURSION INTO THE INTERIOR. 
 
 of the men j when, after a short parley, we were allowed to dis- 
 mount and rest a while. We had now been four hours on the road, 
 having rode extremely slow ; and, as the day was far advanced, 
 I had naturally supposed this would be our resting-place, and that 
 some food would be offered us to recruit our strength : in this hope, 
 however, I was most woefully disappointed ; not so much as a draught 
 of water being produced to quench our thirst. My companions, in- 
 deed, seemed to have no conception of any necessities of the kind ; 
 and as they appeared to treat me as one that was deaf and dumb, 
 expressing themselves entirely by signs, (perhaps to deceive our hosts, 
 or for want of words,) I was constrained to humour the deception, for 
 fear of the consequences that might have attended the detection. 
 
 After we had halted about an hour, standing or sitting on the ground 
 in the open air, an old man got up to accompany us on foot. The 
 evening was now drawing on apace j but as my vocabulary extended 
 only to single words, I could not even enquire into the probable 
 duration of this most unpleasant adventure. I felt assured I might 
 rely on the fidelity of my guide ; I must acknowledge, however, that 
 as night came on, I began heartily to repent an undertaking attended 
 with so many discomforts ; and that had not even the charms of in- 
 terest or pleasing novelty, to sweeten the bitter draught of the 
 disappointment I experienced in the solitude of these scenes. We 
 rode on (I should think) about six hours more, my watch having been 
 left behind for fear of accidents ; when, utterly disgusted with the 
 fatigue 1 had undergone in this fruitless search of amusement, almost 
 sick for want of food, and parched with thirst, we reached at last a 
 more considerable village ; where my guide informed me by signs, it 
 was intended we should spend the remainder of the night. As I had 
 lost my dinner, so I went supperless to bed on the hard ground, in 
 front of a large square building, belonging, as I understood, to the 
 Imam of Maskat. 
 
 When we rose in the morning, I induced my guide, with some dif- 
 ficulty, by repeating the word constantly, and pointing to my mouth, to 
 procure me a little water, with a few dates j a woman adding a small
 
 EXCURSION INTO THE INTERIOR. 29 
 
 piece of the blackest rye-cake I had ever seen to complete the meal, 
 and refusing a piastre I offered her in return. I could now perceive 
 we were in something like a considerable village ; the building we 
 were near having a basin of water in the front, supplied by springs, 
 with a few date and pomegranate trees around, to entitle it to the ap- 
 pellation of a garden-house. As my curiosity, therefore, regarding this 
 boasted retreat was perfectly satisfied ; when our frugal meal was over, 
 and the horses were brought, I at once declined the signal of my guide 
 to proceed farther west ; and to explain my meaning beyond a doubt, 
 began to retrace our former course. We did not return exactly the 
 way we came, taking, I believe, a shorter cut, and were only eight 
 hours on the road ; but as it was extremely hot and sultry, and as I 
 had had so little food or rest to recruit my strength, I was sufficiently 
 fatigued and almost worn out, when we returned from this fruitless 
 and adventurous jaunt the evening after we had set off. 
 
 On the 16th, at 8 A.M., thfiLKusrpvy, an Arab ship, of 300 tons, 
 and commanded by a Mr. W., cast anchor within the cove ; he was 
 soon on board of us to receive his letters from Bombay, and to com- 
 municate the news which he had brought from Bussora. The cutter 
 he returned in afforded a convenient opportunity of a last visit to the 
 shore during the swell, and I gladly availed myself of the offer, 
 though scarcely recovered from the fatigues and disappointment of 
 my last excursion. It was destined, I soon found, to be another day 
 of disappointment and distress ; as I had scarcely begun my rambles 
 before the swell and gale had increased into a perfect storm. Enter- 
 taining but a very indifferent opinion of our captain's skill, I was 
 anxious to return on board, lest I should again be left behind in the 
 event of his going out to sea. The offer of a dollar procured me a 
 canoe, which, after a while, however, was unable to proceed; the 
 slaves declaring it was impossible that it should live in such a swell. 
 The greater the danger, the more anxious I felt of course to get on 
 board ; so, betwixt promises and threats, I forced them to venture a 
 second attempt ; which must certainly have proved fatal to the whole 
 of us, had we not been providentially rescued from our overloaded
 
 so DANGEROUS SITUATION OF SHIR 
 
 and sinking canoe, by the people of the ship that had so fortunately 
 arrived. 
 
 In the launch so kindly sent to my assistance, I reached our 
 vessel with considerable difficulty ; and found her in a state that might 
 have induced my continuance on land, had 1 been previously aware 
 of the fatal effects of our commander's obstinacy in anchoring so 
 near the shore. The unfortunate man stood in tears, and quite 
 besides himself, deploring his unhappy fate and his approaching 
 loss ; whilst, in the midst of a tremendous sea, the vessel was 
 drifting on towards a bluff-leeward rock, that almost overhung 
 our stern. It required no very superior skill to perceive our situ- 
 ation was somewhat dangerous ; turning to liis mate, however, v/ho 
 stood smoking with the perfect nonchalance of a real seaman, I was 
 informed we were not without our hopes : our anchor had dragged, 
 and fastened two or three times in drifting, so might ultimately Jiold. 
 The contrast between the conduct of the two might have ])roved 
 entertaining at a moment of inferior interest : " Nothing can be 
 done," continued the veteran, "• as li is impossible to get an anchor 
 out ; it is not the first time by three, however, that I have been 
 wrecked." In answer to my enquiries, for a cool calculating contempt 
 of danger inspires confidence, as fear communicates ; he was pro- 
 ceeding on the detail of his present intentions, and the manner of 
 his former scapes, quoting latitudes, bearings, and logs, betwixt 
 every v/hiff, when, after a pause, he exclaimed, " She holds ! so now 
 for it ;" and seizing the lead and line, ran aft, with a spirit of alacrity 
 that can only be equalled by the coolness he had evinced during the 
 preceding momentous and alarming crisis we had escaped. 
 
 I have related the anecdote at length, as extremely honourable to 
 the character of a gallant tar. Our British sailors stand not in need 
 of panegyric ; and yet, as no impending danger can well be more ter- 
 rible in its appearance than that we had escaped ; so should the bold 
 brave spirit that stands alone and undismayed amidst the shock of 
 elements, be at least cheered with the hope, that amongst those few 
 examples of a daring courage and humble worth which the pen res-
 
 POPULATION OF MASKAT. 31 
 
 cues from oblivion, his own firm endurance and brighter deeds may 
 perhaps live in memory beyond the silence of the tomb. An im- 
 pending fate, suspended over us, as it were, by the single thread of 
 a good or evil destiny ; is frequently more awful, than the struggle and 
 actual contact with death itself. We had been relieved from our 
 more immediate apprehensions, but we passed a night of doubt and 
 anxiety ; our only hope, riding by a single anchor, and the bluff rocks 
 so close to our stern, that we seemed to vibrate, as we rose or fell, 
 betwixt the stupendous cliff that overhung our vessel from above, and 
 the sunken reef that threatened destruction from beneath. At length, 
 however, the morning dawned, the sun shone forth in all its splen- 
 dour, and all was peace; the sea excepted, which seemed even then 
 to rise in rebellion to the milder spirit of the surrounding scene. In 
 the course of this day the greater part of our passengers returned 
 on board ; the Mamluk linguist already mentioned was, however, 
 amongst the exceptions, on account (as it was said) of news he had 
 received from Bussora, which induced Jiim to remain behind until 
 the approaching departure of the next caravan that went across for 
 
 (Mocha or Cossir. 
 Before we leave Maskat it may not be improper to observe, it is only 
 as the principal emporium of a considerable trade that we should esti- 
 mate its worth ; its own particular exports being confined to dates of an 
 inferior kind, seven or eight thousand bags of coffee, brimstone, *ruinos, 
 a few horses and camels, besides the bullion which it pays for our In- 
 dian commodities. The population of Maskat has been variously esti- 
 mated J a constant bustle and activity, and a great influx of strangers, 
 making it appear far greater than it is. .Judging, however, from the 
 known population of other cities, in relation to their circumference, 
 the height of the houses, manner of living, and space that is un- 
 occupied, I think we may assert that, with resident strangers, it falls 
 not short of 30,000 souls : should we allow a third of that number to 
 Muttura, (which is large, but thinly peopled,) and estimate the sur- 
 a*ounding villages on the whole at about a fourth, it accords with the 
 
 * Ruinos is a plant used in the red dyes of the East.
 
 32 HISTORY. — TR ADE. — CLIMATE. 
 
 best information I could procure, and would increase the estimate to 
 near 47,000 souls. 
 
 In 1650, it was fortified by the Portuguese, who had been esta- 
 blished there near 30 years ; and it has outwardly the appearance 
 of considerable strength. Its batteries, however, considering the 
 advantages that may be derived from a choice of position, are cer- 
 tainly beneath the notice of a regular attack. I shall not, therefore, 
 scruple to assert, in opposition to those notices which I have read, 
 that the weakness of the profile, the elevation of the works in ge- 
 neral, and the surrounding heights, would render them totally un- 
 tenable, even were the artillery that defends the access in a more 
 serviceable state. 
 
 /The appearance of the town and buildings, in general, is somewhat 
 mean. The trade, however, which it carries on as an emporium ; the 
 shipping that frequents its port ; the number of people that resort 
 there from every part of Arabia ; with its covered bazars, supplied 
 with every variety of goods, in absolute profusion ; contribute, on the 
 whole, to impress the mind with notions of its wealth, prosperity, and 
 commercial activity. The climate, I believe, will scarcely need a com- 
 
 \ment ; as a comparative statement, however, I may observe, that at 
 noon, when the thermometer at sea was 82°, it was 86° in the cove, 
 and 90 ' in the town. On the whole, therefore, it was not warmer than 
 Bombay, at the same season of the year ; though in the months of 
 June, July, and August, the weather is so hot, and the shumals so 
 oppressive, that no person can walk the streets. In other respects it 
 is not generally esteemed healthy ; but amongst a variety of fruits 
 which a few gardens at the hot springs produce, the melon, grape, 
 and pomegranate, may be enumerated as of the most delicate flavour 
 and luscious quality. The latter, indeed, may truly be styled the fruit 
 of Paradise ; and when the poet of Shiraze was so loud in asserting 
 the superiority of those produced in his own native vale, he cer- 
 tainly assumed an honour, which it belongs to the desert blast alone 
 to mature and boast ; the heat of the shumals bursting the outward 
 rind of the pomegranate, and drying up those astringent juices, 
 which render the fruit in other parts of very inferior quality.
 
 REVOLUTIONS IN OMAN. 33 
 
 On the declension of the Portuguese empire in the East, Maskat 
 was retaken by the Arabs, under Essoof Ben Aly, Prince of Norenvae j 
 when the whole of the garrison, a few excepted, who turned Ma- 
 homedans, were put to death. Since that period, it has been free, 
 except for a while during the reign of Nadir Shah ; who, taking ad- 
 vantage of the dissensions which then prevailed between Sultan Ben 
 Mursheed and the Imam, Seif Ben Sultan, contrived to obtain pos- 
 session of the place by a stratagem of his General's, Alirza Tacki Khan. 
 The wily Persian had only been called in as an auxiliary ; but inviting 
 the Imam to an entertainment, he plied him so abundantly with the 
 waters of Shiraze, that oblivion, stealing into the strong . hold of 
 reason, and overpowering mistrust, his signet was stolen from him, 
 and affixed to an order for the delivery of the forts that command 
 the town. The reign of the Persians, however, was of short duration, 
 the two competitors dying immediately after this ; when Achmed 
 Ben Saiid, governor of Soliar, expelled them by means somewhat 
 similar, and was invested with the government by his grateful 
 countrymen, for having delivered them from a foreign yoke. 
 
 Saiid Ben Saiid, the present Imam, and the second son of this 
 patriot, usually resides in a palace near the sea, that was once the 
 cathedral clmrch of the Portuguese garrison. This Imam is a prince 
 of considerable importance, entirely independent of the Porte, and 
 divides this ])art of Arabia with the Prince of Mocha and the Wa- 
 habees, though in unequal shares ; his authority, generally speaking, 
 extending to the province of Oman only. If we may trust report, he\ 
 can bring 7000 men into the field, partly Belooches and Sindeeans, \ 
 from the neighbourhood of Tatta. It is, however, as a naval power \ 
 chiefly, that Saiid Ben Saiid, the present Imam, should rank amongst / 
 the surrounding tribes ; the people of Rass al Kymer, who can bring / 
 some tiiousand horse into the field, having generally proved success- / 
 ful (as in the last war when they killed his brother) in the various en- / 
 counters that they have had. This navy, if I may use the expression, / \ 
 consists of the Caroline, a frigate of 40 guns (as already mentioned), and J 
 tolerablv ecjuipped ; two large vessels, that were formerly Indiamen ;
 
 34 MUTINY ON BOARD. 
 
 and about thirty, or thirty-five inferior craft. Respecting the strength 
 of these, however, it would be difficult to speak with certainty ; as on 
 occasions of this kind the information that can be procured from the 
 merchants and officers of the place is liable to the greatest inaccuracy. 
 
 With the advantage of a language sufficiently understood by many to 
 communicate my thoughts. I ought certainly to have met with greater 
 success in my enquiries than I can boast : I was, however, but too often 
 disappointed and perplexed by the ignorance of some who appeared 
 amongst the best informed, and by a wilful perversion of truth in 
 others, who certainly could have no motive for the deception, except 
 an inveterate habit, which is common, I think, (notwithstanding 
 some good qualities,) to the people of the East. In my anxiety to 
 reject error, and avoid lUK-crtainty, I may, therefore, hav'=i lost the 
 occasion of recording information both useful and luminous ; the 
 motive, however, will plead as my excuse ; and 1 shall resume my 
 narrative. 
 
 On the 18th, we left Maskat: at noon made our latitude by observ- 
 ation, 24 ' 3' ; and in the evening, a shower of rain and a change of 
 wind reduced the thermometer, almost at once, from 80" to 74" j 
 the lowest it had yet fallen. On the 19th, at noon, the thermometer 
 had only risen to 76' ; and in lat. 25' V at 3' p. m. we observed an 
 eclipse of the sun ; which the Arabs, Persians, and Turks, amused 
 themselves by viewing, as reflected in tubs of water on the cpiarter 
 deck. The 20th might have proved a day of as little interest as the 
 two preceding, had we not been disturbed at an early hour by a sudden 
 rise amongst the Arabs and Persians we had on board. I was nc^t at 
 first aware of the nature of the fray, but observing the mate to be 
 struggling amongst them, and hearing the captain vociferate for liis 
 sword, I thought it right to assist him and the ragged crew that 
 officiated as sepoys, in driving the mutineers towards the poop ; an 
 object we effected with ease, and hapj)ily without l)loodshed. On 
 enquiry we subsequently found, that having had a trivial ([uarrel with 
 some of our crew, the Persians had proceeded to inflict summary 
 punishment, by attempting to strangle an unfortunate Lascar ; and
 
 ORMUS. S5 
 
 tliat the mate having presumed to interfere, they had suddenly 
 risen upon him, with the intent of resenting the interposition on 
 his own person by the like violence. After a night spent in irons, 
 an exhibition at the grating the next morning was sufficient to cool 
 the spirit of the proudest of them all ; so finding their turbulence 
 and their threats were likely to prove, at the best, a scurvy joke, 
 they most earnestly and pitiously requested to be forgiven and 
 released. 
 
 On the 21st, we made a low rocky island, and were presented with 
 a view of Ormus, the Necrokin of the Tartars, the Armazia, Ormu- 
 zium, or Organa of the ancients. The wonders and opulence of 
 Ormus, are too nearly connected with the most glorious era in the 
 history of Portugal, too intimately allied with the fame of those early 
 daring adventurers, who pointed out the course we have since fol- 
 lowed, to be entirely neglected or passed over in silence and indif- 
 ference. It is, indeed, the office of the traveller, on all occasions like 
 the present, to mark the change which time has wrought ; to fill up 
 the landscape he holds to view with those retired scenes which are 
 only visible and clear in the contrast the shade affords. In the 
 eleventh century, on the rocky barren island of Gombroon, an Arab 
 conqueror commenced a city, which subsequently became the capital 
 of an empire ; extending on either side to the Persian and to the 
 Arabian shores. The emporium of a trade connecting India with 
 our climes, it afforded a more splendid and agreeable residence, 
 than any eastern city of its time. Merchants from every quarter of 
 the globe resorted there, outvying each other in a display of wealth 
 and luxury. " Beautiful women, from all parts of Asia, instructed 
 from their youth in all the arts of varying and improving the delights 
 of voluptuous love, presented themselves in crowds, to court the 
 stranger with pleasures and with smiles. The very air was im- 
 pregnated with j)erfumes, and the ground overspread with carpets 
 of the richest die." Such it was, like other cities of ancient cele- 
 brity. It is now, however, as it had been, a miserable village on a 
 barren shore ; with a few wretched Arabs to linger on the spot where 
 
 F 2
 
 36 JOASSMEE PIRATES. 
 
 monarchs, foregoing their state, and yielding to soft enjoyment, might 
 have loved to dwell. The history of its fall is known. It was con- 
 quered by the celebrated Albuquerque, in 1507, but retaken by the 
 Persians under Shah Abbas the Great, on the 25th of April, 1622 : 
 after this period, a portion of its trade was transferred for a time to 
 Bunder Abbas, where we had a factory granted us; the rest, with some 
 of its wealthiest inhabitants, removing to Maskat, on the Arabian coast. 
 
 On the following days, we were annoyed with adverse heavy gales ; 
 anchored, and next encountered a pirate dow with two small boats 
 off the island of Cain, their place of chief resort. On this occasion, 
 however, as before, we came off with the fright ; proving much too 
 strong for them to venture on the attack. Our ship, I was informed, 
 had, on a former voyage, beaten off a score ; and I must indeed con- 
 fess, it appears to me a reflection on our national character, and the 
 title we arrogate as lords of the ocean, to allow such miserable, yet 
 ferocious banditti to infest the seas, and beard us even to our face 
 on our own element. Bound by no law, by no respect controlled, 
 their wanton barbarous cruelty has set them beyond the pale of 
 civilised intercourse, of mutual trust, and sacred confidence. And 
 yet (though it must be acknowledged to our shame.) have we sent 
 missions and framed treaties with barbarians, who have only been 
 anxious to observe our strength, and to avail themselves of our 
 security. Where war is carried on, under the observance of certain 
 principles, that are acknowledged by civilised nations in general, the 
 rule we trust to when unfortunate, should be the bond of mutual 
 security and confidence. When, however, the barbarous mutilation 
 or massacre of every prisoner is the immediate consequence of suc- 
 cess, it is weakness, it is worse than weakness, it is a participation in 
 their guilt, to delay for a moment the inflicting of such a punishment 
 as these cruelties have deserved. 
 
 The pirates of the gulf are composed of various Arab tribes ; the 
 chief of these, the Joassmees of Rass al Kymer, being, however, inti- 
 mately connected with the Wahabees, (a power already acknowledged,) 
 our government has felt reluctant to engage in hostilities, and hence 
 arises the impunity they boast Their fleet is said to consist of sixty
 
 THEIR HISTORY. g7 
 
 large, and between eight and nine hundred vessels of a smaller size ; 
 with 18 or 19 thousand men on board. Their history reaches back to 
 a very remote antiquity ; as the empire of the pirate king, seizing 
 (as described in the Koran of Ebn Hankal *) on every valuable ship, 
 is said to have been known prior to the deliverance from Egypt of 
 the children of Israel. The Wahabees, in particular, first mentioned 
 by Niebuhr -f-, are also noticed J, as springing from the province of 
 Nedsjed ; where Moseillama, the great contemporary opponent of 
 Mahomet, first propagated the doctrines of his faith. These are pro- 
 bably the same with the Mobeyyidites, or the Sufid .Tamehghians, 
 (as they are called by the Persians,) who were anciently followers of 
 Hakem Ebn Hashem ; sometimes called Al Mokanna, and A I Borkai 
 (or the veiled) by the Arabs. § Of this sect it is related, that in the 
 reign of the Calif Al Mohdi, of the race of Abbas, Hakem Ebn 
 Hashem, their prophet, gained a number of proselytes in Nakhshab 
 and Kasli ; giving out that the Divinity resided in his person, and 
 had descended to him from Adam, and through the prophets that 
 had appeared. He acquired great power, but being at last besieged 
 by the Calif's forces, he poisoned and burnt his wives, cJiildren, and 
 concubines, and threw himself into the flames, in the 163d year of 
 the Hegira, promising his followers he would again appear. 
 
 The pirates of the gulf, at various times, have proved equally hos- 
 tile to the trade of Portugal and our own ; some of their ships carry- 
 ing as many as forty guns, with a crew of 300 men. In 1808, they 
 seized the Hon. Company's cruiser, the Sylph, with the Persian se- 
 cretary attached to our mission on board, and had proceeded to the 
 murdering of the crew, when the dreadful work was arrested, and the 
 survivors rescued, by the interposition of His Majesty's ship the 
 Nereide ; which engaged and sunk the pirates, after a short, but well 
 
 • Sir W. Ouselcy's Ebn Hankal, p. 12. 95. 
 
 t Niebuhr's Travels, p. I7. 2VG. 302. ; Gibbon, VoL V. p. 277. 
 
 § It is not perhaps generally known, that from the history of this impostor, Mr. Moore 
 has tnken the «ri-ound-work for that part of his celebrated poem, which be styles " The 
 Veiled Prophet." 
 
 \
 
 58 THEIR HORRIBLE MASSACRES. 
 
 contested fight Subsequent to this, the Minerva merchantman, Cap- 
 tain Hopgood, was attacked by a fleet consisting of fifty-five ships and 
 dows, carrying together upwards of 5000 men. After a distant fight 
 of two days, the Arabs contrived to run her on board, and attacking 
 from their poops, obtained possession of her decks. The issue of the 
 contest is almost too horrible to obtain belief, or bear the relation. 
 Covered with wounds, and sinking into death, Captain Hopgood per- 
 ceived the impossibility of saving his ship ; he delivered his only re- 
 maining pistol to one of his mates, with strict injunctions to proceed 
 to the magazine, and to blow her up at the moment the Arabs should 
 board. It had been glorious to their memory, and eminently advan- 
 tageous to future navigators, (as holding forth a dreadful example of 
 British resolution,) had the command been carried into effect. Once 
 below however, the mate only thought of his own safety, and ran to 
 hide himself; the boarding proved successful, and resistance was at an 
 end. It was then the deliberate work of death began ; and with all those 
 circumstances of a barbarous solemnity, and all those superstitious 
 ceremonies, that were calculated to increase the horrors of the scene. 
 The ship was purified, with water, with prayers, and perfumes. 
 Singly and bound, the victims were then brought forth ; and whilst 
 shouts of exultation, and Allah ! Akbar ! resounded from every side ; 
 they were made to stretch their throats to receive the knife ; and 
 were offered up, as a propitiatory sacrifice. Allah il Allah ! " There 
 is no god, but God," and the scene closed. A single and muti- 
 lated individual was alone spared, and landed at the next port, to 
 convey the dreadful intelligence. 
 
 In 1809, the patience of our government being exhausted, and our 
 trade entirely suspended by their daring piracies, an expedition was 
 fitted out under the command of Captain Wainwright and Colonel 
 Smith ; when, a landing having been effected, Rass al Kymer was 
 taken by storm, and fifty-three of their largest ships destroyed. Their 
 other ports being subsequently attacked, the defence of Shinas, in 
 particular, (by a General of Abdool Uzzeer's,) was extremely obstinate. 
 Refusing quarter to their prisoners, they seldom expect it from their
 
 MADNESS OF OUR CAPTAIN. 39 
 
 enemies ; and when their walls had been demolished, and their bat^ 
 tlements were nodding to their fall, they still persisted in die defence ; 
 and rejecting the summons sent, threw back our grenades and shells 
 before they had time to burst. Their undisciplined barbarous rage, 
 it must however be confessed, was never calculated to resist the exer- 
 tion of our force ; and the lesson they were then taught has had the 
 effect of restraining their piracies for the few succeeding years that 
 have elapsed. The want of timber to rebuild, may perhaps have oc- 
 casioned a forced protraction of a state of inactivity so entirely foreign 
 to the lawless predatory habits of these Arab tribes ; for in the 
 year 1816, they certainly evinced a rising spirit of unlicensed depre- 
 dation, which it may again be necessary to repress by force. 
 
 A sea voyage, in general, is entirely devoid of interest ; confined 
 within narrow bounds, with sea and sky for the only prospect, there 
 is nothing to relieve that dull, insipid, monotonous existence, which 
 has neither the charms of pleasure nor incident to occupy the mind. 
 On the present occasion, however, we had certainly as many alarms, 
 discomforts, and adventures within ourselves, as the knight of La 
 Mancha could himself have wished. We had scarcely recovered from 
 the fright occasioned by the rocks, the insurrection, and the pirates, 
 when early on the morning of the 28th we were suddenly disturbed by 
 a loud call from our commander, to rise and defend ourselves, or we 
 should all be murdered instantly. A summons so terrific, it may be 
 guessed, was not long unanswered. We had always slept with loaded 
 arms since the first alarm : but almost before I could rise and 
 seize my pistols and my sword, (it being dark,) the door of my cabin 
 was burst open ; and, on rushing forth, I found myself attacked and 
 grazed slightly in the side, by a sabre thrust. On closing and dis- 
 arming my adversary, happily without any further hurt, he was dis- 
 covered to be our unfortunate commander, who, his wits having entirely 
 forsaken him, had imagined himself beset, and had alarmed us accord- 
 ingly. Our situation was now as unpleasant and critical as the greatest 
 lover of adventures could well have desired. Renewed attempts 
 of the same nature obliged us to confine him : we were not sorry,
 
 40 ARRIVAL AT BUSHEER. 
 
 therefore, when on the 4lh we reached Busheer, after running twice 
 a-ground in the attem])t. 
 
 On our arrival at liuslieer we found that the resident was absent on 
 a mission to the pirates of Rass al Kymer. The duties of liis office, 
 however, with the courtesies of that hospitality which Mr. Bruce 
 observes, had fallen into the hands of his assistant Dr. Shiiip ; from 
 whom, as the only passenger on board, I certainly experienced every 
 attention I could have wished. As we were likely to remain some 
 time, I projected a visit to Shi raze and Shapoor, but being dis- 
 appointed in my design, I amused myself with perambulating 
 the bazars, riding over the country, and making those enquiries re- 
 lative to the present state of Persia, and the history of Busheer in 
 particular, which a traveller would naturally pursue. 
 
 The ancient history of Persia was far better and more generally 
 understood, than its present state was known, until the subject was 
 taken up, with his usual ability, by General Sir J. Malcolm, our late 
 ambassador at the Persian court. To the empire of the successors of 
 Seleucus Nicator succeeded a Parthian race of kings, which warred 
 with the Roman emperors with every variety of good and ill suc- 
 cess. Under that difference of aspect, which the successful impos- 
 ture of Mahomet occasioned, Tangrolipix, a Turk, and LIKihoon (or 
 Ullah Khan) a Tartar, were each Ibunders of a dynasty of kings ; 
 which the Turkoman and Sophian race were destined to succeed. 
 On the death of Thamas Kooli Khan, usually styled Nadir Shah, (the 
 General first, and next the deposer and successor of the last of these,) 
 a state of anarchy ensued ; which, as in the histories of other states, 
 renders it extremely difficult to preserve the order of succession and 
 observe the dates ; several competitors having at once appeared, and 
 been generally acknowledged or rejected, according to the influence 
 attached to a momentary success. Alahomed Hassan Khan, however, 
 the chief of these, and the head of the Cadjar tribe, a commander 
 of high rank under Shah Thamas, the last of the Sophian race, esta- 
 blished an authority which his descendants of the present dynasty 
 have since resumed. Aga Mahomed Khan, his second son, defeat-
 
 BUSHEER. 41 
 
 ing Lootf Ali Khan, (the last and greatest of Kerim Khan's succes- 
 sors,) and re-establishing an authority, which he has since transmitted 
 to the present king ; the son of his elder brother, who had been 
 killed in battle by the Turkomans. 
 
 The intervening reigns of Kerim Khan, and of his kinsman Lootf 
 especially, are on the present occasion more immediately deserving 
 of attention, on account of the connection which exists between the 
 events of their days and that cursory notice of the history of Bushcer 
 which the traveller should not neglect Originally a Koordish robber, 
 of a low tribe of the Zunds, Kerim Khan, rising by his personal 
 valour to eminence, had defeated and killed Mahomed Hassan Khan, 
 and established a power which maintained itself in the dependencies 
 of Shiraze, during that temporary retirement from the honours of 
 royalty, to which the princes of the present dynasty had been forced to 
 submit. It is with Kerim Khan, therefore, that we shall commence 
 that brief history of the place which its inferior importance may de- 
 mand. Busheer, situated in the low province of Dashtistan, on a 
 narrow neck of land from which the sea has apparently retired, is 
 spoken of by Nearchus ; and is the scat of one of those petty inde- 
 pendent states, which the Arabs have establishcxl and generally re- 
 tained along the eastern borders of the Persian Gulf These it had 
 been the policy of Kerim Klian to humble and destroy ; under Shaik 
 Nasr, however, the grandfather of its present governor, may be placed 
 the aera of its greatest prosperity and influence ; as it was on his 
 promise, and by the exertions of his son, that Lootf Ali, the Persian 
 monarch, was restored to the dignity which he had resigned on his 
 father's death. 
 
 The Arabs delight, even now, in the recollection of the fame and 
 generosity of this worthy chief; whose hospitality had been such, 
 that all the tribes of Dashtistan esteemed themselves obliged to 
 fly to his standard, as soon as the camel appeared amongst them, 
 carrying, (as a signal of war,) the vessels that ha<l been employed in 
 the dressing of those general entertainments which his bounty had 
 dispensed. Abdool and Mahomed Russool, grandsons of this gc-
 
 42 ILLUSTRIOUS PERSONS AT BUSHEER. 
 
 nerous chief, were competitors for authority at the time we visited 
 Busheer ; though without any of those violent unnatural struggles 
 which so often divide the members of the same family in the East. 
 They appeared, indeed, content, that the one or the other should 
 reign (as it has of late happened) each in his turn ; but their mo- 
 deration may be attributed to the experience which Abdool Kussool 
 in particular has had of the uncertainty of human greatness, he 
 being the person who was formerly seized in the time of Sir Harford 
 Jones's embassy to Persia, and conveyed with every indignity and 
 contumely a prisoner to Shiraze. 
 
 From the circumstances of its situation and government, Busheer 
 has always been remarkable, as the certain asylum of those illustrious 
 fugitives, whom contending factions and adverse fortunes had com- 
 pelled to flight. We have already mentioned an instance of its ge- 
 nerous and devoted attachment to a fallen prince : Abdulla Aga and 
 Sayed AUowee, men of high rank in the Pachalik of Bagdad, (whom 
 we shall have occasion to speak of hereafter,) had not long quitted 
 it when we arrived. The wife of the second minister of the empire, 
 once the widow of Hajee Kelil Khan, the Persian ambassador who 
 was unfortunately killed at Bombay, was amongst the refugees who 
 still remained ; whilst, strange reverse of fortune and dignity, blind 
 and oppressed with age and infirmity, a fallen monarch supported 
 a miserable existence within its walls, by superior skill in the veter- 
 inary sciences. His judgment and powers of discrimination might 
 ijideed be esteemed wonderfully accurate ; as though blind, (a red hot 
 wire having been passed through his eyes,) he could by the feel, and 
 hearing of their motion only, form the most correct judgment of the 
 horses which he bought. 
 
 The trade of Busheer, as the principal port of Persia, has generally 
 been of considerable extent. The inner roads will admit vessels 
 drawing eighteen feet water over the bar; and, besides cruizers, men of 
 war, inferior Arab dows, and country crafl, it is usually visited by 
 ten or twelve vessels from India of a considerable size which trade 
 within the Gulf under the protection of our flag ; seven or eight of 
 these, usually making a double trip within the year. Its imports con-
 
 TRADE OF BUSHEER. 43 
 
 sist of broad cloth of the darker colours, and green and blue for the 
 Persian dress ; of Surat and Bengal goods, dates, coffee, rice, and 
 arms ; whilst returns are made in bullion, silks from Yezd and 
 Kaschan, red silks from Ghilan, carpets from Ispahan, fine wool from 
 Kirman, rhubarb from Usbeck, horses, mules, rose-water, wine of 
 Shiraze, cotton, and fruits that are preserved. The buildings and 
 bazars of Busheer, from the extent of the trade we have described^ 
 might naturally be supposed to evince a certain advance in splendour 
 and convenience. The contrary, however, is certainly the case. The 
 buildings and bazars in general may be pronounced inferior to those 
 of Muskat and Bussora : it only contains twelve or fifteen houses of 
 any consequence, 500 stone houses of an inferior size, six mosques, 
 three hummums, and four caravansarys, besides huts, with a popula- 
 tion of about 12,000 souls j being surrounded with an old wall, 
 flanked by twelve crumbling towers, that are wholly insufficient for 
 the purposes of defence. 
 
 Our stay at Busheer had been too uncertain to pursue more con- 
 nected enquiries, though protracted certainly beyond the period neces- 
 sary for deriving information or amusement from the fund of interest 
 which it affords. The last days had been spent in ennui and listless- 
 ness, and only varied by the anxiety that was felt for the fate of an un- 
 fortunate frail one, who had been detected in that familiar intercourse 
 with a Christian, which the rigid principles of the Koran have con- 
 signed to the silent oblivion of the grave : the unhappy creature (an 
 interesting girl of sixteen) having been suddenly carried off, and 
 hurried across the country during the night, to meet the unknown 
 doom her unrelenting persecutors had pronounced. The whole of the 
 facts (for particular reasons) the author cannot feel himself at liberty 
 to detail; but so much has been stated as indicative of the manners 
 of the Arabs of the coast ; similar mishaps in Persia being usually 
 compounded by a small fine to the civil magistrate. 
 
 On the day of our departure, as I was about to embark, I was 
 accosted by one of those wanderers, whom the chances of war, 
 or more probably the restless spirit of the age, had led to these 
 
 G 2
 
 44 RUSSIAN WANDERERS. 
 
 foreign climes. After an attempt to impose himself for a man of 
 rank, whom private reasons obliged to a temporary absence, he ac- 
 knowledged himself, in imperfect French, to be a Russian prisoner, 
 who was almost destitute of means, and was anxious to return home 
 by Bussora or Bagdad. The story was sufficiently plausible, as num- 
 bers in this unfortunate predicament are frequently met with ; I 
 could not help surmising, however, that amongst those I saw, there 
 must have been some whose condition and views were certainly dif- 
 ferent from the usual burden of their tale ; so declining all inter- 
 ference with the captain of our vessel, who must indeed have received 
 instructions from the British resident before he could have complied 
 with my request, I went on board. 
 
 On the liith we reached Karak, a low sandy island, where pilots 
 are taken in. This place is remarkable in the history of the Eu- 
 ropean settlements in the East, for the advantage made of its position 
 (at the mouth of the Shat al Arab) by Baron Kniphausen, the Dutch 
 resident at l^ussora ; who, plundered of his property, as the price of 
 his release, and destitute of every resource but those he found in his 
 own daring and activity, sought refuge in Karak with about fifty de- 
 termined followers ; and commenced from thence a system of annoy- 
 ance and hostility on the commerce of the Turks, which forced them 
 to that restitution, and to a renewal of those privileges of trade, which 
 they had previously denied. This island had once belonged to the 
 Portuguese, of whose ancient residence and religious worship the 
 monuments may yet be traced, notwithstanding the zeal that has 
 laboured to destroy these symbols of their faith. We have already 
 noticed the advantages of its position, as commanding the trade of 
 Busheer, Bussora, and Bagdad ; whilst Ormus would etjually conmiand 
 that of the Persian Gulf The establishment of small garrisons in 
 each of these islands, with our naval superiority, would place our 
 commerce on a far more secure and respectable basis than it now 
 rests upon ; and probably at no increased expense beyond the 
 charges of three missions that are now maintained. At present, 
 our safety rests, and the continuance of our trade depends, on the
 
 KARAK. 45 
 
 fickle will of abject yet overbearing slaves. By establishing ourselves 
 in these positions, we might at once assume the " oderint dum me- 
 tuant'^ towards the powers of the Gulf; and even increase our 
 doubtful influence at the Persian court, by the constraint we might 
 impose on these powers, or the countenance we might yield to their 
 pretensions, as circumstances might direct. In the dignified position 
 we occupy as a leading power in the East, we are sufficiently exalted 
 to excite jealousy, without possessing that control in the Gulf which 
 our naval superiority should command. Our force, though re- 
 spected, is scarcely understood, from the weakness of the policy 
 observed with the most paltry pirates of these coasts ; whilst the 
 very presents we lavish, are received as tribute by the Persian court. 
 The Russians follow a far different policy in regard to Persia : they 
 strengthen themselves in every point of contact, and dictate accord- 
 ingly ; whilst, as for ourselves, we only hope and trust in those delu- 
 sive promises, of which the first reverse we experience will prove 
 the nothingness and futility. We have a bright example before 
 us, a convincing proof of the smallness of the exertion that must be 
 made to insure success. We are more powerful, more able, more 
 respected for our conduct, and more enlightened in our policy, than 
 the Portuguese or the Dutch, in the period of their highest pros- 
 perity, when their fleets rode triumphant in the Persian Gulf, and 
 defied the power of the Soldans, the Persians, and the Turks. It 
 only remains that we should avail ourselves of the advantages we 
 possess to their full extent, in order to command that influence, in 
 Persia especially, which is necessary to the permanence and security 
 of the empire we have obtained. 
 
 Beyond its position, Karak is only remarkable for those remains of 
 popish superstition, which the Portuguese have always lefl behind as 
 a monument of their martial fame and religious bigotry. One of 
 their churches has been converted, by the popular traditions of an 
 adverse faith, into the holy sepulchre of Peer Mahomed, the son of 
 Aly, the prophet of the Persians and the Sheea sect Crosses, painted 
 tiles, and other devices, sufficiently point out the original purposes
 
 46 PEARL FISHERY. 
 
 of this building; it is only a change of forms and names, and it still 
 remains an object of reverence and religious veneration. On his 
 way to this church or tomb, the traveller passes a long subter- 
 raneous passage or aqueduct intended formerly to convey water from 
 the side of a hill that is opposite ; and which has holes cut at certain 
 distances, for the admission of air and light. The nature of this work, 
 might induce a belief that the population and wealth of Karak were 
 originally more considerable than they are at present ; though at the 
 south end there are some caverns cut out of the solid rock, which must 
 impress an unfavourable opinion of the manners and civilisation of a 
 race that could reside therein. We have dwelt the longer on the 
 description of this island, from the importance it might command, 
 whenever we choose to avail ourselves of the advantages its position 
 might afford. The fort that protects the landing place is built princi- 
 pally of stone, has a bastion at each of the four angles, and a ravelin 
 in front of the gateway near the sea capable of mounting twelve 
 guns ; though at present it is in a very dilapidated condition. 
 
 The island of Bahreen is the only place, I believe, which remains 
 to be noticed as deserving of attention, in our progress up the Persian 
 Gulf. It is only celebrated, however, for its pearl fishery, and for 
 some fresh- water springs at the bottom of the sea ; from whence (at 
 known depths) the divers frequently bring it up. We cannot speak 
 from our own knowledge of the present state of the fishery ; but if we 
 may judge from the numbers and variety of the pearls we saw in 
 Bussora, it cannot be on the decline. The pearls, I was informed, are 
 finer and rounder than those of Ceylon, but lose their colour sooner, 
 and fall considerably in their value within the first thirty years of 
 th^r being brought up. There may be a great deal of idle fancy in 
 the assertion ; such however is the opinion that is entertained of their 
 quality ; though it is affirmed, on the other hand, that afler this lapse 
 of time, they are liable to no further change. 
 
 The passage down from Bussora to Busheer is frequently per- 
 formed within two days : in going up, however, a greater time is 
 required; and it was the 15th before we even reached the bar. We
 
 TRADE UP THE GULF. 47 
 
 took six days more, in tacking or kedging up the river ; passing two 
 mud forts on the 19th, where a chain was formerly thrown across to 
 impede the progress of our ships : an obstacle, however, that was 
 avoided by one of our smallest cruisers, which sailed up the channel 
 at the back of the island on the right, to the great astonishment of 
 their opponents. On the 21st we reached Bussora, where, on land- 
 ing, I was most kindly received and entertained by Dr. Colquhoun, 
 our resident at the place ; a gentleman whose hospitality has been 
 experienced by many others besides myself. 
 
 Our _tradp up the Gulf, of which we must now take our leave, is 
 certainly considerable, and deserving of encouragement ; the returns 
 being sufficiently assured and quick for commercial purposes. Be- 
 sides our own vessel, there were in the Gulf at this time the Kusrovy, 
 Sophia, Mary, Elizabeth, and a large grab not seen ; making a total 
 of six large trading ships ; with four Company's cruisers and a frigate, 
 besides a very great number of inferior craft Supposing, therefore, 
 that, with others we never met or heard of, there are eight or ten large 
 vessels that make two trips within the year from Bombay, and three 
 that only make one within the same period from Bengal ; we shall easily 
 find, that, on the average of 300 tons to each ship, this trade employs 
 near 7000 tons of shipping out within the year : and this exclusively 
 of fighting ships, and inferior craft from port to port We shall also 
 find, that by including the voyage back, the tonnage is doubled, and 
 amounts to 14,000 tons ; an object certainly of importance, if it were 
 only for the means of employment which this trade affords. With 
 crews of from fifty to eighty Lascars, a captain and two mates, and 
 including the wear and tear of small stores, the expense of each 
 Bombay ship, as I was informed, may be calculated at 2000 rupees 
 per month ; the Bengal ships navigating at an expense somewhat 
 greater, from the number of Europeans employed on board. Each 
 of these ships may be worth sixty or seventy thousand rupees, with the 
 guns and the stores on board ; and commonly freight, in the gross, for 
 12,000 rupees each for the voyage up, and the same for the voyage 
 back. A capital of 600,000 rupees, or about 70,000/., is thus em-
 
 48 ARRIVAL AT BUSSORA. 
 
 ployed in bottomry alone, and at the very lowest computation that can 
 be made ; 48,000 rupees being also cleared annually by each ship, to 
 cover the expenses of navigation, the interest of stock, and to replace 
 the original fund. It is not to the profits of bottomry alone, how- 
 ever, that the advantages of this trade must be confined ; and the 
 balance is in our favour, both from the extent of our exports, and a 
 permanent advantage of exchange, founded on the depreciated value 
 of their currency. We are not prepared to state the exact amount 
 of the exports, or the returns, or of the duties and customs on the 
 goods exported or sent back ; it may be seen, however, from what we 
 have already stated of the profits on bottomry alone, that the trade in 
 its other parts must be in some proportion equally extensive ; and very 
 probably, at the least as advantageous to the capital employed, and to 
 the public revenue. This trade is indeed (as I must believe if the 
 statement 1 have ventured, on the best information I could obtain, 
 is at all correct) as yet but little known or understood. The period, 
 however, may still arrive, when more accurate knowledge shall direct 
 competition in seeking its advantages, and in working the mine. 
 
 On the description of Biissora, we shall not enter at any length, 
 it having been so often spoken of by other travellers. Meanly built, 
 and extremely dirty, though enjoying the advantages of a healthy 
 climate and a very considerable trade, I was informed it still con- 
 tains a population of 80,000 souls; a number probably somewhat 
 less than could be reckoned before it was visited by the plague. 
 Amongst these the Arabs predominate, in respect to their num- 
 bers, to their wealth, and to their influence; some of the principal 
 landholders, I was given to understand, having as many as eight 
 or ten thousand men in their immediate dependence within and 
 without the town. As these are, generally speaking, a very law- 
 less set, and entirely devoted to their own immediate chief, it 
 may be conceived, that the situation of the Motselime (a Turk) is 
 little to be envied for its comforts or security. This governor, 
 however, with about a thousand soldiers of various descriptions, 
 whom he keeps in constant pay, contrives to maintain a tolerable
 
 BUSSORA. 49 
 
 police within the walls, by opposing the great leaders to each 
 other as occasion may present itself. Beyond the walls, however, 
 the very word security is entirely unknown ; the desert belonging to 
 the Bedooins, who still preserve that independence which they have 
 so long enjoyed. """' ^ -—^ _ 
 
 Bussora, it is said, owes its origin to one of the Roman emperors ; 
 and was also the birth-place of another, — Philip the Arabian. It is 
 divided by a creek that runs through it, and is surrounded by a 
 paltry mud-wall, defended by circular bastions; the greater part of 
 the space between the creek and wall being only occupied with gar- 
 dens and diitc-plantations ; so that, although it measures a circuit 
 of full cigiit miles, there is not more than half the space within that 
 is built up. Notwithstanding these disadvantages, however, of great 
 extent, and weak defences, it has twice held out against the Persian 
 kings ; and was only taken by Kerim Khan after a long protracted 
 siege. During my stay at Bussora, I was so fortunate as to meet 
 some very agreeable companions; and being most kindly entertained 
 by Dr. (!()l(julu)un, the resident, who had a stud of forty or fifty of 
 the finest Arabians I have ever seen, and which he kindly obliged us 
 with, we conirivod in gcner.il to pass away the time agreeably 
 enough, by riding in (lie desort, rearling, and visiting the baths. 
 We Jiad been warned on these occasions never to wander out by 
 ourselves, lest we should be insulted ; I must, however, confess, in 
 justice to the people of Bussora, that although we paid less atten- 
 tion to this friendly caution than it probably deserved, we never 
 met with the slightest annoyance or incivility within the walls; 
 but found the people, on the contrary, sufficiently inclined to 
 pay every attention to our rank and uniform which we could have 
 wished. The case is not certainly the same in every city of the 
 East ; but the respect in which the British character is held at 
 Bussora may be seen in the following trivial incident, which it were 
 not otherwise necessary to relate. The extreme caution of Ma- 
 homedans in general, in regard to the intrusion of Franks on their 
 women, is, I believe, well known : on one occasion, however, having 
 
 H
 
 50 DISTURBANCES IN THE PASHALICK. 
 
 visited the hummums whilst it was full, I was conducted with a 
 friend to one of the private baths, that was commonly reserved for 
 the women only, and where we found five or six, who were imme- 
 diately turned out, notwithstanding their clamours, to make room 
 for us. As I felt aware of the impropriety of the intrusion, 
 (some of the ladies being scarcely dressed,) and had an Arab servant 
 with me to interpret, I immediately objected to the civility intended 
 at their expense : we were informed, however, with many professions 
 of the most devoted services, that the bath was at our command, 
 though it were required for all the women of the place. It is certain 
 we commonly paid a great deal more than other visitors, but I do 
 not believe this extreme civility would have been shown to any 
 others than ourselves. 
 
 On my arrival at Bussora, I had been informed by the resident, 
 when he had first the kindness to invite me to his house, that it 
 would be impossible for me to proceed for a considerable time ; and 
 I now found the occasion o^ this delay was the disturbances of the 
 Pashalick. A new pasha, it seems, had been appointed for Bagdad; 
 and as the old one was not inclined to resign his place, tliey had had 
 recourse to the marshalling of their troops to decide their claims. Six 
 months had now gone by, and fhey had not yet brought the argument 
 to a conclusion ; though, as far as we could understand, scarcely a 
 man had fallen on either side. As a traveller that was anxious to get 
 on, I could sincerely have wished them both a head the shorter for 
 their pains : if it be recollected, however, that the head and the ap- 
 pointment commonly go together, there will be many with myself, I 
 believe, who will think the inconvenience I suffered through this 
 delay was of the two the most easily remedied ; since, although time is 
 not readily got back, a head, most certainly, cannot often be replaced. 
 The two pashas being then in arms, the one within, the other without 
 the capital, and the whole of the country between Bussora and 
 Bagdad being equally divided by the contending factions, there was 
 no remedy left for me but patience for a time. I amused myself, 
 therefore, by compiling those notices of Arabia, the Arabs, the man-
 
 DISTURBANCES IN THE PASHALICK. 51 
 
 ners and customs of these climes, which shall be the subject of one of 
 the following chapters ; — a chapter I would offer under these circum- 
 stances, not entirely on the authority of my own assurance and belief, 
 but as the result, in part, of the researches of others, as far as these 
 have been confirmed by my own experience and knowledge of this 
 extraordinary race, amongst whom I have dwelt, even in their 
 tents in the desert land, and at whose hands I have received 
 every kindness and hospitality it was possible to experience, during 
 the month I spent entirely amongst them m my journey from 
 Bussora to Bagdad. 
 
 u
 
 53 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 OCPAHTURE FROM BUSSORA. — VOYAGE UP THE SHAT UL ARAB. — KORNA. — THE GAR- 
 DEN OP EDEN. THE EUPHRATES. — THREE WEEKS* RESIDENCE AMONGST THE BE- 
 
 DOOIN8. — OCCURRENCES IN THE DESERT, AND ON THE ROAD. — WASSUT AND HYE. 
 
 — MEETING WITH THE ARABIAN ARMY; THE ORDER OF THEIR MARCH DESCRIBED. 
 
 — CONDUCT OF MY TURK. — ARRIVAL ON THE SITE OF BABYLON. 
 
 Un the 16th of January, 1817, Mr. Colquhoun, our resident, in- 
 formed me, that the opportunity I had waited for then presented itself, 
 if I felt prepared to commence the journey at so short a notice, 
 and during a moment of so much danger and uncertainty. The dis- 
 patch brought by the Phoenix had been detained for the occasion, 
 and the arrival of His Majesty's ship the Challenger, Captain Bridges, 
 with a second, had rendered the attempt indispensable. The disorders 
 already adverted to still prevailed ; but as the period of their termi- 
 nation was quite uncertain, it was not an opportunity to be con- 
 temned ; I therefore closed with a proposal so kindly meant, and 
 employed myself in preparations for my departure on the en- 
 suing day. 
 
 On the 17th, having dressed myself in the Arab dress I had pre- 
 viously purchased ; packed up half-a-dozen shirts, my regimentals, a 
 carpet, blanket, and a few papers in two canvass saddle-bags, I inade 
 my appearance in the breakfast-room prepared for a journey across 
 half the world to our sea-girt isle ; and was introduced to Aly Aga, 
 Chiouse, my intended guide, — master and commander, as he pleased 
 to think himself, servant, as I always treated and considered him. 
 Aly Aga, Chiouse, or messenger, was a Turk, of about forty-five ; who 
 might have appeared full ten years older, from the life which he had 
 led, had not an uncommonly strong constitution, and robust frame, 
 withstood the great fatigues he had endured in his profession, and the 
 potent draughts which he had quaffed. He was a man rather under
 
 SHAT UL ARAB. 53 
 
 the middle size, but formed as if intended for a very superior height, 
 his broad spreading chest and sinewy limbs seeming to belong to a 
 G>lossus that had been arrested in its growth. He was extremely 
 filthy, even for a Turk ; might have been the greatest liar on earth, 
 had he not had another failing, that frequently checked him in the 
 midst of all his boastings ; and prided himself, next to the quantity 
 he could drink, and the number of miles he had ridden, on his 
 character for discretion, and his knowledge of the world, — that is, of 
 the road between Bussora and Bagdad, which he had travelled much 
 oftener than he could always count. 
 
 Since Aly Aga will figure as a principal character in the first part of 
 the present narrative, I thought it necessary to introduce him with 
 due formality to the notice of an indulgent reader. The first order 
 he issued was, that I should prepare abundance of eatables (and 
 drinkables, if I required them, as he never touched any thing of the 
 kind) for the journey ; and be ready to leave the residency at four. 
 At half past five, he presented himself; e(|uipped for the march in 
 wide Turkish trowsers that reached up to his arm-pits, and were 
 supported by a broad buff belt that contained a formidable battery, 
 mounting three heavy pistols in the front, a carabine in the rear-face, 
 with a long dagger and a sword ; ramrods, pouches, and cartridge 
 rolls, a score on either flank. He was in a great hurry of course : 
 preparations of so imposing a nature could demand no less ; and he 
 was accordingly most peremptory in urging my departure, lest we 
 should miss the tide. It was within half an hour of our usual din- 
 ner-time ; and to exchange the comforts and sumptuous fare of the 
 resident's table for a biscuit, the desert, and a muddy stream, was 
 a mortification of the spirit and the flesh that could scarcely be en- 
 dured. As on many occasions, however, when we are forced to yield 
 to necessity, I was obliged to rest contented ; and so took my leave 
 of my worthy generous host, and the kind circle that surrounded 
 him, who expressed their kind wishes for our success and the safety in 
 our course. 
 
 The boat we embarked in was just large enough to hold two 
 people at their length in the centre ; whilst the tVont and stern were
 
 54 SHAT UL ARAB. 
 
 taken up by my Arab servant, the boatmen, and a Turk on his way 
 to join the vessel stationed off Korna, at the junction of the rivers. 
 As our bark glided smoothly down the stream, passing the little date 
 gardens on its bank, where many a wealthy lascivious Turk sat re- 
 clining, in the full enjoyment of coffee, slothfulness, and his chu- 
 book, my companions took leave of the various friends they met, 
 with frequent appeals to God and Providence, in explanation of their 
 destined course. " Ish Allah ! (God being willing, said my Turk, to 
 some holy derwishes,) we intend going to Bagdad ; let us have the 
 prayers of the faithful for our safety and success." " Faringee," said 
 he to me, (with perfect assurance,) after he had counted piece by piece 
 five feluce, the extent of his liberality, " I have given these holy 
 men five roobeas on your account ; be you also generous, and give 
 them a buckshish. Ish Allah ! (God being willing) we shall have 
 their prayers and intercessions." I offered them a cruce, but 
 not less than three could rid me of their importunities ; as I was 
 of course expected to make up the difference between the real 
 and ostensible liberality he had displayed. 
 
 By the time we had reached the custom-house, which was about a 
 mile or two from the residency, it was nearly dark ; and my Turk 
 having gone on shore, under pretence of obtaining the necessary per- 
 mits, \ was left alone in the boat to commune with myself, and 
 ponder on the extraordinary journey I had before me, with the ad- 
 ventures and mishaps I might expect. The night was beautiful and 
 clear, displaying the full extent of the mighty waters we had em- 
 barked upon. At a short distance, I could distinguish the two 
 English brigs that had arrived, and mai'k the watches as they were 
 set ; nearer, the Arab boats were constantly passing ; whilst the sturdy 
 rowers kept time, as they plied their oars, to the mournful ditty of 
 the bearded Charon at the helm. In these intervals of repose and 
 contemplation, I frequently called to my Turk, whose voice I some- 
 times heard amidst the noise of tongues and bursts of merriment: 
 when, however, I could obtain an answer, it was only to inform me, 
 that he was more impatient than myself; but that we must wait unty
 
 SHAT UL ARAR 
 
 55 
 
 his business had been dispatched, and the fortunate hour had ar- 
 rived. As the night passed, the application was renewed, and checked 
 with the like answer ; until at last I sunk from ray waking dreams 
 on the Shat ul Arab, to still more visionary scenes in those unknown 
 regions we sometimes traverse in our sleep. 
 
 Early in the morning of the 18th, I was awoke by a tremendous 
 explosion that shook our bark to its very centre, and seemed indeed 
 the grand and concluding catastrophe of the visions of the night 
 The day had broken in upon me : I found myself alone and in the 
 boat, in a strange sequestered spot. My Turk, my servant, and the 
 boatmen, had all forsaken me ; I called, and no answer was returned: 
 I almost fancied myself in a dream, or awake to some unexpected 
 and dreadful certainty ; when a second and a third explosion, which I 
 easily distinguished as the signal guns for the break of day, dispelled 
 the charm, and awoke the sleeping crew that were reposing on the 
 shore. My rascally Turk, I found on enquiry, had got so drunk 
 with his friends the holy derwishes at the custom-house, that in 
 spite of the hurry he had been in, and his asserted anxiety to pro- 
 ceed, he had been unable to move ; and had insisted on spending the 
 night on shore in the desert just beyond the town. He was highly 
 indignant when I reproached him with his conduct, and abused his 
 unfortunate accusers, the Arabs, most violently ; stoutly denying the 
 charge of inebriety, as he sipped his morning draught. At last, 
 however, he condescended to return on board, and we resumed our 
 course, the trackers being desired to work hard, to make up for the 
 time that had been lost. 
 
 At five P. M. we passed the tomb of Madee Sahebee Zuman, a 
 descendant of the Prophet's, who has been dead upwards of a thou- 
 sand years. The people expect he will return, mounted on a wild 
 ass of the desert, when he will ride over the earth, subduing nations, 
 and becoming the sovereign of the whole. A little further on the 
 same, or Arabian, shore, we came to a high tower, which marks the 
 tomb of Aly Ben Hassein, the nephew of the great Aly, and also a 
 descendant of the Prophet's. Near this, having landed in the dusk
 
 56 GARDEN OF EDEN. 
 
 to cook, we had a very narrow escape of being plundered by the 
 Arabs. We had scarcely lighted our fire under a bush, and begun 
 the affairs of the kitchen, before a scout we had sent out gave the 
 signal, and we were obliged to retreat ; pushing off our boats and 
 standing out in the river, as the Arabs appeared, shouting, hallooing, 
 and attacking us with stones ; whilst some presented their match- 
 locks, and threatened destruction to the whole of us, to deter the 
 boatmen from their exertions in getting out the boat. 
 
 On the 19th, we reached Korna, at the junction of the Tigris and 
 the Euphrates ; happily without any further mishap, and without 
 passing any other remarkable object, besides a mud fort on the eastern 
 bank of the river, built by Mahomed Aly Khan when he came from 
 Shiraze to the attack of Bussora. Korna is only a small village, with 
 a station for the collection of the customs on the river, and a Turkish 
 gun-brig that protects the navigation from the pirates, and enforces 
 the payment of these duties. 
 
 The accompanying sketch will afford an imperfect idea of the 
 grandeur of the scene exhibited by the junction of those two mighty 
 rivers, which have been celebrated in history as the boundary of 
 that happy fertile spot where our common father dwelt ; the Tigris 
 and the Euphrates having generally been esteemed the southern* 
 south-west, and south-east limits of the garden of Eden or Paradise. 
 The confluence of two such majestic streams forming an inland gulf 
 of great extent, is certainly an imposing sight : I could find nothing, 
 however, (except in the contrast with the surrounding desert,) 
 that could mark Korna as the fertile happy spot which had been 
 assigned to man before his fall. The few trees, and the little culti- 
 vation it may boast, are certainly as a garden in the midst of a 
 barren, black, desolated wilderness : without this wilderness, however, 
 it would be only a marsh overgrown with rushes, a few palms, and 
 fifty or sixty miserable huts. 
 
 At Korna, we were entertained by some Turks and Arabs in the 
 service of the Motselim of Bussora, who are employed there in the 
 collection of the revenue. They gave us the most dreadful, and
 
 KORNA. 57 
 
 certainly very exaggerated accounts of the dangers and difficulties we 
 might expect to encounter in our journey to Bagdad ; and my worthy 
 Turk failed not to improve the alarm which these descriptions might 
 have been supposed to have occasioned, by insisting on our passing the 
 night on board the Turkish vessel on the Shat ul Arab as the only 
 place of safety that could be found. Whether he was himself fright- 
 ened, or merely wished to enhance the value of his services, I know 
 not ; but certainly, according to his own account, it would be im- 
 possible to proceed on the ensuing day ; the intervening country 
 being quite unsettled, and overrun with banditti, in consequence of 
 the great contest near the capital. On board we went, however, in 
 hopes of better prospects with the return of dawn ; and I was received 
 by Aly AgJl the commander, a venerable Turk of sixty, with every 
 kind and considerate attention that could be shown. 
 
 On leading me into his state-cabin, he lamented the poorness of 
 his fare and accommodations, and the want of an earlier intimation 
 of my arrival ; as he feared, he said, I might feel offended at not 
 having received the usual salute from his vessel ; adding, as a proof 
 of his knowledge, and travelled breeding, that he knew our customs 
 required this attention. The compliment was somewhat strained, 
 unless he mistook me for an officer of much higher rank ; a compli- 
 ment, however, never comes amiss, especially where it is accompa^ 
 nied by that real and genuine kindness, which evinces, at the least, a 
 wish to please. I knew the exact value and bearing of these apolo- 
 gies, that were partly the effect of eastern politeness, and partly in- 
 tended as a salvo to his own consequence and dignity, in offering 
 such inferior fare. When the old man, however, kindly spread his 
 best, and bade me partake of it ; when he ordered his best and only 
 couch to be prepared for me, resigning the greater part of his cabin 
 for my accommodation, I could not help feeling, that although a 
 compliment and proffers of services are not always in this world 
 proofs of sincerity, they may often enhance the favour, and double 
 the obligation that is conferred. 
 
 I
 
 58 THE EUPHRATES. 
 
 When all our attendants, except a little slave of his own, had 
 withdrawn, he entered at once into what he prefaced as confidential 
 communications, regarding the character of my guide. " I have 
 known," said he, " many English officers and gentlemen ; I am sorry, 
 indeed, to find you under the protection of so vile a caitiff, and 
 profligate an infidel : he cares neither for the Prophet nor the law j 
 and would drink this river dry, if it were not water ; but he is a ser- 
 vant of the Motselims, so God be with him. God being willing, you 
 may perhaps reach Bagdad ; it would have been better, however, had 
 you been quite alone, than with such a wretch." I had already 
 formed my opinion of the fellow's character : the hint was not lost ; 
 and I was soon confirmed in the belief, that notwithstanding the 
 real dangers of the road, I had more to apprehend from the folly 
 and indiscretion of my guide, than from the unusual turbulence of 
 the times. I arranged my plans accordingly, and from that day ge- 
 nerally consulted with my Arab servant, in spite of all his complaints 
 and all his threats of the evils I might entail upon myself. 
 
 On the 20th, early in the morning, we went on shore, after making 
 a small present to the slaves and servants, and returning many 
 thanks to my worthy host. We breakfasted with some Arab shaiks 
 in the village, and at ten set off. At two P. M. we passed a river 
 branching off to the right. At three we passed Nar Antar, the usual 
 residence of the shaik of the Montifics at certain periods of the 
 year. The place may be known from a distance, by a small building 
 not unlike one of our eastern pagodas on the left bank; and a custom- 
 house, for the collection of the river duties, is established at Tuckt on 
 the opposite shore. At six P. M., having made about twenty-four 
 miles, we tied our boat to the left shore, near some huts, at a small 
 place called Mahabut, rather more than half way from Nar Antar to 
 Mansurie, and rested for the night. 
 
 On the 21st, after passing Mansurie, which is a considerable town, 
 with a custom-house subordinate to that at Korna, we came on a 
 desert marshy tract entirely covered with bull-rushes on either side. 
 Nothing can equal the dismal, melancholy aspect of the country we
 
 THE DESERT. 59 
 
 had now before us. The river, extending itself in the loose soil it 
 wanders through, seems to flow in a still mournful unison with the 
 dreary scene on either bank. A wretched Arab here and there, like 
 the gleam of light that just renders darkness visible, reminds the 
 traveller, at long intervals, of the dreadful solitude of his course. The 
 savage, haggard appearance of the stranger, his cautious, mistrust&l 
 looks ; the desolate waste he flies to from the narrow path, at the 
 most distant sight of a fellow-creature ; equally impress the mind 
 with the dreadful apprehension of impending harm. We passed 
 through, however, without any accidents, or other alarms than those 
 inspired by the mournful stillness of the scene, and the occasional 
 apprehensions entertained, from a partial glimpse of some wretched 
 creature, who was probably as terrified as ourselves at the unusual 
 sight of his fellow-man. 
 
 Late at night, we moored our bark opposite Abada, a village on 
 the western shore ; and distant three-and-thirty miles i'rom our former 
 resting place. On this occasion, I was desired by my trembling ser- 
 vant, and no less frightened conductor, to remain within the boat ; 
 as we were surrounded by various parties of the most lawless cruel 
 tribes. I felt, however, so uncomfortable and fatigued from the con- 
 finement of my situation, that after a while I followed them on 
 shore ; where, crouched in the midst of fearful wretches like them- 
 selves, I found them listening, in dreadful apprehension, to some 
 aweful tale of the travellers we had met 1 had always suspected 
 my Turk of wishing to magnify the dangers of the undertaking, in 
 order to enhance the value of his services. The times and state of 
 the country were certainly most unfavourable : I could easily perceive, 
 however, that the whole of our group were frightened greatly beyond 
 what the appearance of any immediate danger could justify ; as they 
 even abstained from smoking, lest they should betray themselves to 
 some passing scoute. I felt too cold, benumbed, and uncomfortable, 
 to imitate the cautious conduct they observed ; so, after an attempt 
 to persuade them to throw out sentries as videts, a duty no one 
 would undertake, I quietly betook myself to my chubook, wrapped 
 
 I 2
 
 00 COOT AND SOOBSHOOK. 
 
 up in my cumlin, and with my pistols and my sabre by my side. In 
 this situation I found myself early in the morning ; stronger nerves, 
 or the ignorance, perhaps, of our real danger, with the certainty that a 
 man who had nothing to lose, and was perfectly armed, had not much 
 to fear from such wretched foes, having secured me that quiet rest 
 which my companions had neglected to enjoy. 
 
 It was a cheerlul, yet solemn scene that I awoke to. The moon and 
 stars that shine on the desert, as on our cultivated fields, were se- 
 renely bright. My companions had cast off a portion of their fears ; 
 and with the cheerful smile of mutual confidence, were enjoying 
 coffee, the chubook, and the caleean. The hour of our departure, 
 however, had approached, and we set off at break of day, separating 
 with mutual civilities from merchants and travellers whom we had 
 met on this barren spot. 
 
 As we proceeded up the river on the 22d, passing several islands, 
 and one or two inferior streams, we gradually left the marshy 
 dreary fen, and entered on those more cheerful, cultivated scenes, 
 which are always to be found in the neighbourhood of a town. On 
 reaching Coot and Soobshook, my conductor w at on shore to hire 
 the horses we should require on our further course, whilst he de- 
 sired us to proceed in the boat to the custom-house; where we 
 were received with great civility by the Turkish officers in the ser- 
 vice of the Motselim, who are employed at this station in the col- 
 lection of the revenue. They were in a small arched building on 
 the bank of the river, and entertained us politely with coffee, par- 
 taking with equal freedom of the excellent tobacco which I had 
 brought. 
 
 Our stay here was protracted to the 24th, during which time I 
 was frequently amused, by observing the dexterity with which the 
 women crossed the rapid stream astride on a frail bundle of the 
 rushes they had cut, and brought on their heads for sale or the 
 repairing of their huts. The smallest boys, on similar occasions, 
 prove equally expert in taking their herds across, by shifting from 
 back to back, and directing the course of their buffaloes as they
 
 COOT AND SOOBSHOOK. 61 
 
 float down the stream. For the delay we had experienced, I 
 never could obtain a satisfactory reason ; my Turk observing a dig- 
 nified silence on the subject, and indulging freely in a last sup of 
 rakee in the interim : at last, however, in an interval of partial so- 
 briety we got into the boat. 
 
 On landing on the opposite shore, as soon as the horses were 
 produced, I found my Turk was endeavouring to put me off with a 
 less number than he had engaged to provide. The baggage was 
 loading on those we were to ride, though besides a spare horse, in 
 case of accidents, he ought certainly to have furnished one for my 
 provisions and saddle-bags. So entirely, however, had he disre- 
 garded these original stipulations, that, independently of my own 
 packages, he was for loading my two horses with many useless 
 articles of his own. On objecting to this in a peremptory tone, 
 which he had not perhaps expected I would assume, he stormed and 
 raved in the usual style ; but finding I was immovable, as the last 
 resource, he declared I should have another ; but that as he should 
 be obliged to return for it, I must of necessity consent to be delayed 
 another day. I saw plainly that his declarations on this score were 
 likely to be fulfilled; and being anxious above all things to proceed, 
 and to make up for the three days we had lost, I came at once to the 
 resolution of presenting my new whitney blanket (the bulkiest, 
 though perhaps the most necessary article I had with me,) to one of 
 our friendly hosts. I had occasion afterwards to repent this liberality, 
 during the many cold and dismal nights I spent in the open air at 
 the most inclement season of the year : it was, however, an act of 
 necessity ; and I employed the few moments that were left, in a care- 
 ful examination of the three unfortunate creatures that were doomed 
 to carry with our weight, the disproportionate load of baggage my 
 Turk was encumbered with. 
 
 In appearance, certainly, in the prominence of their bones, and the 
 leanness of their flesh, in the spavins, splints, and windgalls they were 
 troubled with, our horses might have rivalled the mighty steed of a far 
 more celebrated character. I could easily perceive, however, amidst all
 
 52 MONTIFIC BEDOOINS. 
 
 these blemishes and sores, that a negative preference in the choice might 
 
 be adventured with perfect propriety. Out of the three, there were 
 
 two certainly that were nearly blind, old, and broken kneed, though of 
 
 the highest blood ; the third, therefore, I might well conjecture, was 
 
 intended for the conveyance of the bulky person of my worthy 
 
 chiouse : I formed my resolutions accordingly. He had pointed out 
 
 the destined supporter of my weight and woes, the most miserable 
 
 Rosinante the eyes of man ever rested upon, and was about to 
 
 mount, (assisted by the shoves of half-a-dozen ragged laughing 
 
 urchins,) when I called him back. " Aly Aga," said I, " do you 
 
 think this horse you have given me will be able to carry me through 
 
 the desert ?" — " God is great," said he, " and merciful. He is the 
 
 very best horse you could wish to have. He is thin just now ; 
 
 but if he were in condition, and in Mr. Colquhoun's stable, he would 
 
 sell for more than half the horses he has there. Ish Alia ! God being 
 
 willing, he will carry you to Bagdad." The appeal was enough to 
 
 confirm me in my resolutions, Mr. Colquhoun having one of the 
 
 finest studs I have ever seen ; so, walking up to the animal he had 
 
 selected for himself) whilst he was appealing to the motley merry 
 
 crew around us to vouch for the truth of all these follies, I sprang 
 
 upon his horse's back, and ordering my servant to proceed, desired 
 
 the astonished gaping reprobate to follow at his ease. The laugh was 
 
 sadly against him on all sides. A Turk has no friends in the desert, 
 
 and my servant joined heartily in the roar ; so putting on the best 
 
 countenance he could on such an occasion, he flapped his heavy 
 
 carcase on the poor wincing miserable jade I had left him, and 
 
 followed us at the best walk the creature could exert 
 
 In riding through the town, scattered along the banks of the river, 
 we observed a brick-built mosque of considerable extent, with a small 
 college attached to it for holy mendicants and derwishes. It was the 
 only respectable brick-building we had passed since our departure 
 from Bussora ; and a little beyond it, on the open space without the 
 village, we reached the tent of Shaik Mahamood, brother of Shaik Ha- 
 m'ood ; who, during the absence of the latter with the army, officiated
 
 SHAIK MAHAMOOiyS COURT. 63 
 
 as his deputy. He was also absent at the time of our arrival ; and to 
 my great annoyance I found our progress was likely to be delayed 
 until his return. I have since had reason to congratulate myself on 
 the occurrence. Shaik Hamood is the chief of the Montifics, a prin- 
 cipal tribe amongst the Bedooins of the desert, as described by 
 Niebuhr ; I had, therefore, a favourable opportunity of observing 
 their manners, if the expression may be used, at the court itself. 
 Nothing can exceed the simplicity of living that may be observed in 
 the tents of these eastern patriarchs. The pen cannot describe the 
 unassuming courtesy, the open, generous hospitality of these lawless 
 robbers of the desert, to the confiding traveller who throws himself 
 on the honour of their tribes. 
 
 During the temporary absence of his father, the eldest son of Shaik 
 Mahamood (a handsome youth of 16) was presiding in his stead. 
 He was sitting on a carpet, in a large open tent, with a numerous 
 retinue of venerable bearded chiefs, sitting or standing (according to 
 their rank and occupations) on either side. The furniture of the 
 tent consisted of the carpets only which they were reposing upon ; 
 whilst their more favourite coursers were picketed in the vicinity ; and 
 a few tents and large droves of camels filled up the surrounding 
 scene. On our introduction, the youth gracefully rose, and kindly 
 beckoned me, with intuitive politeness, to his side. Secretaries were 
 reading dispatches ; messengers were receiving their orders ; whilst 
 the pipe and coffee filled up the intervening time, until the expected 
 arrival of their chief: the patient, hardy warriors of the desert, 
 watching attentively, but not meanly obsequious, each nod or smile 
 of their favourite hope ; and offering their opinions and counsels 
 with perfect freedom whenever the occasion required it. At last, a 
 general buzz announced the long-expected approach of the great 
 personage : the council rose, (the youth himself setting the example,) 
 and went out to meet the group that was advancing towards the tent. 
 In the midst of this Shaik Mahamood himself stood conspicuous, 
 for his superior size, the dignity of his presence, and the warlike, 
 imposing vigour of his make. He appeared just returned with a
 
 64 SHAIK MAHAMOOD'S COURT. 
 
 chosen band of followers from some secret and important excursion ; 
 as the impatient, fretted steed could be yet distinguished leading off 
 to his pickets, whilst the chief himself, with the smile of welcome 
 and gladness on his open brow, seemed even yet to ponder on some 
 mighty deed. 
 
 When he had reached the tent, and had seated himself, we went 
 through the ceremony of another introduction, which he noticed by 
 a gracious inclination of the body ; without resigning, however, the 
 more important cares that seemed to occupy his mind even in 
 the performance of those grateful attentions which politeness must 
 command. A momentary pause ensued, during which he was ap- 
 parently withdrawing within himself, to consider the probable con- 
 tents of the dispatches we had delivered, and the demeanour it 
 would be proper to assume : after which, he beckoned us to sit 
 down ; and the motion was followed by those who were entitled to a 
 similar honour in the presence of their chief 
 
 Every kind of business, apparently, is transacted in public ; those 
 only being within immediate hearing, whose discretion and fidelity 
 may be relied upon. Tiie reading of the letters we had brought 
 from the Motselim of Bussora, with other matters, occupied a con- 
 siderable time ; the Shaik turning round at intervals to the elders of 
 the tribe, to make appropriate remarks, and affixing his seal as a sig- 
 nature to the answers he had dictated in return. Though I could 
 not understand what was said, (my servant, who acted as my inter- 
 preter, being just then absent,) I could easily perceive he was per- 
 fectly conversant with business, as he kept no less than three or four 
 secretaries employed, whilst he conversed at times with those around. 
 After a while, he informed us our passports and guides should be 
 ready before the entertainment he wished us to partake of was con- 
 cluded. This was a personage of too high a rank to have his invit- 
 ation refused ; I was obliged, therefore, to rest contented with this 
 additional delay. 
 
 The preparations for the feast were certainly conducted in a style 
 of profuse hospitality, which I was not prepared to expect. Three or
 
 A PUBLIC ENTERTAINMENT. 65 
 
 four buffaloes* hides sown together, were spread upon the ground, 
 in the midst of the large circle that had filled the tent, and ex- 
 tending several feet beyond the outer wall. It was easy to perceive, 
 from the grease and filth it was loaded with, that this delectable 
 table-cloth had descended as an heir-loom in the family, for many 
 successive generations : the guests, however, approached its wide cir- 
 cumference with the appetites of hunters preparing for the chace. 
 A long train of slaves and servants now appeared, extending from 
 the private tents to the presence, and each bearing in his hands a 
 mighty tray, loaded with coarse black rice, and the legs, heads, and 
 bodies, of many a slaughtered sheep, which I had seen browsing in 
 perfect tranquillity an hour or two before. I had soon occasion to 
 perceive that their skill and care in the cookery was about equal to 
 the simplicity of their manner of serving up. Large pieces of the 
 skin, that had been neglected to be flayed, were hanging in loose 
 folds or patches on many a goodly joint ; and the whole appeared, 
 in truth, as if the animal had been torn to pieces, by the hungry 
 dogs that now approached, waiting, at a respectful distance, their 
 expected gleanings of the feast. 
 
 The whole being quickly arranged, the " Bism Allah, Irrachman, 
 Irrachim," or grace, was pronounced in an audible voice ; and the 
 cliief, dashing his brawney fist into the nearest heap, set us an 
 example I was constrained to follow from pure civility, and to avoid 
 offence. A meeting of our worthy well-fed citizens, assembled to 
 discuss the merits of a turtle or a venison-feast, could not have par- 
 taken of such delicacies with greater glee and avidity than were dis- 
 played by my worthy hosts in their joint attack on this simple fare. 
 The utmost silence prevailed for a while, until the chief, having 
 satisfied the first cravings of a keen appetite, looked round, and en- 
 couraged his guests to persevere. I was so unlucky, at this moment, 
 as to attract his attention ; when, observing me at a stand, my sto- 
 mach being in a very critical unsettled state from all I had wit- 
 nessed, he seized a remaining head with part of the neck and 
 shoulders hanging to it, and fastening his claws in the cavities of the
 
 66 MONTIFIC BEDOOINS. 
 
 eyes, divided the morsel in two, and beckoned me to eat. I felt this 
 as the concluding stroke to the sickly feeling that was stealing over 
 all my faculties : after an attempt, therefore, I was obliged to resign 
 my seat ; and the remaining guests, all rising in their turn, their 
 places were supplied by some inferior company, f hat was only entitled 
 to appear at the conclusion of the feast 
 
 Whilst these also were withdrawing, the servants handed water 
 round (as before dinner) to wash our hands ; and the hungry curs, 
 that had been kept off with difficulty, now nished in with canine 
 ferocity, attacking the bones, the wooden trays, and the hide itself. 
 In a moment every thing was clear ; and coffee being handed round 
 to all the guests, (the youth standing up respectfully behind his 
 father, as during the whole of the entertainment, and presenting him 
 with the cup,) we smoked the parting pipe, and prepared to mount. 
 " Stranger," said the chief to me at parting, (as it was interpreted,) 
 " I understand thou art a servant of the great Aly's. Thou art come 
 a weary dangerous pilgrimage, and art arrived in the day of strife. 
 When thou art presented to the Pasha, (as God being willing thou 
 shalt reach Bagdad in safety, with the assistance of my guides,) tell 
 him thou hast dwelt with the Montifics at Coot, in arms, and for 
 the support of his cause. God being willing ! for he is great ; the 
 son of the mighty Solyman shall not bend to a Georgian slave. 
 Sayud Pasha," accompanying the word with one of those motions 
 it was not easy to misunderstand ; " Sayud Pasha is the Pasha of 
 the Montifics." 
 
 This tribe has frequently infested the road from Bussora to Bagdad, 
 possessing many of the villages from the first place to Ardje, and 
 from Korna to the same ; and retiring to the desert whenever it was 
 attacked by a superior force. At one time they went so far as to 
 besiege Bussora itself : their insolence, however, was severely chastised 
 by Solyman Kaichja, who succeeded afterwards to the pashalic of 
 Bagdad ; and who, after the example of his father-in-law, the cele- 
 brated Achmed Pasha, contrived frequently to attack them unex- 
 pectedly with equal vigour and effect Achmed Pasha (it is
 
 MONTIFIC BEDOOINS. 67 
 
 related) having on one occasion been so fortunate as to take Shaik 
 Shadun, the reigning chief, a prisoner, was so generous as to grant 
 him his release, but with a strict injunction to conduct himself with 
 greater regularity, and to pay his tribute at the appointed time. 
 The same disorders, however, again prevailing, he sent his son-in-law 
 Solyman Kaichja against them, with a small select force, which at- 
 tacking their camp unexpectedly, had the address to seize their shaik 
 a second time. The Arabs of the present day are still enthusiasts 
 in their praise of the valour he displayed in his defence ; for when 
 his lance and sword had failed, he fought it out with his battle-axe ; 
 and even struck at his enemies with the heavy stirrups of his saddle 
 when this weapon had been wrenched from him ; refusing, though a 
 prisoner, after a desperate resistance, to yield to those humiliating 
 conditions which the victor endeavoured to impose. " I am de- 
 scended from a long chain of noble and warlike ancestors," the stern 
 captive replied, enumerating their titles: " thou canst not name the 
 sire * that gave thee birth, the mother that bore thee in her arms : 
 the chance of war has made me thy prisoner, but shall not tarnish 
 the honour of my tribe." A more generous foe had praised the 
 spirit which adversity could not subdue : Solyman, however, struck 
 off his head with a blow of his scimitar, and sent it to the presence. 
 
 After this, the other shaiks thought proper to submit ; and eighteen 
 of them presented themselves on the same day, believing their sub- 
 mission would be accepted: Solyman, however, who thought such 
 an opportunity could never again present itself, ordered their heads 
 to be struck off; so weakening the tribes (in the loss of their chiefs) 
 by this barbarous policy, that they remained tolerably quiet and 
 submissive for a time. The Turks cite these campaigns of Soly- 
 man's in testimony of their courage ; the Arabs, even to this day, 
 with curses and abhorrence, as having been attended with the 
 greatest and most wanton cruelties. 
 
 ' Solyman Kaichja was :: Georgian by birth, and had been purchased in his youth by 
 .Vchme<l Pa^ha. 
 
 K 2
 
 68 HOSPITALITY OF THE BEDOOINS. 
 
 We had not proceeded above two miles beyond the tents when 
 the lowering storm burst forth upon us, drenching us to the skin. 
 In a few minutes, the ground was so wet, that our horses sunk up to 
 their knees at every step ; whilst they were so frightened by the 
 lightning and the trembling looseness of the soil under them, as to 
 become almost unmanageable. My Turk, who longed for the flesh- 
 pots and onions we had left behind, made fifty excuses for returning 
 for the night : — as I felt, however, that my days of ease and comfort 
 could only commence from the period of my return to European 
 society, I was equally anxious to proceed. When people pull dif- 
 ferent ways in this world of strife, they are not likely to agree. On 
 this occasion, even my servant was against me, though usually fond 
 enough of humiliating the Turk : I cut the matter short, however, by 
 urging my horse through the heaviest ground, and by deriding them 
 for their want of skill and horsemanship. The attack was not fair, most 
 certainly, as I was by far the best mounted of the three ; but it 
 answered a present purpose, and forced them to exert themselves : — 
 so after riding about ten miles, wc came to a small encampment, 
 where it was resolved we should pass the night. I was by this time 
 as anxious for rest as my lazy Turk ; and our horses, indeed, had 
 scarcely a leg to stand upon, from the heaviness of the ground and 
 marshes we had cleared. I felt happy, therefore, in the scanty ac- 
 commodations the meeting afforded, though these were confined to 
 the luxury of a small fire, and the shelter of a miserable tent. 
 
 Hospitality is certainly the national virtue of the Bedooins of the 
 desert. The poor creatures had very little of their own : they pro- 
 duced it, however, with the smile of welcome ; and after awhile, the 
 carpets were extended across the tent for our repose. Fatigued as 
 I was, though drenched to the very skin, I was soon asleep ; but was 
 awakened by the heavy load of carpets and cumlins collected for our 
 use, and which, having just arrived, were spreading over us by our 
 attentive host and his family. It was evident they were depriving 
 themselves of their own covering for our accommodation, and would 
 be obliged to sit up for the night : no entreaties, however, could per-
 
 OCCURRENCES IN THE DESERT. ^ 
 
 suade them to the contrary : so after smoking a pipe with the watchers, 
 and filling their chubooks from my pouch, I again composed mys^ 
 to sleep. Early on the morning of the 25th, I resumed my course, 
 accompanied by the guide that had been furnished us on the pre- 
 ceding day. 
 
 25th. At eight A. M. we crossed a rivulet emptying itself into the 
 Euphrates. It flows on the boundary of the original abode of fallen 
 man. Alas ! how changed this paradise ! It is now a barren waste, 
 that scarcely produces a scanty crop of the coarsest grain. We halted 
 at twelve for a short time in the open air with Shaik Hubeeb ; re- 
 sumed our march at one P. M., and put up for the night, with an old 
 venerable shaik, who was encamped seven hours' journey, or near 
 eight-and-twenty miles, from our former resting-place. The country, 
 throughout the day, which forms part of ancient Mesopotamia, pre- 
 sented only that degree of inferior husbandry which is necessary to 
 the subsistence of a thinly-scattered population. A great proportion 
 of the ground, very probably, lies fallow for many successive years, 
 after which it is ploughed in a very superficial manner; and, with 
 the advantages of rest, and the manure of their flocks, produces the 
 scanty return which is just sufficient for this simple, abstemious 
 race. 
 
 26th. After marching four hours through u flat country, pre- 
 senting nearly the same aspect as that already described, we put up 
 in the tents of Shaik Ibrahim ; a youthful, gallant chief, of six or 
 eight-and-twenty, who is the terror of the surrounding tribes. 
 During the whole of the preceding day we had been greatly annoyed 
 by the curiosity of our guide ; who, being a shrewd, inquisitive fel- 
 low, constantly on the alert, was by no means satisfied with the story 
 of my being a Georgian in the service of Aly Pacha ; a character my 
 servant and Turk, it seems, had given me, to account for the fair- 
 ness of my complexion, and to ensure my safety. Aly Pacha is greatly 
 respected by all these tribes for his successes over the Wahabees, the 
 enemies of their faith ; and our guide, as on the former day, endea- 
 voured to sift the truth, by asking me a number of questions (as soon
 
 70 OCCURRENCES IN THE DESERT. 
 
 as we had seated ourselves) regarding the posture of affairs between 
 Aly and the Wahabees. As my fool of a servant had neglected to 
 apprize me of the part I was to act, I was a good deal puzzled by 
 the various enquiries that poured in upon me from every side as soon 
 as my new quality was known ; especially as these were put in a 
 language of which I scarcely understood a word. My guide and 
 Turk had been quarrelling ail the way, in consequence of the fellow's 
 impertinent curiosity ; and the rascal, to revenge himself, desired 
 our host and his grave counsellors to observe, that I never spoke, and 
 that my servant made all the answers for me. On this he was desired 
 to confine himself to his duties as an interpreter, and a very appal- 
 ling examination was commenced. 
 
 I knew no more of the Wahabees or of Aly Pacha, my reputed 
 master, except in a general way, than of the man in the moon : our 
 sapient judges, however, liearing the monosyllable Aly, and the 
 tremendous name oi' W^ahalieo, bandied about between my servant 
 and myself in a language that had some affinity to their own ; 
 were easily convinced that I was acquainted with this great per- 
 sonage. On some hint from my Turk, that I had been born at a 
 great distance, and had been a prodigious traveller, they gravely 
 observed that a native of the Crimea could not be expected to 
 speak iheir dialect ; and my servant desiring mo to say any thing I 
 chose, undertook to mould my answers to their proper form. This 
 might have proved the most unhicky arrangement that could well 
 have been resorted to, had any of my auditors been as well informed 
 of the politics of Egypt as they were eager to obtain information on 
 this favourite topic ; my servant, who was extremely ignorant, 
 making such blunders in his geography, dates, and numbers, as 1 
 could not always rectify. The fellow was in truth so frightened at 
 the thoughts of a discovery, and so perplexed in the intcr[)retation, 
 that he scarcely knew what he said. He made out my reputed mas- 
 ter to be older by half a century than any of our reverend auditors; 
 declared him to have more numerous armies than the Grand Signioi* 
 or the Persian Shah ; and in fact might have exposed us most com-
 
 ROBBER IBRAHIM. 71 
 
 pletel}', had not the brutality of my Turk, and his gross abuse of some 
 of the company, witlidrawn the general attention from the subject 
 by giving the conversation another turn. 
 
 I have often v/ondered since, hovi^ it was that the fellow's intoler- 
 able insolence had not drawn its deserved punishment on the whole 
 of us, from the high-minded race whom he scrupled not to abuse on 
 every occasion with the most provoking scurrility. In the present 
 instance, however, we had an example of moderation and forbear- 
 ance set us by these lawless robbers of the desert, which it would be 
 well if the most civilised nations could always imitate. " Friend or 
 foe," said the chief, after the tumult had been appeased, " believer 
 or infidel, yon all enjoi/ the protection of our tents /" After the 
 expression of a sentiment, sublime perhaps, from the single majesty 
 of the thought, there ensued a dead calm amongst the whole of 
 those, whose hands had even then grasped the dagger to revenge the 
 insult that had been offered them. At this moment the favourite 
 child of our host ran in, lauiihi'iifj with infantine anlmess at the 
 women who had uudcavoured to keep him from a nearer view of the 
 strangers in the tent. He seized the arm that had kept me back with 
 assurances of sutety and protection, and was soon in his father's lap. 
 '* You are perhaps a parent," said the chief: " have you ever seen 
 the equal of my boy ? If he were strong enough, he would throw the 
 spear as dexterously as myself, though scarcely four years old." A 
 reed being handed him by one of the complaisant circle, the urchin 
 hurled it with mimic precision at our grumbling Turk ; and in a 
 few moments every other thought was engrossed in the general 
 praise of the favourite boy. Observing the influence the young 
 "entleman ])ossessed over his affectionate father and the obsequious 
 group, I conq^leted the favoiu'able impression his introduction had 
 produced, by presenting him with one of our small gold coins as a 
 charm to hang to his neck. We had been })reviously told, it would 
 be impossible to proceetl on the ensuing morning from the dangers 
 of the road : the shaik now informed us, that although he had wished 
 us to halt for a while until the danger was over, he would, if
 
 72 SHATRA. 
 
 absolutely necessary, and we desired it, supply us with proper 
 guides. 
 
 27th. After marching for two hours with our new conductor, the 
 former one having refused to continue with us, in consequence of his 
 quarrel with the Turk, we reached a considerable town called Shatra. 
 I would estimate Shatra to be at least sixty miles from Coot ; and it 
 was the first town we had passed since our departure from that 
 place ; being composed of regular mud-houses, and supplied with a 
 bazar. Shaik Hassud, a man of about seventy, with his eldest son, was 
 holding a regular durbar. They sat at the upper end of a large com- 
 modious tent ; surrounded by fifty or sixty of the elders of their 
 tribe, reading letters, receiving reports, and debating a subject that 
 seemed of very considerable importance, from the earnest attention 
 of their looks, and their evident anxiety. After our introduction, the 
 Shaik declared it would be impossible to relieve our guide, or indeed 
 to proceed on at any rate beyond the place ; perhaps, not even to 
 return. The whole of tlie country was inffistcd witli robbers, as 
 they styled their brethren. Their cattle had been driven off that 
 very morning, by a band of plunderers, that had even entered the 
 streets during the night. Tlie greater part of their youth were out 
 in the pursuit, and scarcely a horse was left. Our guide, on the 
 other hand, when consulted, absolutely refused to proceed a step 
 beyond the place, for the largest offers that we could make. He 
 had exposed his life, he said, by venturing thus far, and further he 
 would not budge for all the papers or orders the superior lord had 
 granted us at Coot. We were obliged, therefore, to sit down to 
 the dinner that now appeared, with the comfortable expectation of 
 being detained for a considerable time, or obliged to retrace our 
 steps to the tents of our generous host, the robber Ibrahim. 
 
 During the meal, which was the only decent, comfortable one I 
 had enjoyed for a week, my Turk, as usual, got into a most violent 
 quarrel with our entertainers, for refusing guides, and on account of 
 their curiosity regarding myself. He addressed some of them in a 
 style of threatening abuse, which words can scarcely translate ; de-
 
 SHATRA. 73 
 
 voting their wives, daughters, mothers, sisters, and all the females 
 of their tribe, to every kind of insult and violation ; until at last 
 the younger chief rose up, in a paroxysm of rage and indignation, 
 declaring we should not enjoy another instant the protection of 
 their homes. Had we been expelled the tent, as was threatened by 
 the violence of his action, and the fury of his looks, it is probable we 
 might have been massacred at the door ; for although a breach of 
 the rites of hospitality is extremely rare amongst these wanderers, 
 they are not often provoked with impunity. The elder chief, how- 
 ever, throwing himself in the way of his enraged frantic son, suc- 
 ceeded with some difficulty, in restraining him from the extremes of 
 violence, by observing, that my servant and myself, at least, were 
 innocent of the crime, and might suffer in the fray. I had often, 
 thought that the vulgar scurrility of this drunken reprobate was the 
 chief obstacle to our progress ; but I could now perceive, it was 
 certainly calculated to withdraw the general attention from myself. 
 It was not, perhaps, an intentional stratagem, as the rascal had been 
 often accused by my Arab of venting the grossest abuse on me ; 
 it afforded us, however, an opportunity of making friends, in the 
 contrast our behaviour was calculated to present. 
 
 The obtaining of an escort or a guide, after all this violence, was 
 now totally hopeless. My Turk endeavoured to smooth the way to a 
 reconciliation, by impudently asserting, with a laugh, that his conduct 
 was only intended as a joke for the amusement of his worthy friends 
 of the desert ; who all knew Aly Aga well : he was a poor chiouse of 
 the Motselims, on his way to Sayud Pasha, and being amongst old 
 acquaintances, had thought he might indulge. The excuse, however, 
 had very probably been too often repeated on former occasions to 
 serve his turn ; and there was scarce an Arab that would even con- 
 descend to listen to the apology. He was, therefore, obliged to 
 implore the intercession of my servant, (with many professions of 
 anxiety for my personal safety,) to induce a Sayid to accompany us 
 to the nearest tribe ; the Sayids, as descendants of the Prophet, 
 being persons who are held in such high esteem, as to be generally
 
 74 THE SAYiDS. 
 
 a very sufficient protection where the sanctity of their character can 
 be known. To occasion the death of any one of those, who have 
 attained a character for superior sanctity from tlie holiness of their 
 lives, would be an offence of the first magnitude ; and the exposing 
 themselves betwixt the combatants, if their party is attacked, is com- 
 monly sufficient to restrain the superstitious wanderer from the at- 
 tempt. The holy personage who was spoken to on this occasion, 
 and approached with fearful reverence, was perfectly aware of the 
 value and necessity of the services that were required of him ; he 
 accordingly demanded a most exorbitant remuneration for his pains. 
 My Turk, now retiring aside with my servant and myself, endea- 
 voured to persuade me, by various arguments, to contribute a share 
 of the expense. As I had, however, made a rc<yuhir contract for my 
 conveyance to Bagdad, and had seen, on two or three occasions, that 
 if I once yielded, I should be liable to continual impositions, I abso- 
 lutely refused to advance a single abasscc of the demand ; telling 
 him, I felt myself perfectly secure where I was, if it were not for the 
 brutality of his own conduct ; that the business was his, not mine, 
 as he was to get me on in any way he could ; whilst, as for danger, 
 I had nothing about me that would enrich the poorest robber of 
 them all; not even the trifle he demanded, in defiance of all his 
 promises and the agreement he had made. Perceiving his rhetoric, 
 therefore, to be thrown away, he was obliged to return to the Say Yd ; 
 and afler detaining us a considerable time, by his wrangling for a few 
 piastres, we at last set off; our holy conductor desiring us to repose 
 the most implicit confidence in his protection, and mananivring 
 his sleek Arabian with the address of the most perfect soldier of 
 them all. 
 
 Our course now lay through a perfect desert, Shatra being the 
 northern boundary of the little cultivation that can be distinguished 
 above the junction of the rivers. We proceeded for two hours in a 
 melancholy silence, my Turk pondering over the expenses his rude- 
 ness had occasioned him, myself on the delay we had experienced, 
 and my servant on the dangers we had escaped, and had yet to
 
 BEDOOIN HERETICS. 75 
 
 encounter. Suddenly, in a flat dreary tract overgrown with furze 
 and brush-wood, we came to the bank of a river, that bears the name 
 (amongst the Arabs) of the town we had left behind. We had 
 scarcely descended the steep declivity, that leads to this hidden 
 stream by a narrow rugged path, before the hideous battle shout 
 of the Bedooins assailed our ears ; and we found ourselves sur- 
 rounded, in a moment, by the most uncouth, savage, ruffian race, we 
 had yet encountered ; and who seemed to rise from the parent earth, 
 with their bristling spears and pointed guns, a dreadful, ruthless, 
 savage progeny. Our Sayid certainly behaved with the greatest 
 coolness and intrepidity on this trying occasion. Urging his able 
 courser forward without the slightest hesitation, he sprang off his 
 back in the midst of them, and throwing himself on the ground in 
 the prostrate attitude of devotion, placed a small brass amulet in- 
 scribed with sentences from the Koran under his head ; beginning 
 the recital of his creed in a loud, monotonous, yet impressive tone. 
 On the instant, every voice was hushed, the dn^adful yell that had 
 spread far and wide around us subsided in the solemn sound ; and 
 as the prayer was continued, the arm was unnerved that had raised 
 the sword to strike ; the hand was withdrawn, that had reached the 
 fatal key of destruction, and all was peace; their spears dropping on 
 the ground, as they joined, with fervent zeal, in the sacred devotions 
 of our holy guide. Not a man arose from the supplicating posture 
 they had all gradually assumed, until the Sayid himself had set them 
 the example; when, exchanging compliments of gratulation with our 
 late dreaded enemies, we joined in the extensive circle, and endea- 
 voured to improve the friendly understanding which the presiding 
 spirit of religion had inspired, by presenting them with our pipes, 
 and replenishing their chubooks. It was not the first time I had 
 observed the mighty influence of a pipe full of this favourite weed, 
 with the wandering robbers . of these shores. Holding but little 
 intercourse with the more settled tribes, and only visiting the towns 
 at distant intervals, they are frequently in want of this refreshing and 
 valued luxury. A very little kindness in this way, therefore, will do 
 
 L 2
 
 76 BEDOOIN HERETICS. 
 
 wonders; and is safer than presents in money, which only excite 
 cupidity. On the present occasion, our liberality was as boundless as 
 our fears had been great, and our situation critical ; and after prolong- 
 ing the enjoyment to the utmost, conversing the while, and enquiring 
 the news, the boats were announced as having arrived ; and we pre- 
 pared to cross, supporting our horses by the bridle as they swam 
 the stream. 
 
 On reaching the further bank, our new acquaintances desired us 
 to keep close and amongst them, lest we should be marked off by 
 any of their scouts who were reposing in the brush-wood, before the 
 friendly terms we were upon could be understood. With these ne- 
 cessary cautions, and conversing, as we passed, with the shepherds 
 that were watching their flocks, we reached their encampment, about 
 two miles from the river bank. As soon as we had entered, our 
 Sayid again went to prayers, and on rising, bestowed his bene- 
 dictions on all the company, with a profuse liberality that won every 
 heart ; even the women crowding around him to present their 
 children to his holy touch, expecting to derive en creased fecundity 
 from the contact and the powerful intercessions of this earthly 
 saint. During these varied scenes, wherein I could observe the 
 mummery of hypocrisy combined with the most sublime effects of 
 religion, " the spreading of peace, and the protection of the weak 
 from the hand of rapine," I enjoyed abundant leisure for observing 
 the manners and condition of the new tribe we had come amongst. 
 These were certainly the very poorest and least civilised of any we 
 had yet met. Their sole wealth, their flocks, consisted only of sheep ; 
 and we could scarcely distinguish a camel or a horse amongst the 
 whole of them. Their tents were pitched in a regular square Or 
 oblong, on a large open space which they had cleared for the occa- 
 sion ; the brush-wood they had cut down, being disposed in a kind of 
 fence, to protect them from a surprise. Within the open space in 
 the center of the square, their flocks had been driven for the night ; 
 the opening being fastened up with that cautious attention which 
 indicated the apprehensions that were entertained. Never before, or
 
 BEDOOIN HERETICS. 77 
 
 since, have I ever witnessed such absolute misery of condition as 
 was evident in the wretchedness of their looks, and the savage, hai£- 
 gard features of the whole of them. I could count in our circle 
 only about 30 men who were in their prime ; the rest being old 
 worn-out creatures, or half-starved puny youths, with scarcely a hair 
 upon their lips. On the whole, I thought it probable, that with men, 
 women, and children, in the other tents, their numbers might extend 
 to 300 at the most. Our entertainment, the night we left Coot, was 
 perfect luxury to this; they had nothing but the blackest, coarsest 
 rye cakes to offer us, and even these in very scanty portions ; it 
 liaving been necessary to make a collection round all the tents, before 
 a sufficient supply could be obtained. When the flour, however, 
 had been brought, we could hear the women of our host, across the 
 tent, employed in kneading it into dough ; after which, large heavy 
 cakes, full three feet in circumference and two inches thick, were 
 thrown in front of us on the glowing embers of our fire and left to 
 bake. 
 
 It was certainly a curious scene, and these people were greatly dif- 
 ferent from the rest of the Arabs wc had met, as to their dress, 
 their manners, and that melancholy expression of the countenance, 
 which is so entirelv different from the livelv, restless features, that 
 distinguish the Bedooins. If it was owing to the evils of their po- 
 verty, their condition was wretchedness indeed. Their eyes seemed 
 to devour our well-fed, well-clothed party ; and when the small 
 supply of cake had been consumed, I could almost fancy, from the 
 unsatisfied impatience of their looks, they were about to spring upon 
 us, and make themselves amends for that portion of their scanty stores 
 which we had shared. 
 
 I repeatedly asked my servant questions on every thing I could 
 observe that was different from the manners of that open-hearted 
 gallant race we had so lately dwelt amongst The only answer, 
 however, I could obtain, was a fearful injunction to silence, lest we 
 should excite suspicion, by the closeness of our conference. I oflen 
 endeavoured, even afterwards, to draw the fellow forward into con-
 
 78 BEDOOIN HERETICS. 
 
 versation on the subject ; with a kind of superstitious dread, how- 
 ever, he always shrunk from the enquiry, without even having 
 recourse to the usual plea of a total ignorance. It was a subject 
 that could not be named. Even Aly Aga would not have come 
 amongst them, had he known they occupied the road. They were 
 infidels, practising the most horrible abominations ; and who cared 
 neither for the Prophet, the Koran, nor the Shaik of the Montifics. 
 When I dwelt on the reverence they had shown to our holy man, 
 and their observance of prayer, I was told the Sayid could never be 
 hurt ; that if a lion were to meet him in the desert, he would turn 
 from the saint in peace : he was known to all the country round. 
 As for my Turk, he was generally impracticable on most occasions ; 
 being on this, especially, extremely taciturn. 1 have since con- 
 jectured, from the enquiries I could make in other quarters, that 
 they were in religion Mahomedans ; but of a race that had relapsed 
 into heresies ; practising divination and other rites, which the more 
 rigid believers shrink from witJi abhorrence; and being equally 
 wretched and superstitious in the habits of their lives. As it was 
 not extremely honorable to my servant or my Turk to have partaken 
 of their hospitality, or to have broken bread with them, they were 
 naturally averse to the enquiry, and always shrunk from the recol- 
 lection with a sensitive feeling I could not otherwise have explained. 
 The 28th. After a most uncomfortable night, the rain frequently pe- 
 netrating through the tent, on rising in the morning, we resumed our 
 course. The country we journeyed through was still the most complete 
 desert that could be imagined ; no cultivation, no tents whatever could 
 be distinguished : the only vegetation that we could perceive, was a 
 weak sickly furze, which the camels alone can eat. At two P.M. we 
 swam our horses across a small river, with considerable difficulty ; and 
 at half past two halted at a mud-house, in a small village belonging to 
 Shaik Hujahood. There was something different, 1 think, in the 
 manners of every tribe we met ; which may probably mark the little 
 intercourse that subsists between neighbouring hordes in these 
 desert climes ; or is, perhaps, the effect of the character of the 
 reigning shaik.
 
 SHAIK HUJAHOOD. 79 
 
 On the present occasion, every thing bore the semblance of compa- 
 rative affluence and comfort, when opposed to the wretchedness we 
 had left beliind. The few fields that were cultivated on the banks of 
 the stream, and around these huts, had an appearance of promise and 
 fertility in proportion to their small extent. The chief himself was 
 a man of the most dignified, courtly demeanour ; and in the small 
 circle around him there was a show of decorum accompanied with the 
 most punctilious civility. Our dinner, for the first time, was composed 
 of the finest rice ; and after the meal, a few cakes were handed round 
 on clean earthen-ware, which the most fastidious epicure could have 
 partaken of with pleasure, even without our usual preliminary fast, or 
 the kibours of a march of thirty miles. The only thing I could find 
 to condemn, was the extreme length of their devotions before retiring 
 to rest ; and their anxiety that we should all join in the solemnity of 
 the scene. On occasions of the kind 1 had generally retired to a corner 
 at the proper time, and composed myself to an apparent sleep ; ob- 
 servinji with curious attention the ceremonies of their faith. In the 
 present instance, liowever, 1 received a friendly hint from one of the 
 company as soon as the first call to the " Aksham nemazee," or evening 
 prayers, had been pronounced. I answered the intimation, for want 
 of words, by pointing to my foci, and by pressing my loins in bend- 
 ing forward, as if exhausted with fatigue. The excuse would not 
 serve my turn ; and my servant was obliged to come forward with an 
 apology, by declaring I was in that unclean state (as a traveller that 
 had not performed his ablutions for thirty days) which precludes be- 
 lievers from joining in religious exercises. 
 
 The prayers had now commenced, the preliminary acknowledg- 
 ment of a God, the Tekbeer, Allah u Akbar ! Allah u Akbar ! (God 
 Most High ! God Most High !) resounded from every side. Sabhane 
 rebb il azim, (thy name be exalted, oh great God !) which is called 
 the Tessbih, with the Sena, the Bismillah, and the creed, were pro- 
 nounced in the loud sonorous voice of our Sayid, and repeated in the 
 deeper hollow tones of our host. To the Christian or the Mahomedan, 
 the believer or the infidel, it was a scene of solemn, impressive.
 
 80 WASSIT. 
 
 simple majesty, that was followed by the repetition of prayers I was 
 not sufficiently acquainted with to distinguish or understand. 
 
 On the ensuing morning, after a march of three hours through 
 the desert, we reached Wassit, once the capital of Mesopotamia. 
 The part that is now inhabited, a small oblong space defended by a 
 miserable wall, can only bear a very inferior proportion to the entire 
 circumference of the extensive capital of a mighty empire. It may 
 not even exactly occupy the former site ; it is nearly, however, 
 in the position geography and history would direct the traveller 
 to notice in his enquiries ; and is surrounded, on every side, by 
 those evident traces of an extensive city and numerous build- 
 ings, which sufficiently mark the general identity of the spot, with 
 the space it formerly occupied. Had I known, as I afterwards 
 understood from Mr. Rich, our resident at Bagdad, that I was the 
 only European traveller besides himself, who had visited these 
 scenes of ancient celebrity, I should certainly have been more 
 particular in my observation of those remains which are yet 
 visible. As it is, I can only observe, that very extensive ruins 
 in straight lines, and nearly in parallel directions to each other, 
 may yet be distinguished in the inequalities of the ground; and 
 also in the fragments that show themselves, wherever the rains have 
 washed away the soil. These remains are so plain, as to have at- 
 tracted my attention, even before I was aware of the ground I trod 
 upon J for it was only in describing the spot on my arrival at Bagdad, 
 that my recollection was called to the original position of a city, of 
 which I had never expected to meet with the slightest traces ; and which 
 Ihad therefore neglected in the cursory enquiries I could pursue. 
 
 On the 30th, our party was joined by a merchant returning to the 
 capital, and by a messenger proceeding from Shaik Mahamood to his 
 brother Shaik Hamood's camp. We rode through a complete desert 
 for five hours, the country between Shatra and Bagdad being indeed 
 entirely desolate, except in the vicinity of each temporary camp ; 
 where the cultivation of a few vegetables of rapid growth, and requir- 
 ing little care, may be distinguished. We could not even find a dirty
 
 HYE. 81 
 
 puddle of water on the road throughout a distance of twenty 
 miles ; and the day being extremely close and sultry for that season 
 of the year, we suffered equally from thirst and the clouds of dust 
 which the wind blew in our face. Inconveniences, I believe, seldom 
 come alone; and we experienced a considerable degree of alarm 
 during this march from the unexpected appearance of several small 
 bands of wanderers. A party of five well mounted Arabs, in parti- 
 cular, advanced on us so suddenly from behind some trivial elevations 
 which had concealed them, that we had scarcely time to prepare our- 
 selves, before they charged amongst us at full speed, and with their 
 lances couched. This proved, however, an alarm only, one of the 
 very many indeed we were doomed to encounter in our course ; for 
 finding us as numerous, and perhaps better armed than themselves, 
 they greeted us with the Salam Alik, and after a few words permitted 
 us to pass. We reached Hye at noon ; a small miserable town on 
 the banks of the river of the same name ; and discharging our friendly 
 Sayid, were entertained by the inhabitants, in a wretched hut within 
 the walls. 
 
 We had now two roads before us, the one by a second place of 
 the name of Coot, at the junction of the Hye river with the 
 Tigris, and the other passing by Hella and Babylon. The variety 
 of information and advice we received perplexed us exceedingly, 
 since, according to the several accounts we could collect, they 
 were equally infested with robbers and wandering savage tribes. I 
 employed the evening in reconnoitring the environs of this place, 
 where traces of former buildings could be distinguished, which suffi- 
 ciently indicate that it was formerly more extensive. On my return to 
 our hut, we met an aged, venerable man, who warned my servant and 
 myself from trusting ourselves to Shaik Mahamood's messenger, and 
 against proceeding by Coot ; but we had been favoured with so many 
 intimations of this nature against both these roads, that not knowing 
 which to choose, I felt entirely indifferent as to our course. 
 
 In the morning, I found my Turk had decided for proceeding by 
 the western road ; and as in matters of the kind I generally sub- 
 
 M
 
 82 ARABIAN ARMY. 
 
 mitted to his directions with implicit confidence, I mounted my 
 horse and tbllowed for the ford below tlie town. We had now the 
 protection of an escort of five or six well mounted men ; but in 
 crossing the stream my unfortunate servant, who was riding on the 
 smallest and weakest horse, was nearly carried down by the rapidity of 
 the current, and must have been lost, had not our escort exerted 
 themselves in the most gallant style, plunging their able coursers 
 below the jaded hack he rode, and supporting him against the pres- 
 sure of a stream four or five feet deep that had taken the animal 
 off his legs. At a little past one, we halted in the desert, at an 
 Arab camp that had just been fixed by one of Shaik Hamood's 
 tribes returning from the contest near the capital. Their tents had 
 scarcely been pitched for the principal chiefs, who were yet in the 
 rear ; and some hundreds of camels were all loose, and grazing around 
 the rising camp, when we presented ourselves. Shaik Mahamood's 
 messenger, however, introduced our party, and we were received with 
 becoming hospitality. " It is fortunate," said the first chief we were 
 presented to, " when brothers can thus be met ; for we are returned 
 from a scene of strife, hurly-burly, and confusion, which makes it a 
 wonder to me how you passed our scouts without being attacked." 
 We mentioned the advantage we enjoyed in the company of Shaik 
 Mahamood's messenger, but he declared, with an expressive gesture, 
 the times were such, that he felt happy for his part his head was 
 left him on his shoulders to return to his family at Coot. The as- 
 sertion was somewhat strained ; in the desert, however, men are 
 allowed a certain latitude in the similes they employ to express their 
 meaning. 
 
 The reports we had hitherto received concerning the transactions 
 near Bagdad, in the great struggle for authority, had been extremely 
 contradictory : a variety of opinions was likewise supported by these 
 warriors, who had fallen back from the capital for the convenience of 
 subsisting their numerous flocks. It was evident that affairs were 
 drawing to a crisis, from the general import of the intelligence com- 
 municiited by each different party on its return ; but nothing very
 
 ARABIAN ARMY. gS 
 
 certain was known. The tribes we were amongst had formed the 
 reserve in the advance, and were naturally the front in the retreat : 
 there was no appearance, however, of the dismay or confusion of 
 a defeat. Their army, they thought, had fought Daood ££fendi*8 
 troops, but subsequent to the date of their separation from the main 
 body ; they were inclined to believe, therefore, their cause had been 
 prosperous, since they had not been called back to the support We 
 moulded our discourse accordingly ; and Sayud Pasha was the general 
 theme of praise. 
 
 The appearance of these troops was equally military and interest^ 
 ing ; they were the flower of the tribes. Every thing amongst them 
 bore the stamp of that gallant daring and enterprise which the 
 traveller would naturally look for in the predatory system of warfare 
 they pursue. Very few women, and scarcely any children, could be 
 observed, their iamilies, in general, having been left at Coot The 
 few old men who could be seen were venerable, bearded warriors, 
 who managed their able steeds with all the address and skill of 
 youth, improved by constant habitude : their locks were blanched, 
 but their strength had not been impaired by the fatigues and hard- 
 ships of their profession. There were several amongst those, fore- 
 most for their dignity, who must have numbered forty summers at 
 the least from the day they first bore arms ; they were, however, 
 equally lively, vigorous, and cheerful, with the rest ; whilst they were 
 only to be distinguished by the whiteness of their beards, and by those 
 honourable scars which added an imposing majesty to the dignified 
 importance of their carriage. 
 
 Their horses were, by far, the finest we had yet noticed ; in excel- 
 lent condition, and full of spirit. Their herds of camels were so 
 numerous, that our eyes could scarcely reach the spot unoccupied 
 by these useful servitors of man. They were all exulting in the beauty 
 and temper of their swords, and the lightness of their spears ; vaunt- 
 ing in the description of their former feats, and anxious for a renewal 
 of the strife. When, afler the inspection of my sabre, they requested 
 to look at my pistols, they were apparently lost in their admiration 
 
 M 2
 
 84 ARABIAN ARMY. 
 
 of the workmanship ; though in fact they were exceedingly plain. 
 The goodness of these troops, however, is less in the perfection of 
 their arms than in the vigour, patience, and hardiness of their 
 horses, and their own physical ability to endure fatigue and depriv- 
 ations of every kind. No troops in the world can even subsist where 
 these warriors of the desert will act with unimpaired vigour and 
 efficiency : for as the desert is their only inheritance, so the Bedooins, 
 only, are formed for the possession. 
 
 Having occasion in the afternoon of this day to request a little 
 milk, the only food I could fancy in a temporary indisposition I 
 laboured under, I had here another opportunity of witnessing the 
 real, genuine, and kind hospitality of these wanderers, towards the 
 stranger who reposes beneath the shelter of their tents. There was 
 none, they said, in camp, but it should be brought ; and having 
 asked my servant when it might be expected, I could observe a 
 second and a third messenger were dispatched. Tlie water was ex- 
 tremely scarce or indifferent ; but two hours having elapsed, I had 
 called at last for the wooden bowl that was handing round, when 
 breathless with haste, and immediately after each other, the three 
 messengers returned, with several others that had gone off on the 
 same errand of their own accord. It was in the desert of Arabia, 
 amongst its lawless tribes^ that this hospitality was shown : they 
 had all gone miles in the search ; and yet was it not the hope of a 
 reward that influenced their conduct : for the hospitality of the Be- 
 dooin is gratuitous, and no less generous than free. 
 
 Before we retired for the niglit, I could easily perceive the brood- 
 ing of another storm between my rascally Turk and the messenger 
 who had accompanied us from Wassit. Very early in the morning, 
 as I had expected, I was informed by my servant, it M'ould be impos- 
 sible to proceed, my Turk having had a most violent quarrel with 
 our guide, regarding the trivial sum he demanded in remuneration of 
 his services. I knew, to a certainty, that besides the hundred krush 
 my Turk was to receive for his own reward, there was a considerable 
 sum remaining of the advance on account of our expenses on the
 
 ARABIAN ARMY. 85 
 
 road. The expemest indeed, had been paid from three different 
 quarters ; by the MotseHm, by the resident, and by myself; so I had 
 reason to be provoked, when I found we were likely to be de- 
 tained by the fellow's rascality in refusing to hire guides. Calling 
 him aside, therefore, I said to him, that I saw the occasion of all these 
 delays, but that I would not even discuss the subject ; that I knew 
 I was quite as safe in the camp as himself, who was a Turk, and con- 
 stantly abusing every one ; that if every tiling was not ready within 
 half an hour, I would pay the guide myself double what he then de- 
 manded, and leave him to his fate ; adding, you shall not even follow 
 us, or receive your reward. The rogue, who only wanted to be ruled 
 with a hand of iron to become a useful, obedient slave, already knew 
 me sufficiently to believe my words. Within the time prescribed he 
 informed me the agreement was concluded, and that he only wished 
 me to halt half an hour, to enable the guide to change his horse. I 
 had seen the advantage of decision in ray intercourse with the knave; 
 I therefore complied with a seeming difficulty, with his humble request 
 that I would wait; and was detained near three hours before we re- 
 sumed our course. Under other circumstances, the high tone I had 
 assumed might not have answered quite so well; I am persuaded, 
 however, that, in the desert, if the Arabs had not been with me, they 
 would never have been against me ; at any rate, in favour of a Turk : 
 and, man to man, I must confess, I can see no reason for holding the 
 prowess of these lordly Ottomans in such high esteem. 
 
 We had not proceeded many miles on the morning of the first of 
 February before we encountered the foremost of Shaik Hamood's 
 army ; who rode in upon us at speed, in the mimic display of an at^ 
 tack, on perceiving us to be friends escorted by one of their own mes- 
 sengers. Some of the fellows indeed pushed so close by me with 
 their spears, charging furiously with their lances couched, and tilting 
 up the point at the very moment of contact, that having been sepa- 
 rated from my party, and not having a word to say for myself in re- 
 ply to their enquiries, I could scarcely admire this unnecessary display 
 of their horsemanship and skill. Putting on, however, the best coun-
 
 86 ARABIAN ARMY. 
 
 tenance I could on the occasion, and smiling and returning their salu- 
 tations, as they checked their panting steeds in the midst of their full 
 career, brandishing tiieir swords and spears above my head, I con- 
 trived with some difficulty to rejoin my servant, and desired him to 
 keep as close to me as he could. By gradually inclining to the right, 
 we ultimatel} got disengaged ; but we could perceive them, for 
 a good hour, filing oti'at a distance on our Hank. 
 
 The order of their march (if the expression may be used) was 
 irregularity itself. Unconrined by roads, water, or cultivation, in 
 their selection of a track ; unincumbered by lengthened files of wag- 
 gons or artillery, in their wanderings ; and with scarcely any baggage 
 beyond the little that was carried on tlie camels and horses they were 
 mounted on ; the whole army was spread over the level flat, in the 
 shape nearlv of a l)ird Hving : the h(>ad and tail forming the 
 advance and rear ; whilst the wings were comi)osed of those more 
 impatient ov uaoic curious scouts, who se})aralod in their rambles 
 from the more beaten course. Within this space, the thickest throng 
 could be distinguished in the centre ; but, evidently, less from the 
 presence of any chief of rank than from the general motion of the body 
 towards a certain point. It might indeed have a}>peared that each 
 tribe was generally collected around the standard of its shaik, as the 
 whole was grouped in irregular shapeless masses ; it could be seen, 
 however, from the higher ground we stood u])on, that the whole fre- 
 qtiently intermixed, collected in a body and separated again, as acci- 
 dent miiiht direct. The chiefs were <>;enerallv in from of their own 
 immediate dependents, being commonly better mounted than the 
 rest ; but it was more owing, as I thought, to the goodness of the 
 horse than to the pointed observance of any particular respect, a few 
 instances only excepted, where a venerable age, and long approved 
 valour and conduct, had probably increased the influence of those 
 snow-bearded chiefs, who were only approached with superior rever- 
 ence, and were generally accompjfliied by little flags, to mark the 
 presence of some personage of greater conse(pience. 
 
 The looseness of their ranks would naturally preclude any very ac-
 
 ARABIAN ARMY. g7 
 
 curate estimate of their numbers ; but I should be inclined to think, at 
 a rough guess, they were not less than seven or eight thousand strong. 
 The tribe of the Montific Bedooins alone (I have been informed) 
 can bring 12,000 horse into the field; and if numbers on the present 
 occasion were left behind, it is probable their army had been joined 
 by some of their allies. It was from these troops we now heard the 
 first accurate accounts of the battle and victory, under the walls of 
 Bagdad, which had occasioned the return of the tribes. I shall have 
 occasion to notice the occurrence, in my narrative of the siege that 
 was renewed on the return of the enemy ; I may content myself, 
 therefore, with observing, they were returning in the highest spirits 
 and greatest confidence, from this first success of the cause they had 
 supported with their arms. 
 
 Our march, this day, was extremely fatiguing, and through a per- 
 fect desert. After we had rode for seven hours, from 10 in the 
 morning until 5 T. M., I perceived our guide in close consultation 
 with my Turk ; and immediately afterwards, tlicy turned from the 
 direction I knew would lead us to Bagdad, and proceeded south. 
 When I could reach them, to enquire the cause of this alteration of 
 our course, 1 was informed it was proper we should pay a visit to the 
 head-quarters of Shaik Hamood's army, our guide having dis- 
 patches of some consequence to deliver : the Shaik it seems, had 
 passed us at a distance on our left, and it was necessary to return. 
 I have never, I must confess, been remarkable for patience or for- 
 bearance. Our agreement with the guide was, that he should conduct 
 us direct to the capital for the thirty piastres he had received ; when 
 I found, therefore, that we must retrace full thirty miles of our 
 ground, and be detained at least a second day, it may be surmised I 
 was not highly pleased. I immediately suspected some collusive 
 rascality between my Turk and guide, my servant himself being at a 
 loss how to explain the mystery : I determined, therefore, on the 
 most absolute refusal. When 1 found that entreaties and threats 
 were of no avail, I asked my servant if he would follow me: he 
 scarcely knew what to answer. We could not proceed without the
 
 88 MISCONDUCT OF GUIDES. 
 
 guide, he said : we should be attacked most certainly. I plainly saw 
 he was too much frightened to give advice ; 1 therefore desired him 
 to return me the pistols I had lent him ; and being thus far better 
 armed than the whole three together, I told them plainly I would 
 not return a step. I knew tolerably well the distance before us, and 
 the general direction of the road. I had four excellent pistols in my 
 belt, and was by far the best mounted of the three, having retained 
 my chosen steed. I knew in fact that these lordly believers may be 
 controlled; I therefore told them I would proceed by myself, and 
 set off accordingly. I soon found my rascally Turk at my heels, 
 with my servant and guide at a distance in the rear, as if doubtful of 
 the measures they should adopt. The fellow had even the insolence 
 to seize my reins ; but when he found my pistol at his breast, he left 
 me with curses and imprecations ; declaring I should soon meet with 
 the just reward of my temerity. I rode on, however, unmindful of 
 his threats ; but pondering, I must confess, in extreme anxiety, on 
 the issue of my plans for getting on ; when I was overtaken by my 
 servant, who informed me the Turk was the only one to blame, and 
 that no further impediments would be interposed. After half an 
 hour, I had occasion to congratulate myself on the success of the 
 stratagem, my guide and Turk overtaking us with many and very 
 humble apologies for the delay we had experienced, " from their 
 want of knowledge of my anxiety to proceed." The excuse was 
 most paltry ; it was not a moment, however, for holding out on trivial 
 grounds. I knew enough of these assuming believers to be aware, 
 that my success was owing to the feigned resolution I had evinced 
 of proceeding on by myself: but I took occurrences as they presented 
 themselves, and felt happy in the return of my party, after wandering 
 alone for some miles in the desert until quite weary of my scheme. 
 I had been alone about an hour, I believe, and knew my Turk would 
 yield and follow me for the sake of his reward ; but he was so long in 
 his decision, that to speak the truth, it was the most tedious hour I 
 have ever spent.
 
 SHAIK SHOKE. 99 
 
 At about eleven at night, and after riding full thirteen hours, we 
 reached an Arab camp, and were received with the usual hospitality. 
 There was little on the present occasion deserving of particular 
 notice, the manners of the Bedooins having already been described. 
 This tribe was certainly by no means poor, if we might judge from 
 every thing around us ; so little is the intercourse, however, which 
 apparently subsists, that the chief himself was glad to obtain a little 
 tobacco from our store. " He had not enjoyed his chubook," he 
 said, " for near a week, and though it was scarcely right," he observed 
 with polite delicacy, " to request a favour from the stranger that had 
 sought the hospitality of his tents, he should really feel obliged." 
 
 At seven on the morning of the 2d, after a few liours rest, we 
 resumed our course; marching through the desert as on the former 
 day, without any other land marks to steer by, than a general know- 
 ledge of the direction of the road. Shaik Shoke, our host of the 
 preceding evening, had told us, he believed we should not meet a 
 soul in our progress north ; the marcli ot' the army we had passed, 
 having cleared the road of every inferior tribe. We often rode over 
 the traces of numerous bodies of cavalry, but found the surmise 
 entirely correct, as after marching for ten hours without observing 
 even a distant scout, wo lialted at 5 P. M. in the open plain to boil 
 coffee, and to rest our jaded hacks. At seven, we again resumed 
 our march, but at half-past nine, the cold became so intense, that 
 our guide declared it was impossible to proceed any further. To 
 halt to avoid cold, appeared to me the extreme of folly ; but our 
 Bedooin friend soon convinced me to the contrary. This unusual 
 cold, was owing to the blowing of the Shumals, which at different 
 seasons ot' the year are extremely hot or cold. Crouching under 
 those banks of sand which the wind had accumulated, I soon found 
 my situation comfortable enough : so composed myself to sleep, with 
 my horse's reins dangling in my hand. 
 
 At one on the morning of the 3d, when I awoke, I could not rise 
 without considerable efforts, from the loads of sand that had accumu- 
 lated above me, and which kept the wide circumference of my cloak
 
 90 «ITE OF BABYLON. 
 
 absolutely fastened down. Having disengaged myself, however, with 
 many kicks and jerks, that almost smothered me with the dust they 
 raised, I called to my companions, and prevailed on them to rise and 
 mount. I believe it would have been as well, in this particular in- 
 stance, if I had been less watchful and peremptory ; as after riding 
 on most uncomfortably for about two hours, we were again obliged 
 to lie down ; our guide informing us we were nearly opposite Helah, 
 and might miss the road if I persisted in advancing in tiie dark. 
 
 Just before the dawn, our old Arab informed us on mounting, 
 that we should soon draw nigh to the ruins of Babyl ; a spot 
 Europeans had often visited. The shrewd old man, I had perceived, 
 had all along suspected me, but the moment had not yet arrived for 
 the free and candid acknowledgment of the fictitious character 1 had 
 assumed The day was now breaking in upon us, and was only 
 partially concealed by the red heavy mist which the Shumals had 
 raised. The plain wo were riding over, had certainly been the site of 
 extensive buildings, though evidently at some very distant period ; 
 for the conclusion suggested by the information communicated to us, 
 was only yet countenanced by some trivial inequalities in the ground ; 
 and the appearance, in a very few insulated spots, of tiles and bricks on 
 the summit of those elevations, which the rains of many ages had partly 
 cleared, and uncovered to the view. As \\c rode on, however, the 
 rising conviction was confirmed, and we passed by three successive 
 heaps of considerable extent, intersected by traces of inferior magni- 
 tude, at nearly right angles with these princely beacons of ancient 
 celebrity, before we halted at some distance on the right of these, to 
 provide the usual refreshment of coffee for the morning. 
 
 The furthest spot to the north, which we had not passed so close, 
 was seemingly the highest of the whole ; wliilst the general appearance 
 of each particular mound, can only be compared to an immense grave, 
 or to those oblong barrows, which are common in England, and have 
 often been pointed out to me since my return. The period of our 
 visit was indeed extremely unfavourable ; at the break of day, in the 
 midst of those clouds of dust which the Shumals had raised; with such
 
 SITE OF BABYLON. 91 
 
 ignorant, unaccommodating companions, and at so critical a juncture. 
 I must, therefore, in candour confess, the want of those more accurate, 
 minute, and particular observations, of these celebrated ruins, which 
 the traveller is not always willing to allow. I was, in fact, constantly 
 called back, and rated by my servant or my Turk, whenever I at- 
 tempted to stir to any distance from our chosen road ; the first, espe- 
 cially, having been so frightened on several occasions, that he saw an 
 Arab and a robber in every bush. From what I could observe, how- 
 ever, there is little left that can deserve the attention of the traveller, 
 who has not the advantage of leisure, assistance, and tranquillity, to 
 favour his enquiries. It is chieHy in the retrospect, therefore, which 
 can guide our researches, that an adequate share of interest can be 
 found. Alter my arrival at Bagdad, 1 became possessed of the most 
 accurate intormation I could have wished ; may I therefore bespeak 
 the indulgence of the reader, wlio only seeks lor useful and correct 
 illustrations, without aiming at censure and criticism, if in the retro- 
 spect that can alone elucidate tlio subject, I chiefly avail myself of 
 those liorrowed lights, which I shall willingly acknowledge in their 
 proper place. 
 
 N 2
 
 92 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 BABYLON, OBSERVATIONS ON ITS FORMEIl STATE AND PRESENT NOTHINGNESS. OCCUR- 
 RENCES ON THE ROAD TO HAGDAD. — SELEUCIA. — CTESIPHON. — CANALS. — RUINS. 
 ARRIVAL AT BAGDAD. 
 
 In tracing the site of those long lost cities, of which the name only 
 now remains to the superficial ohserver ; the man who applies the 
 powers of reasoning to the aid of extensive learning, will naturally 
 associate the recollection of their former state, with tiiose faint, yet 
 speaking traces of a past existence which they still exhibit. Such has 
 been the course of illustration pursued by Major Kennel, the celebrated 
 geographer, in pronouncing on the identity of those remains,which we 
 can but so imperfectly describe. He* has established the fact : First 
 on a comparison of Oriental writers in general : Secondly, on observ- 
 ations found in such ancient authors as Herodotus, Diodorus, Strabo, 
 Q. Curtius, and others, which accord with the Oriental traditions : 
 Thirdly, on a comparison of the description given of the remains by 
 modern travellers, with these earlier accounts. Little room is left 
 for the unlearned to enlarge upon these proofs. Recent travellers can 
 merely supply their additional testimony, as to the existence of ruins 
 corresponding with the known extent of Rabylon. As to myself, 
 whilst I may express the fullness of my own conviction upon this in- 
 teresting subject, I must confine myself to the thankful acknow- 
 ledgment of the source from whence my own information is derived. 
 The site of this renowned city, it is well known, has iVequently been 
 confounded with those of Seleucia, Ctesiphon, and even of Bagdad. 
 I have, however, in common with Mr. Rich, and other modern 
 travellers, enjoyed opportunities of observing the existence of those 
 distinct traces of former grandeur, which sufficiently distinguish the 
 respective situations of three great cities, now swept away by the 
 desolating power of time. Babylon, Seleucia, and Ctesiphon, have
 
 BABYLON. 93 
 
 all gone by ; Bagdad alone remains. Of the first, once the capital 
 of Chaldea, begun by Nimrod or Belus, continued by Ninus, and 
 improved by Semiramis, what now is left ? What, besides a name, 
 the descriptions of those learned ancients, whose works have out- 
 lived the wonders they were intended to celebrate ; and here and 
 there, rising from the black and dreary desert, an elevation above 
 the surrounding flat ; a mound of earth, that seems as it were, the 
 grave of all that pomp and grandeur which it once displayed? — the 
 grave indeed, and sacred repository of all its boasted iame ; since 
 there, and there only, the melancholy remains of this queen of 
 nations can now be traced bv a laborious research. 
 
 In many parts of the world, very extensive ruins, indicative of the 
 wealth, activity, and population of former ages, have been discovered ; 
 but it is necessary that their position, extent, and the quality of their 
 materials, should correspond and accord with those notices which his- 
 tory may afford, in order to pronounce on their identity. Let us, 
 with the description of this famous city, retrace the history of its ori- 
 gin, celebrity, and progressive decay. Begun in the presumption 
 of man *, it was destined in its fall to display a monument of the divine 
 vengeance, and ot" the unerring spirit of inspired prophecy. Even 
 in its rise to wealth, splendour, and prosperity, the divine Isaiah 
 was inspired to denounce its fall and utter destruction, f From the 
 first year of Hezekiah to the first of Nebuchadnezzar, chronologers 
 compute a space of about one hundred and twenty years. In this 
 period of its chief strength and highest prosperity, it is celebrated 
 for its hundred brazen gates, all hung on hinges of the same metal : 
 three hundred and sixty-eight stadia or forty-six miles in circum- 
 ference, its walls X were built of brick cemented with bitumen, thirty- 
 
 * Gen. chap. xi. ver. 4. " And they said, Go to, let us build us a City, and a Tower 
 whose top mai/ reach unto lieaven ; and let us make us a name." 
 
 t Isaiah, chap. xiii. xiv. xxi. xliii. xliv. xlv. xlvi. xlvii. Also Jeremiah, chap. xxv. 
 1. li. 
 
 X As various opinions are advanced by very respectable authorities, relative to the 
 extent, height, and general dimensions of the walls of Babylon, it may perhaps be
 
 94 BABYLON. 
 
 two feet in thickness, and seventy-five in height ; they were defended 
 by towers that rose twelve feet abov^ the whole. Adorned with the 
 temple of Belus *, in the middle of which stood a tower eight stories 
 or six hundred and ninety feet high, and erected on a base of a quar- 
 ter of a mile square ; it could also boast those pensile gardens, which 
 were once esteemed the wonder of the world. These are described, 
 as built on immense terraces disposed in the form of an amphitheatre 
 supported on arches, and covered with square stone flags, with earth 
 of a sufficient depth to sustain the largest trees ; which, in all the 
 majesty of a natural forest, arose as the offspring of those loves they 
 were intended to commemorate : the luxuriance of their growth, (if 
 we may believe the Greeks,) extending to the whole city that friendly 
 protecting shade which female charms liad sought, and a royal passion 
 had not denied. 
 
 A castle, twenty stadia or two miles and a half in circumference, 
 and defended by towers one hundred and ten feet in height from the 
 foundation, stood pre-eminent amidst the numberless palaces with 
 which it was adorned. A stone bridge (six hundred and twenty-four 
 feet long and thirty broad) crossed the Euphrates, whilst handsome 
 quays on both its banks, and immense caverns to receive the over- 
 flowings of its streams, proved equally convenient to all commercial 
 and agricultural purposes. Its commerce indeed was facilitated by 
 the communication of the Euplirates with the Persian gulf; it being 
 in those days navigable for vessels of a considerable burthen : whilst, 
 
 necessary to state, that as these anomalies in the dcscri})tion arc generally supposed to 
 arise from its having been different inclosures which various authors have described, I 
 have assigned the present dimensions, as belonging only to that particular inclo>urc which 
 is usually described a-s three hundred and sixty-eight stadia in its extent. 
 
 * The Temple of Belus is by most considered as the same structure with the tower of 
 Babel: the identity of these buildings (we are informed) does not appear to rest on 
 stronger grounds than general similarity, vicinity, and coincidence in regard to names. — 
 Should a contrary opinion be adopted, it will certainly elucidate a subject that is at present 
 involved (as we shall find) in some uncertainty.
 
 BABYLON. 95 
 
 being also joined to the Tigris by a royal canal *, it was supplied with 
 the produce of the whole country to the north, as far as the Kuxine 
 and Caspian seas. 
 
 Such is the usual description of this great city, the glory of king- 
 doms, according to ancient authors and their modern connnentators. 
 Such was Babylon in its days of glory and prosperity. Alas ! what 
 now is left to mark its site? The memory of its fame, and the 
 wonderful accomplishment of those prophecies, which, having fore- 
 told its entire subversion, should rather lead us to esteem the want of 
 ouhi-avdlif visible ruin, a proof of the identity of the spot, and of the 
 general correctness of the opinion which we adopt. 
 
 On that ground, once the busy scene of commercial activity ; of 
 ambition, pleasure, lust, and every passion which exalts or degrades 
 the mind, the Bedooin scarcely pricks his wandering track. What 
 is now become of those mighty crowds that once filled its immberless 
 avenues, and pursued the fleeting enjoyments of this world with so 
 insatiable an avidity, that Quintius Curtlus describes them as the 
 most profligate antl corrupt race that could be named, j Fathers and 
 mothers offering their daughters to prostitution ; and husbands in- 
 citin<; their wives to the violation of their marriage vows for the 
 most trifling rewards. Females of the highest rank and most repect- 
 able condition, partaking in every kind of debauchery ; and frantic 
 
 * This canal was the work of Sei.iiramis, who aKo inipiovcil the navigation ot the 
 Enphrates, and is saiil to have liaci a fleet of tlnee tlioii^aml ;iiille}>. It was repaired 
 and improved by Nebuchadnezzar, and is usnally spoken of a> the " Xidior Maleiia, or 
 Fluvius l{egiu>." — Tiiongh now dry, it was usetl for a<iriculinral pnrpust>, •.< low down 
 as the time of the Caliphs of IJajidad. Herod, i. 1:» I. ai:<! i. Is I. Sirubo. Lib. 11. 
 Mnet. IIi^t. i)ii Connnerce, chap. \i. may be con->nUed by liie learned. 
 
 f Lib. V. p. 71, '• Nihil nrl)is," sav> Q. Curtins " ejus turrupt'.iis moribus nee ad 
 irritanda; illieiendaxiiie imniodicas volii|)tates in-trucliu>, — Libero> eonjll^v•(|no cum 
 hospitibns stupro coire, niodo pretium Ihij^itii detiir, parcntcs niaritiqiic |)atinntiu-. — 
 Convivales Ludi lota perfide regibtis purpuratixitKX* cordi sunt. — Balnlonii inaximc in 
 vinnm ct (|n;e ebrietatcni sequuntur, ellusi >nnt. rivuiinariiin tonvivia inountium in 
 prineipio njude>tns est habitu>: dein summa (iniwjne amier.la e\innit, Pauiatiniqiic pu- 
 doicm profanant. — Ad nliinium (honos auribns sit) ir.ia corporiuii velanicnta projiciunt. 
 Nee mereiricum hoc dwlccus est, scd niatronarum, virorinnque, apud quos comitas habe- 
 tur vulgali corporis vititas.
 
 96 BABYLON. 
 
 with passion, wine and revelry, exposing themselves naked to the 
 public gaze. These, with all its vanities and its pomp, have all gone 
 by; whilst scarcely aught is left to commemorate their past existence. 
 But it had been written, " And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, 
 the beauty of the Chaldee's excellency, shall be as when God over- 
 threw Sodom and Gomorrah." " It shall never be inhabited, neither 
 shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation ; neither shall the 
 Arabian pitch his tent there, neither shall the shepherds make their 
 folds there."* Believing, as we do, in the Divine inspiration of the 
 prophecies, let us the less wonder at the disappearance of every out- 
 ward trace of this great and mighty city ; and submit to the evidence, 
 which the fulfilment of the word affords : as it had been written, so 
 it has happened; and it is only by opening those mounds of earth 
 already adverted to, that the slightest vestige of its mighty walls, 
 profane temples, or gorgeous palaces, can now be traced. 
 
 From the remotest times f, buildings in the East, are frequently 
 described as consisting of unburnt bricks, or pieces of earth or 
 clay, beaten up with straw or rushes, to make the parts adhere; 
 being dried only by an exposure to the sun. The walls of 
 Babylon, with some of its public edifices, were built partly of 
 these unburnt bricks, and partly of brick and bitumen. The 
 effect of time, and vertical heavy rains, on materials of this kind, 
 may easily be surmised. Before entering, however, on that de- 
 scription of the ruins, which we may derive from Mr. Rich's very 
 accurate memoir :j: ; (a work far more valuable than my own observ- 
 
 * Isaiah xiii. v. 19. 22. 
 
 f So far back as the days of the Egyptian bondage, \vc find that Pharaoh commanded 
 his officers, saying " Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick as heretofore. 
 Let them go and gather straw for themselves." Exod. v. /. 
 
 J The work originally a))peared in a journal which is published at Vienna, and is 
 intituled Mines dc VOrient. I had an opportunity of consulting the original, whilst en- 
 joying the advantage of the author's society, at his hospitable mansion at Bagdad. I 
 now speak on the authority of the review, but certainly I may assert, that from Mr, 
 Rich's situation, the respect in which he is held by the Pacha's government, his pursuits 
 and acquirements, there are lew, if any, wlio could pursue the enquiry with equal 
 advantages.
 
 BABYLON. ^ 
 
 ations.) To avoid repetition, it may be necessary to state, that such 
 ruins, or rather traces of ancient Babylon, as can now be found, con- 
 sist " of mounds of earth, formed by the decomposition of buildings, 
 " channelled and furrowed by the weather, with the surface of them 
 " strewed with pieces of brick, bitumen, and pottery. " These, of all 
 that we have described, are the only remains which are noM' outwardly 
 visible. The abundance of the materials sufficiently point out the 
 former existence of an immense city. 1 can bear evidence to the 
 general certainty of the fact ; and may assert, that as no other re- 
 mains whatever besides these mounds can now be traced ; so the abun- 
 dance of these remnants (strewed on the surface) equally establish the 
 extent of the buildings they now replace. In describing particulars, 
 however, having enjoyed an opportunity of forming so much higher 
 an opinion of the minute correctness of the memoir already adverted 
 to, I shall not hesitate to prefer it to my own more cursory observ- 
 ations, even in those points wherein it may happen to militate against 
 those notions which I had formed. The acknowledgment is due to 
 the very superior merit and accuracy of the investigation this gentle- 
 man pursued ; but will not, I trust, entirely preclude the right of 
 introducing those general observations, which a personal though less 
 assured acquaintance with the subject may naturally induce. 
 
 On the eastern bank of the river, and about two miles beyond 
 Hellah, the ruins are found to commence. These may be described, 
 as occupying an oblong, unequal space, of about two miles and a half, 
 by nearly three. * The two first longitudinal and principal mounds, 
 (connected with, and situated N. and S. of each other) form the right 
 
 • Mr. Rich gives two miles and 600 yards for the width, with about 600 yords more 
 for the length of tlie space over which the ruins in general are found to extend. As 
 it may be conjectured that the river has encroached, this would complete the oblong 
 nearly to a perfect square, and would occupy a space of ten miles 1 280 yards, or very 
 near eleven miles ; which, at eight stadia to the mile, would correspond within a mere 
 trifle of the ninety stadia usually esteemed the circumference of the inner space that was 
 built up, as described by Q. Curtius, lib. v. p. 73. We do not recollect whether this 
 coincidence is noticed in the work itself, or the review ; but most certainly, as coming 
 from such authority, it is deserving of attention.
 
 98 BABYLON. 
 
 hand or eastern boundary as you ascend ; whilst on the lefl, and next 
 to the river, a higher embankment presents a line of demarkation 
 equally clear and definite. 
 
 The first grand, or most southern mass of ruins, which presents 
 itself to our attention, Mr. Rich distinguishes by its name of Amran, 
 in compliance with an absurd Turkish tradition. He estimates its 
 length at eleven hundred yards, its greatest breadth at eight hundred ; 
 and its utmost elevation at about sixty feet above the level of the 
 plain : whilst, in general, he describes it as affording but few of those 
 furnace-baked bricks which were usually employed in buildings of 
 consequence. 
 
 " Proceeding in a northerly direction" he observes " to this suc- 
 " ceeds the second grand heap of ruins, the shape of which is 
 " nearly a square of seven hundred yards in length and breadth. 
 " Its S. W. angle is connected with the N. W. angle of the mounds 
 " of Amran by a ridge of considerable height, and nearly a hun- 
 " dred yards in breadth. 
 
 " This is the place," continues Mr. Rich, " where Beauchamp 
 " made his observations, and it is certainly the most interesting part 
 " of the ruins of Babylon. Every vestige discoverable in it declares 
 " it to have been composed of buildings far superior to all the rest 
 " which have left traces in the eastern quarter : the bricks are of the 
 " finest description, and notwithstanding this is the grand store-house 
 " of them, and that the greatest supplies have been, and are now 
 " constantly drawn from it, they appear still to be abundant. The 
 " operation of extracting the bricks has caused great confusion, and 
 " contributed much to increase the difficulty of decyphering the 
 " original design of this mound, as in search of them the workmen 
 ** pierce into it in ev^ry direction, hollowing out deep ravines and 
 V pits, and throwing up the rubbish in heaps on the surface. In some 
 ** places, they have bored into the solid mass, forming winding 
 " caverns, and subterranean passages : which, from their being lefl 
 " without adequate support, frequently bury the workmen in the 
 " rubbish. In all these excavations, walls of burnt brick laid in lime-
 
 BABYLON. 99 
 
 " mortar of a very good quality are seen ; and in addition to the 8ub- 
 " stances generally strewed on the surfaces of all these mounds, we 
 ** here find fragments of alabaster vessels, fine earthen ware, marble, 
 " and great quantities of varnished tiles, the glazing and colouring 
 " of which are surprisingly fresh." 
 
 In a hollow, near the southern part, Mr. Rich found a sepulchnd 
 urn of earthenware, which had been broken in digging, and near it 
 lay some human bones, which pulverized with the touch. He also 
 discovered a large idol in this mass, which represented the figure of 
 a lion, of a colossal size, of coarse granite, and rude workmanship, 
 with a circular aperture in the mouth, into which a man might intro- 
 duce his fist 
 
 A few paces to the left of a ravine the people have made in digging 
 for bricks, and on one side of which Mr. Rich discovered some yards 
 of wall, may be observed the next remarkable object, called Kasr, or 
 the palace, by the people of the country. The ravine itself is about 
 two hundred yards to the north of the ruin last described ; the face of 
 the wall is nearly perfect, and the bricks in general have writing on 
 them : whilst the spot itself is rendered still more deserving of atten- 
 tion by the remains of a subterraneous passage ; the roof of which is 
 constructed of bricks laid in bitumen, though in other neighbouring 
 places they were generally fixed in mortar cement The palace dis- 
 covers several remains of walls and piers, that are unobstructed with 
 rubbish, and built of fine burnt bricks, " still perfectly clean and 
 " sharp, and laid in lime-cement of such tenacity, that those whose 
 " business it was, had given up working for bricks on account of the 
 " extreme difficulty of extracting them whole." 
 
 The Mujelibe or overturned, the building (as we are informed) 
 which De la Valle considered as the remains of the celebrated tower 
 of Belus *, is the most northern and last of those principal mounds, 
 
 • As Major Reniiel, it would appear, adopted in his reasonings the opinion of De la 
 Valle, so Monsieur Beauchamp distinguishes this place by the name of Makloube, to 
 which he likewise gives the meaning of overturned. There is a difference of opinion, 
 however, between Mr. Rich and these writers, that might make it appear (according to 
 
 o 2
 
 100 BABYLON. 
 
 which the traveller will pass. It is described by Mr. Rich as being 
 " of an oblong shape, irregular in its height and the measurement of 
 " its sides, which face the cardinal points ; the northern side being 
 " two hundred yards in length, the southern two hundred and nine- 
 " teen, the eastern one hundred and eighty-two, and the western one 
 " hundred and thirty-six ; the elevation of the S. E. or highest angle 
 " being one hundred and forty-one feet. The western face, which is 
 " the least elevated, is the most interesting on account of the appear- 
 " ance of building it presents. Near the summit of it appears a low 
 " wall, with interruptions, built of unburnt bricks mixed up with 
 " chopped straw or reeds, and cemented with clay-mortar of great 
 " thickness, having between every layer a layer of reeds ; and on the 
 " north side are also some vestiges of a similar construction. The 
 " S. W. angle is crowned by something like a turret or lantern : the 
 " other angles are in a less perfect state, but may originally have been 
 " ornamented in a similar manner. The western face is lowest and 
 " easiest of ascent, the northern the most difficult. All are worn into 
 " furrows by the weather j and in some places, where several channels 
 " of rain have united together, these furrows are of great depth, and 
 " penetrate a considerable way into the mound. The summit is co- 
 ** vered with heaps of rubbish, in digging into some of which, layers 
 " of broken burnt brick cemented with mortar are discovered, and 
 " whole bricks, with inscriptions on them, are here and there found : 
 " the whole is covered with innumerable fragments of pottery, brick, 
 " bitumen, pebbles, vitrified brick or scoria, and even shells, bits of 
 " glass, and mother of pearl." 
 
 Of the very superior accuracy of Mr. Rich's description of each 
 particular mound, few doubts I believe can be reasonably entertained. 
 Even had he been gifted with acquirements inferior to those which 
 he may boast, his situation in every respect was peculiarly favour- 
 able to the pursuit of an investigation that stands not in need of 
 
 the authority now before us) that Mr. Rich's. Kasr would best (correspond (as to distance) 
 with the Makloube which Beauchamp names.
 
 BABYLON. lt)l 
 
 such additional proof as a traveller can afford, who merely generalized 
 in his enquiries, without having had it in his power to enter on par- 
 ticulars. It took me about an hour to ride over the extent of 
 ground which the ruins in general are found to occupy ; and as I 
 made frequent halts, to consider the relative situation of those in- 
 equalities which immediately conveyed a surmise, and produced a 
 conviction of the spot I stood upon, their general extent, I think, 
 may be esteemed correct as described by Rich. It appears to me, 
 however, deserving of attention, (unless the want of the original 
 should now mislead me,) that no particular remarks are made on the 
 perfect agreement which exists between the extent of the ruins de- 
 scribed by Rich and the inward extent of that part of Babylon 
 which was built up, and ninety stadia only in circumference. 
 
 Babylon is described as a square city, with several enclosures about 
 it. And as it is known that the houses were not built close up to 
 the walls, but, on the contrary, with an open space between the 
 houses and the walls, which was generally employed for agricultural 
 purposes ; and as this part, which was alone entirely occupied with 
 buildings, (the rest, according to Q. Curtius *, being chiefly an open 
 space,) is therein described as ninety stadia only in circumference ; 
 so Mr. Rich's estimate for the faces of the square would very nearly 
 occupy this space. 
 
 On the question at issue between Major Rennel and Mr. Rich, 
 (regarding the identity of the tower of Belus with the Mujelibe or 
 the Birs Nemrood), we cannot certainly esteem ourselves qualified 
 to judge. It belongs more properly to the professed geographer, or 
 to the learning of our colleges, than to the camp, to solve the doubt. 
 If we consider, however, the advance in arts, civilization, and science, 
 which must be obtained before men accumulate in extensive cities ; 
 if we go over any of those chronological and arithmetical calcu- 
 
 • L. V. p. 73. iEdificia non sunt adniota muiis, sed fore spatium unius jugeri 
 absunt. Acne totam quidcm urbcni tectis occupavcnint, per xc. stadia habiUitur: nee 
 uniuia contigua sunt, crcdu, (juia tutius visum est pluribus locis spargi. Cu^tera serunt, 
 ^v)luntque: ut, si externa vi* iiigruat, obscssis aliuicuta ex ipsius urbis solo subministrent.
 
 102 BABYLON. 
 
 lations which are so often more illustrative of facts than the opinion 
 of the first authorities ; we shall, I think, be inclined to hold with 
 those accounts, which set a more moderate boundary to the * extent 
 of Babylon than others have allowed. In looking back to ancient 
 times, we are sufficiently inclined to magnify objects until they rise 
 in the scale, and are transmitted as wonders to posterity. In the 
 East especially, where immensity has ever been the character of all 
 their works, it would appear that the neglect of all that beauty and 
 elegance which depends on proportion has only afforded the oppor- 
 tunity, and increased the desire, of arousing our wonder by the mag- 
 
 * In our retrospective view of the wonders of this great city, and the magnitude of 
 its works, we have quoted authority exactly as it stands ; taking lliose assertions for truths 
 which claim the support of such names as those of Herodotus, Strabo, Q. Curtius, 
 Diodorus, and others. It might, after this, perhaps, appear the height of presumption 
 to attack the very ground we have stood upon, and to declare, that as part of these asser- 
 tions are certainly very wonderful and extraordinary, in regard to the mag?iifude of 
 the works described, there are others, as to i/ie circumstances of the peifoiviaiicc, which 
 are not only wonderful, but absolutely impossible, though vouched for by the greater part 
 of those authorities. 
 
 The walls of Babylon, for example, are stated, at the very lowest computation, to 
 have been seventy-five feet in height, and thirty-two feet thick ; and consequently 
 must have contained 1 4,4-00 cubic feet of earth to each current fathom ; of which 
 immense work, no less than one stadium^ according to the same account, was per- 
 formed per day. Such is the statement, and yet is it a certain fact, concerning which 
 any one may satisfy himself, by a reference to our most celebrated works, (and to 
 V. i. p. C4. Le Blond, or p. 52. Adyes Bombardier,) that twenty workmen, the greatest 
 number that can conveniently be applied to each current fathom, exK'u in fdd wj/Zcs, could 
 never have everi thjown up, a third of ihc 11,400 cubic feet of earth within the day. Field 
 works, of all others, are certainly the quickest of construction 5 and twenty men are the 
 greatest number that can conveniently be applied to every current fathom of the circum- 
 ference; and as it is a fact, that the weakest profile will require twenty-four hours, a 
 stronger, forty-eight, and the strongest seventy-two, so we may fairly conclude, Jiom ike 
 known certainty of' the one fact, that the other which is remote, and only vouched for, not 
 proved, may, very probably, be incorrect. 
 
 In a disquisition of this nature, we are not exactly aware of the influence that will be 
 allowed to such arguments, in disproof of the general validity of authority so generally 
 acknowledged and so constantly appealed to : if, however, this statement can disprove a 
 part, z. e. the time employed in the building of the walls, it is certain it must reduce the 
 aseerters of the magnitude of these works to the alternative of yielding " time," or " per- 
 fect correctness of authority," concessions that may well affect the general import of the 
 whole statement.
 
 BABYLON. 103 
 
 nitude described. The absence of proportion, the impossibility of 
 judging of the whole from a part only, have set criticism at defiance ; 
 proportion enabling us to calculate when we describe. Let us the less 
 wonder, therefore, at, nor yield too ready an assent to, the extravar- 
 gance of those descriptions that are left ; but let us, on the contrary, 
 avail ourselves of such facts as are established and undeniable, in the 
 solution of our doubts. 
 
 Authorities differ as to the extent of Babylon, whilst in general 
 it is allowed to have been surrounded with more than one enclosure : 
 may we not fairly conclude, that this difference should be attributed 
 to the different enclosures which are described ? May we not readily 
 believe, that they are the same city and the like edifices that have 
 been noticed ? whilst a close, direct, and particular, or a more diffuse 
 and extended sense, has only been adopted, in the descriptions that 
 are left. Inclined as we may thus feel, to assent only to the most 
 moderate relation, we shall also find the belief uncontroverted by any 
 fact that is positive and known. But it would appear that the mo- 
 derate circumference of ninety stadia, which Q. Curtius has as- 
 signed as the inward extent of Babylon, is only opposed by contrary 
 assertions (more credible, perhaps, on the score of authority, but less 
 on the grounds of reason and probability) ; whilst it may also be al- 
 lowed, that these contrary assertions from the best authorities we 
 have, may readily be reconciled by facts which are known, very ge- 
 nerally acknowledged, and very nearly indisputable. 
 
 A fact grounded on authority in itself allowed, that may be reconciled, 
 and on sufficient grounds, with opposite assertions, is confirmed by 
 hiodern travellers. Mr. Rich, with greater advantages than any other 
 traveller, with every probability of accuracy in his relation, informs 
 us, that the ruins occupy a certain space, which, on the compari^ 
 son, corresponds exactly, or very nearly with the extent described. 
 Let us rest our enquiries on these grounds ; and if it be certain, or 
 highly probable, that the ruins which remain occupy the space that 
 was originally built upon, (the rest having been an open space, or at 
 the most the suburbs of an eastern city,) it will perhaps reduce and
 
 104 BABYLON. 
 
 simplify the argument to this : That the one or the other opinion 
 should be adopted, according as it may be certain or highly probable 
 or otherwise, that the temple of Belus was originally placed in the 
 centre of the town. 
 
 A question thus simplified, depending only on the extent of Ba- 
 bylon, might the more readily be set at rest ; as it is a fact, what- 
 ever difference of opinion may otherwise prevail, that authorities 
 generally concur, in placing the temple of Belus in the centre of the 
 town : in the centre of one part, according to Herodotus ; or 
 according ro Diodorus, in the centre of the whole. On the question 
 which may now present itself, as to what the Birs Nemrood may be, 
 if it is not the temple of Belus and Semiramis, we can only ob- 
 serve, that to a man of limited reading, and unaccustomed to inves- 
 tigations of the kind, it is far more easy to pronounce what it may 
 not be, than what it is. It cannot be the temple of Belus, because 
 the temple of Belus stood in the centre of a city, ninety stadia in 
 circumference, witli three hundred and sixty-eight, or four hundred 
 and eighty at the most, for the extent of its outward wall. If, how- 
 ever, it could be proved, that the temple of Belus was the work of 
 Semiramis, and as such, an entirely distinct and different building 
 from the Tower of Babel, the possibility surmised might certainly 
 hold good. 
 
 We have attempted the description of its former glories, as afford- 
 ing a moralizing contrast with its present nothingness ; we may con- 
 clude with observing on the progress of its decay, as illustrative of 
 facts, and corroborative of conclusions grounded on historical records, 
 that Babylon had not ceased to exist as a city, until long after the pe- 
 riod assigned for the building of those capitals which have oflen been 
 erroneously thought to occupy its site. 
 
 The decline and fall of the Baylonian empire, indeed, was attended 
 with this peculiar circumstance ; that independently of those natural 
 causes, which certainly portend and generally precede the dissolution 
 of empires, its entire subversion and future nothingness was specially 
 foretold and minutely described in Holy Writ.
 
 BABYLON. 105 
 
 The cause, as her pride, cruelty, and the sacrilegious impiety of her 
 King ; the time, manner, and instrument ; being each particularly ap- 
 pointed, specified, and even named. In the height of her glory, 
 under Nebuchadnezzar, the conqueror of Syria, Palestine, Jem- j 
 salem, and Egypt, the proud Lord of "this great Babylon," and 
 the miserable object of the Divine wrath ; the Lord's anointed, Cyrus, 
 the Persian and the Mede, diverting the Euphrates from its appointed 
 course, destroyed its defences, and subverted that second Assyrian em- 
 pire, of which Babylon had been esteemed the capital and the pride. 
 From that period, the Persian monarchs, delighting more in Ecbatana, 
 Persepolis, and other places, entirely neglected it; whilst under ] 
 the Macedonians, and the Parthian race of Kings who succeeded, 
 the building of Seleucia * and Ctesiphon f gradually but completely 
 drained it of the few inhabitants which time and tyranny had left. 
 The exact period of its entire abandonment can scarcely be ascer- 
 tained : in the first century of the Christian aera, however, it is only 
 spoken of as a city of the second magnitude ; as the place from 
 whence St Peter dated one of his Epistles, and as the appointed re- 
 sidence of Hyrcanus, the Jewish High Priest. X Since then, it has 
 been a park for " the wild beasts of the desert to lie there." It is 
 now " a possession for the bittern," § the vestige of a ruin, a spot in 
 the desert land. 
 
 Afler a digression, which the interest commonly attached to the 
 subject, more than the value of our own personal observations, must 
 excuse, we cannot do better than to return at once to that, simple 
 narrative of events, which is more immediately within the province 
 of the unlearned traveller. Men and manners have always been the 
 principal object of our attention and enquiries ; the few remarks, 
 therefore, we have adventured on the inteieating subject of the pre- 
 
 I 
 
 * Partem urbis Persise diruerunt, partem tempua coasumpsit, eL Maeedomtm negli- 
 gentia; maxime postquam Seleuctu Nicator Seleuciam ad Tigrim condidit, stadia tan- 
 turn trecentts a Babjlone dissitam. — Strab. 1. xvi. p. 38. 
 
 f Pro ilia Seleuciam et CtesiphoDtem urbe« Persarum inditas fecerunt. — Hilron. 
 
 X Josephus, Antiquit. xt. c. 2. § Isaiah, cbi^. xiii. and xiv. 
 
 P
 
 106 SHUMALS. 
 
 ceding pages, were more the effect of a species of necessity, than 
 of our choice. 
 
 After sipping our coffee on the morning of the 3d, under the shel- 
 ter of one of those inferior elevations, that may be distinguished at 
 a short distance beyond the principal heaps already described, at eight 
 A. M. we resumed our course. The Shumal, or north-wester, had 
 blown so hard during the whole of the preceding night, that the 
 clouds of dust it had raised had not yet subsided, though the weather 
 was comparatively temperate. At eleven, thc' whole circumfer- 
 ence of the horizon was still a dismal sombre mist, that would 
 scarcely allow us to believe the sun was fast advancing to its 
 meridian height. It was, indeed, entirely concealed by the dusty 
 haziness of the atmosphere ; whilst the light which we derived from 
 its rays cannot better be described than by comparing it to that 
 heavy, red, oppressive, partial day, which an entire eclipse of this 
 great luminary would produce at noon in our hottest months. We 
 could scarcely see thirty yards before us j and whilst we kept as close 
 together as possible, our guide frequently declared he was quite un- 
 certain of the direction of the road. The particles of light desert 
 sand that floated around us were so subtile as to impede our breath- 
 ing, no less than our sight j but our old conductor declared the oc- 
 currence was fortunate, as we were now in the midst of hostile 
 tribes which it might not otherwise have been possible to pass. 
 
 Our alarms, indeed, on this occasion, were a convincing proof of 
 the accuracy of the assertion, as we could frequently hear the lowing 
 of those numerous droves of camels which we passed in our course, 
 without being able to distinguish the animals themselves, or the 
 Arabs that guarded them. My servant two or three times assured 
 me, that his hair, which had been black when we left Bussora, would 
 be grey before we reached Bagdad j and, in truth,, my Turk seemed 
 for once equally aware of the dangers we encountered and passed at 
 every step. Suddenly, however, and at the distance of about twenty- 
 five miles from the ruins we had left, we found ourselves at once sur- 
 rounded by numerous droves of loaded camels that occupied the 
 road. It was too late to effect a retreat, though we all felt for a
 
 CARAVAN. 107 
 
 while sufficiently disconcerted : we were happy, therefore, when we 
 could ascertain, that our new acquaintances formed a part of a strong 
 caravan proceeding with grain to the capital. On being carried be- 
 fore the principal merchants, my Turk was immediately recognised 
 by several as a person whom they were acquainted with. I had 
 scarcely, however, stretched myself under a bush in charge of our 
 horses, when, after some violent discussions with our new acquain- 
 tances, I could plainly perceive Shaik Hamood's unfortunate mes- 
 senger, with a large ataghan at his throat, and struggling for his life ; 
 whilst my Turk and servant were apparently interposing in his be- 
 half, and arresting the hand that was uplifted to strike the blow. 
 My situation was certainly exceedingly uncomfortable : my Turk and 
 servant were evidently amongst friends, and in perfect safety : I had no- 
 thing, therefore, personally to apprehend ; but to see our old and faith- 
 ful guide, who had accompanied and secured us through so many diffi- 
 culties, absolutely butchered before our faces, was an imperious call to 
 exertion, which it would have been shameful to neglect. I saw it was 
 useless to contend, thougli I advanced with a pistol in each hand. 
 When I was rudely pushed back, therefore, but heard my Turk re- 
 buke them, saying I was an English Balios, I acquired confidence, 
 and forced my way through the circle, where after a few words 
 (swords being returned) the tumult was gradually appeased by the 
 principal merchants of the caravan. I was afterwards given to un- 
 derstand, that they had been attacked and plundered, on one of the 
 preceding days, by some of the inferior tribes of the Montifics, and 
 were therefore bent on revenging themselves on the person of our 
 unfortunate conductor, as belonging to the party of their late ene- 
 mies. In these half-barbarous climes, this summary kind of justice 
 is, I believe, by no means uncommon ; and the disorders that pre- 
 vailed at this moment in the Pashalick were esteemed a sufficient 
 apology by the whole ; though, for the present, they consented to 
 forbear from their revenge. 
 
 The merchants had piled up their numerous bales and sacks in 
 
 several distinct circles, the whole, however, forming one general en- 
 
 p 2
 
 X08 OCCURRENCES ON ROAD. 
 
 closure ; and it was behind these, without tents or other shelter, that 
 we composed ourselves for the night preceding that whereon we might 
 expect to reach the capital. At five on the morning of the 4th we 
 began our march, accompanied by some of the principal merchants of 
 the caravan : it was their intention, it seemed, to make a push, 
 leaving the bulk of their companions to reach Bagdad on the ensuing 
 day. The persons we had with us were Bagdadees of Turkish and 
 Arab origin ; and appeared to unite in their characters as merchants, 
 a considerable degree of the spirit and address which a soldier is sup- 
 posed to evince in the habits of his life and the management of his 
 horse. They were all stout able men, extremely well mounted, re- 
 spectably dressed, and perfectly well armed : they appeared, indeed, 
 so exhilarated by the prospect of a quick return to their homes and 
 families, that, in their present happiness, every sentiment of enmity 
 and strife was laid at rest; whilst they conversed with our late ill-fated 
 conductor with perfect ease and cheerfulness. 
 
 B^ore we had proceeded many miles, the unfortunate old man 
 declared himself to have been robbed of the thirty piastres he had 
 received for his service s. I was at first inclined to believe that this 
 was a contrivance of his own to obtain a further remuneration at my 
 hands, now that my real character was known. But the violent pro- 
 testations of my Turk soon convinced me to the contrary. The 
 stuita nudabit anima conscientiam was never more truly exemplified ; 
 and as soon as he began to vindicate his own innocence without being 
 accused, I marked him for the thief. Our guide insisted on returning 
 to look for the treasure he had lost ; but we had not been detained 
 above half an hour, when he came back declaring it was useless to 
 persevere in the search through so wide a tract ; especially as he felt 
 convinced that his money had been purloined from him during his 
 sleep by some of the company. The merchants of course were highly 
 indignant at the accusation, and my Turk, for good reasons, was the 
 most vociferous of the whole. The hearing of his name, however, 
 from several of the party, as the person who had slept next to the 
 messenger, plainly convinced methat the suspicions I entertained were
 
 ANCIENT CANALS. 109 
 
 not confined to myself. I scrupled not to declare, theretbre, that I 
 thought Aly Aga was the thief; and mentioning the sum he had pre- 
 viously stated to ray servant that he possessed, proposed that his 
 innocence should rest on the evidence of an immediate search. My 
 servant declared he perfectly recollected his having said that he had 
 only a few piastres left, when he wished to induce mc to make ad- 
 vances; so that if it were found that he had more, it would he evident 
 that he had been guilty of a falsehood, or else was the thief At 
 Bagdad, the English character is greatly respected ; and the bare cir- 
 cumstance of my being a British officer giving me a considerable 
 degree of influence, the knave soon perceived that his rascality might 
 be attended with very unpleasant consequences. Aly Aga, however, 
 was never at a loss ; in the midst of all his lying and habitual drunk- 
 enness, he was a shrewd cunning rogue, who immediately knew wlien 
 it was proper to retract. Bursting out, therefore, into a loud affected 
 laugh, he produced the purse, declaring he had found it on the ground, 
 and only wished to frighten his worthy friend, I cannot say much for 
 the excuse: he had stolen the purse most certainly; but our conductor 
 was so pleased at the recovery of his lost treasure that, although he 
 kept at a respectable distance from our witty light-fingered Turk, lie 
 entirely resumed his former ease and composure. 
 
 We had now rode about four hours, when, at intervals, we could 
 distinguish the lengthened banks of considerable canals in the inter- 
 sections of the road. We sometimes crossed these remains of former 
 cultivation, and frequently proceeded under cover of the bank ; with 
 constant cautions however to keep in a body for fear of an attack ; the 
 danger only increasing as we drew near to the capital, so late the scene 
 of strife. These works must originally have been of very great ex- 
 tent ; and the remains occupied, I should think, about a third of the 
 forty-five miles we had to ride. * They were formerly tiie Narmalachy, 
 
 • It will be seen I have made tlic distance between Babylon anil IJa^dad considerably 
 more than i» usually reckoned ; but we went considerably out of the connnon road to avoid 
 any unpleasant meetings; leaving the first caravansera at a distance on our lei't when we 
 turned off" for the lower road.
 
 J 10 ANTIQUE STATUE. 
 
 ox Jluvius regius of Nebuchadnezzar, as we have already noticed, and if 
 our authority holds good. I cannot feel sufficient confidence in my 
 own learning to vindicate the assertion by cogent proofs; these re- 
 mains, however, overspread the ground, which these useful works have 
 been supposed formerly to irrigate with their bounteous streams. So 
 low indeed <is tlie reign of the Caliphs, their existence may be traced; 
 tlie subject therefore is not of such high antiquity, as to lie beyond 
 the limits of rational investigation. 
 
 Wiien we had got nearly clear of these proofs of former industry, 
 and about the time we first obtained a distant view of thcTakht Ker- 
 sera, we stiunbled suddenly on a large black marble block, full seven 
 feet long, that was evidently the imperfect remain of a colossal statue 
 which Iiad lost its head ; the hands were crossed over the chest in the 
 respectful attitude often observed by Asiatics in the presence of their 
 superiors; and the feet could just be seen from beneath the long 
 Persian robe that is sometimes worn on occasions of ceremony. There 
 were no vestiges immediately around that could mark the site of 
 former buildings. When I mentioned the circumstance, however, on 
 my arrival at Bagdad, I was informed that this venerable remain of 
 very remote anticpiity had been noticed by some former traveller from 
 Babylon, but left behind in consequence of its weight. After as close 
 an inspection of this curious but mutilated fragment, as a few mo- 
 ments would allow, our attention was attracted, as we proceeded, by 
 the full and perfect, though distant view, of those interesting remains 
 of Ctesiphon which the accompanying sketch is intended to represent. 
 With all its imperfections, it was the only notice I could take of 
 these celebrated ruins ; as my companions would neither stop for me, 
 nor allow me to remain behind to complete the sketch. The exact 
 dimensions of the Takht Kersera, with the following more particular 
 description of the ground which these ruins stand upon, was furnished 
 me on my arrival at Bagdad ; and whenever my own observations 
 have been insufficient for purposes of minute accuracy, and I can only 
 confirm a general truth in the description, I shall never scruple to 
 avail myself of valuable information of this kind.
 
 CTESIPHON. HI 
 
 The Takht Kersera, sometimes called Cliuseroe's arch, the principal 
 remain of a palace belonging to the famed Chuseroe, stands about 
 eighteen miles to the S. E. of Bagdad, and a mile nearly from the 
 banks of the river, marking the site of ancient Ctesiphon. * This 
 valuable ruin is nearly perfect as such, in as much as it carries in its 
 appearance the most convincing proofs of having belonged to a palace 
 of great extent, and still displays itself in all the majesty of falling gran- 
 deur, from a very considerable distance on every side. It is built of 
 bricks full one foot square, and three inches thick. The east face or 
 front is nearly one hundred and twenty-five paces in length, the breadth 
 of the arch is eighty-six feet, the height one hundred and ten feet. The 
 length of the arched roof within, from east to west, is sixty paces. TJiere 
 are several openings in the arch that pass for lamps, and were probably 
 intended for the admission of light and air. The most perfect front, the 
 east, is full of niches something like our ancient Gothic churches ; 
 but the opposite face is nearly destroyed, part of the arch itself having 
 fallen in. 
 
 At the distance of about a third of a mile, on the Bagdad side of 
 Chuseroe's palace, stands Solyman Pauk's or Soliman the f Clean's 
 
 * Gibbon, vol. v. p. '287., speaks of the fall of Ctesiphon, and the destruction of Chuseroe's 
 hall ; and I cannot conceive how this ever should (from its name and the meaning of the 
 word) have been mistaken for any other building, as I believe it has. " Tukht," signifies 
 " throne," and means that elevated part of the audience-chamber, or of the tent, which 
 the prince generally occupies on occasions of ceremony. In this case, it would mean tlie 
 throne of Kersera, or Chuseroe; and it is remarkable that from the river, the side we 
 approached it on, the rising elevation of the ground towards the palace as a centre, and 
 as the crowning perfection of the whole, would render the expression entirely appropriate 
 as a distinguishing appellation. The resemblance is so .striking, that on a reference to 
 my notes I find " a throne" was the very expression used, in the hasty memorandum 
 and excitetl feeling of the moment, to denote the simple elevated majesty of its site, 
 
 f " Pauk" signifies in the original, pure, clean, immaculate ; of which the opposite is 
 formed by the prefix " na." According to the current opinion regarding this saint, 
 however, the word in the present instance might be allowed a far more extended sense; 
 the Prophet himself, as the story goes, having interposed to save liis reputation lor 
 immaculate purity, in a manner that could not leave a douljt behind, and that had in 
 fact enabled him to challenge the most curious inspection of his enemies. It was in the 
 sleeve of this holy man, many credulous Mahometans believe, tliat the cat was first produced 
 for the advantage of mankind ; and he set the believing world an example of tenderness for 
 this favourite, by cutting off his sleeve as a carpet for the animal to repose upon.
 
 112 SELEUCIA. 
 
 tomb, surrounded hy the remains of a wall ; whilst to the southward, 
 and nearly between the river and the arch, is a large mosque that 
 formerly bore the name of Haudefeed ul Jemani ul Abdoola eben 
 Salam. Thus far the ruins we have imperfectly described belong 
 evidently to the celebrated Ctesiphon, both from their position, 
 relative to the river, and their distance from Bagdad ; on the opposite 
 bank of the I'igris, however, traces of former buildings may also be 
 found near the old Bagdad powder-mills ; which, it is supposed, may 
 once have belonged to the more ancient Seleucia. Selcucia, the work 
 of Seleucus Nicator, one of Alexander's great captains, and the first 
 of that foreign race who swayed the Persian sceptre for eighty-three 
 years, succeeded to Babylon in its wealth and celebrity. The first in 
 point of date, it should also from its situation have preceded in the 
 description, that cursory notice of the remains of Ctesiphon which 
 we have attempted. The early majestic view of the Takht Kersera, 
 however, having first called our wondering attention to the magnitude 
 and perfection of the ruin, we have naturally (as we felt from its 
 superior and more evident attractions) given it the preference. Of 
 Seleucia, as of Babylon, very little now remains : whether this be 
 owing to the quality of the materials employed in the principal build- 
 ings, or to some remoter cause, we shall not attempt to decide. A 
 profusion of decayed materials, with here and there a fragment of 
 marble or porphyry, may be occasionally observed on the western 
 bank of the 'J'igris ; and, if a diligent search could be pursued, it is 
 not even improbable that statues, something similar to the marble 
 figure we passed this morning, and have already noticed, might yet 
 be found ; ornaments of this kind, in the greater part of the more 
 ancient eastern buildings that I have seen, being at least in pairs, and 
 frequently in extended rows, whilst a perfect and heavy regularity is 
 generally obser\ed. 
 
 We had now, at intervals, obtained a very distant view of the 
 lofty minarets of Bagdad, amidst the windings of those elevations 
 which the ruined banks of former canals interposed ; when a mer- 
 chant in the advance informed us, that he could perceive a consider-
 
 OCCURRENCES ON ROAD. II3 
 
 able body of horsemen advancing, who were doubtless Bedooins 
 and enemies, from their appearance, and the information we had 
 previously obtained of the position they occupied. We had ex- 
 perienced so many alarms on occasions of real danger, and had been 
 so constantly on the alert, that if we were somewhat hardened to 
 the appearance of an enemy, we were also, (in the constant expect- 
 ation of an encounter,) sufficiently prone to yield a ready assent to 
 every information of the kind. When the intelligence reached us, 
 therefore, we gradually collected in a body, and inspired by our 
 numbers, the dangers we had escaped, and above all, by the vici- 
 nity of the city, prepared for the strife with many boasting vaunts. 
 The two principal merchants, after desiring us to wait for a while 
 until the loiterers had arrived, rode forward a little way, and sent 
 forth scouts to observe and report intelligence ; wheeling their horses 
 round, however, whenever their extreme boldness had carried them 
 too far, to see how they were supported in the rear ; and shouting, 
 couching their spears, and exercising their animals at speed in our 
 front, as we advanced to the attack. We had had as yet but a very 
 imperfect, distant view of our expected opponents, the ground be- 
 tween us being completely intersected with ruined embankments and 
 the rubbish of a fallen caravansaray ; our scouts, however, at this 
 moment returned at speed, with evident terror in their looks, de- 
 claring that the enemy was close at hand, and full a hundred strong. 
 It will soon be seen, that these valorous knights had not recon- 
 noitred with any great accuracy ; but our horses being at their speed 
 and warm, several of us had been carried on considerably in ad- 
 vance, without perceiving the very ominous halts, stopping of 
 restive horses, and desertions, that were taking place in our rear. 
 Suddenly, however, at a break in the bank we were riding under, we 
 came in full contact with our dreaded adversaries ! When, to our 
 utter confusion and dismay, though I believe to the great joy of many 
 of our party, we discovered these to be a caravan of peaceful 
 donkies, which their miserable drivers had forsaken in a fright, on 
 
 Q
 
 114 OCCURRENCES ON ROAD. 
 
 observing our desperate advance. I shall never forget the extreme 
 variety of expression that was visible in every countenance ; or the 
 ludicrous wonder-struck appearance of the group. Don Quixote, 
 when awake to the real quality of the mighty giants he had en- 
 countered, or when deprecating the malice of the enchanters, who 
 had turned the armies he had routed into sheep, to rob him of the 
 honours of the victory, was never, certainly, more surprised than 
 ourselves. Our intelligent scouts rode off, to avoid the reproaches 
 they deserved, asserting these were not the enemies they had seen, 
 and that we might expect them yet. Those who had halted in the 
 rear, passed on, or retired still further back, to avoid the scoffs and 
 taunts of their companions ; whilst those only now looked around 
 with a confidence united with the smile of wonder on their face, 
 whom, their unruly steeds (more perhaps than their inclinations) had 
 brought forward to the fray. The trembling drivers now perceiving 
 we were more inclined to laugh than to quarrel with them for the 
 fright their long-eared animals had occasioned us, returned ; and 
 joining in the general mirth, confirmed, after a while, the inform- 
 ation we had received near Babylon, regarding the retreat of the 
 new Pacha and his Koords. The defeat, they said, had been most 
 complete ; and Sayud Pacha was now more firmly established than 
 ever in his authority ; Abdoola Aga, a man of high reputation for 
 conduct and abilities, having been appointed Kyjar, or minister ; and 
 plenty and confidence being now restored. 
 
 This was the same Abdoola, whom we have already mentioned as 
 one of the illustrious refugees who had left Busheer a short time 
 only before our visit to that place. Sudden transitions of this kind, 
 from a state of exile to the highest dignity, from the most un- 
 bounded wealth to absolute penury, from the throne itself to the 
 prison and to death, are by no means uncommon in these abodes of 
 abject slavery and despotic sway. We shall have occasion to notice in 
 the following chapters several occurrences of a similar nature during 
 the short period of our residence at Bagdad : for the present, how-
 
 ARRIVAL AT BAGDAD. 115 
 
 ever, as we have only to add, that we reached the city at five P. M., 
 we cannot better take our leave of the desert, and our hospitable 
 friends the Bedooins, than by those general remarks wc have already 
 promised on the distinguishing features and grand outlines of the 
 country they inhabit, their character, and manners ; — manners and 
 observances that have been the leading characteristics of this cele- 
 l)rated race from the most ancient times. 
 
 «^ 2
 
 116 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 ARABIA, FEATURES OF THE CX>UNTRT; DANGERS AND ILLUSIONS OF THE DESERT. — THE 
 BBDOOINS; THEIR CHARACTER, MANNERS, CUSTOMS, NOBILITY, TREATMENT OF WOMEN, 
 &C. &C.— REMARKS ON THE CAMEL AND THE ARABIAN HORSE; Il-S FITNESS FOR OUU 
 CAVALRY INVESTIGATED. 
 
 According to Sale, in his preliminary discourse to the translation of 
 the Koran, " the Arabs, and the country they inhabit, which them- 
 " selves call Jezirat al Arab, or the Peninsula of the Arabians, but 
 " we Arabia, were so named from Araba, a small territory in the pro- 
 ** vince of Tehama, to which Yarab, the son of Kahtan, the father 
 " of the ancient Arabs, gave his name, and where, some ages after, 
 ** dwelt Ismael the son of Abraham by Hagar. Tiiese are the people 
 ** of whom the Christian writers for several centuries speak under the 
 " appellation of the Saracens ; the most certain derivation of which 
 ** word is from Shark, the East, where the descendants of Joctan, the 
 ** Kahtan of the Arabs, are placed by i\ loses ; and in which quarter 
 ** they dwelt in respect to the Jews." The peninsula itself has been 
 described as a triangle of irregular dimensions ; extending in a line 
 of 1500 miles from Beles on the Euphrates, to the straits of Bab el 
 Mandel and the Indian seas ; and measuring about 750 miles in its 
 middle breadth : so that the entire surface exceeds in a fourfold pro- 
 portion that of Germany or France. The far greater part, however, 
 is justly stigmatised with the epithet of the stony and the desert land. 
 " Even the wilds of Tartary," an eloquent historian exclaims, " are 
 " decked by the hand of nature with lofty trees and luxuriant herbage ; 
 ** and the lonesome traveller derives a sort of comfort and society 
 " from the presence of vegetable life." But in the dreary wastes of 
 Arabia, a trackless level is intersected by sharp bleak mountains ; 
 and, without shade or shelter, scorched by the direct and intense rays 
 of a sun that is nearly vertical. Instead of cool, reviving breezes.
 
 DANGERS OF THE DESERT. II7 
 
 the winds, and particularly the Samiel, diffuse a noxious and even 
 a deadly vapour. '• During the summer months especially, the life it 
 reaches fades at once beneath the blast ; and so instantaneous and 
 powerful are its effects, that, as the vital spark is extinguished, cor- 
 ruption immediately follows, and the limbs separate at the joints, on 
 the first attempt to remove or raise the corse. 
 
 The blowing of the winds in the same direction, for many weeks 
 successively, presents another, and because it is inevitable, a greater 
 danger, to the hapless wanderer in these desert climes. The hillocks of 
 sand which they alternatively raise and scatter, have been compared 
 to the billows of the sea, and whole caravans and whole armies have been 
 lost and buried in the dust. As the dangers of the desert are great, 
 so its illusions are wonderful, and almost inexplicable. Oppressed 
 with heat, and fainting with fatigue, scorched by the vertical beams 
 of the noon-tide sun, dying with thirst, and parched up by the fatal 
 warmth of the Samiel, the traveller beholds at once an end of all 
 his woes : an extended lake presents itself to view ; gardens, an im- 
 mense city rising amidst the desert, commanding lofty towers, 
 arches and porticoes, at once are seen. The eye, bursting from its 
 socket, to pierce through the mist that partially veils and imper- 
 fectly reveals the hope of comfort and deliverance, acijuires new 
 powers at the sight. Every moment is a moment of anxiety, yet 
 
 • The IVr.-iaiis call tlu'sc hot winds Bandy Saniboor, or " sufTocatiug ;" the Arabs, 
 Snniicl, Sam, Shumal, or Sameli ; that is, I believe, " poisonous." They chiefly prevail 
 in the desert between Uassora, Bagdad, and Aleppo; are known in Persia, in Iiulia, and 
 even in Spain, being in fact the land winds of all hot countries; though, tronj the nature 
 of tlic M)il they go over, more fatal in the de>ert than in any oilier parts. The Arabs, 
 however, refine upon this description, and assert that the Samiel may be distinguished 
 from all other hot winds by the sulphureous smell which always aa^^oin))anies it ; whilst 
 it may alto be known by the sombre red appearance of the atmosphere in the quarter it 
 blows from. With regard to the first sign, we shall not speak; and the second is only 
 owing to the light particles of the desert sand it brings along with it, as we experienced 
 |)ersonally, antl have iiad occa.sion to observe in the preceding chapter. In the cold 
 »easun it is nevir dangerous, and, as an horizontal wind, has no influence close to the 
 ground, being broken perhaps by the inequalities of the soil it goes over; so both 
 men and animals find their preservation from its effects, in crouching dowTi and throwiiig 
 themselves flat upon the earth.
 
 118 ILLUSIONS OF THE DESERT. 
 
 scarce a doubt intrudes ; hope rests in the lap of assurance ; we 
 grasp at the shadow. * Alas ! we are deceived. Fatal delusion { it 
 is the vision of the desert land that has been seen. It is the garden 
 of Iren, and the work of Shedad the son of Ad, that has presented 
 itself. It yet stands (according to Arabian traditions) in the desert 
 of Aden ; and is preserved by Providence, as a monument of the 
 Divine wrath, f 
 
 The scarcity of fuel in Arabia is such, that camel's and horse's 
 dung is commonly used as a substitute; whilst some art is even 
 required to preserve the elemental flame. Destitute of navigable 
 rivers, the possession of a well is frequently an object of desire, and 
 the occasion of a war ; and the torrents which pour from the moun- 
 tains are immediately imbibed and disappear, from the looseness of 
 the soil. The hardy Tamarind and the Acacia forcing their roots 
 through a stony cleft, are only nourished by the nightly dews ; and 
 the way-worn, fainting pilgrim, is often forced to quench his thirst 
 witli water that has washed a bed of salt, or a layer of sulphur, in 
 its wandering torpid source. 
 
 The endurance of evil certainly enhances the value of any local 
 or partial enjoyment ; and Arabia Felix ^ owes the greater proportion 
 
 * To my Indian readers, the illusion, I believe, will not be entirely unknown ; as they 
 must frequently have observed something similar in our extended plains, especially during 
 the prevalence of the land winds. At Bangalore, when crossing the Parade, there are 
 two trees that have commonly obtained the appellation of the frigates, from their resem- 
 blance at a distance to a ship in full sail ; and there are many besides myself, who must 
 have observed the visionary lake they are sometimes surrounded with, though certainly 
 growing in a level plain. In the deserts of Arabia, the deception is something similar, 
 though to a I'ar greater extent, from those very causes which in the present instance can 
 only partially operate. 
 
 f A more full and perfect account of this imaginary city, which is so seldom seen, 
 may be found in Sale's preliminary dittcourse; the Koran also noticing the delusions of 
 the garden of Iren. 
 
 J This distinction of the happy, the stony, and the desert land, was only known 
 to the Greeks and Romans; but never to the Arabs; who divide proper Arabia 
 into five provinces, /. c. Yeman, Hejaz, Tehama, Najd, and Yamfima ; some making 
 Baherim the sixth: whilst others reduce the whole to two; Yeman, and Hejas; this 
 last including the other three.
 
 THE ARABIANa II9 
 
 of that fame which has bestowed the title of the " happv land." to 
 the more barren, inhospitable appearance of that part which ui li:i\p 
 attempted to describe. Here and there, a field of green swad ina\ 
 present itselfj a spring, or a well that affords a constant siij)j)iv 
 induces the residence of some of the more sedentary tribes ; a 
 few huts arise, the Date is planted, and affords a partial, insufhcient 
 shade : but the dark horrors of tlie desert, that composes the more 
 retired scenery, will naturally deepen the colouring of tlie picture 
 which a lively imagination may present to itself; and a garden, a 
 happy land, a paradise, abounding in every convenience, comfort, and 
 luxury, is immediately presented to our view by the enthusiasm of 
 the traveller, or the exuberant indulgencies of pride. The ancients, 
 however, have always been forward in representing the happiness of 
 its clime, its wealth and fertility, in the most glowing language ; and 
 Strabo informs us *, that, misled by a notion of its wealth, Alexander, 
 on his return from India, had formed those plans for the conquest 
 and government of Arabia which were only prevented by his un- 
 timely death. The interested policy of the Egyptians had been 
 productive of these delusions ; for, engrossing to themselves the 
 greater pro})ortion of the Indian trade, they were unwilling to con- 
 fess the source from whence those valuable commodities they dealt 
 in were originally derived. 
 
 The Arabians, the possessors of the country we have described, have 
 from the most ancient times been distinguished into two distinct classes 
 by the writers of the East, — the old lost Arabians, and the present. 
 The former are described as having been extremely numerous, and 
 divided into several tribes, which are now entirely destroyed, or else 
 lost and swallowed up amongst other and succeeding tribes ; nor are 
 there any memoirs or records extant concerning them that can now 
 be found, though the memory of some very remarkable events, and 
 the catastrophe of some tribes, have been preserved by tradition, and 
 since confirmed by the authority of the Koran. The present race, 
 
 • Lib.xvi. p. 1132. [Also Arian, 161. 123. 153.]
 
 120 THE BEDOOINS. 
 
 according to their own historians (as we are informed by Sale), are 
 sprung from two stocks : Kahtan, the same with Joctan, the son of 
 Eber ; and Adnan, descended in a direct line from Ismael, the son 
 of Abraham and Hagar. The posterity of the former they call " Al 
 Arab Al Ariba," i. e. the genuine or pure Arabs ; and those of the 
 latter " Al Arab Al Mostareba," i. e. the naturalized or insitive 
 Arabs. The uncertainty, however, of the descents between Ismael 
 and Adnan is the reason why they seldom trace their genealogies 
 higher than the latter, whom they acknowledge as the father of their 
 tribes ; the descents from him downwards being pretty certain and 
 un controverted. 
 
 Forming one of the three distinct* races that occupy Asia in 
 general, and derived from various origins ; the modern Arabs, the 
 Tartars, and Hindoos, with various tenets for their faith, a distinct 
 unconnected history and different languages, exhibit also that variety 
 and dissimilitude in their personal appearance and disposition which, 
 dwelling, in the same parallels, and frequently inhabiting the same 
 country, can only proceed from some original dissimilarity which 
 time and the prohibition of intermarriages must certainly have con- 
 firmed. Soft in their manners, and slender in their forms, with 
 luxuriant black tresses and the languid eye of the antelope; the 
 Indian presents a far more engaging aspect, than the almost beardless 
 and triangular visage of a genuine Tartar. With larger heads and 
 heavier bodies than the Hindoos, with quick restless eyes placed far 
 asunder, and a nose that scarcely rises into prominence ; these are 
 also entirely different in their personal deportment from the Arab 
 race, and the Bedooin of the desert in particular. 
 
 The Bedooin Arabs are of an original race ; and as their history 
 reaches back to very remote antiquity, so their conformation, address, 
 and outward form are entirely original ; and very different, I think, 
 from what has so often been related of the sedate and composed 
 
 • In this assertion, we follow the authority of the Asiatic Dissertations, (vol. i. p. 27.); 
 it is thought, however, some connection may be traced between the idolatry of the ancient 
 lost Arabians, and the religiousobscrvances of the Hindoos.
 
 THEIR CHARACTER. 121 
 
 habits of Mahometans in general. Occupying in respect to colour 
 the middle shade between the darker hue of Hindoostan, and th^ 
 fresher ruddy skin of the Tartar race, the Arab, in point of size 
 and formation, may equally be placed between the softer rounded 
 female form of the Indian, and the heavier spreading bulk of 
 the Cossack and the Kalmuc. Of an active, nervous, middle size, 
 with nothing superfluous about him to impede his motions, the 
 Bedooin and his camel are equally inured to abstinence and fatigue. 
 The longest course cannot quench the fire of his coal black eye, the 
 burning blast of the desert can scarcely depress the more burning 
 spirit of his ardent soul. Quick in his emotions, sudden in his 
 anger, restless, and bred to war, with a body of iron and a soul of 
 fire, the Arab appears, in his habits, to be scarcely capable of the 
 enjoyment of repose, except in those moments of satisfied impatience 
 and inward gratulation, when at ease with himself, and pleased with 
 some visionary phantasy, he may be seen reclining with his pipe, 
 and smoothly stroking with an inward pride the regular manly 
 beard which reaches to his chest. Their affections, apparently, are 
 no less ardent than their resentments ; and the fond father playing 
 with a favourite boy, and teaching the naked yearling to throw 
 the reed, in mimic imitation of their hardier strife, is frequently 
 seen indulging in the enjoyment of those affections which are 
 common to mankind, but never more warmly felt than in these 
 desert climes. 
 
 The affection which he bears towards his children and his family 
 the Arab extends to every individual of his tribe : their tents or 
 huts are open, and yet is theft amidst these bands of robbers 
 entirely unknown : they are all brothers ; and if a community of 
 goods cannot subsist in the state they have attained, an abundant 
 open-handed liberality relieves or shares every want and deprivation 
 that can be felt. Numberless, and remarkable instances of thk 
 commendable quality amongst them could be produced; and the 
 learned Sale has furnished us with the following : — "A dispute had 
 " arisen in the court of the Caaba, who, amongst the chiefs of the city, 
 
 R
 
 122 THEIR LIBERALITY AND HOSPITALITY. 
 
 ** was the most worthy and liberal ; when one that was present, to 
 ** end the dispute, proposed, the parties should each go to their 
 " particular friend, and ask his assistance ; that they might see what 
 " every one gave, and form a judgment accordingly. This being 
 " agreed to, when the first went to Abdallah, he found him with his 
 " foot in the stirrup, just mounting his camel for a long journey ; 
 " and thus accosted him : * Son of the uncle of the apostle of God, 
 " I am travelling, and in necessity.' Upon which Abdallah alighted, 
 " and bade him take the camel with all that was upon her ; but 
 " desired him not to part with a sword, which happened to be 
 " fixed on the saddle, because it had belonged to Aly the son of 
 *' Abutaleb. So he took the camel, and found on her some vests of 
 " silk, and 4000 pieces of gold ; but the thing of the greatest value 
 " was the sword. The second went to Kais Eben Saad, whose 
 " servant told him that his master was asleep ; and desired to know 
 " his business. The friend answered, that he came to ask Kais's 
 " assistance, being in want on the road. Whereupon the servant 
 " said, he had rather supply his necessities than awake his master ; 
 " and so gave him a purse of 7000 pieces of gold, assuring him 
 " it was all the money then in the house. He also directed him to 
 " go to those who had the charge of the camels, with a certain 
 " token, and take a camel and a slave. When Kais awoke, and 
 " his servant informed him of what he had done, he gave him his 
 " freedom, with a gentle rebuke for not having called him up, as 
 " he would have given more. The third man went to Arabah, and 
 " met him coming out of his house to go to prayers, leaning on 
 " two slaves through infirmity, and because his eye-sight failed him : 
 " when he had no sooner made known his wants, than Arfibah let 
 " go the slaves, lamenting his misfortune that he had no money, 
 " but desiring him to take both the slaves and sell them ; as he 
 " renounced them from that time. Upon which, leaving the slaves, 
 " he groped his way along the walls ; and well deserved the praise 
 ^ his liberality obtained himj since he gave his all."
 
 THEIR VICES. |2g 
 
 Without commenting on this little history, we may believe, that 
 liberality was a virtue very generally practised, when it could thus 
 command attention, and occasion this tale, with many other popular 
 stories of a similar nature. The hospitality of the Arabs was also 
 proverbial from the most ancient times : these qualities are indeed 
 too nearly united to be long kept asunder ; and an Arab poet 
 upbraids the inhabitants of Wassut in Mesopotamia, as with the 
 greatest reproach, — " That none of their men had the heart to give, 
 nor their women to deny." 
 
 The liberality and hospitality of the Bedooins have often been 
 the theme of praise ; their honour and good faith (we must also be- 
 lieve) are equally unimpeached. Their word may be relied upon, 
 and a generous feeling being once excited, their fidelity is above every 
 trial that can present itself. We might quote instances that have 
 fallen within our own observation : wandering and alone in the desert, 
 we always felt ourselves secure in the honour of their tribes ; we must 
 reserve the relation, however, for our regular narrative of events. 
 These arc their virtues : they are the virtues of an ardent, brave, in- 
 dependent race : their vices ccjually partake of the nature of their 
 condition and the personal freedom of their state ; so true it is, 
 that the state of society, and the principle of the government which 
 exists, both form and present the index to the vices and virtues of 
 mankind. 
 
 Free as the wind, and as impatient of restraint, the Arab cannot 
 bear the slightest opposition to the wishes of his soul : to wish, is 
 with him to attempt ; and blood, violence, and strife, enhancing 
 the difficulty, only gratify his pride and aptitude to war. Though 
 honourable and virtuous in the relations of private life, towards 
 strangers and their enemies the Bedooins are implacable and relent- 
 less. " Their hand is against every man, and every man*s hand is 
 against them ;" for in the desert there are no neutralities, and who- 
 soever is not with them is against their tribe. The man that is 
 honest beyond the powers of corruption in the relations of private 
 life, is a robber by profession towards every one he meets abroad: 
 
 R 2
 
 124 THEIR PREDATORY HABITS. 
 
 the expression is only changed* and his conscience is satisfied. I 
 hsve gained this captive and this wealth in the desert of our an- 
 cestors, says the free-booter on his return. I have gained it, " God 
 be praised !" in the desert that is mine, and which God, " he is 
 great !" bestowed with all that is in it on my father Ismael and his 
 posterity. Ish Allah ! God being willing, I shall gain more when 
 this is gone ; the desert is my inheritance. It is thus he reasons, 
 and thus he acts; insatiable and rapacious in the acquirement, as 
 profusely liberal in the dispensing of his spoils, the robber of the 
 desert kills the traveller who resists ; and strips and sells the slave 
 that yields. Alia ! Akbar ! God is great ! There is no law betwixt 
 us ; yield and serve, or die. Accustomed, themselves, to the desert, 
 to rapid marches, and the abstinence of the anchoret, the Arab has 
 no conception of other feelings in the captive of his arm. If he 
 complain of fatigue, he is driven on by blows ; if he faint or fall, 
 he is forced up by the goading of a lance. The labours of the march 
 have not filled the measure of his woes j for as soon as the camel 
 stops, the captive is made to pitch the tent, to dig the well, and to 
 grind the corn that is to serve his mighty lord. Every feeling of 
 humanity seems lost in the hope of obtaining a ransom : there is no 
 hope of mercy, and death presents the only deliverance. Disap- 
 pointment only irritates; and the captive that cannot work, is 
 frequently dispatched. Such is their treatment of a captive enem}* : 
 towards the slaves whom they purchase, their conduct is entirely 
 different. There are instances of a contrary behaviour ; it must be 
 acknowledged, however, that they are extremely rare; and that, 
 although the laws of hospitality are ever held inviolate where pro- 
 tection has been sought and granted, yet, unless it be previously 
 assured, the very worst treatment is commonly experienced before the 
 hope of a ransom can induce the Bedooin to relent and forbear. 
 
 Our travellers have sometimes felt this truth. A Major N , 
 
 some few years since, having wandered a short distance from his 
 party to botanise, was suddenly surprised and carried off by a party 
 of the Bedooins. For three days he had been lost, and no account
 
 ' THEIR INDEPENDENCE. 125 
 
 of him could be obtained : on the fourth he was discovered by the 
 leader of the caravan, at work in a gravel-pit, and almost dead with 
 the ill treatment he had received. These spoilers were not at variance 
 with the tribes he accompanied : the payment of a considerable 
 ransom, however, could alone procure his release. 
 
 Their cruelty in this and similar instances is, perhaps, owing to 
 the entire personal freedom which they enjoy ; those nations which 
 have boasted the greatest share of personal liberty having generally 
 approved themselves harsh and inhuman towards their captives, in 
 proportion to the freedom of their state. Subdued but for a mo- 
 ment, the independence of the Arabs should not the less be attri- 
 buted to the barrenness of their country, than it is perhaps secured 
 by the wandering habits of their lives. Exceptions have only been 
 temporary and local, and the nation has escaped the yoke of the most 
 powerful monarchies. Sesostris and Cyrus, Pompey and Trajan, 
 could never accomplish their final subjugation ; and the Turks them- 
 selves, though once a shepherd-race, have never been able to suppcH't 
 and exert the doubtful authority they boast. The memory of their 
 independence is the most assured security for its continuance: suc- 
 ceeding generations of hardy, patient warriors, are animated by the 
 recollection. Private feuds are suspended on the approach of an 
 enemy ; and they advance to battle with the hope of victory in their 
 front, and the desert of their ancestors for their retreat. As con- 
 querors they are relentless, and if defeated they are not subdued: 
 within the hour, their cavalry has vanished as a mist from before 
 the foe ; and within the week, an absolute wilderness of five hundred 
 miles must be traversed in the pursuit. The desert and freedom are 
 their inheritance ; and whilst the slaves of kings may vainly exult in 
 their j)olitical independence, the Arab is personally free. The Be- 
 dooin is personally free : but respecting the nature and value oi this 
 freedom let no one deceive himself: theirs is the freedom of licen- 
 tiousness, it is the absence of restraint ; and as their life is a life 
 of diuigcr, vicissitude, and deprivations, so a private citizen oi England
 
 126 THEIR NOBILITY. 
 
 enjoys more real comforts, and more pleasing luxuries, than the 
 mightiest leader amongst these wandering tribes. 
 
 Their leaders, indeed, (the term which, in our opinion, can best 
 render the meaning of the most common and esteemed distinction 
 amongst these tribes,) are strictly so in every sense. Pre-eminent in 
 his birth, the Shaik is also most commonly the patriarch of the 
 family : he presides in the council and leads the fray : but he neither 
 dictates on the one occasion nor commands on the other, so 
 entirely through the inherent weight of the dignity he holds, as 
 through the influence that is attached to his personal character. In 
 either case, whether politic and vigorous in the government, or 
 weak and pusillanimous, he is equally esteemed the head; but 
 even as such, the authority he exerts is at times limited, at others 
 absolute. 
 
 They derive their nobility from the long possession of an authority 
 in the family that has never been subordinate j creations by patent 
 being entirely unknown. Even the descendants of the Prophet have 
 no other proofs of their nobility ; though it must be recollected, that 
 as they hold some claims to eminence from the sanctity and fame of 
 his character, so they pretend the family itself is one of the most 
 ancient of the whole ; Mahomed having claimed his descent from the 
 family of Kashan, the noblest and most celebrated of the Koreish. 
 Amongst these nobles, the title we have already mentioned is almost 
 the only one that is held as such ; the word Shaik being generally 
 appropriate to the heads of tribes, whilst the appellations of Sayid and 
 Sheriff are common to every descendant of the Prophet, as a family dis- 
 tinction. In various parts there are others known ; these, however, 
 are the grand outlines ; a Shaik is the head of a tribe, a Sheriff and a 
 Sayid the descendants of the Prophet : the first claiming their descent 
 from Hassan, and having devoted themselves from the beginning 
 to a military life ; whilst the others are derived from Hoossein, and 
 boast having always applied themselves to the more learned sciences. 
 As to the manner in which the numerous Sheriffs and Say'ids we meet 
 with in Mahometan countries preserve the line of their descent, it
 
 THEIR NOBILITY. 127 
 
 must be acknowledged they are not extremely nice. It is still gold, 
 according to a proverb in use, though found in the basest earth ; and 
 although the mother should be a slave, the son is a Sayid still. In 
 Turkey, indeed, this complaisance is carried still further, the claims 
 on the mother's side being equally allowed. This very great laxity 
 of attention to the nature of the proof, has, it may be conceived, 
 introduced a variety of abuses ; and may ultimately be productive of 
 far different consequences from those intended by the immediate 
 descendants of Mahomed, when they first bestowed the distinction by 
 intermarriages with other tribes to support themselves against the 
 authority of the Caliphs. At present, however, the distinction main- 
 tains itself; and it is still allowed that the Say ids, in some provinces 
 where the descent has been more carefully preserved, may even now 
 expose themselves without the slightest danger in the midst of armed 
 combatants, who will never willingly injure any one of this holy 
 brood. We have had occasion to mention one instance of the 
 sanctity in which they are held, in the fourth chapter of this work ; 
 it is equally probable, that, under peculiar circumstances of personal 
 holiness, the distinction is also allowed to the full extent in other 
 parts. 
 
 In their moral character, the Arabs are really what the Turks profess; 
 extremely devout, and yet more tolerant and less assuming in their 
 demeanour towards Christians : the vice of drunkenness amongst 
 them, is, I believe, almost unknown. 1 have indeed been personally 
 acquainted with more Turks who infringed this law than I have eveti 
 heard of Arabs who were guilty of the like excess. Separated from 
 the rest of the human race, and keeping up the distinctions of their 
 birth with greater care, they have not perhaps the same inducements 
 to indulge ; whilst the Turks, on the other hand, who are a motley and 
 ever changing race, are only perhaps following the example of their 
 immediate progenitors in the liberty they privately assume. The lex 
 talionis is not unknown amongst the Arabs, and is frequently resorted 
 to, though after a manner sufficiently unjust, the murder being as 
 commonly revenged on some innocent individual of the family as on
 
 128 TREATMENT OF WOMEN. 
 
 the culprit himself. It would be unjust, however, to suppose, that 
 it is maintained in its full extent. That blood is frequently repaid 
 with blood, and that the right of punishment is consequently assumed 
 by the injured family, are circumstances which cannot be denied; 
 to assert that this is always the case, however, would be certainly 
 incorrect ; the interposition of their chiefs, and other circum- 
 stances equally contributing to sooth resentment, and to moderate 
 or punish a practice that is felt repugnant to the welfare of society 
 in general. 
 
 With regard to the seclusion of their women, the Arabs are by no 
 means so particular as the Turks. Under the circumstances and 
 habits of the life they lead, it would indeed be entirely impossible ; 
 the privacy of their tents being entirely incompetent to these pur- 
 poses. During our residence amongst them, in the small villages and 
 camps in particular, we constantly met their women, and without 
 veils. They are not allowed to mix with the men, or with strangers, 
 at meals, or in the common offices of society; but in other respects are 
 entirely free : they were not indeed possessed (as far as we could judge) 
 of those charms of person which are likely to excite any very violent 
 desires, or to impose the necessity of restraint. What we have here 
 related must be understood, however, of the wandering tribes and 
 villages only ; for it must not be supposed that in considerable towns 
 they enjoy the same liberty. In the great cities their seclusion is 
 nearly the same as among the Turks ; and even in the desert, where 
 greater freedom is allowed, the Arab is not the less particular in 
 requiring the most unequivocal decency of demeanour in his wife ; 
 insisting from the first, and in the marriage-contract itself, that his 
 bride shall exhibit those proofs of her innocence, which she is 
 expected to confirm by the after-conduct of her life. So particular 
 indeed are they generillly found in this respect, that it is commonly 
 a special article of the contract, that the bride is to be returned 
 to her parents unless she can produce the expected testimonials 
 of her virginity ; whilst, if any doubts arise, the clause is invariably 
 enforced.
 
 MANNERS AND HABITS. 189 
 
 In their manner of living, (as we have already shown, and in truth 
 experienced,) the Bedooin Arabs are as abstemious from habit and 
 necessity, as our Indians are from choice and the influence of reli- 
 gious prejudice. In the desert, they frequently subsist for weeks to- 
 gether on the coarsest rye-bread, with a few dried dates ; and when 
 meat is introduced at their meals, it has seldom undergone any 
 further preparation than boiling in plain water, or broiling on the 
 hearth, even salt being frequently omitted in the seasoning. The per- 
 sonal cleanliness of the Arabs, the Turks, and other Asiatics, has often 
 been spoken of, but we are by no means inclined to accord with what 
 has been said of them by other travellers, who, in the profusion of 
 their commendation of the habits and manners of these foreign 
 climes, are sometimes apt to undervalue our own customs and observ- 
 ances, and to give them credit for those good qualities they certainly 
 do not possess. In my own opinion, as founded on a pretty intimate 
 acquaintance with the practice of Mahometans in general, the Arabs 
 may not be quite so filthy as some European nations have been 
 esteemed ; but most certainly, in regard to personal cleanliness, they 
 are not to be compared with ourselves ; their frequent ablutions, where 
 water is sufficiently abundant, very imperfectly removing the evils at- 
 tendant on the length of time they wear their clothes. They make 
 a distinction of hands, it is true, only plunging the right hand into 
 the dish they eat from. This distinction, however, is only observed 
 in company, and is frequently neglected or forgotten on those very 
 occasions which cannot be mentioned, but when the observance might 
 be esteemed of far greater importance. I am aware the contrary of 
 this has been asserted in the praise which has been bestowed upon 
 them, and which would allow of no drawbacks on the perfection of 
 their character, and the superiority of their manners. I speak, how- 
 ever, from my own observation ; and the confirmation of this truth 
 might easily be obtained from those who have lived as entirely 
 amongst them as myself, and without becoming absolute converts to 
 their filthy habits in some respects, or the use of hands, instead of
 
 130 CIRCUMCISION. 
 
 knives and forks, to help themselves from the common dish. * Cir- 
 cumcision, which is practised by all Mahomedans, and is supposed to 
 contribute to cleanliness, is not amongst the Arabs confined to our 
 sex, the young females of some of their tribes undergoing an oper- 
 
 * Nothing indeed can well reconcile the European to this practice, and the conduct of 
 Asiatics in general, at their meals, does not appear to us, on the whole, entirely consistent 
 with the most received notions of a polite deportment; as although the Arabs especially 
 abhor a certain breach of decency that cannot be named, they almost esteem it a mark of 
 civility to express ihejidtiess of their contentment and the abundance of their cheer, in a 
 manner that is almost equally offensive. With so little delicacy in the one instance, their 
 scruples of the opposite transgression ai*e certainly ridiculous enough ; and this quaint 
 story is related amongst them as a proof of their strict regard to decorum in that parti- 
 cular : — Abdoola Ben Araba, a merchant of the first quality in llostack, and equally re- 
 spected for his wealth, his liberality, and the gravity of his demeanour, had the misfor- 
 tune, on some public occasion of great solemnity, to be guilty of this act. The trans~ 
 gression was his beyond a doubt. In one of the genuflections imposed on the true believ- 
 ers by the tenets of their faith, the awful sound had ai>tc'iKlcd in mcliflucnt harmony with 
 the inspiredmoans of the Mufti hiinsolf. The elders of the city, the members of the di- 
 van, the chief Cadi, with the President of the College, hail all been witnesses of his dis- 
 grace. Not even the known gravity of his deportment, or tiic correctness of his former 
 life, could intrude a doubt, as there was no one sufficiently near to share the blame. It 
 was a case of sad distress, that Abdoola Ben Araba, the chief merchant of Hostack, and the 
 most grave and sententious jicrsonage of his time, a man whose word was law, (so great was 
 the respect in which he was held,) should have so ibrgottcn himself; and before the elders 
 of the city, the council, and the President lujiiself. It was a disgrace that could not be 
 endured ; so he left the mosque during an interval of silent astonishment occasionctl by 
 the transgression, and without even taking up his slippers at the door. He fled the town. 
 In the desert, he was taken up by some of the wandering Bcdooins ; and having nothing 
 about him to soften their disapjiointment, was thoroughly cudgelled, and sold to another 
 tribe. These were sad misfortunes; tlic\' M'eighcd not so heavy on him, however, as his 
 disgrace. His new master proved extremely poor and avaricious; he was obliged to work 
 constantly, and was scarcely allowed the most common food. Cudgelled, overworked, and 
 almost starved to death, he spent ten years in mournful penitence for tliis involiuitary 
 transgression. 
 
 At the end of this time, however, having effected his c&capc, and believing his disgrace 
 would be forgotten, or atoned for by the sufferings he had endured, he resolveil to return 
 to his family and the enjoyment of his wealth: but as he drew near, and his doubts returned, 
 he determined to conceal himself for a while, to ascertain, if possible, if the history of his 
 disgrace was still in the recollection of his countrymen. The fir,! persons he met on 
 coming near the gates were two old women in violent dispute; each insisting on the cor- 
 rectness of her memory regarding some past event ; when, on drawing closer to them to 
 indulge his curiosity, what was the horror and dismay that possessed his soul, on hearing 
 the elder of the two remind the other she must be correct in her assertions, since the oc-
 
 THE CAMEL. 131 
 
 ation somewhat similar just before they arrive at years of puberty. 
 We are not exactly aware of the manner in which the operation 
 can be performed, as Mahomedans, in general, are seldom very com- 
 municative on subjects of this kind ; but we have been given to un- 
 derstand, that there are women in every town where the custom is 
 observed, who earn their livelihood by the performance of it ; the 
 barbers only being employed in operating on the other sex, and being 
 esteemed unclean from the profession they exercise. 
 
 To conclude ; the Bedooins live in tents, disdain the confinement 
 of cities, the drudgery of agriculture, and frequently change their 
 abodes. Nature seems, indeed, to have provided them with those 
 quick lively perceptions which are necessary to the errant life they 
 lead ; whilst Providence, equally bountiful, has placed the camel at the 
 command of man, in those countries especially where his services and 
 qualities are most eminently requisite. The camel, from his earliest age, 
 is trained to kneel at command, by fixing tight ligatures around his 
 legs. The word is given, and immediately the fore-leg is fastened 
 up in such a manner as to prevent its resting on the ground : he is 
 then left to graze in this position, (as I have often seen him,) and the 
 uneasiness he feels obliges him to kneel to rest himself. On the follow- 
 ing day, the exercise is renewed ; the ligature is only changed to the 
 other side ; the like causes assist the instinct with which he is en- 
 dowed ; and, after a time, the word is sufficient to enforce obedience. 
 Patience and perseverance are equally conspicuous in the animal and 
 his instructor ; and a hole is bored through the middle cartilage of 
 
 currence she spoke of had happened on the very day, ten years before, when Abdoola 
 Ben Araba the great merchant of Rostack had ••*•••; an event that was still recol- 
 lected by the whole city, the elders, the council, the Cadi, the Mufti, and the President 
 himself. This was quite sufficient for the unfortunate Abdoola: hereturnctl with speed to 
 the wilderness ; leaving his breeches behind him as a testimony to his wife thrit he was 
 still alive. They are now hung up in the great mosque at Rostack, and are lic!d :■! fcrrorem 
 to future transgressors; being also esteemed so sovereign a remedy for barrennc.-.s in women, 
 that the story will probably be transmitted from generation to generation witii tlic ntc-nlion 
 of their efficncv in removing this curse. 
 
 s 2
 
 132 THE CAMEL. 
 
 the nose, through wFiich a ring or chain is passed that may occa- 
 sionally he used to control his natural restiveness, and to guide his 
 course. 
 
 The weight a camel has been said to carry, I have often thought to 
 be considerably exaggerated when stated in his natural history at 700 
 pounds: in India, where our camels are larger, more strongly formed, 
 and better fed, than in the desert of Arabia, we reckon a camel equal 
 to six coolies, three bullocks, or a pair of mules ; and as I have never 
 seen any very unusual loads amidst the thousands that I have passed, 
 I must be inclined to think their powers and strength considerably 
 less than is usually believed. The formation of the camel, indeed, 
 appears far better calculated for speed than strength ; but he cannot 
 outcourse the horse, and he is incapable of carrying a greater weight, 
 for a continuance than from about four to near five hundred pounds. )J 
 It is therefore in his hardiness, the smallness of his wants, and his \ 
 ability to endure thirst, that this animal is chiefly remarkable. But | 
 it is deserving of notice, that on his removal from the desert, the 
 camel frequently loses, if not the faculty, at least the habit of this 
 singular abstinence. I have enjoyed frequent opportunities of observ- 
 ation, having often had them in my possession, and may certainly 
 assert, that our Indian camels (though of the same kind) are totally 
 incapable of coping with those of the desert in this useful quality. 
 Alive or dead, there is no part of the camel that is not capable 
 of being turned to use: the milk, which is not unlike that of the 
 goat, often feeds the master whom he saves from the pursuit of an 
 enemy ; his hair may be worked into useful coverings ; and when, 
 exhausted with fatigue, his further progress becomes impossible, his 
 flesh has often been found a sure resource. I once partook of it 
 through curiosity, at one of our Mahomedan festivals as I passed Kur- 
 nool ; and found it not unlike what the very coarsest kind of lean and 
 aged venison might be thought. 
 
 As the camel is of such general use as to be often called the ship 
 of the desert, so the Arabian courser is equally deserving of our at- 
 tention for his useful qualities. The finest come from the province
 
 THE ARABIAN HOUSE. I33 
 
 of Najd, and the Bedooins preserve with a superstitious care the me- 
 mory and descent of their purest blood ; tracing these various breeds 
 to five original sources, which have each given their name to some 
 peculiar race, and are acknowledged as the parent stock. * From 
 one or other of these families, the most celebrated Arabians derive 
 their descent through their dam ; the Bedooins applying to their 
 horses a proverb other nations have generally confined to their progeny, 
 and esteeming the mother's side the surest beyond a doubt A horse 
 of the superior race is sometimes allowed to cover a mare of inferior 
 quality, but never the reverse ; and an Arab is always retained to 
 witness the ceremony, who also attends at the birth, that he may 
 certify on his own knowledge the purity of the breed. Whether it 
 be owing to this extreme care in the breeding, or to the climate which 
 is generally thought favourable, they are certainly very beautiful 
 creatures ; since although a pure Arabian is seldom of any superior 
 height, yet for docility, form, hardiness, and speed, a rival is difficult 
 to be found. Bred in the tents of the Bedooin, like children, they 
 feed at his hand, and follow their master's steps in his wanderings ; or 
 when he falls in battle, remain immovable by his side. With an 
 arched, commanding crest ; nervous, straight, compact limbs ; the 
 shoulder of a racer, and a spreading open chest ; the Arab, when 
 provoked to speed, displays an open nostril that snuffs the wind, an 
 eye of fire, and the action, if not the speed, of the antelope. He 
 scarcely feels the ground, or leaves a print behind ; whilst his spirit 
 but seems to rise and display itself with the continuance of the chace. 
 The horse, like the camel, in Arabia is trained very early to sub- 
 mission, to abstinence, and fatigue j he is commonly mounted with a 
 light weight before his second year, and with his age the weight and 
 labour increase, until he is at last brought to endure the most excessive 
 toil, on a very small quantity of the most common food that may 
 
 • There is also aimlher grand distinction of quality, the K.idcchi (or unknown in r^ard 
 to their descent); .and the Koochlany or Koohclju Aiabs; that is, those whose family is 
 known. We have only spoken of these last, however, the former being held in no esteem, 
 or scarcely thought of in these distinctions.
 
 134 THE ARABIAN HORSE. 
 
 present itself. In a march of thirty hours which we made across the 
 small desert between Mosul and Nissibin, though we rode almost 
 continually during that time, our horses had no sustenance whatever, 
 besides a few handsful of an inferior kind of barley, and the dry 
 stubble they could snatch up in their unremitting course. I have 
 indeed observed them frequently feeding with the most apparent relish 
 on such coarse food as the dry burnt up shrubs we passed upon the 
 road ; and have often seen a bare stump (the thickness perhaps of 
 my thumb) devoured with the greatest avidity by these patient, hardy, 
 and spirited animals. It is in this facility of subsistence, and in their 
 hardiness, no less than in their beauty and docility, that the pure 
 Arabian of the desert may be distinguished from every other race. 
 In other countries, the horse of the highest blood is commonly the 
 most delicate; with the Arabian it is directly the reverse, and Captain 
 Macdonald Kinneir informs us, in his topographical memoirs of 
 Persia, that he once rode a very young animal of this valuable breed 
 full 90 miles, without even once coming to a stop, or dismounting 
 from his back. The best and most assured market for exportation is 
 Bussora, where hundreds are usually brought to be conveyed to our 
 settlements. The current price of a very superior Arabian on the 
 spot is about 1000 Jyen crush, or near 100/.; and when more has been 
 given, it has usually been to induce some unwilling, wealthy Arab to 
 part with a favourite steed. 
 
 A question has often been started regarding the expediency of 
 mounting our Madras cavalry on horses of this breed: Nadir Shah, it 
 has been said, and other celebrated conquerors have always given it 
 the preference. I cannot avoid observing, however, that in the so- 
 lution of a question, no doubt of the first importance to our military 
 efficiency, the authority of this preference is, at the best, extremely 
 doubtful. That Nadir Shah and others have preferred the breed for 
 their cavalry by no means proves its fitness for the regularity and 
 simultaneous vigour of our charge. The purposes are different ; the 
 requisites for regular and irregular cavalry entirely dissimilar ; and 
 this preference itself might be urged as an argument against the fitness
 
 THE ARABIAN HORSE. I35 
 
 of the Arabian for the service of our army : it being certainly proved 
 by experience, that the greater part of those qualities which are emi- 
 nently useful in the predatory system of Asiatic cavah-y, seldom are 
 found united with a general fitness for the purposes of a regular 
 and well-ordered charge. 
 
 The opinion itself, that velocity of motion will in any degree 
 compensate for the want of weight, is one of those, I believe, which, 
 had it never been contested, was destined to fall beneath the over- 
 powering, irresistible conviction which the most glorious of our late 
 successes has been calculated to impress. At the battle of Waterloo, 
 I believe it is generally known, and thought no disparagement to 
 their fame, that one of our best dragoon regiments was three 
 times repulsed by the superior weight of Napoleon's cuirassiers ; 
 and that it was not until they were encountered by troops of their own 
 description, and absolutely home domi by their Colossean adversaries, 
 that this celebrated regiment could be broken. But these are not 
 the only objections that miglit be urged ; and if weight and superior 
 height wore not a greater requisite than velocity in the charge of 
 regular cavahv, still the selection of ^Vrab horses would be liable to 
 the following objections : — 1st, In regard to our European regiments 
 of dragoons, the Arabians are not equal to the weight ; a dragoon 
 of the middle height, (as was proved before General Wetheral,) 
 weioliinii' full oi<ihteen stone, with his saddle, arms, accoutre- 
 ments, ropes, and pickets. 2dly, In respect to this superior speed 
 itseli', the great argument in favour of the Arabian, I think it may 
 be shown, that for the charge, it does not even exist : it does not exist 
 in one of the qualities of velocity, impetus, or " a violent tendency to 
 anv point ;" the motion of the Arab being rather a quickly renewed 
 tendeucv, as perhaps the following observations may j)rove : — 
 
 An Arab (we must first premise) can never be thrown so well on 
 his haunches as the country horse : he gallops close to the ground ; 
 owes the greater part of his velocity, less to the extent he covers 
 at a bound, than 10 the closeness of his motion to the ground 
 he clears ; and to the extreme quickness with which the action is re-
 
 136 THE ARABIAN HORSE. 
 
 newed in the close gathering up of his legs ; facts that may be 
 established by measuring the prints, and are generally known. But 
 I believe it will be allowed, that the impulse that carries the greater 
 weight, across the greater extent of ground, must be far superior, 
 and far more overpowering than the exertion which is requisite for 
 moving an inferior weight, over an inferior space ; and that if it 
 were not so, i. e. if the heavier body did not require, and had not, 
 the greater original impulse for moving over the greater space, most 
 certainly the action could not be accomplished. Within each par- 
 ticular bound, therefore, the impetus is greater in the larger body ; 
 whilst it is only in the almost imperceptible interval of gathering 
 up his legs, that the race is lost by the larger horse. But the deci- 
 sive moment of the charge is the single bound that brings the 
 charger in contact with the enemy ; and in this single and decisive 
 motion, the greater velocity (as we have, we believe, proved) is 
 really united with the greater weight ; whilst the very nature and quality 
 of this motion itself, as springing more from the haunches and de- 
 scending from above, is certainly far better calculated to bear down 
 I opposition, than the impetus that strikes at the level of the chest. 
 1 The Arabian, then, is, on the whole, the inferior of the two for the 
 \ purposes of a charge ; being equally wanting in weight, size, and 
 \ impetus, and also very difficult to restrain within the ranks when 
 warm with exercise. 
 
 We have taken a more particular notice of the camel of the desert, 
 and of the Arabian steed, as of animals that are applicable in their 
 nature to the most important military purposes : Arabia has others, 
 however, that are not so often spoken of, or noticed by the traveller, 
 though very probably equally deserving of the attention of the natu- 
 ralist. The province of Oman is famous for a breed of asses that 
 grow to a very superior size ; and the Arabian greyhound, I think, 
 for speed, instinct, and hardiness, might also be mentioned as equally 
 pre-eminent. The traveller, however, who has not certain advantages, 
 had better not venture any further beyond his depth, than we have 
 perhaps already done in certain parts of these enquiries j we shall
 
 CONCLUSION. 137 
 
 therefore proceed onwards, and to the subject of the following 
 chapter. The first part of its materials was furnished us at Bagdad, 
 and from a safe quarter : we shall hereafter name our authority in its 
 proper place : the latter portion we collected, in general, from Derwesh 
 Aga, an aged nobleman of the first rank, who, having been minister 
 under Sayud Pasha, had taken refuge in the British residency during 
 those troubles which we shall have occasion to relate ; and was also 
 from his age, his abilities, and the stations he had filled, the best 
 qualified we could select to answer our enquiries. It is very imperfect, 
 most certainly, as a history of the Pashalik ; it contains, however, 
 the best written and oral information we could obtain : whilst we 
 can only hope, the subject may be taken up by an abler pen.
 
 138 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 SUMMARY REVIEW OF THE HISTORY OF BAGDAD, AS A PASUALIK OF THE TURKISH 
 
 EMPIRE, FROM THE YEAR 1638 (BEING THE 1048 OF THE HEGYRa) ; WHEN IT WAS 
 
 RETAKEN FROM THE PERSIANS BY SULTAN AMURAT : CONTINUED TO THE PRESENT 
 DAY. 
 
 If we look back to the remotest ages, no country, I believe, will 
 be found so much celebrated in the history of mankind as that 
 now desert tract, which the Tigris and the Euphrates inclose within 
 their banks : specially appointed for the abode of man in the days 
 of his innocence, it gave birth to the first monarchy we have on 
 record ; and was a kingdom even in that rudest period of its in- 
 fancy, when the more ferocious animals contended with man for the 
 mastership of the earth. 
 
 The centre of those two Assyrian empires of which Babylon 
 was the capital ; the glories it then boasted only faded to revive 
 with equal or superior lustre in Seleucia, Ctesiphon, and Bagdad. 
 As the metropolis of the empire of the Saracens, the celebrity of 
 Bagdad is nearly coeval with the brightest era in the history of the 
 Caliphat; as it was originally founded in the reign of Mahomed the 
 Second, surnamed Abu Jafar Almansur, on the site of a small 
 garden a Christian hermit had occupied, and from which it derives 
 its name. 
 
 It is not from this remote period, however, that we propose to 
 begin our retrospect. It flourished in all its pride, and almost from its 
 very birth, in the reign of the celebrated Haroun Al Rasch'id. Under 
 his immediate successors, it was already in its decay ; Tangrolipix 
 (a Turkish chieftain), and Ullahoon, or Ullah Khan, (a Tartar con- 
 queror,) ultimately completing that subversion of the Caliphat, 
 which success, luxury, and intestine divisions had commenced.
 
 HISTORY OF BAGDAD. I39 
 
 The first and only period in which we can find materials for re- 
 suming its history, is that when, after a series of humiliations in 
 the days of its adversity, it again emerged as a secondary planet 
 in the great orbit of new-born empires contending for pre-eminence. 
 As such, it was alternately possessed by the Persians and the Turks ; 
 and this cursory review of its history, as the capital of a Pashalik, 
 is intended to begin, from the time when it was retaken from the 
 Persians by Sultan Amurat, and finally annexed to the empire of the 
 Ottomans. 
 
 As religion, whose spirit is peace and amity, is perhaps more fre- 
 (lucntly brought in to sanction war and desolation than any other 
 cause, so, in the present instance, ambition was not backward in 
 recurring to it for its apology and justification. The arrogant op- 
 ponents of the Turks, the Persians (as Sheeites), had not only 
 denied, but even profaned the sanctity of that holy sepulchre 
 which the pious Sunites had erected to the memory of Hanefy, 
 one of the most learned doctors of their faith. This profanation, 
 and the o))prcssions their brethren laboured under from these ab- 
 horred heretics, w(mc injuries whicli a sultan of the Ottomans could 
 not endure. A learned expounder of the Koran from Bagdad, pre- 
 senting himself at the capital, rcujuestcd permission to preach 
 before the sovereign at the mosque. He represented, in the strongest 
 lano'uage and most touching manner, the sufferings of their orthodox 
 brethren, the insolence of the Rafeedites or the heretics, and their 
 profanation of the temple of their Imam Hanefy El Azen. Did it 
 then become the Sultan of the Ottomans, who professed himself a fol- 
 lower of Abu HanefV) to endure these wrongs, to submit to this 
 disgrace ? It did not. Bagdad was conveniently situated as a fron- 
 tier town : it had formerly belonged to the Turks, who constantly 
 regretted the loss of those advantages which its position held forth. 
 The opportunity was favourable, a strong party existing within the 
 walls : the spirit of religious enthusiasm had been aroused, and an 
 army was soon collected. The attack was decided upon, and imme- 
 diately commenced : its girded strength bowed down to the majesty 
 
 T 2
 
 140 HISTORY OF BAGDAD. 
 
 of the sovereign ; and the triumphant Amurat made his entry by a 
 gate that was immediately built up, as too highly honoured by the 
 selection to be profaned by inferior footsteps. As long as it remains 
 closed up, (so the tradition holds,) the empire of the Ottomans 
 within the walls is immutable. 
 
 Aware of the importance of the place, and of the dangerous 
 powers entrusted to its governors, it was the policy of Amurat and 
 his immediate successors to weaken the influence of these chiefs by 
 frequent removals. The first Pashas therefore were merely governors, 
 under the immediate appointment of the sovereign ; and succeeded 
 each other in the order we shall observe in the following list. It is 
 indeed a very imperfect document, since it can only present a bare 
 enumeration of their names ; it contains, however, the only authority 
 we could obtain regarding the order of those thirty-seven reigns, 
 which fill up sixty-seven years of this history, and precede that period 
 when the power of these chiefs became more permanent and secure. 
 
 Sultan Amurat, it would appear, after the conquest in 1638, (being 
 the 1048th year of the Hegyra,) must have remained in Bagdad for 
 nearly a year ; as it was not until after this lapse of time that the first 
 (Hassan Pasha) was appointed to the government, in A. H. 1049 
 
 2. Derwish (the Anchoret or Monk) Mahomed Pasha suc- 
 
 ceeded _ . . _ - 1050 
 
 3. Kutschik (the Little) Hassan Pasha for the second 
 
 time - - . . - 1052 
 
 4. Delli (the Extravagant) Hassan Pasha - - 1054 
 
 5. Mussa Pasha - - - _ 1055 
 
 6. Mahomed Pasha - - - - 1056 
 
 7. Makkil (the Murdered) Ibrahim Pasha - - 1057 
 
 8. Arslan Pasha _ _ _ . 1058 
 
 9. Hossein Pasha _ _ - . . 1059 
 
 10. Malek (the Angel, or the Handsome) Achmed Pasha - 1060 
 
 11. Kara (the Mulatto) Mustapha Pasha - - 1061 
 
 12. Mortada Pasha - - - - - - 1065 
 
 13. Kairam (the Charitable) Mahomed Pasha - - 1068
 
 HISTORY OF BAGDAD. 141 
 
 14. Cbasaki Mahomed Pasha, (t. e. he who had received the 
 
 name of Chasaki., because he had served at Qon- 
 stantinople in the corps that had destroyed the 
 
 banditti) in - - - - - A.H. 1069 
 
 15. Kenbur (the Hunchbacked) Mustapha Pasha - - 1072 
 
 16. Pomboy (the Fair) Mustapha Pasha - . . 1074 
 
 17. Kara Mustapha Pasha, for the second time, - - 1075 
 
 18. Ibrahim Pasha ... - - 1076 
 
 19. Kara Mustapha Pasha, for the third time, * - - 1078 
 
 20. Selichdar (the Sword-bearer, an office he had filled to 
 
 the Grand Seignior) Hassain Pasha - - . 1082 
 
 21. Abdool Rachman Pasha - - - - - 1086 
 
 22. Kaplan Pasha - - - - . - 1087 
 
 23. Omar Pasha - - - - - - 1089 
 
 24. Ibrahim Pasha 1093 
 
 25. Omar Pasha 1095 
 
 26. Serhausch (the Drunkard) Achmed Pasha - - 1097 
 
 27. Omar Pasha . - - - - 1099 
 
 28. Hassan Pasha, for the first time, - - - 1100 
 
 29. Bazargaii (the JNIerchant) Achmed Pasha - - 1102 
 
 30. Kitchoda Achmed Pasha 1103 
 
 31. Kalaili Achmed Pasha - - - - - 1105 
 
 32. Ali Pasha 1106 
 
 33. Ismael Pasha ... - - - 1108 
 
 34. Daldaban, (i. c. he who did not wear the Schakschar, or 
 
 high red trovvsers) iSIustapha Pasha - - - 1110 
 
 « 
 
 • The. Pashas, as frequently happens, liaving been originally Georgian slaves in the 
 service of their preilcccssors, ai)tl gradually promoted to the highest offices, cannot always 
 be distinguished by their family name ; a surname, indeed, being even more generally 
 adopted or given amongst the Turks. In the present instance, the Pasha appears to have 
 been a mulatto, and so highly respected for his conduct and abilities, as to have been 
 appointed to the govcrniiient on three different occasions. In the reigns of Hassan and 
 Achmed Pasha, the only two after him that were twice honoured with a firman, the like 
 authority in the removal, it will be seen, could not have been so readily exerted against a 
 man of his talents and influence.
 
 142 HISTORY OF BAGDAD. 
 
 ■ (3. Jussoff Pasha A.H. 1112 
 
 :i(i. Ali Pasha - - - -- -1113 
 
 37. Hassan Pasha, for the second time, - - - 1114 
 
 W'c ha\ e <;iven this list on the authority of a translation from the 
 (icrnian of Niebuhr: we shall pursue a more detailed account of the 
 Instory of their successors, partly on the same authority, and partly, 
 as already stated, on the information we obtained from Derwish Aga, 
 a venerable Turk of 70, who had filled some of the highest offices of 
 the state (Uirinji; the latter reigns, and was personally acquainted with 
 facts, tlu)u<;li not so communicative as we could have wished j — a 
 ground-work which, however deficient it may be in regard to minute 
 particulars, is, wc may believe, on the whole sufficiently correct. 
 
 It is one of the misfortunes attendant on despotic authority, that 
 the very lUL'ans which are taken for securing its permanency are very 
 fro<[uentlv j)roductive of opposite results. Where the law is known, 
 and the individual abuse of delegated power is alone to be guarded 
 against, a (juick succession of governors may certainly render the 
 assumptions of ambition equally dangerous and difficult. Where 
 ov(«ry thing depends, however, on a despot's will, and this will itself is 
 liable to constant changes and fluctuations, this mistaken system can 
 onlv he productive of weakness and anarchy; until at last the evil 
 works its own remedy, and the necessity of power in the government 
 tf» the well-being of society being felt, it arises of itself, and in 
 fleliance, as it were, of those boundaries which had been set to the 
 encroachments of ambition. 
 
 This proved nearly the case with the earlier Pashas of Bagdad. At 
 first they were the creatures only of a paramount authority : but as 
 this high authority itself was far removed, and frecpiently weak and 
 fluctuating in its councils, it required, for its own preservation, that 
 this very pageant itself should be entrusted with sufficient powers to 
 obviate the evils attendant on the weakness and remoteness of the 
 parent source. The contrary policy, in retaining its command over 
 the chief himself, gradually lost that influence and respect with the
 
 HASSAN PASHA. 143 
 
 multitude which could only belong to the vigorous display of local 
 strength ; and as the Pashas were merely governors entrusted with 
 delegated powers until about the reign of Kara Hassan Pasha, so 
 after this period their authority sunk, through its own weakness and 
 mutability, into that utter contempt, which deprived the Sovereign 
 himself of that mere shadow of influence he had until then retained : 
 the lives and fortunes of his more immediate representatives and 
 their officers only depending on the fiat of an authority, which con- 
 tinued in this insecure predicament for about thirty years, until 1702, 
 when Hassan Pasha was appointed for the second time to the govern- 
 ment. 
 
 During this period of anarchy, the condition of Bagdad and its in- 
 habitants may be esteemed sufficiently unfortunate. Holding at the 
 best an honour equally insecure and dangerous, the Janizaries were 
 masters of the town, — the Arabs of the surrounding country ; whilst 
 commerce remained entirely at a stand through the want of protec- 
 tion and mutual confidence ; so that the Turkish and Syrian mer- 
 chants, entirely forsaking Bagdad, travelled commonly as far as 
 Ispahan to meet those from India and other parts. 
 
 Hassan Pasha reigned a sufficient time to humble the Janizaries 
 and the Arabs, to re-establish his authority and the security of his 
 dominions ; but he was still confined to the town itself, and the dis- 
 tricts which immediately surrounded it; the province of Schahr Essul 
 comprehending the greater part of Kurdistan, Merdin, and Bussora, 
 having its separate governors for each of those places. Equally politic 
 and resolute, he availed himself of the divisions which existed in Persia; 
 was rewarded with the addition of Merdin to his government; and by 
 his intrigues obtained that of Bussora for his son Achmed, on the pro- 
 mise of remitting annually a certain sum to the Grand Seignior, who, 
 until then, had found it only an expense. He died at last of sickness 
 at Kirmanshah, in one of his campaigns, after having governed the 
 Pashalik for two-and-twenty years. 
 
 AcHMED, who, as Pasha of Bussora, accompanied his father on this 
 occasion, pushed for Hamadan without delay, and made himself
 
 144 ACHMED PASHA. 
 
 master of the town. By this feat, he acquired so high a reputation, 
 as to be appointed not only to the Pashalik of Bagdad, but to those 
 of Merdin and Bussora also, with the view of stimulating his zeal, 
 and enabling him to pursue his wars against the Persians with greater 
 eflSciency. It was under his government in 1732 that Nadir Shah 
 besieged Bagdad for eight months together, but without success, 
 Achmed Pasha buying him off in the end by the restoration of the 
 cannon he had taken at Hamadan. The first time, he governed eleven 
 years immediately after his father; at the end of this period, the 
 Grand Vizir of the day, who had been present at the taking of Ha- 
 madan, and was jealous of his fame, obtained an order for his recal. 
 It was generally believed that Achmed Pasha would have resisted the 
 imperial firman ; and his enemies only waited for this opportunity 
 to proclaim him a rebel, and to set a price upon his head. Contrary 
 to their expectations, however, he immediately obeyed the mandate, 
 retiring from the helm with an equal reputation for courage and 
 abilities, for prudence and fidelity. 
 
 In the short space of two years only, several pashas were ap- 
 pointed * ; but as these were found totally incapable of keeping the 
 town*s people and the Arabs in subjection, and as the power of 
 Nadir Shah was increasing in the interim, the Grand Seignior and his 
 divan were in a manner forced to appoint Achmed a second time, as 
 the only person capable of preserving order, and keeping this great 
 enemy in check. Aware of the value of his services, he availed 
 himself of the necessity his master was under of employing him. 
 He could not attempt any conquests from so powerful an enemy as 
 Nadir Shah ; but he contrived, as the commander of the Turkish 
 army, to separate several districts from the Pashaliks of Kurdistan, 
 and other surrounding governments, and transferred them to his 
 own. Nadir Shah often gave him credit, on these occasions, for 
 being the cleverest of the three ; for when it was in contemplation to 
 remove him from his government a second time, he contrived to 
 
 * Ismael Pasha, and Topal (the Laine) Mahomed Pa»ba.
 
 ACHMED PASHA. I45 
 
 induce the wily Persian to attack Bussora. Upon this he was not 
 only confirmed in his various dignities by a new firman, but was sup- 
 plied with money, artillery, and warlike stores, in the greatest pro- 
 fusion, for the defence of the place. 
 
 It is very generally believed, that the Grand Seignior had more 
 than once dispatched a Capadji Bachi with a firman for his head ; 
 but that, having a Kapu Kiahjasi (or agent) and many friends at the 
 capital, and on the road, he had invariably contrived to have them 
 plundered of their firman or massacred on the way. At last, however, 
 another Capadji Bachi was sent so secretly, and made such speed, that 
 Achmed obtained the information a few hours only before his arrival. 
 His situation becoming thus extremely critical, he had only time to 
 mount his horse and sally out of the city, with his principal officers, 
 under pretence of amusing himself with throwing the dsjerid; a warlike 
 game in practice amongst the Turks. This game is already known : 
 every horseman is followed by an attendant, who carries a supply of 
 blunted darts for the sport ; and as soon as they arrive on the ground 
 for the exercise, whilst the old men seat themselves to smoke and 
 drink coffee, the youth who partake of the sport pursue each other 
 at speed, watching a proper opportunity for throwing the dsjerid at 
 their adversary. Achmed Pasha (as he had expected) met the Ca- 
 padji Bachi just outside the city gates ; and receiving him with every 
 possible honour, as the distinguished bearer of an imperial firman, 
 invited him to partake of the amusement ; offering himself to be his 
 antagonist. The Turks are passionately fond of a game that is emi- 
 nently calculated for a display of personal vigour and address ; and 
 it was an honour, indeed, which the guest could not refuse. Leaving 
 business to the morrow, they commenced their course ; when Achmed 
 Pasha privately receiving a ateel-pointed javelin, hurled it at his in- 
 sidious but unsuspecting adversary with all his force, and killed him 
 on the spot. The dreadful packet that contained the order for his 
 own immediate death was then carefully sealed up, with every other 
 paper the Capadji Bachi had brought, and was immediately sent back 
 
 u
 
 146 ACHMED PASHA. 
 
 with a letter ot* condolence on this unfortunate accident, as of too 
 hif^h an importance to be opened or inspected without special 
 license from the sovereign. 
 
 Achmed Pasha left two daughters behind him at his death, both 
 born of the same mother, his only wife. He excelled in, and was 
 extremely fond of, all warlike and manly exercises ; and delighted, in 
 particular, in hunting the lion of the wilderness ; commonly attacking 
 the animal alone, and allowing no one to interfere, lest he should 
 lose the entire honour of the chace. On one of these occasions, 
 liaving turned and attacked one of these ferocious creatures, he 
 was so unfortunate as to break his lance, when his officers 
 keeping back, for fear of offending him, his life might have 
 paid the forfeit of his temerity, had he not been providentially 
 rescued from this extremity by Solyman, a Georgian slave of his 
 father's ; who, at the risk of losing his master's favour or his life, 
 rode up and struck the animal to the ground. This service was imme- 
 diately repaid by the promise of Achmed's eldest daughter for his wife ; 
 and was the means of raising him progressively, from an inferior em- 
 ployment, to those higher dignities, which placed him ultimately in 
 the possession of the honours of the Pashalik. When a slave is thus 
 rewarded, we need scarcely wonder the burden of servitude should 
 sit so light ; and the occurrence is by no means uncommon. 
 
 At the death of Achmed, (who fell in a campaign against the 
 Koords,) after a reign of three-and-twenty years, the governors of 
 the inferior towns and provinces, who were commonly the creatures 
 of his father and himself, were generally inclined to support the ap- 
 pointment of Solyman, who was Kaija or minister at the time, and 
 was equally respected for his courage and abilities, and on his wife's 
 account ; she being the daughter and the grand-daughter of the two 
 ablest princes who had reigned among them. The Grand Seignior, 
 however, who was jealous of the increasing influence of the family, 
 immediately prevented their interposition, by dispatching another to 
 fill up the vacancy, softening the act, in his policy, by the appoint- 
 ment of Solyman to the government of Bussora.
 
 SOLYMAN PASHA. 147 
 
 Invested with a troublesome office at the best, the new * Pasha, 
 and three others, who were appointed within two years, found them* 
 selves unequal to the task. One was plundered by the Arabs on 
 his way, and was received with scorn and derision on his arrival ; 
 another died before he could reach Bagdad ; and the remaining two, 
 entirely unable to stem the current, were scarcely masters even 
 within the city walls. At last, Solyman advanced openly from Bus- 
 sora with his " Yts Agasis," or household troops, as far as Semawe ; 
 and when ordered to retire, proceeded forward in contempt of the 
 authority as far as Diwanie, where Aly Aga, who had been brought 
 up by the preceding Pasha, and was also devoted to his cause, 
 happened to command, f These chiefs understood each other 
 thoroughly, and Aly supplied Solyman with money, though he pre- 
 tended to fly from him to Bagdad, to carry the news of his great 
 successes and rapid advance. Immediately an army of 14,000 men 
 was ordered out, the Pasha advancing in person at their head to 
 encounter Solyman, who was encamped in the neighbourhood of 
 Hellah, with only 800 horse. Every one wondered at his temerity 
 in awaiting the assault: Aly Aga, however, had disposed all the 
 officers in his favour during his residence in the capital. When the 
 troops were drawn up, therefore, and he presented himself to their 
 view, (as agreed upon with Aly Aga,) they immediately came over 
 to his side; the unfortunate Mahomed Teriaki being forced to a 
 precipitate retreat towards the capital, where he was even denied 
 admittance at the gates. 
 
 Solyman (the forty-sixth Pasha), on his arrival, being received with 
 joy and acclamations, immediately took into his hands the reins 
 of government; whilst a memorial, drawn up by the Divan or 
 council of the Pashalik, representing the grievances they laboured 
 
 • Hadsji (who had been on a pilgrimage to Mecca) Achmed Pasha ; Radsjeb Pasha ; 
 Eltchi (who had been sent as an ambas.<ador) Pasha ; last Mahomed Pasha Teriaki, 
 (that is, the Violent,) who was the forty-fifth Pasha of Bagdad. 
 
 f This is the Aly mentioned by Ives as the commandant of Hellah : he succeeded 
 Solyman under the title of Aly the Persian. 
 
 U 2
 
 148 SOLYMAN PASHA. 
 
 under, and praying for the appointment of Solyman, was transmitted 
 to the Porte. When the person is once in possession, a request 
 of this nature is generally granted ; in a word, Solyman was con- 
 firmed in the government of Bagdad, and was also entrusted with 
 those other provinces which Achmed Pasha and his father had 
 usurped. 
 
 Solyman Kaija (also called the great Solyman) reigned for thirteen 
 years, so entirely to the general satisfaction of the people, that at 
 his death funeral songs were composed in memory of his fame, 
 which are sung in the coffee-houses of Bagdad to the present day. 
 The Arabs of the desert (as mentioned in one of the preceding 
 chapters) have never been kept in such perfect submission as during 
 his own and his father-in-law Achmed's reigns. Before their time, 
 it had been impossible to navigate the Euphrates from Hellah to 
 Bussora, without a considerable escort; who were generally paid 
 enonnously for their services. Under this active prince, however, 
 the traveller enjoyed an entire security throughout his dominions, 
 as he was extremely severe towards the Arabs in particular : whilst 
 the roads through Persia being less secure, the trade from India, 
 through Gambroon and Isphahan, was gradually transferred to Bussora 
 and Bagdad, to the great advantage of these towns and the surround- 
 ing provinces. 
 
 He generally attacked the Arabs so suddenly, that they had scarcely 
 time to withdraw themselves to the desert ; and whilst he was called 
 Solyman the Lion within the city, he was distinguished by the Bcdooins 
 as " Solyman Abu el lejl," or Solyman the father of night; it being 
 commonly during the night that he commenced these expeditions 
 giving himself no rest until the object was accomplished. Even the 
 neighbouring Pashas, though acting under the same authority, were 
 certain of feeling the vengeance of his wrath whenever they failed to 
 restrain the tribes under their irnmediate govenmient ; and a caravan 
 from Bagdad having been robbed by some wandering tribes depend- 
 ent on the Pashalik of Damascus, it is asserted that he crossed the 
 desert in nine days with his troops, and plundered the city in revenge
 
 ADILE CHATUN. I49 
 
 of the insult ofifered him ; though it was equally under the dominion 
 of the Grand Seignior his superior lord. Facts such as these may as- 
 tonish our European readers, but it is only by this vigorous and daring 
 policy that order can be maintained in the despotic but feeble go- 
 vernments of the Kast. 
 
 Achmed Pasha had generally respected valour even in an enemy ; 
 but it was one of the most unamiable traits in the character of Soly- 
 man, that he felt it a detraction from his own merit to hear the 
 praises even of a friend. The chief cause of complaint against him, 
 however, was the extreme deference he generally showed to the 
 opinion and wishes of his wife ; who, being the daughter of a pasha 
 of the first rank, and both proud and ambitious, could scarce forget 
 that notwithstanding his present high dignity, her husband had once 
 been her father's slave. This lady, Adile Chatun, had certain days 
 appointed, when those who had any favours to request were allowed 
 to be introduced ; not into her immediate presence, (this being re- 
 pugnant to the customs of Mahomedans,) but into the antichamber 
 of the royal harem ; where a confidential eunuch received the peti- 
 tion, and communicated her answer in return. By these means, she 
 became acquainted with every thing that was going on, and could thus 
 very frequently render abortive those very measures which had been 
 adopted after the most mature deliberations. Equally rapacious and 
 ambitious, Adile Chatun had also means of raising considerable sums 
 for her own private use. It must be understood, that whenever any 
 of the Agas obtains a charge, or is confirmed in the possession, the 
 Pasha invests him with a pelisse, if a Turk ; or a long abbas or cloke, 
 if an Arab Shaik. On these occasions, this lady made it her practice 
 to send a fillet of embroidered silk, to be worn round the head as a 
 mark of honour by those chiefs who had served her father Achmed, 
 or grandsire Hassan, and in order also to distinguish them from 
 those of a later date. In time, however, this favourite badge was 
 sought after with eagerness, and commonly purchased with considerable 
 presents ; and from this reign, in fact, it became usual, with the pe- 
 lisse of ceremony, for the Pasha's lady to transmit this silken favour ;
 
 150 ADILE CHATUN. 
 
 which, though of no importance to the investiture, was generally 
 purchased at a great expense. 
 
 This was not, however, the only source of uneasiness which the 
 ambition of this haughty dame created for her husband Solyman. 
 She lived in a constant state of disagreement with her younger sister, 
 who had married Achmed Aga, a man of distinguished rank, ancient 
 family, and high in the favour of the Pasha himself. He had refused 
 the honours which had been offered to him, on condition that he 
 would dispatch his brother-in-law Solyman ; but as he had the mis- 
 fortune to excite her suspicions, he lost his head ; as if he had as- 
 pired to those honours which he had contemned. The two sisters, 
 becoming through this event more inveterate than ever against each 
 other ; Solyman at last persuaded his sister-in-law to marry Omar, 
 his kaija or minister, in order to unite their divided interests. This 
 prince had no greater inclination than his predecessor Achmed to 
 present his neck to the bow-string ; but as it was clearly understood 
 at Constantinople, that the Grand Seignior could never recover his 
 authority until this family was removed, it is very generally believed 
 that several attempts were made on his life by firing at him : be this 
 as it may, however, suspicion was enough with Solyman, who made 
 it a rule to strike off the heads of those whom he doubted, without 
 even the ceremony of an appeal. 
 
 It has already been observed, that Achmed Pasha died in one of 
 his campaigns against the Pasha of Koordistan. His death was per- 
 fectly natural, but Adile Chatun would allow her husband no rest 
 until he had revenged his fall on the person who had been 
 the chief cause of this campaign. For this purpose Solyman 
 entered Koordistan on more than one occasion, but his adversary 
 always contriving to escape him by retiring to the hills, he was at 
 last constrained to have recourse to stratagem, and the most earnest 
 protestations of friendship and forgiveness. With these views his 
 adversary was invited to court, with assurances of safety, and had a 
 sumptuous silken favour sent him by the deceitful dame, as the 
 highest honour that could be conferred on him ; when, being misled
 
 ALY AGA ADSJEMI. I5I 
 
 by these favours, the Koord was so unguarded as to place himself in 
 her power, he was immediately seized, and on the following day was 
 strangled in the private apartments of the Seroy. 
 
 Jealous of her influence, this ambitious dame never allowed her 
 husband the indulgence of a second marriage, or of entertaining any 
 female slaves ; so that when he died without children, she became 
 possessed of all his wealth, and was still in Bagdad, in the full en- 
 joyment of an immense fortune and considerable influence in 1764. 
 In the capital she built a mosque and caravanseray that bear her 
 name ; whilst there are few of the inferior towns that are not also 
 indebted to her munificence for some of their principal ornaments. 
 
 When Solyman Pacha died, Aly Aga, of whom mention has been 
 made already, was Motselim of Bussora. As he had filled most of 
 the principal appointments of the Pashalik, and was generally 
 esteemed, he immediately conceived hopes of obtaining this honour 
 for himself; and succeeded in the end through the recommendation 
 of the Divan, and the presents which he sent the ministers. He 
 reigned, however, but two-and-twenty months ; and it is generally 
 suspected, as we shall have occasion to relate, that Adile Chatun was 
 the occasion of his disgrace. He had not been brought as a slave to 
 Bagdad, (which is commonly the case with all the principal officers,) 
 but was born of poor Mahomedan parents iii Persia ; from which 
 circumstance he is generally called Aly Aga " Adsjemi," or the 
 Persian. Having in his youth entered the service of one of Achmed 
 Pasha's officers, he had conducted himself so well as to deserve the 
 notice of the prince himself, who had him instructed in every thing 
 that is required of a man of rank amongst the Turks, and promoted 
 him in the end to offices of the highest trust and dignity. Adile 
 Chatun, who had known him in his youth, and was thus aware of 
 the favours he had received from her father, had hoped to take a 
 leading part in the government, as she had done during her husband's 
 lifetime. In this, however, she was entirely disappointed, as Aly 
 Aga had resolved to reign alone and with severity ; and to humble 
 the power of the Janizaries, who are oflen too assuming ; especially
 
 152 ALY AGA ADSJEMI. 
 
 during those intervals of lax control which must take place between 
 the demise of the one Pasha and the accession of his successor. As 
 they are as seditious at Bagdad as they are at Bussora, he felt the 
 necessity of this [)olicy ; but as many of the inhabitants are also 
 enrolled on the list of Janizaries, for the advantages the rank holds 
 forth, the attempt was productive of a revolt ; the town's people 
 joining with the troops and obliging the Pasha to leave the city. 
 
 By the help of the principal Arabian tribes, who are in general in 
 opposition to the inhabitants of the town, and by his intelligence 
 with the principal nobles, who were also amongst his friends, he 
 returned very shortly, and had several of the Janizaries condemned 
 to death. A little after this, the inferior Pashas of Koordistan, and 
 the tribe of the Chasael Arabs, also rose in arms : the first he soon 
 reduced ; but from the last he experienced so complete a defeat, that 
 the Arabian poets composed a song on the victory of this Moiidan, 
 which became soon so well known, that it was even sunji in the 
 streets of Bagdad. It was now that Adile Chatun, havinjj long and 
 anxiously waited for the opportunity, began to act. She could no 
 longer bear to see that she was never consulted ; that her advice was 
 not even listened to, and that it was even in contemplation to remove 
 her from Bagdad. She determined, therefore, upon his fall. .Aly, it 
 is said, was privately a Sheeite, or a partisan of the Persian sect. It 
 was urged in proof of this, that he liad acted with cruelt}- towards the 
 Koords and Janizaries who were Sunnites ; and liad allowed the 
 Sultan's troops to be defeated by the Chasael, who were of that hated 
 sect : the people, upon this, immediately took it into their heads that 
 they could recollect other cases besides tliese, wlierein Aly had shown 
 himself more inclined to favour the Sheeites than the Sunnites. It 
 became, in fact, a settled point, that in his licart the Pasha was a 
 heretic, and it was already feared he only watched an o})portunity 
 for delivering the whole Pashalik to their enemies the Persians. 
 
 Amongst the great men of Bagdad, there were five nobles, who 
 had all been bought as slaves when extremely young by the preced- 
 ing pashas, and brought up as Mahometans. These filled, by turns.
 
 ALY AGA ADSJEMI. 158 
 
 every appointment of consequence, whether in the proviaces or in 
 the town, or about the Pasha's court j and as they lived in the utmost 
 harmony as brothers, and were so intimately acquainted with Aly, 
 (whom they had indeed assisted in his elevation,) it is certain they 
 might and ought to have paid some attention to these reports. They 
 felt, however, the highest esteem for Adile Chatun, as the grand- 
 daughter, daughter, and wife, of their preceding benefactors, although 
 her imperious disposition had often displeased them. It so happened, 
 whilst things were in this state, that one of the five died very sud- 
 denly : she immediately gave out, that he had been poisoned by the 
 Pasha; and had the address so to colour the accusation, as to 
 render it extremely probable ; asserting she had even obtained inform- 
 ation that the Pasha had intrigued for a firman to take away their 
 lives. Where treachery of the kind is an every-day occurrence, it 
 would have been almost imprudent to contemn the information. 
 They esteemed it indispensable to consult their own safety : they had 
 been the chief support of the Pasha's authority : they rose in arms to 
 lead a conspiracy, that was planned so secretly as to be unknown to all 
 his friends, until the moment of execution had arrived ; when he found 
 at once the whole town had risen against him, and that safety could 
 only be found in instant flight. Abandoned and alone, he left the 
 Seroy in the disguise of a woman, but being detected as he was 
 endeavouring to leave Bagdad, to seek protection amongst the Arabs, 
 he was immediately brought back and put to death. 
 
 When Aly fell, the Divan was immediately assembled to select a 
 pasha from the four nobles already noticed. Two of them refused 
 the honour, thinking, that Omar as Kaija, and as the husband of 
 Achmed's youngest daughter, had the greatest right: the third, 
 Machmud, a bold and daring chief, would not have been equally 
 difRdent ; but he was absent as Motselim of Bussora. 
 
 Omar, who was present, was not certainly noted for his abilities in 
 the cabinet, or his conduct in the field. But as the husband of a lady 
 who was respected and beloved for her amiable qualities, and for her 
 father's sake, and who had suffered greatly from her eldest sister's 
 
 X
 
 154 OMAR PASHA. 
 
 pride, (having lost her first husband through her jealousy,) he was 
 proposed in the Divan, and was invested with the charge in the 
 interim. A memorial was then drawn up, as is usual in the like 
 cases, wherein it was represented, " that Aly had been an heretic, 
 and that he had designed to betray the city into the hands of the 
 Persians; on which account, amongst other reasons, the people had 
 risen in rebellion, and put him to death. That the Koords and the 
 Arabs had also risen ; and, in short, that there was no one capable of 
 restoring tranquillity except Omar ; for which reasons, he had been 
 invested with an authority that it was hoped the Grand Seignior would 
 confirm." We have already noticed, that according to the present 
 customs of the Turkish empire, the possessor is generally confirmed, 
 liowever irregular his election may have been. This confirmation 
 itself saves the imperial dignity, costs nothing, and can always be 
 annulled by a new appointment as soon as the opportunity presents 
 itself. Omar, therefore, on the strength of this representation, and in 
 right of possession, was confirmed in the summer of 1764. 
 
 In the following year, Omar took the field against the Arab tribe 
 of Chasatil, fired Lemlum, the usual residence of the reigning Shaik, 
 and struck off the heads of five or six inferior chiefs. Having re- 
 presented their humiliation as complete, in his report of these trans- 
 actions to the Grand Seignior's court, he received the compliments of 
 the Visir on these great successes. In the mean while, however, the 
 expelled Shaik, who had fled immediately on the Pasha's approach, 
 returned very unexpectedly, expelled the intruder who had been ap- 
 pointed in his stead, and compelled the Pasha, who was unwilling 
 to venture another campaign so very suddenly, to acknowledge and 
 confirm the dignity he had already reassumed. The tribe of the Kaab 
 Arabs were equally troublesome during this reign ; and it may be 
 said with truth, that a year never went by, without the necessity 
 of operations against the Arabs and the Koords ; — a circumstance of 
 which the Pashas generally avail themselves, as an excuse for remit- 
 ting no tribute to the Porte, on account of the expenses these wars 
 entail.
 
 ABDOOLA PASHA. 155 
 
 The consort of Omar Pasha, like her sister, never permitted her 
 husband to have another wife, or any female slaves ; and as they had 
 no children, the Grand Seignior was presented with a favourable op- 
 portunity of recovering the influence he had lost through the usurp- 
 ations of Hassan's family. An attempt accordingly was made, as we 
 shall have occasion to relate, but it only served to show, that the inha- 
 bitants of Bagdad had been too long accustomed to a Pasha of their 
 own appointment, to submit willingly to a nomination from the Porte. 
 In 1775, Bussora was besieged by Kerim Khan, Shah of Persia Shiraze; 
 and whilst some asserted that the Persians never intended to engage in 
 hostilities against the Grand Seignior, and only wished to reduce the 
 power, and humble the pride of Omar, with whose conduct they were 
 dissatisfied; it was generally believed at court, that he had invited them 
 to the attack, (in imitation of Achmed's conduct,) to render himself 
 necessary to his sovereign. Several Pashas were therefore sent with 
 an army against him, who had at last the address to obtain possession 
 of Omar's person about the beginning of 1776, under assurances of 
 pardon, and a promise of being appointed to the government of Orfa 
 in return. The Turks, however, seldom keep their word, on occasions 
 of this kind ; and his head was immediately struck off, and sent to 
 the capital. This event had not, however, the effect of re-establish- 
 ing the authority of the Grand Seignior on a more secure foundation 
 than it stood upon before ; Abdoola Kaija being immediately raised 
 to this dignity by a popular election, and his appointment confirmed 
 as in preceding instances. 
 
 In the very outset of Abdoola's reign in the spring of 1777, the 
 Persians obtained possession of Bussora by the treachery of its 
 governor; but their presence only contributed to increase the dis- 
 orders which prevailed, without producing any permanent advantages 
 to themselves; Kerim Khan being almost immediately recalled from 
 his new conquests, by the approach of an enemy from the other side. 
 Insecure in the possession of those honours, which depended only on 
 the fickle will of the lawless multitude, and a few leading chiefs ; and 
 no longer deriving their claims to obedience from the prior appoint- 
 
 X 2
 
 156 SOLYMAN THE SECOND, AND ALY PASHA. 
 
 ment of a superior power, Abdoola, Abdee» Mustapha, and Hassan, 
 reigned together about eight years only ; and were merely the 
 pageants of an authority which the great men of the city divided 
 amongst themselves. Alternately the slaves or the tyrants of the 
 multitude, or their officers, these chiefs were only remarkable for the 
 vices and weakness of their character ; leaving scarcely a trace of their 
 history behind, unless we should record the very unusual severity of 
 Mustapha towards those who were accused of certain unnatural 
 crimes which are but too common amongst the Turks, but which he 
 punished on several occasions by throwing the offenders headlong 
 from the tops of the highest minarets. 
 
 Under Sol y man, however, commonly called Old Solyman, and the 
 father of the unfortunate Sayud Pasha, whose catastrophe we shall 
 relate hereafter ; the authority of the Pasha, gradually strengthened in 
 its origin by the tolerance of the custom, and the certainty of a con- 
 firmation, became self-existent and self-derived. In a long reign, of 
 upwards of twenty years, old Solyman ultimately obtained an ascen- 
 dancy, by the vigour and ability of his policy, which reduced the falling 
 influence of the Porte to its lowest ebb. Inflexible and severe in his 
 disposition, he established the most perfect order in his dominions; 
 equally curbed the insolence of the nobles and the Janizaries within 
 the town, and restrained the depredations of the Arabs and the 
 Koords from without by the vigour of his sway. He left at his death 
 the influence of an established character, a long train of dependants 
 devoted to the interests of his family, and a numerous though infant 
 progeny, to transmit the honours of his reputation, and to inherit the 
 power he had obtained. 
 
 Solyman was succeeded by Aly, one of his officers, his sons being 
 yet too young to assume the reins of government ; but as Aly was 
 shortly after assassinated by a Georgian slave, whilst at morning 
 prayers in the mosque ; his son-in-law, Little Solyman, who had 
 married his eldest daughter, contrived to secure a nomination that 
 was immediately confirmed. The fall of Aly was generally at- 
 tributed to motives of revenge for some insult or disappointment
 
 ASSASSINATION OF ALY AND DEATH OF SOLYMAN. 157 
 
 tlie Georgian had experienced : from that time, however, the Pashas 
 have invariably abstained from attending morning prayers at the 
 mosque. The Georgian had availed himself of the opportunity, 
 when the Pasha laid his arms aside in compliance with the uniform 
 practice of all Mahometans, who are forbidden to pray whilst adorned 
 with those costly ornaments which commonly enrich their daggers 
 and their swords : the Turks, however, seldom reason far beyond the 
 first perception of a danger that is known. Aly fell whilst attending 
 morning prayers at the mosque ; and his successors esteem it sufficient 
 wisdom to abstain from the practice, without ever surmising at the 
 necessity of precautions at any other time, or the possibility of the 
 like event during the mid-day or evening services. 
 
 Personally brave as are the Turkish officers in general, Little Soly- 
 man was not a prince of abilities : he ruled, indeed, through the in- 
 fluence of his wife and her family, a daughter, as already mentioned, 
 of old Solyman's. He fell in a rash enterprise against one of the 
 Arabian tribes which he had attempted to chastise. It is the misfor- 
 tune of those who marry women of superior rank in those countries 
 where polygamy is practised, that they are little better than the fa- 
 vourite slave in the palace where they should preside; the lady retain- 
 ing the whole of her fortune in her own hands, and generally con- 
 triving to support her own paramount influence, or to rid herself of 
 the favourite, if he proves rebellious to her will. In this respect, we 
 have entirely mistaken the condition of women in these despotic 
 climes ; as they are slaves only where an original inferiority of rank 
 or intellect has made them so ; — a condition which is pretty much 
 the same, I rather think, in the greater part of those countries we 
 are acquainted with. It may indeed be true, that the seclusion of 
 their lives in Turkey will generally turn the scale in favour of lordly 
 man ; but where the reverse happens, it is certain, that the unnatural 
 subjection which the husband is doomed to experience will fully 
 balance the great account 
 
 Solyman, like two of his predecessors, was not allowed the benefit 
 of the law, and was obliged to confine himself to his imperious help- 
 mate : as he left no children, therefore, by this unequal connection,
 
 158 DEATH OF ABDOOLA THE GOOD. 
 
 he was at his death succeeded by Abdoola, sumamed the Good. 
 Conspicuous, as the name implies, for the amiable qualities of his 
 heart, Abdoola was too virtuous to reign in tranquillity over so de- 
 generate a race. It is entirely unsafe, in these lawless climes, for any 
 man who is decked with authority to be humane or generous, for- 
 giving towards his foes, or confiding with his friends. Abdoola's 
 aversion to severity proved the occasion of his disgrace. His sub- 
 jects could only be ruled with a rod of iron ; and as he attempted to 
 reform the vices of the state, though his impartial justice was tem- 
 pered with humanity, he became the victim of his worth, and of the 
 depravity of the times. He was abandoned by his army, whilst en- 
 gaged in a campaign against the Montifics ; and his head being im- 
 mediately struck off, Sayud Pasha succeeded in his stead. 
 
 The eldest son of a man whose influence had survived his natural life, 
 and the brother-in-law of Little Solyman, Sayud Pasha assumed the 
 reins of government at the general call of the community, and with the 
 smiling prospect of a tranquil reign. In the flower of his youth, ex- 
 tremely popular in his manners, and equally unassuming and gentle 
 in private life, it was entirely forgotten that these very qualities had 
 contributed to the fall of the good Abdoola. He came into office 
 the darling of the multitude : he was fated to experience, like many 
 others of his predecessors, the fickleness of their attachment. We 
 have already observed, that it was the custom of the times to confirm 
 the power which was already secured. Approved in his authority by 
 an Imperial Firman, it was amongst the first acts of his administration 
 to load his relatives and friends with every favour he had it in his 
 power to bestow. Profusely generous in his disposition, and careless 
 of the morrow, he scarcely left himself any thing to grant. Indolent 
 and fond of ease, he resigned the management of affairs entirely into 
 the hands of his ministers and favourites ; and as these, in general, 
 were as inexperienced in business as himself, and equally fond of the 
 enjoyments of unlimited authority ; it may be surmised, that the most 
 important concerns were soon forgotten in the pursuit of pleasure, 
 and the sofl allurements of eastern luxury. His most zealous par-
 
 SAYUD PASHA. 159 
 
 tisans, in fact, became apprised of his incapacity and total unfitness 
 to preserve order in the Pashalik, almost from the hour that he had 
 ceased to be a private man. His extreme youth, indeed, was oflen 
 urged as an excuse ; but, after a reign of near six years, it became 
 sufficiently apparent, that he was not one of those characters whom 
 age or experience can improve. 
 
 The influence of his family, however, with the memory of his great 
 father's fame, and his own popular demeanour, still supported him 
 in the possession, notwithstanding the disorders that prevailed ; when, 
 unhappily for himself, a competitor stept forth in the very individual, 
 who should, in honour, have proved the bulwark of his strength. 
 Purchased as a slave, but brought up with the advantages of a learned 
 education, Daood Eftendi was promoted by old Solyman to offices of 
 the highest trust, and was even honoured with his daughter's hand. He 
 stood, therefore, in the relation of a brother to the unfortunate Sayud ; 
 and had, in fact, received numberless favours at his hands ; on some 
 slight disgust, however, he fled the city, and retired to the capital, 
 where he immediately began intriguing to destroy that strength 
 which had been the source of his own dignities, and endeavoured 
 to obtain his own appointment to the Pashalik. 
 
 We have brought down this little history of Bagdad very nearly to 
 the period of our arrival there, Daood Eftendi having left the place 
 only a few months before. We shall reserve the narrative of those 
 events which are connected with his return for the ensuing chapter, 
 as appertaining more immediately to our relation of the occurrences 
 of the siege, and the state of the country, at the time we visited Bag- 
 dad. Fifty-eight pashas in about thrice as many years, and the 
 greater number of these terminating their reign and their existence at 
 once by a violent catastrophe ! it is not a dignity, we might suppose, 
 that is very generally coveted. Quite the contrary: — such is the 
 lust of dominion and authority, that there are frequently more com- 
 petitors than vacancies ; whilst the aspiring candidate boldly strides 
 across the headless trunk of his predecessor to reach this dangerous 
 eminence.
 
 160 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS. — OCCURRENCES AT BAGDAD DURING OUR STAY. PROGRESS 
 
 OF THE SIEGE. — DEPOSITION AND DEATH OF 8AYUD PASHA. — OUR INTRODUCTION 
 TO OAOOD EFFENDI. DESCRIPTION OF THE CITY, GOVERNMENT, MANNERS, CHARAC- 
 TERISTIC ANECDOTES, &C. &C. 
 
 In the preceding chapter, we have attempted that cursory review of 
 the history of this great city, which was necessary to ehicidate the 
 form of its present government, and to explain the nature of those 
 frequent revolutions in the various pashaliks of the Ottoman empire, 
 which it was our fate in the present instance personally to observe. 
 The subject was indeed deserving of more accurate information, and 
 more extended lights, than we could possibly obtain ; inasmuch as it 
 tends to illustrate the condition of man under an arbitrary govern- 
 ment, and the natural consequences of a despotic sway. The very 
 quahty of the attempt, however, in its imperfections, should carry 
 its excuse along with it. Under the paralizing influence of a tyrant*s 
 frown, the pen of the historian withers in his grasp ; the man of 
 genius leads a life of obscurity ; or if exalted to temporary cele- 
 brity, he rises only to aiOford the moral we should derive from the 
 transitory nature of the enjoyments of this life. An original want 
 of information, therefore, certainly exists ; and if our labours have 
 not been as successful as we might have hoped, in obtaining the best 
 that could be procured, the indulgent reader will the more readily 
 overlook the imperfections that may be traced, from the recollection 
 of the very peculiar circumstances that attended the period of our 
 residence at Bagdad ; circumstances that were of themselves calcu- 
 lated, in the general convulsions of the moment, to deprive the 
 traveller of every source of local and oral information he might 
 otherwise have soUght
 
 THE IMPERIAL FIRMAN. 151 
 
 Under a despotic government, we must chiefly appeal to facts 
 for the just illustration of that degree of influence which the sove- 
 reign may exert Th at the Grand Se ignior, according to the con- 
 stitutJQns nf the Turkish empire, (if the expression may be used») 
 has an undoubted right to the appointment of governors in the 
 various PashaUk^, isf I- believe, indisputable? "ThF^xact nature of 
 this power, however, as exerted m the present d^y, cannot 
 better be explained, than by comparing the existing authority of the 
 Imperial Firman, with the uncertain weight which usually attended 
 the issuing of the papal bulls at that period of our own history, 
 when their authority had already been canvassed and frequently 
 denied. In the present, as in the former case, the authority of the 
 instrument is acknowledged and obeyed, rejected and contemned, 
 according to existing circumstances, and the personal character and 
 situation of the individual, against whom its powers are intended to 
 operate. If he be loyal and obedient, or weak and unpopular, it 
 is usually respected and obeyed. If tlie reverse, it is neglected 
 and evaded, though never perhaps absolutely denied ; its weight and 
 authority depending less on the personal character of the sovereign, 
 than on that of the subordinate against whom it is directed. It is, 
 as the former was, almighty against the weak ; but impotent against 
 the powerful. And the only difference in its effects, which could, 
 and can perhaps depend on the personal character of the sovereign, 
 will be found in that politic and prudent discrimination of times, 
 persons, and circumstances, which should ever direct the dangerous 
 exercise of this uncertain power, which frequently recoils against 
 the throne itself. If properly exerted against the weak, it may in 
 time obtain a temporary degree of influence against the powerfuL 
 If idly brandished at superior might, it falls of itself into general 
 contempt. There is, in either case, this further characteristic simi- 
 larity, in the power we have attempted to describe, that in the 
 former as in the present instance, the superior authority stands 
 almost neutral between the contending chiefs ; being equally pre-
 
 102 CONDUCT OF THE GRAND SEIGNIOR. 
 
 pared to appoint, to approve, and to confirm, or to retract and tole- 
 rate, as the event may justify. 
 
 The family of old Solyman had gradually obtained an influence 
 which the Sublime Porte could only view with an eye of jealousy. 
 Five different pachas had succeeded each other, with no greater form- 
 ality in the acknowledgment of superior authority, than a bare and 
 tardy consent to the dignity they had previously assumed might be sup- 
 posed to involve. The moment, however, had arrived for the vigorous 
 exertion of those powers that had lain dormant, but had never been 
 relinquished. It was seized with equal vigour and ability by Mahomed 
 Hagenau, the reigning prince, who immediately issued a firman for 
 the appointment of Daood Effendi ; leaving it to himself to support 
 the nomination in the best way he could. 
 
 In these climes, the affair is not so entirely hopeless as in our 
 better regulated states ; a pretence is all that is usually wanting for 
 calling men to arms ; and the fugitive of the day may prove the hero 
 of the morrow. Thus it was with Daood Effendi, who collected an 
 army of twelve thousand men in the neighbouring Pashaliks as he 
 advanced to the attack. He had the Grand Seignior's firman, it 
 is true, commanding a general support of his cause : it must be 
 clearly understood, however, that this high command might have 
 proved of slight avail, had not the order suited with the inclinations 
 and policy of the times. 
 
 On our arrival at Bagdad, the victory just obtained by Sayud Pasha, 
 the son of old Solyman, and coming from which we had met the 
 Arabs on their return *, might naturally have induced the belief, 
 that an authority grounded on present possession and success, on the 
 influence of his family and the support of the most powerful tribes, 
 might have been esteemed secure and permanent. There were causes, 
 however, that were of themselves sufficient to check, in the rising 
 expectation, the full-blown assurance of permanent tranquillity. 
 Sayud Pasha had certainly a very powerful party for his support ; 
 
 » Vide Cha|)IV. p. 82.
 
 STATE OF PARTIES. 168 
 
 but his personal character was even more than suspected, as equally 
 wanting in manly daring and political resolution. He had for once 
 chosen a minister of acknowledged talents and influence ; but his 
 fidelity, at the best, was extremely problematical. Daood Effendi, il 
 may be added, had been repulsed ; but the victorious Arabs them- 
 selves had been obliged to fall back to the wilderness for want of 
 pasturage. Last, and perhaps not least, in its influence, where every 
 cause apparently combined towards the acknowledgment of its au- 
 thority, Daood Effendi was provided with the Imperial Firman for his 
 own appointment and the immediate removal of the unfortunate 
 Pasha. 
 
 For some days, however, after our arrival,, and afler the retreat 
 of Daood Effendi's Koords, a very unusual degree of tranquillity pre- 
 vailed. The gates of the city which had been built up, were again 
 thrown open for the convenience of receiving supplies from the en- 
 virons ; and the chiefs in general, uncertain of the course they should 
 pursue in this very unexpected issue of the contest, appeared suf- 
 ficiently inclined to pay their court to the brighter hopes of the 
 youthful Sayud. The Pasha himself, equally mild and unassuming 
 in his character, made no further use of the success obtained by his 
 Arab confederates, than to relapse into the perfect ease of habitual 
 indolence, and to collect those pecuniary supplies from the purses 
 of his principal officers and the richest individuals of the city, 
 which are usually exacted on all occasions of emergency. On our 
 part, during this peaceful interval, we either employed our mornings 
 in paying visits of congratulations to the various officers of state on 
 their appointments ; or hunted with Koordish hounds of the highest 
 breed, visited the city and its environs, and spent our evenings in the 
 harmless pleasures of social intercourse. Nothing, in fact, remained 
 to remind us of the late contest, and of those bloody frays that had 
 been fought the week before under our walls, except uncertain 
 rumours of impending harm, a quicker succession of removals and 
 appointments amongst the officers of state, and, now and then, a 
 
 Y 2
 
 164 RENEWAL OF HOSTILITIES. 
 
 cautious whisper of Daood Efiendi's increasing strength and near 
 return. 
 
 FeeUng but little interest in the issue, we awaited the event with 
 leal Turkish apathy ; when, very suddenly, an important change was 
 evidently effected in the posture of affairs. Sayud Pasha's necessi- 
 ties, it seems, had impelled him to exactions and severities that had 
 been totally unexpected from the mild and generous character he had 
 hitherto maintained. His weakness and indecision, in yielding to 
 the slightest symptom of resistance, had equally emboldened his 
 enemies, and disheartened those firmer adlierenis, who perceived the 
 absolute necessity of collecting means for the renewal of the contest. 
 The star of his prosperity, in truth, was on the decline ; and the 
 hour was fast approaching, when he must exchange the indulgences 
 of unlimited power, and the soft allurements of the harem, for a 
 noisome dungeon, and, perhaps, for death. Daood Effendi, the ex- 
 alted slave of his great father, had also been honoured with his 
 sister's hand ; but, in these despotic governments the ties of blood 
 are not always respected ; and the child himself sometimes falls a 
 sacrifice to the parent's hate; whilst brothers war against brotliers, and 
 plead their own security in justification of the unnatural murder of 
 their nearest relatives 
 
 On the 12th and 13th the report reached us, that several leading 
 men had privately withdrawn themselves from the city j on the 14th 
 Sayud Pasha, having attempted to seize a personage of some import- 
 ance, to oblige him to disgorge a part of his ill-gotten wealth, the 
 fellow fortified his house, and openly proclaimed his adherence to 
 Daood Effendi's cause. On the 15th, the discontented having ac- 
 quired confidence, from the want of decision evinced by the unfortu- 
 nate Sayud, were in open rebellion, and in possession of the Shaik, 
 the most considerable quarter of the town. * Every thing now bore 
 the aspect of an approaching catastrophe : the desertions were in- 
 
 * So called from its containing the tomb and mosque, with a convent or takie attaclied 
 to it, of Shaik Abdulkadir, » very celebrated Mahomedan saint, who was born in the 
 560th year of the Hegyra, and lived to the age of 91 ; performing numerous miracles.
 
 CONTEST WITHIN THE CITY. 165 
 
 creasing ; Jassen Bey, the Pasha's brother, whom lie had loaded with 
 every favour and kindness in his power, being amongst the first to 
 forsake him for his enemy. Several skirmishes had already taken 
 place in the town itself, and from the lofty battlements of the British 
 residency we could often view the combatants. The present was a 
 moment that should have called forth the most resolute exertions. 
 The unfortunate Sayud was still acknowledged by a considerable 
 party, and in possession of the seroy and of the citadel that commands 
 the city. He was repeatedly advised to open his guns on the quarter 
 occupied by the insurgents, and a very few shot at this period from 
 the only serviceable guns in the town might certainly have decided 
 the contest immediately. Unhappily, however, for himself, he was 
 still irresolute, and employed his faithful Asgailees * in trivial skir- 
 mishes, and in fruitless attempts to seize the leaders of the revolt 
 
 These Arab ^.morcenaries were equally brave and faithful to his 
 cause : , they were totally uninstructed, however, in that species of 
 attack in which he employed them. Every house was now shut up, 
 the gates of the residency itself being closed, and our sepoys con- 
 stantly under arms ; whilst every defensible building being in the 
 same manner barricadoed and manned, the owners denied admittance 
 to friend and foe with equal obstinacy. The city presented one 
 general aspect of terror, confusion, and party broils. Here a party 
 could be seen rushing on to the attack with the lofty shout o£ con- 
 fidence ; or retreating in dismay at the first appearance of an enemy. 
 Further on, the mournful war-song of the Asgailees-could be heard 
 as they advanced to the storm. The principal officers of the 
 Pashalik could be seen alternately leading on their dependants, oc 
 
 * We have not perhaps given this word its true pronunciation, as the Arabic scholar 
 will perceive : these troops, however, are Arab mercenaries, chiefly, I believe, from the 
 neighbourhood of Garem in the Persian Gulf. Like our Indian Rajapoots, they en- 
 gage themselves indifferently in small bands, or singly, to any one that will employ them. 
 It is their first principle to be faithful to their employer; but as soon as they are dis- 
 chargetl, or their master falls, they esteem it no disgrace to enter the service of the enemy. 
 At Bagdad they are commanded by one of their own Shaiks, usually selected by the 
 Pasha, and are the best and most fitithful troops he has.
 
 les CONTEST WITHIN THE CITY. 
 
 retreating desponding and alone from the unequal strife. They were 
 continually passing under our windows, with fury and vengeance in 
 their looks, brandishing their cimetars aloft, and seeking their enemies, 
 or slowly retiring, with those few faithful friends who still adhered 
 to them ; casting up many a wistful imploring look as they went 
 by to the comparative safety of our guarded walls. Several indeed 
 had obtained admittance in the beginning of the fray : they had cast 
 themselves on the protection of our flag *, and no entreaties, no 
 consideration of the dangers they might entail on their generous 
 protector and his family, could induce them to return. They were 
 amongst us, they said, and had come to die with us ; they felt, in 
 short, that with our sixty gallant faithful sepoys, we could have defied 
 the whole city for a considerable time ; and were unwilling or unable 
 to throw themselves on a less assured protection. 
 
 For five successive days, this great city presented the same aspect 
 of barbarous strife, confusion, and dismay ; day and night the sabre 
 gleamed aloft, and the rolling of musketry could be heard ; whilst 
 now and then, at distant intervals, the more imposing deadly sound 
 of their artillery broke through the general confusion of the scene, 
 and was commonly followed by a momentary awful pause. It 
 seemed, indeed, as if the loud reports of these powerful engines of 
 destruction were each esteemed the harbinger of fate ; the use of 
 artillery being so uncommon, that each sudden flash was ob- 
 served with fearful anxiety as the certain signal of some decisive 
 catastrophe. 
 
 Sayud Pasha, in utter despair, now sanctioned the advance 
 of his Asgailees to the general attack of the quarter occupied 
 
 • How very different is this from the condition of our consuls in other Mahomedan 
 countries. At Bagdad, the British residency was the only place of security in the midst 
 of strife; and was the place accordingly where the merchants had deposited all their 
 riches. At Tripoli or Algiers, its known wealth would certainly have induced an attack. 
 "Whence is this difference ? from the different policy we observe towards these assuming 
 barbarians : in the East, the " oderint dum metaant" is the rule of our sway ,* and if we 
 are not always loved, we are at least feared and respected.
 
 INSURRECTION OF THE GEORGIANS. 157 
 
 by the insurgents : but the moment had gone by for the 
 adoption of this decisive course ; and Daood Effendi was now ap- 
 proaching the city walls with recruited numbers, and a perfect 
 confidence of success. Those timid chiefs, who had so lately 
 sought the protection of our walls, were now anxious to depart to 
 head their dependants. In a few hours of weakness and imbecility, 
 that great contest had been decided, which had been maintained for 
 the six preceding months. It had been marked by unexpected suc- 
 cesses, and by exertions that had not been anticipated. As the 
 cause of Sayud Pasha, however, had risen to a momentary prosperity 
 from adventitious causes, so it was destined to fall by means that 
 are almost inexplicable. His Arabs and their chief were un-» 
 doubtedly devoted to his cause: but on this occasion, the com- 
 mandantof the Asgailees^ declared, he could not be answerable for 
 the~(JliJurdei'H fthd aI)nru"sron that might attend the assault ; and the 
 ord er was withd rawri* Tiiis last and convincing proof of weakness 
 and imbecility was the immediate forerunner of every ill, and of 
 absolute defeat. In a few hours, the Georgian slaves in the seroy 
 rose up in a body against their falling chief; the arrival of Daood 
 Effendi within a day's march was proclaimed throughout the town ; 
 the Pasha was forced to retreat to the citadel ; whilst the Georgians, 
 to complete their deservings at fortune's hands, destroyed the bridge 
 over the river, to prevent the Asgailees from throwing themselves 
 into this strong hold to share their master's fate. 
 
 The contest was now evidently over : Sayud Pasha had only four 
 hundred Arabs with him in the castle, but no provisions what- 
 ever, though a stock might easily have been obtained. The greater 
 part of the city was in possession of the insurgents, and on the 
 20th Daood Effendi made his triumphant entr}', and summoned 
 the citadel. It was yet unsafe, genemlly speaking, to venture abroad, 
 as a few desperate partisans still held out in various quarters ; and 
 the advance, with the new Pasha, was far too weak to restore order, as 
 long as the citadel held out. On the western side of tlie river, also, 
 a considerable body of Asgailees still remained in arms, though de-
 
 J 68 FIDELITY OF THE ARABS. 
 
 serted by their chief, who had meanly fled. Daood Effendi, however, 
 sent his compliments to the resident, notifying his arrival officially, 
 and informing him that order was restored. 
 
 The city now presented the very unusual aspect of two rival 
 chiefs, each enjoying with his own party the honours of the robe : 
 it was, however, a nominal dignity only that the unfortunate Sayud 
 was vested with. On former occasions, the contest had generally 
 been terminated by the fall of the unsuccessful candidate, as soon as 
 possession of the city had been obtained. In the present instance, 
 a sudden exertion might yet have forced a more fortunate issue, had 
 Sayud Pasha been faithful to himself, or blessed with a single 
 resolute adviser of sufficient influence to direct his course. He had 
 only four hundred men with him in the citadel, but these generous 
 Arabs were faithful to his cause, and equal in numbers to the only 
 troops Daood Effendi had brought with him in the rapid advance he 
 had made. The citadel was unprovided with provisions, but fully 
 supplied with guns, powder, and ammunition of every kind. At 
 any rate, the Tigris might have been crossed on rafts during the 
 night ; and with a numerous body of determined friends who still 
 lingered in the western part of the city, he had the desert and his 
 faithful Montifics. 
 
 Fully aware, it would appear, of these resources, the crafty Daood 
 still lingered in the fulfilment of his threats. He daily summoned 
 the castle to surrender, vaunting in his strength, and boasting his 
 success, but he still delayed the assault. He ordered the remainder 
 of his army to advance, but he thanked the Georgian officers publicly 
 for having spared the unfortunate Sayud's life. He kept a strict 
 watch around him, but he allowed his mother, and supplies of every 
 kind, to be introduced to the citadel. Sayud Pasha, he said, was the 
 son of his great master, whose slave he was : he was the brother of 
 the wife this kind master had bestowed on him. He was a foolish 
 headstrong youth, misled by evil counsellors, who were more culpable 
 than himself in the resistance, and should alone bear the blame and 
 punishment As for the Pasha, (for he still affected to speak of him
 
 THEIR RESOLUTE CONDUCT. 169 
 
 as such,) he should be sent in safety to Aleppo as soon as he became 
 sensible of the folly of holding out. By these and similar arts, he at 
 length prevailed on the unfortunate Pasha to listen to an accommod> 
 ation ; and his faithful Asgailees were ordered to withdraw from the 
 garrison. 
 
 Surrounded by enemies on every side, and deserted by their chief 
 who had retired in despair to the most obscure corner of the citadel, 
 this faithful determined band refused to yield. They must march 
 out with their arms, they said, and a Koran * must be sent in, as a 
 testimony of the conqueror's sincerity ; or they would blow up the 
 magazine with the city and themselves. Their resolute fidelity had 
 been proved, and they were judged capable of the act ; the terms 
 they had demanded were therefore granted them ; the safety of their 
 chief was promised with deceitful professions ; and they were allowed 
 to retire in triumph with their arms. The scene had closed. On 
 the 24th, on the very night of their retreat, Sayid AUowee, the 
 new Janizary Aga, with three attendants, silently presented the 
 Signet of authority at the gates of the citadel. It was understood, 
 and the guards withdrew. He was closely muffled up in the long 
 black Abbas which the Arabs wear, but could be known by his com- 
 manding height, and the deadly revengeful gleam of an eye that 
 seemed to scorn the concealment he observed, t On demanding 
 admittance at the door of the private apartments into which the 
 unfortunate youth had retired, his anxious mother, (foreboding ill,) 
 fearfully unbarred the entrance. She would have asked the purpose 
 of their intrusion, but the hour, and the presence of the revengeful 
 Sayid, had already told the fatal truth. Whilst the mother clung 
 
 • This is commonly esteemed the strongest proof of his sincerity a Mussulman can 
 afford ; he swears the oath on the sacred book, which is then sent in, to bear witness 
 against him if he fails in the fulfilment of his promises. 
 
 f There were circumstances of wanton barbarity in this act, which will perhaps stagger 
 a general belief; we have reported particulars, however, exactly as they were known and 
 spoken of at the time : and it must be recollected, that Sayid AUowee, the chief actor in 
 diese scenes of blood, had just returned from exile, with some real, and more fancied 
 injuries to revenge.
 
 170 DEATH OF SAYUD PASHA. 
 
 around her devoted son, in distracted agony, shrieking and imploring 
 mercy at those hands that had never felt the soft impulse of humanity, 
 their victim was struck down with a battle-axe ; and a headless trunk 
 alone remained in the parent's arms. 
 
 It was not until the next morning that we were informed of this 
 lamentable catastrophe ; and it was then announced to us, on our 
 rising, with perfect indifference, as amongst the news our attendants 
 had collected since the preceding day. Sayud Hassan Pasha, the 
 eldest surviving son of old Solyman, was only twenty-three at the 
 time he fell. Guiltless of a crime that had been perpetrated under 
 the sanction of his name, he personally atoned for the murder of the 
 good Abdoolla. His mild unassuming character should have secured 
 him from so harsh a fate ; and his open handed liberality, towards his 
 fHends and relatives, should have assured him a more firm support 
 On the dangerous eminence, however, he had attained, it was scarcely 
 safe to be mild or generous. It was the constant, and almost the 
 only reproach of his ungrateful countrymen, that he had not the 
 resolution to condemn ; and amongst those who worked his ruin, 
 there were several, I believe, who owed their lives to his humanity ; 
 thehr fortunes and dignities, to the generous confidence he re- 
 posed in their fidelity. Jassen Bey, (his own brother,) who had 
 forsaken him in the moment of his adversity, had been amongst the 
 first to benefit by the profusion of his gifts. The new Pasha himself, 
 had received the greatest and most important favours from his father 
 and himself ; and might at least have respected the life that had been 
 the source of his own dignities. He fell, the victim of his own' 
 aversion to shedding blood : within a week after I had seen him in 
 the.fiiU enjoyment of youth and unlimited authority, his body was 
 a mishapen trunk j. and we carried off his head to be exposed in 
 derision before the palace gates of his offended sovereign. 
 
 The death of Sayud Pasha was the signal for a general change in 
 the various offices of the state ; and we prepared, with due formality, 
 for our first visit of ceremony to his successor. On the 26th, the 
 day appointed for this high solemnity, our numbers being duly
 
 VISIT TO DAOOD EFFENDI. 1*71 
 
 marshalled forth, we left the residenc}' at noon, preceded by the 
 drums and fifes of the detachment. We had six mounted chochron 
 dars in front, with a number of attendants on foot to clear the way ; 
 next, a party of Bombay Sepoys, the resident, his first assistant, his 
 secretary, and myself; all in full costume, and gallantly mounted ; 
 whilst our rear was closed by the remainder of the detachment, a 
 number of attendants, and all the rabble of Bagdad to share the sight. 
 As we had both the relieving detachments, our party was full a 
 hundred strong, and such a show perhaps had never been exhibited 
 before. In this order we proceeded through the principal streets to 
 the seroy, tlie whole of the town being out to view our state ; whilst 
 we could perceive many a curious glance shot forth at the Faringees 
 and their infidel attendants, from behind those envious veils and more 
 provoking lattices, which doubtless concealed many a beauteous face, 
 and, perhaps, an equal proportion of ugliness and deformity. The last, 
 however, as the bright flash reached us across the street, we could 
 only allow as barely possible ; the first we felt, or came prepared to 
 fancy, in the killing lustre of those eyes that seemed to scorn the 
 gloom which enfolded the more attractive graces of their sex. These 
 ladies, in truth, appear fully aware, of the power of those charms 
 which are felt — not seen. 
 
 When we reached the seroy, we found every thing prepared for our 
 reception : a countless multitude was assembled in the outer court, 
 but a number of janizaries preserved order amongst them by dint of 
 blows, and formed a lane from gate to gate. We dismounted in this 
 buter court, receiving the usual compliment from our guard, with an 
 extra ruffle from the drummers in their newest style ; — a courtesy, 
 however, that had nearly proved fatal to a gentleman far more eminent 
 for his learning in the languages, than for his horsemanship * ; and 
 
 * If ever Seignior Balino should read these sheets, I trust he will excuse this cat at hit 
 equestrian powers; since it gives me the opportunity of mentioning what his modesty might 
 otherwise have concealed ; — that at 21, he has not only gone through the usual course of 
 a college education in the German universities, but has also acquired four of the £ar(^)ean 
 languages, with a considerable knowledge in Turkish, Persian, and Arabic. 
 
 z 2
 
 172 VISIT TO DAOOD EFFENDI. 
 
 who barely escaped a very unpleasant accident, from the violence of 
 the horse I rode. We entered the inner court through a wicket, so 
 very low as to oblige the proudest head of the shortest man amongst 
 us to bow nearly to the ground ; and were presented with the sight of 
 about 300 Georgian slaves in attendance, drawn up in irregular files 
 on either side of our way to the presence chamber. The greater part 
 of these were equally remarkable for the sumptuousness of their dress, 
 and the beauty and comeliness of their persons ; and seemed in truth 
 to feel a pride in the gorgeous trappings of their state. They were all 
 armed after their own manner with Turkish cimeters, pistols, match- 
 locks, and the battle-axe; and observed a respectful silence as we 
 passed, though without offering our party any particular compliment. 
 The three horse-tails that mark his rank, with a Turkish flag, were 
 stuck in the ground by the side of the immediate entrance to the 
 Pasha's audience chamber. Our names were announced, and we were 
 ushered into a convenient apartment, where the Pasha sat reclining 
 on silk and velvet cushions, with the Divan of the pashalik seated on 
 his right hand, in the silent, grave observance of the most perfect 
 decorum. The chief himself acknowledged our presence with a slight 
 inclination of the body, as if preparing to rise, and renewed the 
 compliment as we were severally introduced. Chairs had been pro- 
 vided for us, and arranged on the Pasha's left, and opposite his Divan : 
 afler being seated, we were served with coffee, whilst his excellency 
 conversed with Mr. Rich and Dr. Hine, whom he had been previously 
 acquainted with. There was little in his appearance, to speak the 
 truth, that could denote the savage, unfeeling murderer of his nearest 
 relative; or justify the various accounts we had heard of his unrelenting 
 severity. He bore himself as a man of the middle size, and of plain, 
 unaffected manners ; about forty, as I should have thought, had I not 
 been previously informed he was at least fifty ; and was indebted to 
 an artificial colouring for the glossy and perfect black of his regular, 
 manly beard. The members of his Divan appeared, in general, some- 
 thing older than himself; though there were a few amongst them who 
 seemed not to disdain the venerable snow white attributes of a good 
 old age. Our friend Derwesh Aga, one of the late inmates of the
 
 VISIT TO THE MINISTER. 178 
 
 residency, was by far the most respectable figure of them all ; and 
 seemed, with the rest, tolerably well satisfied at the return of 
 peace ; as he frequently whispered his assent, with a placid smile, 
 to the few observations that were made; it being against the etiquette 
 of the court, for any one to take a greater share in the con- 
 versation, than merely answering the questions they are honoured 
 with. I was afterwards informed, the little that was said was of 
 no importance, being entirely confined to matters of compli- 
 ment ; whilst business was prudently reserved for a more private 
 conference. 
 
 On taking leave, we retired with the like formalities through the 
 gates we had entered by ; and mounting our horses, proceeded to 
 the kaija's, or minister's, to offer our congratulations on his ap- 
 pointment. The ceremonies of our reception, on this occasion, were 
 nearly the same as before ; except that, being on an equality, we 
 were presented with pipes as well as coffee, and with sweet-meats 
 and perfumes on retiring. The remainder of the great officers of 
 state we reserved for the following day ; and counting those dis- 
 placed statesmen I had known the week before, I had within a 
 fortnight been introduced to two ministers, three commanders of 
 the forces, and to secretaries of state, and inferior officers, a count- 
 less multitude. On these occasions, as before these changes, we 
 paid our respects as a thing of course ; and were received with all 
 the stillness and grave taciturnity of the most perfect tranquillity. 
 Their new honours seemed to sit extremely light on the shoulders of 
 these mighty personages. And, whilst they spoke and bowed to the 
 gratulations that were offered them, they scarcely deigned to 
 mention the occurrences that had so lately taken place. It might 
 perhaps have been descending from their high dignities, to venture a 
 single observation on the uncertain tenure of those important offices 
 they had attained ; 1 could not help fancying, however, this was 
 chiefly the effect of a characteristic apathy. 
 
 Sayid AUowee, the Janizary Aga (or commander in chief), was 
 the only one, I believe, who mentioned the subject to Mr. Rich ; and
 
 174 VISIT TO SAYID ALLOWEE. 
 
 it was only by casually noticing that he had struck ofF the Pasha's 
 head some nights before by orders from the Porte. On a subsequent 
 occasion, however, this gentleman (who was an Arab, lively, enter- 
 prising, and communicative, the life and soul of the party he had 
 embraced), informed us of some particulars relative to the army he 
 had commanded, which we were not previously acquainted with. 
 He was under personal obligations to Mr. Rich during the period of 
 his exile and adversity, and spoke apparently without reserve. The 
 defeat of the advance, under his own personal command, we now 
 found had been most complete: with about eight hundred men 
 bivouacking under the guns of the citadel, he had been attacked by 
 one thousand five hundred of the Montifics : and so completely sur- 
 prised that, being unsupported^ the whole of his men had fled. * The 
 panic, it seems had been so great, and so generally communicated, 
 that the whole army took t6 flight on the bare report of the defeat ; 
 the fugitives from the advance being so thoroughly frightened, and 
 so anxious to hide the shame of the disaster they had experienced, 
 as to spread the most exaggerated accounts of the force they had 
 encountered, and the numbers they had lost. The Pasha himself, 
 he said, had been left on the ground without a single attendant ; and 
 might have been killed or carried off, if the Mdntifics had only 
 profited by this first success. 
 
 The authority of the Pasha being now established, it was in the 
 natural course of things, that the principal nobles who had filled the 
 great offices under his predecessor should be called to a severe 
 account Under a despotic government, authority, (if the com- 
 parison may be allowed,) is not unlike a sponge that sucks up the 
 moisture and the overflowings of transient prosperity, to be again 
 compressed by the strong hand of superior power into the general 
 treasury of the state : every man that is employed, makes the 
 most he can of his appointment ; and secures his utmost before 
 
 * This was the action which the Arabian army we had met in the desert had spoken 
 of with 90 much pride ; and which had obliged Daood Effendi for a time to raise the 
 siege, and to retreat towards the north.
 
 IMPRISONMENT OP THE CHIEFS. 175 
 
 hand from the wreck he feels conscious he still floats on even in the 
 full tide of his prosperity. 
 
 The extreme moderation of Daood Effendi's conduct, and the 
 liberality of his professions, had not deceived those who were ac- 
 quainted with the severe unrelenting character of this chief. The 
 death of the unfortunate Sayud had been foreseen, notwithstanding 
 his relationship, and the little danger that could have been appre- 
 hended from the natural weakness and timidity of his character. 
 Professions however cost nothing, and commonly re-assure the minds 
 of men ; a wanton breach of a voluntary promise, in the full enjoy- 
 ment of unlimited authority, appearing, it would seem, so unnecessary, 
 as seldom to be suspected. Promises accordingly, and professions, 
 were not spared in the present instance, to restore the public tran- 
 quillity and general confidence: his victims indeed, might other- 
 wise have escaped from the rude grasp of his rapacity. Scarcely 
 however had the remainder of his troops arrived, when the principal 
 nobles of the former court were called upon to furnish their pro- 
 portions of the immense sums that were required to satisfy die 
 present exigences of the state, the demands of the army, and the 
 usual remittance which the Capagee Bashee was expected to take 
 back. 
 
 With several others, the chief favourite of the unfortunate Sayud 
 was immediately incarcerated ; the husband of his sister, the 
 widow * of little Solyman, a lady of the first rank and influence, as 
 
 * We have had occasion to notice several instances, whereinpr a state of servitude had 
 proved an introduction to the highest offices of the state ; on the present occasion, the 
 transition had been even more sudden than is commonly the case. When little 
 Solyman Pasha died, it had been thought necessary, or perhaps the lady had felt it so, 
 that a new husband should be provided to comfort her in her widowhood : there was no 
 one immediately at hand that was thought deserving of this honour, or perhaps that 
 could suit the lady's taste. Daood Efiendi had been refused. The gentleman therefore 
 alluded to, a handsome Georgian in the prime of life, had been appointed to this 
 honour, and purchased in Constantinople at A considerable expense. From a slave, he 
 had become the brother, and son-in-law, of Pashas of the first order ; within the year, 
 he was a wretched prisoner, devoted to a dungeon and the most horrible torment^ to 
 oblige his wife to purchase his release.
 
 176 TORTURES AND EXECUTIONS. 
 
 the wife, daughter, and sister of three different Pashas, and who 
 had formerly refused Daood Effendi*s hand, was also immediately 
 confined ; whilst threats, tortures, and punishments, at once became 
 the order of the day. The unfortunate prisoners, however, knew 
 the fate that awaited them, as soon as their private hoards should have 
 been disclosed ; and obstinately refused the avowal. Our lives, they 
 said to their tormentors, are in the hands of your employer ; take 
 them ! or let him release us for a sum that shall be paid as soon as 
 our safety is assured : a partial compliance, will only encrease the 
 measure of our sufferings ; and the entire resignation of our wealth, 
 will be the immediate prelude of our death. It is thus that where 
 the designs of ambition are known, it frequently defeats its own 
 purposes. The captives were inflexible, the Pasha was equally re- 
 solute ; money indeed must of force be found for his various 
 necessities ; and the death of his prisoners could not have obtained 
 this end, as their property was concealed or in other hands. 
 
 The third person of the Ulema, however, was still at large ; and, 
 secure in the scantiness of his stores, and the insignificance of his 
 character, was entirely unsuspicious of the dangers that awaited him. 
 He was suddenly called to the presence of his new master j he went 
 to the seroy with cheerfulness and alacrity. He met some friends on 
 his way, and told them of the honours and promotion which he 
 thought awaited him. He was received at the gates, with smiles of 
 welcome ; conducted to a private apartment near the stables ; and 
 had his head struck off. * After such an example of severity, it 
 
 • This was one of the heads we carried down to Constantinople, but the same events 
 arc frequently attributed to far different causes ; and there were many who scrupled not 
 to assert, he owed his death to the same hidden influence that had worked its share in 
 Sayud Pasha's fall ; the enmity of Hallut Effendi, a favourite of the Grand Seignior's, 
 who had requested his head might be struck off*. 
 
 The intrigues of a Pasha's court are frequently involved in such a maze of darkness 
 and intricacy, as to be extremely difficult to understand. We have related events as 
 they were known, and have pointed out those great and leading causes, which these had 
 generally been supposed to rest upon : it is equally certain, however, that but for an 
 underplot in the great drama, Sayud Pasha might have continued in the full enjoyment
 
 TORTURES AND EXECUTIONS. 177 
 
 may be guessed the desires of the Pasha were no longer obstinately 
 denied. The sensation it occasioned, was indeed equally general 
 and wonderful, considering it was only the second example made for 
 this great rebellion. Worn out with their sufferings, and only 
 anxious to accelerate their release from torture by an immediate 
 death, the prisoners immediately complied with the various demands 
 that were made of them. I remained not at Bagdad a sufficient 
 time to ascertain their respective fates ; the great object however 
 had been accomplished, and a considerable sum having been raised, 
 a dispatch was prepared to accompany the heads. 
 
 The period of my residence at Bagdad had been short, but it had 
 been marked by great events, and by one of those sudden revolu- 
 tions that can best mark the character of despotic states, and the con- 
 dition of the subject under the influence of an unlimited authority. 
 The hour of my departure was now at hand : before I leave a city, 
 however, of so much celebrity, I cannot better employ my time, than 
 
 of all his dignities, notwithstanding the jealousy of the Sublime Porte. We shall relate 
 facts, that shall elucidate the nature of these revolutions, as obligingly communicated on 
 the spot. Great events frequently depend on circumstances of very inferior consequence. 
 The Jew banker of Hallut EfFendi at Constantinople, had had occasion, it seems, about 
 a year before, to send a relation to Bagdad on some commercial affairs of importance. 
 Proud of the influence and wealth of his relative, this man, it would appear, had pre- 
 sumed to interfere in the affairs of the Pashalik, in such a manner as to excite the anger 
 of Sayud Pasha or his ministers; who, unconscious of the danger, (Jews being commonly 
 lield in great contempt), had thrown him into prison and punished him with severity. 
 
 On his release and return to the capital, his cause was taken up by the favourite, who 
 felt highly indignant that a person under his immediate protection should have been thus 
 treated. He vowed the fall of the unfortunate Pasha, who had already offended him by 
 refusing him the head of the wretched wight whose death we have already related. The 
 flogging of a Jew for once became the cause of a Pasha's fall ; as when Daood Effendi took 
 refuge in the capital, and began his intrigues for the Pashalik, he immediately found a 
 friend in the offended favourite : the rest is known. As soon as the opportunity presented 
 itself, Hallut Effendi pursued his great revenge; obtained the flrman for Daood Efiendi's 
 appointment by his influence, and made the death of the Mufti the condition of his 
 protection. If facts like these are common, and I believe it is not the first instance of 
 the kind, this seemingly oppressed and suffering race have not so much reason to complain 
 as may generally be supposed ; their intrigues and management commonly supplying the 
 place of strength. 
 
 A A
 
 178 BAGDAD. 
 
 by devoting the remaining pages of the present cliapter to the de- 
 scription of its actual state after the various changes and misfortunes 
 it has undergone. 
 
 We have already noticed the period of its foundation, and the 
 derivation of its name : in its present state, (as we have had frequent 
 opportunities of ascertaining by riding round the walls,) it may occupy 
 a space of about seven miles in circumference, part of which area 
 however lies waste, or is filled up by ruins, as if already verging to 
 its decay. The houses, in general, are built of brick, seldom above 
 two stories high, and with no windows towards the streets, which are 
 extremely narrow, (as in Mahomedan cities in general,) though toler- 
 ably clean. There are no public buildings we can enumerate, as 
 remarkable for their architecture, though its vaulted bazars, numerous 
 domes, inlaid with Mosaic of painted tiles, and lofty minarets, cer- 
 tainly present a novel, and, as I must think, a very pleasing appear- 
 ance to the eye of the traveller. It is divided into several quarters, 
 of which the limits however cannot be exactly described ; the Shaik 
 is the principal ; the palace and the citadel occupy two others on the 
 eastern shore : the buildings on the western side of the Tigris, being 
 inferior in respect to construction, materials, and extent, so as to 
 appear, on the whole, a suburb only to the town. 
 
 When Bagdad was taken from the Persians by Amurat, in 1638, 
 he fortified it entirely round with a thin brick wall forty feet in 
 height, and defended by nine principal bastions on the eastern side, 
 with several inferior turrets and a dry ditch. As defences, however, 
 the whole of these works are scarcely worth the mention, being very 
 badly built ; whilst the bastions only are sufficiently spacious to hold 
 artillery of any kind. The scarp, and the counter-scarp of the ditch, 
 are accessible at most of the angles ; the gateways unprotected by 
 sufficient traverses j the glacis extremely abrupt, and generally speak- 
 ing, in a very imperfect state j and the greater part of the guns so 
 honey-combed, and so badly mounted, as to be very nearly unservice- 
 able. Under all these disadvantages, however, it has twice with- 
 ^ood the efforts of the celebrated Nadir Shah, who threw several
 
 ITS POLITICAL IMPORTANCE. 179 
 
 hundred shells into it without effect. As there are only twenty guns 
 in the citadel, and about thirty on the walls that are even capable 
 of repairs, (and it is probable their artillery was never in a much 
 more perfect state,) and as we could not well allot above forty-five of 
 these to the nine principal bastions, without leaving the citadel en- 
 tirely destitute ; we might justly wonder at the successful result of 
 this defence, if it were not known, that the besiegers were to the full 
 as unskilful in the use of their artillery as the besieged. 
 
 It may be conceived from the preceding details, that Bagdad is not 
 a place in any degree calculated to resist the well-directed efforts of 
 an European force ; and it is, fortunately, in a situation where it is 
 not likely to be called upon to exhibit the proof In the event of a 
 war with Turkey, however, or as the result of hostilities with Russia, 
 in which it might be thought expedient to force the Sublime Porte to 
 bear a share, it is capable of being brought into a secondary degree 
 of importance, as the means of obtaining certain purposes. In the 
 one case it might be attacked, as a vulnerable point ; in the other it 
 mi<^ht be occupied as a station of commanding influence over the 
 councils of the Turkish and the Persian courts ; whilst the dread of 
 losing and the hope of acquiring so important an object, would very 
 probably induce either of these powers to declare hostilities against 
 Russia at our call. In either case, we must not judge of the diffi- 
 culties of the attempt from the ill-success of Nadir Shah ; as 
 in those points, wherein a deficiency of knowledge occasioned 
 his repulse, we have certainly acquired a very high degree of theo- 
 retical and practical eminence. The natural course of an expedition in- 
 tended to accomplish these purposes is easily described. Our cruisers 
 can sail up as far as Bussora, which might easily be seized ; and it 
 is probable the middle-sized vessels might even ascend as far as 
 Koma, at the junction of the streams ; as the Turkish brig we saw 
 there mounted fourteen guns, and was apparently as large as many of 
 our Bombay cruisers. 
 
 The possession of Koma, would give us the command of the navi- 
 gation of the rivers ; whilst the distribution of very trivial sums might 
 
 A A 2
 
 180 ITS POLITICAL IMPORTANCE. 
 
 secure the neutrality, at least, of the Bedooins. With these advantages 
 a small army might easily reach Bagdad from Korna within the month ; 
 whilst our artillery, in the same time, might proceed up the stream 
 in boats of a sufficient size to be formed occasionally as a battery 
 for the reduction of the place. Within this time, most certainly, no 
 very great additional supplies of artillery or ammunition could be 
 collected for the defence ; as Mosul, the nearest station from whence 
 the materiel could be drawn, is four hundred miles removed, and is 
 under an independent Pasha, who might not think himself obliged to 
 weaken his own strength to assist a rival chief 
 
 With two or three of our brigades, to attack a city containing a po- 
 pulation of near two hundred thousand souls, and capable of sending 
 forth an army of thirty thousand men, might certainly appear the 
 height of presumption ; it must be recollected, however, that where 
 only a certain number can act, it is in discipline only that confi- 
 dence should rest. Thirty thousand men from Bagdad could not 
 keep together for a month in the desert, tluougli the want of sup- 
 plies, unless they could command the navigation of the rivers ; 
 an advantage, I believe, we might secure i'rom the very beginning 
 of the attempt. Until they reached Bagdad, therefore, our troops 
 need not have any very serious resistance to apprehend, in a rapid 
 and well concerted advance ; as even if the Turks could be brought 
 to believe our temerity reached to this extent, they are not suffi- 
 ciently assured of the general support, to venture far I'rom the capital 
 on the confidence of fidelity in their Arabian confederates. Scarcely 
 suspicious of the extent of our designs, or awed and confounded at 
 the daring of the attempt, with the constant dread of seeing us 
 openly supported by the wandering tribes, or joined by a faction 
 within the town itself; we may believe it would not be extremely 
 difficult, in the midst of those doubts and jealousies which must 
 arise under these circumstances, to moor our batteries on the river, 
 or to fix them on shore, immediately opposite the citadel. 
 
 It is here, however, that (;he first serious resistance might be ex- 
 pected to be opposed, by an infuriated populace making common
 
 POPULATION. 181 
 
 cause with their government against the enemies of* their faith ; or, 
 that the feasibility of the attempt might at once appear, by seeing 
 these very people in a state of insurrection against the Pasha and 
 his troops, to preserve their houses and the town from the effect of 
 our artillery. The last is to the full as probable as the first ; the 
 Bagdadees having no hereditary attachments to the reigning chief, 
 or any very violent predilection in favour of the Grand Seignior's 
 government. The half of the towns-people, indeed, are of the 
 Sheea sect; and although religious differences have not run high 
 of late, they have certainly left that degree of reciprocal mis- 
 trust of which an enemy might always avail himself. Directing 
 our breaching batteries at the citadel and our shells at the town, 
 or both at the same object, as prior events and the disposition 
 of the inhabitants might justify, it is probable the castle might 
 be gained within the first or second day of the opening of our guns ; 
 as it is not of sufficient extent to derive any advantages from 
 those numbers that might be employed in the defence. Once in 
 possession of the citadel, and commanding the navigation of the 
 rivers, our influence would be secure against every chance but a 
 regular attack, which it would take a very considerable time to or- 
 ganize ; since, notwithstanding the present weakness of its defences, 
 they are capable of such improvements, from the superior skill of 
 our engineers and artillerymen, as might render them extremely 
 formidable to an enemy so entirely unpractised in the labours of 
 a siece and the difficulties of the attack. 
 
 We have estimated the population of Bagdad at nearly two hundred 
 thousand souls ; several travellers, in their relations, have almost 
 doubled this amount ; we have given this number, however, on the au- 
 thority of a gentleman many years a resident in the place j who also 
 informed us, that the inhabitants were partly Sheeites of Persian 
 descent, or Sunnites of Turkish and Arabian origin, now almost con- 
 founded together, under the general appellation of Bagdadees. Be- 
 sides these, there is a large proportion of Mahomedan foreigners, or the 
 immediate descendants of foreigners, who, though settled in Bagdad,
 
 Ig2 CONDITION OF THE JEWS. 
 
 and often entrusted with the highest offices, are still considered as such ; 
 their first coming being recollected. Of Christians of various sects, we 
 could only learn that there were about one hundred and sixty Roman 
 Catholic families, besides Armenians and Nestorians, in the place. 
 These have each their priests, and form three different congregations, 
 which are constantly wrangling with one another, to the great 
 edification, no doubt, and somewhat to the advantage of his High- 
 ness the Pasha, who fails not to mulct both parties in the dispute, 
 whenever the opportunity presents itself The Jews of Bagdad, 
 as we were informed, have not so many religious broils amongst 
 themselves ; they have, however, to the full as many annoyances 
 from without ; being not only equally despised and contemned, but 
 even more oppressed, from the notions which are entertained of 
 their unbounded wealth. They are here, as elsewhere, the leeches 
 of the state ; but are only allowed to gorge themselves, that they 
 may discharge their ill-gotten pelf again, for the advantage of the 
 Pasha's privy purse. The most mortifying circumstance of the 
 whole, however, is this ; that happen what may to these Israelites, 
 their misfortunes, and utmost wailings, are commonly greeted with 
 derision, as the legitimate subject of a hearty laugh. If a Turk, or 
 even a Christian of any consequence, is plundered by the great 
 officers of state, the event is frequently animadverted on, thouo-h 
 privately, according to the circumstances of the case. But when a 
 Jew is the sufferer, it is only mentioned as a t/iing of course, or, 
 perhaps, as the most laughable incident of the day ; tlieir rapacity 
 being so well known, that credit is seldom given them for bein*'- re- 
 duced to the most absolute penury. The variety of exactions they 
 are subject to under these circumstances is certainly exceedingly 
 wonderful ; especially when we consider the nature of that thrifty dis- 
 position which still enables this fallen race to persevere in the great 
 object of their desires, under the manifold disadvantages of tlieir 
 state. When Sayud Pasha had been beheaded, and it became ne- 
 cessary to transmit the usual present to the capital, as the roads were 
 still unsafe for the conveyance of bullion, the Jews were applied to
 
 CONDITION, &c 183 
 
 for bills. The principal bankers amongst them had already exerted 
 themselves to the utmost, in supplying the immediate demands of 
 their great patrons amongst the Turks ; their credit with their brethren 
 at the capital was absolutely at a stand. Their real inability to 
 comply, however, was only esteemed a subterfuge : they were 
 closeted with a confidential officer of the Pasha's, and requested to 
 grant their aid. Their credit, they replied, was at an end, even if 
 the money were advanced previous to the granting of the bills : 
 they were obstinate ; the Pasha was necessitous. They were civily 
 desired to consult, whilst a second officer was appointed to preside 
 at their deliberations. When this officer was also exhausted, through 
 their hardened perseverance, a third was appointed in his stead ; 
 whilst they were kept together without food or drink, under pretence 
 of dispatching business on the spot For near three days, I believe, 
 the farce was carried on : they were treated with the utmost civility, 
 bid desired to consult ; and when at last, in utter despair, they granted 
 bills, declaring they were not worth the paper they were written on, 
 the amount was dispatched to the capital. I had at first thought 
 there was nothing easier than the granting bills under circumstances 
 of the kind ; I was informed, however, that the whole of these bills 
 would be made good by a similar process on their arrival : whilst the 
 bankers they were drawn on would be left to indemnify themselves 
 in the best way they could, in the usual course of their mercantile 
 transactions. The money in time might very probably be repaid, as 
 even the Pasha is obliged to observe a tardy honesty for his own ad- 
 vantage ; in the mean-while, however, the credit of the Jew must 
 maintain itself as it can, through the monied influence of the 
 tribe. 
 
 The government of Bagdad is in miniature the same with that of 
 the capital of the Turkish empire. In despotic governments, indeed, 
 one general polity seems to pervade the inferior departments of the 
 state ; as if the minds of men were cramped, and incapable of sug- 
 gesting those more varied forms, which are exhibited in the different 
 quality of those powers that are entrusted to the various authorities
 
 Ig4 FORM OF GOVERNMENT. 
 
 of a limited monarchy. At Bagdad, as at Constantinople, and there 
 as in all the inferior governments, the chief is possessed of an almost 
 unlimited authority over his immediate dependants ; and is less ac- 
 countable to the laws, than to the immediate superior who appoints 
 him, for the just discharge of the duties he is entrusted with. He is 
 assisted in the government by his vizier or minister, under the title of 
 Kaija: has a janizary aga, or commander in chief under him, (who 
 should be appointed by the Porte, but is commonly selected at his 
 request,) his treasurers, and secretaries of state ; who, with the mem- 
 bers of the Ullema (the Cadi and the Mufti), with those who have 
 been governors of Bussora, Hellah, and Merdin, are commonly ad- 
 mitted to the Divan, or council of the Pashalik. 
 
 In the Divan, as thus described, every affair of importance should 
 be previously discussed ; as several of its members, (as the Janizary 
 Aga, the treasurer, and the three seniors of the Ullema,) being con- 
 stitutionally supposed to hold their appointments independently of the 
 Pasha's will, are intended as a check to every assumption of power 
 on his part. Whilst these precautions, however, are rendered of 
 slight avail, by the liberty the Pashas have lately exercised, of re- 
 commending or selecting their own creatures for these supervising 
 appointments, the formality of the consultation itself is frequently 
 neglected for a private consideration of the subject with a few favour- 
 ites, and sometimes with the ladies of the family. Entirely distinct 
 and separate from this great body politic, (in the original design at 
 least,) are those various officers of the household, who are so fre- 
 quently confounded with the officers of state ; and have indeed as- 
 sumed to themselves a very undue share of their authority. These 
 are, (besides the Kaija, the Janizary Aga, the treasurer, and prin- 
 cipal secretary, who at present equally belong to the household and 
 the government,) first, their deputies ; next the Harem Kiajasi, or 
 superintendent of the Harem ; a master of the ceremonies, a grand 
 equerry, a chief executioner (which is a nominal appointment), with 
 a numerous body guard ; from amongst whom the Selikdar or sword- 
 bearer, the Tchakedar Aga or chief of the messengers, the inspector
 
 MILITARY FORCE. Ig5 
 
 o£ the wardrobe, the cup-bearer, the provider of coffee, the chief 
 confectioner, the superintendant of the horse-furniture, the inspector 
 of the tents and carpets, with the governor of the pages, and many 
 other appointments, are usually filled up. 
 
 Of the military force of the Pashalik, partly under some of the 
 officers already named, and partly under officers with distinct military 
 titles, it is extremely difficult to speak ; for should we confound the 
 janizaries of the place, with the army of the Pasha, we should be 
 exalting half the tinkers, tailors, and cobblers of Bagdad, to those 
 honours they have never merited ; though they commonly boast their 
 being inscribed on the list of janizaries, except on those occasions 
 when their services are required in the field. Sayud Pasha, we 
 understood, including his body-guard, had about five thousand men 
 (regularly exercised) in his own immediate pay, (and entirely distinct 
 from his seven thousand Arab confederates,) during the great contest 
 we have already spoken of Besides these, there were ten thousand 
 janizaries in the town, commanded by officers who should be ap- 
 pointed from Constanfinople ; and who form the militia of the place, 
 considering themselves exempt from all other services but the defence. 
 Of the remaining twelve or fifleen thousand, who are supposed to 
 complete the number which the strength of the place is commonly 
 rated at, there is scarcely one who is any thing more than inscribed 
 on the list of janizaries ; whilst they generally follow their own trades, 
 without ever troubling themselves with the duties of their state. The 
 force we have described would thus amount, on the whole, to about 
 fifteen thousand men ; whilst it is probable, that on occasions of emer- 
 gency, and where the will of the chiefs went in conformity with the 
 imperial firman, near forty thousand men might perhaps be raised in 
 the city and its dependent provinces. Of these, however, it must be 
 recollected, there are not above twelve or fifteen thousand at the most, 
 that would be found deserving of the name of soldiers, or that have 
 ever been accustomed to military duties of any kind ; the remainder 
 in general being an idle, disorderly rabble, that has been forced into 
 
 B B
 
 186 MANNERS. 
 
 the service, and might rather hinder than assist their better and more 
 warlike troops. 
 
 We have described the ceremonies of our introduction to the Pasha 
 on the occasion of his accession ; and stated the extent of the city, 
 and the present amount of its population. On the whole, it may be 
 seen from these notices, how greatly it has fallen off from its former 
 splendour and mighty pre-eminence. It still contains, however, in 
 the variety of manners it presents, as associated with the recollection 
 of its former state, a great deal indeed to attract the attention, and to 
 excite the wonder of the European traveller. The splendour of the 
 Pasha's court is perhaps devoid of those real comforts and pleasing 
 luxuries, that belong to the state of European potentates ; the charms 
 of unlimited authority, however, may be distinguished in the ready 
 obedience and obsequious demeanour of his attendants and subordi- 
 nate officers. He reigns the mere ephemera of the day; but whilst 
 the planet of his fortunes soars in the ascendant, his will is law, and 
 his slightest wishes the mandates of the state : obsequious crowds 
 await his smilp, anrl almost Viefore he has willed, his desires have been 
 accomplished. 
 
 In the manner of living and in the habits of the principal inhabit- 
 ants, we must no longer seek the splendour of that overflowing wealth 
 which the spoil of many nations had accumulated in a great metro- 
 polis : we may still discern some remains, however, of that extraor- 
 dinary magnificence which almost exceeds belief, and has equally 
 raised the wonder and tried the credulity of the reader who has in- 
 dulged in the visionary scenes of a thousand nights. Haroun al Ras- 
 chid and the Barmacidees, the caliph and his vizier GiafFar, the 
 beauties of his court, and the gorgeous palaces they inhabited, his 
 great merchants and astrologers lending the wonders of their wealth 
 and art to assist the visions of the scene, have all gone by. Like 
 players on the stage, in the grand pageant show of the concluding 
 scene, they have all been called forth to grace a performance that 
 was perfect in the acting ; but which acted leaves only the pleasing 
 recollection of a dream, even whilst the actors remain in sight.
 
 MANNERS. 187 
 
 In the contrast of its splendid bazars, however, in the consUnt 
 bustle of its populous streets, as compared with the mournful 
 and desolate stillness of the wilderness around, enough is even 
 yet left to raise the wonder of the traveller, though not to sanction 
 the belief of those absurdities we have all, perhaps, so greatly ad- 
 mired, and implicitly credited. 
 
 Such is the present state of this great capital : it presents something 
 in the novelties of the scene, but more in those recollections which 
 are allied to the memory of its former condition. Its bazars are 
 splendid beyond any thing we have ever seen in other parts, even, as 
 We might almost assert, in the capital of the Turkish empire itself; 
 its fruits as delicious and highly flavoured as any of the East ; its 
 people as highly civilised, and perhaps more courteous in their de- 
 meanour towards Europeans than those of any other Mahomedan city 
 we are acquainted with. * It possesses many advantages both of climate 
 and situation, and enjoys a considerable trade ; still, if it were not 
 Bagdad, the city of wonders and romance, it might not be so highly 
 
 * Little incidents are often illustrative of the general feeling ; and some notion may 
 be formed of the character we have obtained in the East from the following. I was one 
 morning sauntering in front of the Pasha's Seroy, when a fellow accosted me civilly and 
 offered to show me a great wonder. A bunch of keys was produced, and a small 
 wicket opened leading into a dark narrow passage between two walls. In such a place, 
 it was not a very inviting adventure ; but having my sabre on I led the way at the 
 desire of my guide ; the passage being incapable of admitting two abreast. 
 
 We proceeded in the dark about twenty paces, when coming to a sudden turn made 
 visible by a ray of light that burst in from above, I found myself alone in a den •with two 
 lionsy who were devouring the remains of an animal that had been thrown in. This, said 
 the fellow, is the sight! — such a sight, I must confess, as I could have dispensed with ; the 
 animals being loose, of an immense size, and absolutely wallowing in the blood of their 
 victim. 
 
 I was not long in effecting my retreat, blessing my stars that tliey were so well cm- 
 ployed ; when the door being closed, the fellow with a grin of satisfaction asked me for 
 his buksheesh. A present ! said I ; you may esteem yourself fortunate if I don't get you 
 punished for your imprudence. What could you have said to Mr. Rich or the Pasha if I 
 had been killed ? He was at no loss, however, for a reply. " Sir, (said he, with perfect 
 simplicity,) I mad really understood an English Fabingee was not afraid of ant 
 THING." — The appeal was irresistible, so I was obliged to comply; assuring him I was 
 only angry because he bad not previously desired me to draw my sword, to strike off both 
 their heads in case of necessity i 
 
 BB 2
 
 188 MANNERS. 
 
 spoken of as it generally is. To the European, it affords but few 
 of those amusements, after a while, that are suited to our taste ; it 
 possesses this advantage, however, over the generality of Mahomedan 
 cities we are acquainted with, that the wanderer may stroll forth 
 in his rambles, in perfect security ; the police of the city in general 
 being so excellent, as to set him above the fear of those insults which 
 are but too common in other parts. In the midst of those troubles 
 and dissensions we have described, except in the very moment of the 
 strife itself, we were constantly abroad: we never met, however, 
 with the slightest insult or annoyance of any kind. We went con- 
 stantly to the baths, and hunted whenever an opportunity presented 
 itself: we were frequently lost in these wanderings, when entirely 
 alone, but were always treated with the greatest civility, being more 
 than once conducted home by the first person of whom we encjuired 
 our way.
 
 189 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 DEPARTURE FROM BAGDAD. JOURNEY INTO THE MOUNTAINS OP KOORDISTAN. RE- 
 MARKABLE PASS INTO THE VALLEY OF SULLIMANEY. ADVENTURES ON THE ROAD. — 
 
 ROBBERS. — FIOHT. RETREAT OF HERACLIUS THROUGH KOORDISTAN. RIVERS. 
 
 DESCENT INTO THE PLAIN. KOEESINJAK. KOORDISH MANNERS, CHARACTER, AND 
 
 CUSTOMS. — ARRIVAL AT ERfilL. CEREMONY OF OPENING AND READING THE IMPERIAL 
 
 FIRMAN, AND PROCLAMATION OF DAOOD EFFENDI. KARAKOOSH ; AND ARRIVAL AT 
 
 MOSUL. 
 
 On the 28th of February, an agreement was kindly made for me 
 with Aly Aga Chuhngee * to convey me to Constantinople for 600 
 piastres, to be paid him on my personal account, and beyond the 
 amount for the public dispatches we had with us, which is commonly 
 allowed : it being also understood 1 was to make a small present to 
 the servant according to his services and conduct on the road. As 
 this important personage had already been specially engaged by the 
 
 • " Aly Aga" wns the name. " Chulingcc" (or he who wears an aigrette in his tur- 
 ban) being a surname given. him on the occasion of his receiving a small jewel of this de- 
 scription, from the Pasha of Egypt, for bringing in two Frenchmen's heads at the time of 
 the invasion. According to the then rate of exchange, GOO piastres amounted only to 
 about j£20. I only sjient about jf 10 more on the road between Bagdad and Constantinople; 
 and even this I might have saved, as it was given away at the post-houses to the servants 
 and drivers, merely to throw a little dust into their eyes, and secure their more willing 
 services. The distance from Bagdad to Constautinople is about 1800 miles, but upwards 
 of 2000 the way I came ; and for the 600 piastres, I was furnished with horses, lodgings, 
 and accommodations of every kind on the road ; not in a very sumptuous style, it is true, 
 but the best that could be had, and the very same as if I had paid 6000 piastres for the same 
 purpose. On the whole, the Tartar must have received near 4000 piastres for this jour- 
 ney, though had I not met with this opportunity, I must have paid 2000 on my own ac- 
 count, the Company's Tartars receiving 1200 for the twenty-five days in summer, and 
 thirty in winter, which they are allowed to be on the road ; with 200 piastres for every 
 day they can gain on the twenty-five by hard riding. It may be seen from this, that it is 
 their intei:est to deliver the dispatches as soon as possible, and accordingly some very ex- 
 traordinary instances of hard riding amongst them have been known. Twenty days is a 
 common feat, seventeen by no means unusual; and I have heard of a man who had per> 
 formed the 1 800 miles m thirteen days.
 
 190 DOKHALA. 
 
 new Pasha for the conveyance of the heads, it may be conceived that 
 the present journey was likely to turn out to some account. He 
 was in fact paid by the Pasha, by the Company, and by myself; 
 nothing, however, can, I believe, restrain these gentlemen from the 
 inveterate habit of encumbering themselves with packages and mer- 
 chandize. The practice has been complained of by every traveller 
 before me, and is indeed too lucrative to be resigned, though ex- 
 tremely inconvenient on all accounts ; the best horses being com- 
 monly selected for these heavy loads of merchandize, whilst the 
 dangers of the road are certainly increased by the inducements held 
 out to plunderers, where their value is known or suspected. 
 
 March 1. — At two P. M. I was called for at the residency by a 
 Tartar servant who brought my horse. The animal was a stout sub- 
 stantial Arab of the largest size ; and as I had reason to congratulate 
 myself on the selection, and was already dressed, I took my leave of 
 my kind host and his family, and immediately set off. We had not 
 proceeded far, however, before we stopped in a narrow street, and 
 were detained for nearly two hours in receiving sundry letters and 
 packages of greater importance apparently than luy lunnble self. 
 The conduct of my worthy Chiouse, Solyman Aga, had certainly 
 prepared me, in some degree, for sundry mortifications of this kind : I 
 had not expected, however, from the character that had been given 
 me of my guide, that these little inconveniences would so immediately 
 assail me in the presence, I may almost say, of the kind friends I 
 had left ; and who were enjoying themselves at their ease, totally un- 
 conscious, most certainly, of the delays I was experiencing. 
 
 When we had cleared the city entirely, we made another halt to 
 await the arrival of our Chief; and I then found our party consisted 
 of nine stout able men, perfectly well armed, with six loaded mules, 
 three spare horses, and five drivers on foot for the whole. Our 
 road lay through the desert that surrounds the town, and was never 
 at any great distance from the river bank. After riding for six hours, 
 we halted at a miserable caravanseray near the village of Dokhala, 
 a distance of about twenty miles, our progress having been extremely
 
 DELLY ABBAS. ]91 
 
 slow in consequence of frequent halts to arrange and fasten the 
 packages. 
 
 On the 2d, we marched from four A. M. through a level flat, 
 passed the ruins of three villages, and halted, at ten of the forenoon, 
 in a small miserable town that was almost deserted by its inhabitants. 
 Here, it would seem, no supplies of any kind could be procured : my 
 companions, however, were not of a temper to be easily satisfied 
 with the excuses that could be made by the few half-starved wretches 
 whom they hunted out. We drove our mules into the court of the 
 first vacant house, and entreaties having failed, the comchee was now 
 liberally applied. One of the Turks, in particular, was so indignant at 
 the delay, that he twisted the lash of his whip round the neck of an un- 
 fortunate fellow whom he had caught, and, drawing his sabre, was with 
 difficulty withheld by the rest from striking off the suppliant's head. 
 My Tartar, now coming up, interposed at my request, and was a per- 
 sonan^e of too much importance to be denied so small a boon. After 
 a while, therefore, we shifted our quarters to another house, and by 
 the liberal application of the whip, and the sight of a few piastres, 
 succeeded, at last, in procuring a portion o£ the wretched food which 
 these unfortunate villagers had yet remaining, or had preserved from 
 the rapacity of the troops that had passed so short a time before. 
 The distance we had rode this day was only eighteen miles and three 
 quarters ; with scarcely any food or rest, however, it was enough. 
 
 On the 3d, we marched one-and-twenty miles through a flat 
 country intersected with deep ravines, and passed one small village 
 only ; the place we halted at answering to Delly Abbas in the number 
 of the marches we had made. 
 
 On the 4th, we were joined by ten men on horseback, well mounted, 
 and perfectly well armed. These in general were Koords, with the 
 exception of a Georgian, whom I had once observed in attendance, I 
 believe, at the Pasha's court Congratulating myself on this increase 
 of our strength, I was little aware of the inconveniences and mortifi- 
 cations that were in store for me from a junction I had esteemed 
 peculiarly fortunate. This mighty personage, I was soon given to
 
 192 KIFRI. 
 
 understand, was a confidential slave of the new Pasha's ; he was in- 
 deed of so inferior a rank, that I had once observed him standing 
 amongst the servants of the court, whilst, with the gentlemen of the 
 mission, I had been honoured with a seat in the presence of his lord. 
 Our relative conditions, however, were now most woefully reversed ; 
 as from the day he joined, he entirely engrossed the attention of my 
 Tartar, was always complimented with the most comfortable room, 
 and the most honourable seat, and was in fact all in all ; whilst the 
 English ballios and his dignity, neglected and contemned, stood like 
 a cypher in the great account. The fellow, to speak the truth, was 
 oflen sufficiently condescending in his enquiries. When he had no- 
 thing else to do, he would call for the Faringee, or the English bal- 
 lios, (as the mood might suit,) to answer his queries, and while away 
 the time : it was always done, however, with an air of superiority, 
 for which I could have repaid him sword in hand with the the greatest 
 glee, had the occasion been only suitable, and we had been left alone. 
 
 We set off at five A. M., and at nine began a rocky pass, which we 
 had not entirely cleared until eleven. At twelve we crossed the Shat 
 ul Narin over a brick-built bridge of six arches ; the country being an 
 entire desert, and without a single village on either flank. After 
 halting a quarter of an hour to water our horses at the river, we re- 
 sumed our course, and at two P. M. reached Karatapah, a small 
 village distant thirty miles from our former resting place. 
 
 On Wednesday the 5th, we left at five A. M., marching through a 
 desert uncultivated country, over rising grounds covered with stones, 
 crossing several rivulets, and a wide but shallow stream that partially 
 occupies the bed of a river, flowing over loose pebbles and a stony 
 soil in its greatest height. The distance this morning was twenty- 
 three miles to Kifri, where we halted for near three hours ; and hav- 
 ing seized a sheep by force, as we approached the town, wc killed it, 
 divided it with our daggers, and finished it entirely in less than half 
 the time it took to slaughter it. I had often seen things of the kind, 
 before, but never quite so sudden a dispatch ; some of the Koords not 
 even taking the skin off the quarter allotted them, but throwing the
 
 JOURNEY INTO KOORDISTAN. ]93 
 
 joint at once into the fire, and afterwards, merely scraping the outside 
 off. Kifri is a small clean village, surrounded with a wall, extremely 
 pretty, and with a good post-house, but was then entirely deserted. 
 
 At three P. M. we again mounted, turning off considerably to the 
 right of the direct and most usual road, and shaping our course a 
 little north of east, for the mountains of Koordistan. As yet our 
 deviations from the common route, since our departure from Bagdad, 
 had been of no consequence ; we now left it, however, entirely, and 
 pursued our journey through that unknown tract, to the N. E. of 
 Kifri, which is generally left a blank in all the maps, for want of 
 mithcnlic materials to fill it up. We have to regret that an entire 
 want of instruments, with other disadvantages we laboured under, 
 should have rendered our researches so incomplete : we may believe, 
 however, from the constant practice of many years, and the variety 
 and extent of the measured distances we had timed ourselves upon 
 on former occasions, that our estimates of distances are in general 
 sufficiently correct. 
 
 TJie country wc now rode over on first turning off was high and 
 undulating, without any villages, or the slightest traces of cultivation. 
 At the distance of eleven miles from Kifri, making thirty-four for the 
 day, we reached a Koordish camp just as the night set in. The 
 weather was now exceedingly cold, from the height of the ground 
 wc had attained ; but as our hosts refused us the shelter of their tents, 
 and were indeed more likely to attack and plunder us, than to supply 
 our wants, we were constrained to pack our saddles up in the centre 
 of their camp, and to repose in the open air; with the comfortable 
 addenda of being constantly on the watch, and momentarily disturbed 
 by the apprehension of a surprise. 
 
 The people wc were now amongst were entirely a distinct race, as 
 to origin, manners, and customs, from those lawless, yet hospitable 
 and generous wanderers I had so often reposed amongst. The tribe 
 around us was certainly of very inferior consequence : their numbers 
 were scarcely stronger than our own, exclusive of women, children, 
 and aged men ; we were, however, frequently disturbed by the silent 
 
 c c
 
 194 KOORDISH ROBBERS. 
 
 approach of tliese marauders to our packs; and were obliged to de- 
 clare more than once, that the first man would be cut down who 
 ventured beyond the limits we had usurped. Their dress was ex- 
 ceedingly simple, and well becoming the rude habits of* their lives, 
 and the wildness of the scenes around ; both men and women were in 
 general clothed in brown woollen jackets, (though of different shapes,) 
 and loose drawers, fastened round the middle by a leather belt. Above 
 these they wore square thick cumlins, drawn over the shoulders, and 
 fastened in front over the chest by the two nearest corners. The 
 chief distinction indeed that could be observed, between the two sexes, 
 was in their head-dress ; the men wearing peaked woollen caps, not 
 unlike our Welsh wigs, if they were drawn to a point, whilst the women, 
 in general, had their heads enclosed in numerous folds of stuff twisted 
 round the crown in the shape of a turban. 
 
 On Thursday the 6th, at six A. M., we continued our march over 
 rocky desert hills, and through an elevated country, until eleven, 
 when we crossed a rivulet, a branch of the Arba probably, and halted 
 at Ibraliim Kanchee, a small Koordish village, with a tolerable house 
 for the reception of travellers. Distance twenty miles for the day. 
 
 On Friday the 7 th we marched from seven A. JM. for seven hours 
 and a half, over very high rocky mountains, without passing a village 
 on the road ; though we could frequently observe very numerous and 
 extensive collections of tombs on the heights to the right and left. 
 As we rode over this bleak barren tract, that could only remind us, 
 in the number of these monuments, of the uncertainty of life, our 
 advance was suddenly encountered by a strong party of well mounted 
 Koords, who desired them to halt, and proceeded at once to examine 
 our mules. It was on the brow, and at the turn of a hill crowned 
 with the mountain pine, and exactly suited to these sudden and pre- 
 datory attacks, that our baggage, which had proceeded in front, 
 was thus rudely stopped. Our drivers, who had been previously 
 tutored for occurrences of the kind, and would have run away at any 
 rate, immediately resigned their charge, and fled with all their might 
 to inform us of the danger that awaited these valuable packages.
 
 EFFICACY OF THE WHIP. 105 
 
 Being some hundred yards in front, I could only be cautioned to stop, 
 when the rest of our party, alarmed by distant cries, advanced at 
 speed. A word was scarcely wanted to explain the tale which their 
 frightened looks had told ; and pushing our horses to the utmost for 
 a quarter of a mile, we were soon up with our opj)onents ; many of 
 whom had already dismounted, and were employing themselves in 
 reloading the animals to drive them off. Our leadin<j Tartars now 
 gave a hideous shout, and rode furiously at the intruders with their 
 sabres drawn. The appearance of our increasing numbers, however, 
 was enough ; and we could scarcely have a cut at the hindmost, be- 
 fore we found ourselves masters of the field ; the Koords, who had 
 not expected resistance, flying on every side over ground which our 
 horses could not follow them through. 
 
 At half past two P. M., after riding for seven hours and a half, or 
 twenty-seven miles, we halted at Kitchan, a small miserable village 
 on the declivity of a hill, where the houses are scooped out of the 
 slope, and only covered with reeds and mud. At this place, the 
 most trivial accoiuniodatioiis could not be procured, not even a hut 
 for shelter ; though the weather threatened rain, and was piercing 
 cold. Our folks, however, were too elated with their late exploit, 
 and too naturally addicted to the use of their whips, to be put offi 
 After a while, therefore, but not until the Koords, men, women, and 
 children, had been well beaten, and were entirely resigned, we ob- 
 tained a tent, and the best and only food they had. 
 
 I have often wondered at the efficacy of the whip. To the Tartar 
 it is every thing. If his horse is good, a loud crack above his head 
 incites him to exertion ; if bad, a closer application impels his speed. 
 If the animal falls, breathless and spent with toil, the whip is imme- 
 diately brought in : the Tartar were;' resigns his seat, but commences 
 at once an exercise, which as many join in as the length and breadth 
 of the unfortunate carcase will admit. Are provisions wanting, the 
 whip is the sole resource ; the Tartar sits down, entreats for a while, 
 curses his fate that he must have recourse to such drudgery ; and next 
 falls to with a willing hand, distributing his favours " a tort et a travers," 
 
 c c 2
 
 19C CONDITION OF THE PEOPLE. 
 
 until his wants are attended to. In the poorest villages, vvliere there 
 was not so much as a chicken to be found, I have seen the comchee 
 produce a dozen full grown venerable hens. Where a blade of grass 
 could not grow, for a single sheep to feed upon, whole flocks have 
 been suddenly presented to our choice. If our horses failed, the 
 whip first produced a change, and next impelled the most worn out 
 hacks to the most extraordinary exertions. It was, in short, so evi- 
 dently the natural weapon, and the great specific on all occasions of 
 emergency and disCress, that I often wondered how it was that I 
 escaped the favour, and frequently asked myself the reason why the 
 Koords and Arabs denied us any thing we asked. 
 
 Whenever any thing was refused, the whip was regularly intro- 
 duced, and commonly with good effect : I could only wonder, there- 
 fore, why the villagers would thus insist on being thrashed, when ailer 
 all the poor creatures were obliged to comply with our demands. 
 Was it the effect of a natural obstinacy, which nothing but blows 
 could overcome? or is it the consequence of that inveterate hatred of 
 their tyrants, that can almost rejoice in those sufferings, which are 
 nearly equally divided betwixt hunger and the lash? I must believe, 
 in truth, that an Arab and a Koord, a Christian and a Greek, would 
 almost die with pleasure under the torments of the lash, to distress 
 their proud oppressors ; but if this feeling is general, as it is most cer- 
 tainly, why not draw the sword, and cast the scabbard to the wind ? 
 Neither the one nor the other, I am convinced, are deficient in tliose 
 daring qualities which the contest would naturally call forth ; it is the 
 consequence, therefore, of that general apathy, that can only feel a 
 private injury, and overlooks, in the momentary exemption from per- 
 sonal suffering, the public wrong which tyranny inflicts. 
 
 Trivial as these circumstances may appear, if we only view another 
 state, and anticipate the change, we shall at once perceive myriads 
 of these warlike tribes in arms to rcvenj^e themselves at the call of 
 the first deliverer that shall present himself. We shall at once anti- 
 cipate the fall of that^ colossal power which has lived in tears and 
 wallowed in oppression, but which is now drawing to a close, and
 
 MOUNTAINS OF KOORDISTAN. 197 
 
 must be immediately replaced, either to make room for the rising 
 strength of other states, or for the general weakness of increasing 
 anarchy. The empire of the Ottomans, already on its decline in 
 ancient Greece, is equally weak in its other extremities. Unless, 
 therefore, the concentrating of its strength should endow it with 
 new vigour, we may probably behold it circumscribed within those 
 narrow bounds which the Taurus, the Euxine, and the desert mark. 
 What power may succeed is a question that may well be asked ; 
 the enquiry, however, is even more foreign to the simple pur- 
 poses of a plain narrative than the digression in which we have 
 indulged. 
 
 On the 8th, we set off at six A. M. : the elevation we had attained 
 was already very considerably above the level of the plains : our as- 
 cent, however, became now even more apparpnt than before, the coun- 
 try itself gradually assuming a far difFerent and a more pleasing aspect. 
 In passing a small encampment at the loot of the hills before us, a 
 few of our party rode off at speed, and soizod every horse they 
 could collect : wc were immediately pursued, but found too strong for 
 an attack ; the unfortunate creatures, therefore, were obliged to fol- 
 low us on foot for the doubtful chance of recovering their property at 
 some future time. My companions often execrated the country we 
 travelled through, as inhabited by robbers and plunderers : But I 
 must confess, that wherever our strength was sufficient, we were 
 certainly the greatest and most lawless banditti of the whole. 
 
 With the fresh horses we had thus forced away, we relieved the 
 worst of our train, and commenced ascending an immense mountain, 
 that certainly required the exertions of superior strength. We could 
 now distinctly perceive above us those eternal snows that had hitherto 
 appeared as a distant cloud. Happening at this time to stop with a 
 Tartar in the rear, a pistol was fired from behind a rock, and I was 
 severely chid for separating from my companions, as another band, of 
 a very suspicious appearance, was immediately at hand. I know not 
 what could have been the object of these wandering marauders, 
 whether to frighten or to kill ; but certainly we never passed a man
 
 198 MOUNTAINS OF KOORDISTAN. 
 
 that was not immediately dignified with the title of an enemy. Anxious 
 as 1 felt to view at my ease the mighty grandeur of the scene, it 
 was of no avail that I com})lained of the weakness of my horse. The 
 great specific was immediately applied; and we scrambled up at a rate 
 that might almost have frightened me, had I not been entirely 
 taken up with the wild illusions of the scene. 
 
 AVe had been ascending ever since the 4th, and yet was the height 
 before ns apparently insurmountable: we had gone through a desert 
 tract with scarcely a brook, a village, or the shelter of a tree ; and 
 yet the country now appeared equally well watered and populous, 
 from the immense range of prospect that was below us, and of 
 which the more prominent features were thrown together in this dis- 
 tant view. Forsaking for a while the sweet-scented violet, with all 
 her rival train, the mountain shrubs now appeared in their winter 
 garb ; and as we ascended, we gradually found the snow increase, 
 until, at last, we reached the wall, the three bastions, and the barrier, 
 at the summit of these hills. The height we had attained, an al- 
 pine region in all its majesty, was, however, crowned by superior 
 heights on either side, which overlooked the break we had reached, 
 in all the grandeur of imposing strength. 
 
 We crossed the barrier through a gateway that was almost crumb- 
 ling into dust, and began our descent through the snow by an equally 
 rugged path, and with equal rapidity. The Tartars seldom increase 
 or diminish their speed according to the nature of the ground ; and I 
 could not but wonder at the security of our course at the rate we 
 went, especially as our horses were such miserable jaded hacks. 
 
 When we had got about half-way down, we made a general halt 
 under the shelter of a tree ; and after devouring the remains of a 
 kid we had plundered and preserved for thfe occasion, and lighting 
 our chubooks, we again mounted, and pursued our course at a canter 
 along the rugged path. I expected, every moment, to be dashed to 
 pieces down the precipice : but I felt it a point of honour, not 
 to betray the least alarm, as my companions frequently asked me, 
 with a laugh, liow I liked this Tartar rate of travelling.
 
 MOUNTAINS OF KOOKDISTAN. I99 
 
 When we had reached the foot of the great mountain we had 
 passed, though our course was still on the descent, its rapidity 
 was less dangerous, whilst our road lay chiefly through a narrow 
 winding chasm, the bed of a mountain rivulet. At last, the road 
 became entirely confined within its banks, and it was extremely diffi- 
 cult to perceive the outlet we were anxious to attain. Before in- 
 deed it could be reached, our horses were up to the saddle in the 
 stream ; and before we could get out through a narrow break in the 
 mountain, which a loaded camel could not have passed, several of the 
 poor creatures were absolutely off their legs. 
 
 The stream, on bursting forth, passes under an arch, over which 
 the roads of the valley coramunicfite ; but our course to reach this 
 road obliged us to scramble up the bank and behind the parapet ; in 
 which attempt, two of our horses fell back, and one of them was 
 lost. The accompanying sketch will afford a very imperfect idea of 
 the very extraordinary abruptness of this mighty break. It is not in 
 fact to be described, and appears as if some giant's hand had rent 
 the hill in twain to stride into the plain. 
 
 In a narrow dale, surroimded by inferior hills, we halted at Dollan 
 on the evening of this day. This is a small pretty village divided by 
 two or three limpid brooks, in one of which I bathed to refresh my- 
 self. The people appeared coarse but hospitable ; and some women, 
 who saw me in the act of plunging into the stream, scrupled not to 
 invite me up to the recess they occupied. Any dalliance of the kind, 
 however, is extremely dangerous, and, to confess the truth, these 
 venerable matrons had not sufficient charms to induce the weary 
 traveller to transgress. After washing myself, I returned to the house 
 we occupied, where I found my companions listening attentively to 
 one of the mountain bards. The fellow was clothed in black, and 
 had a bear's skin over his shoulders ; whilst, with a tambour in his 
 hand, and with his hair flying loose over his shoulders in wild dis- 
 order, he sung with frantic gestures the mighty deeds of ancient 
 times. A few paras being collected, we retired for the night ; and I 
 composed myself to sleep in the open air, to avoid the fleas and
 
 200 ARRIVAL AT SULIMANEY. 
 
 smoke of our hut The distance this day had been six hours, or 
 twenty-one miles. The pass through which we had crossed the 
 mountains is called the Saogirmah by the people of the country. 
 
 On Sunday the 9th, we marched from six A.M. over a hilly 
 country, and through vales till twelve for six hours, or about twenty- 
 one miles ; when the road having been generally on the descent, 
 even from Dollan, we came down into a fruitful luxuriant plain, 
 about ten or twelve miles in width, by thirty or thirty-live in length. 
 It is watered by a small fordable river that passes by Sulimaney, 
 the capital of Koordistan, where we halted lor the day. The coimected 
 part of the town may be about two miles in circumference, though 
 many detached buildings and entire villages might greatly extend 
 this circle, if included in the account. The houses are built of mud 
 and unburnt bricks, with flat heavy roofs, seldom above one story 
 high J and, generally speaking, are equally inconvenient and mean in 
 their appearance. The population, which cannot amount to more 
 than twelve or fifteen thousand souls, consists entirely of Koords ; 
 with the exception of a very few Jewish and Armenian families, who 
 reside there for commercial purposes, and apparently engross the 
 entire management of the trade. 
 
 Having dispatches for the local authorities from their superior, the 
 Pasha of Koordistan, who was in Daood Effendi's camp, we were 
 lodged in the Seroy, and most hospitably entertained. Our dinner 
 was very similar to those Turkish and Persian entertainments which 
 have been so often described by other travellers : it was composed of 
 a variety of stews, pillaws, and curries ; with several plates of pre- 
 serves : the thing, however, that most attracted my attention, from 
 having heard it spoken of as the national dish of Koordistan, was a 
 hare-stew that was strongly recommended to my notice. From the 
 smell, I was led to conjecture the animal had been kept until abso- 
 lutely rotten, and had then been dressed in blood and fat with great 
 quantities of garlic and spices of various kinds : so that, although 
 accustomed to high-seasoned dishes, I found its pungency and smell 
 beyond my powers of endurance, and was obliged to resign my share ;
 
 TRADITIONS AND PROPHECIES. iJOl 
 
 much to the entertainment of the company, who could imagine no- 
 thing better, and wondered at my want of taste. 
 
 When the mystery was explained, by their being informed that I 
 was an English Faringee, and not accustomed to such good things, I 
 verily thought, that in the eagerness of their curiosity at finding a 
 Frank amongst them, I should have been pulled to pieces ; for one 
 and all they attacked me with questions and enquiries, requesting to 
 see my pistols, my sword, my watch, my silver pencil-case ; and scarcely 
 allowing me time to pull them out before they all rushed upon me to 
 share the sight. My pistols were loaded with ball, and as the fellows 
 absolutely trembled with impatience to snatch them from each 
 other, and to examine the workmanship, I expected every moment 
 some fatal accident would have taken place. Luckily, the locks 
 were stopped, and to prevent a request I might have been forced to 
 comply with, I was obliged to assure them they could only be fired 
 by the aid of a secret known only to myself: a truth I exemplified, 
 afler one or two had tried, by firing them at a pillar in the court, 
 which I luckily hit 
 
 I could easily perceive my Tartar was not quite so simple as the 
 rest; the experiment, however, gave the conversation another turn; 
 and after expressing their astonishment at the quickness with which 
 I could reload, they all agreed the Faringees were certainly the mois( 
 wonderful people in the world; and informed me, their country had 
 been once invaded by Iskander, a great Roomee warrior, with whose 
 valourous feats they attempted to entertain me : concluding a variety 
 of idle tales 1 could imperfectly understand, as interpreted, by assur- 
 ing me the Russians were the only people nmv left who could ever 
 conquer them. This, indeed, they said had been prophesied, and 
 they wished to know whether the English Faringees were on friendly 
 terms with that tribe. The Russians, the French, (as the followers 
 of Buonaparte,) and the English, were the only European nations 
 with whose existence they were acquainted ; even the names of other 
 powers being entirely unknown amongst these mountaineers. With 
 the English they had become acquainted through those of their 
 
 D D
 
 202 DREAD OF THE RUSSIAN& 
 
 countrymen who had visited Bagdad ; it is a fact, however, deserving 
 of attention, that throughout the great extent of country I travelled 
 over, the like dread of an invasion from Russia seemed equally to 
 prevail. Wherever I went, as far as I could understand, it was the 
 general theme, and they always appeared solicitous to know the part 
 the English and Buonaparte would take in the contest. I assured 
 them Buonaparte was safely disposed of, and our prisoner ; but this 
 they would not believe, whilst they almost seemed to wish the 
 contrary, as their only protection from the Russians ; whom they 
 affected to detest, though convinced of their invincibility. 
 
 Whether these northern conquerors will ever venture on the exe- 
 cution of a design they are so generally supposed to entertain ; either 
 with a view to the subjugation of India, or to establishments on the 
 Persian Gulf; is more than we shall take upon ourselves to advance. 
 In either of these directions the physical obstacles to be encountered 
 are certainly very great. Judging, however, from the numbers of 
 Russian and French wanderers, (the remains of Buonaparte's school,) 
 who may be found in every direction leading to the northern shores 
 of the Persian Gulf, and to the northern frontiers of Persia and 
 Hindoostan ; we might certainly be led to suppose, so many indi- 
 viduals, without any visible means of subsistence or commercial pur- 
 poses in view, can only be actuated by a spirit of enquiry that finds 
 its reward in the sanction and support of superior authority. In 
 Persia, indeed, and at Bagdad and Bussora, a number of the Russians 
 whom we met were certainly prisoners of the lowest rank ; but they 
 are not all of this description ; and we have adverted to the fact, 
 no less on our own, than on the authority of several very respect- 
 able natives, who spoke from their own knowledge of its truth. 
 
 On the 10th we proceeded in the length of the valley from eight 
 till half-past three, for seven hours and a half; and at the average 
 rate of near four miles and a half per hour ; making a distance of 
 thirty-three miles for the day. We passed four villages on this 
 march, and were already rising out of the vaWey, when we came to a 
 circular bason of water at the foot of a small hillock, which is sup- 
 plied by at least a dozen clear limpid springs issuing from the de-
 
 SUZA. 203 
 
 clivity, and which form at once a very considerable stream. It is in 
 this respect extremely remarkable, that like the wells which supply 
 the Nile (according to Bruce), this fountain is immediately the origin 
 of a current which exists in itself for a considerable distance, instead 
 of being formed, like other rivers, by the gradual junction of several 
 tributary streams ; so that it is original and self-derived, assuming at 
 once the appearance of a rivulet even in its birth. 
 
 On halting, at the end of this march, we came to a small village 
 called Suza * ; where, in a round bason like that of the rivulet we have 
 just described, we saw immense quantities of fish, that were so 
 tame -f- as to come forward whenever we struck the stones or made 
 
 • A place of this name, and nearly in the same position, it would seem, is spoken of 
 in the account we have of Artaxerxes's expedition into Carduchia : he appears to have re- 
 turned there, after losing a considerable part of his army. — Vide H. Prideaux, Old and 
 New Testament Connected, p. 647, 648, vol. ii.; also 230, vol. i. 
 
 f This instinct, in a creature, comparatively speaking, of very inferior intelligence, and 
 generally supposed deficient in the sense of hearing especially, might have astonished me 
 the more, had I not previously ascertained its existence under circumstances in their nature 
 even more singular. 
 
 That creatures of this kind, confined within narrow bounds they cannot cross, should 
 become gradually aware of the protection they enjoy, and feel at last reconciled to the 
 voice of man, may appear in itself sufficiently remarkable. Near Manantoddy, in Mala- 
 bar, however, at a small nair pagoda on the banks of a river, and m the stream itself, I 
 have seen immense shoals of fish perfectly tame, and apparently sensible of their security, 
 as they never forsake the spot, where they have been known for ages I believe, the alter- 
 nate object of reverence and curiosity. 
 
 Having gone to the pagoda on a party of pleasure with some friends, we commenced 
 the experiment by throwing bread, rice, and plantains into the stream ; when, notwithstand- 
 ing the noise we made, and the constant firing we kept up at marks on the opposite bank, 
 their numbers became so great as to exceed any thing of the kind it is possible to con- 
 ceive. A short time before there had been a bamboo jetty projecting forward, over which 
 it was possible to advance, and from which the fish w-ould readily seize the plantains and 
 other fruits that were held out ^o;n the hand itself ; diving with the morsel they had 
 snatched in sportive mood, and returning as soon as it was devoured for another bite. 
 Many of tlic>c creatures, though in a small river, were apparently four or five feet long; 
 and I was informed by some officers of the party, and who had once tried the experiment, 
 that they had found it extremely dangerous to attempt to swim the stream, and had been 
 glad indeed to scramble out. The natives of the country believe these enormous fish to 
 be under the special protection of the deity that presides in the pagoda ; and as it would 
 be an infringement of their religious prejudices to attempt to catch or destroy these mon- 
 sters of the deep, I do not believe any European, as yet, has become acquainted with the 
 particular genus to which they belong. It is indeed generally asserted, that it would be 
 
 D D 2
 
 204 FIGHT WITH KOORD& 
 
 a noise, to receive the rice and crumbs which we threw in. As 
 soon as we had dismounted, we began unloading our horses, and 
 took possession of an open shed, though it was ah'eady evident our 
 presence was by no means welcome to the people of the place ; who 
 very openly desired us to quit, and refused us every kind of supply. 
 As only old men, women, and children, could yet be seen, and 
 we were near thirty strong, my Tartars had immediate recourse to 
 the usual argument ; and were distributing their favours with a 
 liberal hand, when a strong party of well mounted horse were 
 observed scouring the plain ; who hearing the outcry raised, pricked 
 their eager steeds, and were soon amongst us to share the fray. I 
 felt by this time so accustomed to the whistling of the lash, and was 
 so entirely convinced of the necessity of the application, that being 
 engaged in unloading my horse, I was not immediately aware of 
 the danger we were in, until I heard a general yell, and turning- 
 round, perceived every scimitar aloft, and gleaming in the air. 
 
 Our Tartars and Turks already prepared, were now crowding to 
 the strife, whilst our new opponents attacked us in front, and the 
 people of the village pelted us with stones and rubbish of every 
 kind. In point of numbers, we had certainly no chance ; my 
 companions, however, were better armed, and perhaps more accus- 
 tomed to the fray. It was in fact their profession, as they live in a 
 continual round of strife ; and they behaved, accordingly, with a 
 becoming spirit. Aly Aga Chulingee especially, though he had 
 scarcely untied his sabre, was already in the thickest of the fray ; 
 and we succeeded at last in driving the horsemen off, though one of 
 our men received a sabre-cut across the wrist, and another was 
 severely hurt in the shoulder in the early part of the encounter. 
 We were too badly mounted to pursue ; and, to speak the truth, 
 our antagonists only retired to the outside of those narrow streets. 
 
 death to partake of the delicious morsel, as they are poisonous; and it might in truth 
 happen they would be made so, to the presumptuous epicure that should contemn the 
 threat
 
 RETREAT OF HERACLIUS. 205 
 
 which had impeded the motion of their horses, and assisted our 
 defence. 
 
 Too prudent to risk a reverse, our principal Tartar desired us to 
 keep together ; and every house being now shut up, or deserted, we 
 were obliged to content ourselves with present safety ; and, without 
 food or shelter, to await the fall of night, to effect our retreat. 
 In this interval, however, our Koordish guides, who had continued 
 faithful, patched up an agreement with their exasperated countrymen 
 on the outside ; who, finding that we had little or nothing to lose, 
 and were prepared to fight, consented at last to abstain from further 
 harm, out of respect to the firman we had with us ; though they 
 refused, with equal obstinacy, to grant us the slightest aid. 
 
 March 11. — We set off in the morning at half-past six A. M. to 
 avoid the Koords, whose faith we yet suspected, notwithstanding 
 the truce that had been concluded. The rising of the ground had 
 gradually commenced, from about the tenth mile the day before; 
 and we were now proceeding over a hilly, stony country, with lofty 
 mountains on each of our flanks. We passed three small villages, 
 and then reached a fourth at twelve o'clock, on the banks of a river 
 which some of our guides called the " Zer ;" and which we crossed on 
 a platform of hurdles supported by twenty-five inflated sheeps' skins. 
 The course of this river is extremely rapid, being confined by hills ; 
 and its breadth about eighty yards. I have never seen it accurately 
 laid down in any map ; but following the direction of the hills, and 
 to the east of them, further up, it runs across the road which 
 Heraclius is thought to have pursued on his return from Guazuca. 
 With this river, the country dependent on Sulimaney ends. We 
 halted above an hour and a half on its bank ; and resuming our 
 course at half-past one, proceeded for three hours more over a hilly 
 difficult country to Kooly Khan, a small village, distant full thirty- 
 seven miles. 
 
 Of this retreat of Heraclius's in his third expedition, (taking it 
 for granted that Captain Macdonald Kinneir's map is in this respect 
 entirely correct,) it would be assuming too much to assert that any
 
 206 REMARKABLE TOMBS. 
 
 proofs can now be traced. It is certainly deserving of notice, how- 
 ever, that as there are no villages immediately in the vicinity, the 
 immense number of tombs we passed this day would induce a belief 
 that some great battle must have been fought in this neighbour- 
 hood ; an opinion which we have formed on the following grounds. 
 1st, Like the tombs between Ibrahim Kanchee and Kitchan, these 
 indications of former life stand alone and insulated. There are no 
 towns or villages immediately at hand, nor any visible ruins that 
 could mark the ancient site of a considerable city. Sdl}, The tombs 
 themselves are not disposed in their order and arrangement, as in the 
 neighbourhood of a town. It is not a single and particular spot, care- 
 fully selected, and regularly laid out for the reception of the dead, 
 but quite the contrary : it is a heap, a mass of tombs, that form an 
 elevated circle j the middle of which especially is crowned with stone 
 pillars of a superior height, as if intended to commemorate the fall 
 of some mighty chief surrounded by inferior slain. 3dly> In the 
 relative bearings of these mounds, the traces which a battle would 
 leave behind may be equally distinguished. It is a line of slaiUf with 
 here and there, especially in the centre, a thicker throng of tombs 
 that rise into a monument, phoenix-like, to commemorate the death 
 that gave it birth. 
 
 At Kooly Khan, very beautiful carpets of the richest colours are 
 made ; and we were entertained in a miserable hut, but served with 
 a most excellent mess composed of stewed apricots and rice. Some 
 of the Koords here, taking notice of a brace of pistols which one of 
 our Tartars carried, with barrels full eighteen inches long, insisted on 
 becoming the purchasers. The fellow, I believe, was not anxious to 
 part with them, as their extreme length was equally to his taste ; 
 when folks like these, however, insist on any purchase of the kind, 
 there is no remedy but compliance. They paid twenty dollars down 
 for their bargain with the greatest readiness, though the pistols were 
 not worth as many pence ; and my Tartar informed me, with a laugh 
 of commiseration for their ignorance, thflt he had made a small for- 
 tune in Daood Effendi's camp a few weeks before, through their
 
 'I i
 
 DESCENT INTO PLAIN TO KOEESINJAK. 207 
 
 eagreuess to purchase every article lie had brought Irom Ooostambole, 
 as presents for their dames. The manner of this forced bargain may 
 illustrate the habits of these tribes, who arc frequently as liberal in 
 their rewards as they are rapacious in their extortions. He had been 
 detained, it seems, in Daood EfFendi's camp, then three days' march 
 from the capital of the Pashalik ; when, after many urgent requests 
 to produce his stores, they ultimately seized his packs by I'orcc during 
 the night ; desiring him, the next morning, to set his own price on 
 every thing he had, and immediately discharging the amount. This 
 was treating him as a friend : as a stranger, besides the loss of his 
 goods, he might have received a severe drubbing into the bargain ; 
 and might perhaps have been killed if he had attempted to resist. 
 Mrs. Rich, I found, had lost a pair of Turkish slippers in this fray, 
 which (having formerly travelled with her from Constantinople to 
 Bagdad) he had intended to present her with. 
 
 12th. — From half-past six A.M., we travelled for four hours and 
 forty-five minutes, (or about sixteen miles and a half,) over a moun- 
 tainous, rocky, difficult country, and down a rugged narrow pass, into 
 the valley where Koeesinjak stands. Just before entering this town we 
 passed the ruins of considerable buildings, and forded a rivulet (a 
 branch of the Carpus, or Little Zab) ; a handsome stone bridge, sup- 
 ported on arches, that had formerly been used, having fallen in. 
 Koeesinjak stands on a rising ground just above the rivulet : it is 
 partly fortified, and, being something larger and better built than 
 Sulimaney, may contain full twelve thousand souls. It is remark- 
 able for several handsome domes and mosques, and has some very 
 prettily situated gardens along the banks of the rivulet. On the 
 whole, indeed, it may be described as something superior to the 
 generality of Asiatic cities j a considerable degree of cleanliness being 
 preserved by sewers and other public conveniences that cannot well 
 be named. The bazar of Koeesinjak is extensive and well sujipiied; 
 and I should not omit to mention, that in descending the pass that 
 leads to this town, a mountain, distinguished by the name of Condil 
 Dag, was pointed out to me as deserving of attention, from the
 
 208 TOPOGRAPHICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
 
 recollection of some great battle that had been fought there by 
 Iskander. 
 
 The pass descending to Koeesinjak terminates that higher region, 
 of which Sulimaney may be esteemed the central though not the 
 highest point. It is the most mountainous part of Koordistan ; and 
 the following observations will perhaps be found, at some future 
 period, tolerably correct. 1st, The general direction of the road 
 from Kifri to Kitchan is about E. N. E., gradually rising all the 
 way over hills and dales for about fifty-eight miles. 2dly, Be- 
 tween Kitchan and Dollan the great chain of mountains is passed, 
 which is again descended at Koeesinjak, and which runs about 
 N. and S., considerably to the west of its position in the maps. 
 3dly, From Dollan to the valley of Sulimaney there is a general 
 though not a very considerable descent ; and the road takes a plain 
 and determined turn to the north, which it pursues to the pass 
 leading down to Koeesinjak, wlien it gradually winds roimd to the 
 west, to meet the direct road from Bagdad to Mosul at Erbile. 
 4thly, From Sulimaney to the top of the Koeesinjak pass there 
 is a general ascent, about equal, I should think, to the descent from 
 Dollan ; the Saogirmah pass being by far the highest of the two. 
 
 Sulimaney, therefore, seems the centre, as it is the capital, of 
 the most elevated valley of Koordistan ; and as this valley is sur- 
 rounded by immense mountains, covered with snow the greater part 
 if not all the year, it enjoys all the advantages of our colder climes, 
 without losing any of that superabundant fertility which generally 
 belongs to the warmer regions. It is, in truth, in every respect, one 
 of the most beautiful and fertile valleys in the world ; possessing 
 every advantage of climate, and all those varied and delightful 
 changes of mountain-scenery which it is possible to enumerate, in 
 all the perfection of an overflowing luxuriancy. The Koords them- 
 selves, a shepherd-race from the most ancient times, and the 
 Carduchians and Parthians of history, retaining in these mountains 
 those primitive habits which they have lost in towns ; and exhibit- 
 ing that fierce, ungovernable spirit of independence, which it is
 
 CHARACTER, MANNERS, CUSTOMS. 209 
 
 extremely curious to observe, though not always safe to encounter. 
 Unlike their countrymen of the plains in every respect, these moun- 
 taineers are all life, fire, and animation : robbers by profession, and 
 constantly on the watch to spoliate. Generally of an active, nervous 
 make, with thick manly beards curling over the lower part of the 
 face, but seldom allowed to grow to any length : a dark moustache 
 is often contrasted with eyes of liquid blue ; keen, piercing, and com- 
 manding ; bright as the falcon's, and equally vengeful too, that seem 
 to boast the ferocious, treacherous bandit's life. Constantly armed, 
 even in their own houses, with pistols, a dagger, and a well 
 tempered falchion * : the ruddy glow of health that bursts through 
 their olive complexions finishes the picture, and stamps the daring 
 outlaw as the healthful, hardy mountaineer. 
 
 TheKoordish ladies well beseem their hardy lords: mountain-nymphs 
 in their youth, and lovely, laughing, nut-brown maids, they are Ama- 
 zons in their middle age ; and follow their husbands in all their 
 wanderings. Their dress we have already described; and as their 
 manners partake of the freedom of their state, the delicacy of their 
 shape and complexion is soon affected by the habits of their lives : 
 they are in their prime at fifteen or twenty, on the decline at twenty- 
 five. Constantly on horseback, both men and women ride with equal 
 boldness and dexterity ; and few horses in the world can surpass 
 those of Koordistan, for ascending the steepest heights, and galloping 
 down the slope. The Koords are exceedingly fond of hunting the 
 antelope, and commonly pursue at speed over every kind of ground, 
 and down the steepest declivity, without hesitation or mishap : their 
 horses being in this respect certainly remarkable, that, unlike the 
 greater part of the mountain-breeds we are acquainted with, they are 
 commonly of the larger size, and as beautiful and spirited as they 
 are indefatigable and sure. 
 
 * These are the arms they wear at home, or in their own villages. When a Koord of' 
 nny rank appears abroad, and especially on a journey, he is also armed in general with a 
 steel corslet, a battle-axe, a shield, and a matchlock or a pike. 
 
 £ E
 
 210 ARRIVAL AT ERBIL. 
 
 Of the geographical divisions of Koordistan we cafinot speak witli 
 any certainty, the interior of the country being very Httle known ; 
 whilst the mountains have never perhaps been crossed before, in the 
 direction we followed, by any other European traveller. In former 
 times, however, if we may judge from the numbers of Grecian and 
 Roman gold and silver coins, which are still frequently dug up, and 
 are often seen as ornaments round the women's and children's heads, a 
 more extensive intercourse had once existed. It belongs at present in 
 part to Turkey, and in part to Persia, being divided into small govern- 
 ments for pashas of a single tail, who yield a nominal obedience only 
 to the sovereign, and are constantly at war amongst themselves; 
 deciding their claims sword in hand, and inheriting, as they transmit 
 to their posterity, the various quarrels of their tribes, and the venge- 
 ance of their wrongs. Naturally addicted to rapine and spoliation, 
 this public anarchy is the excuse for every crime, and as the Koords 
 are robbers by profession, bloody, vindictive, and treacherous, so the 
 vicious tendency of their government is, perhaps, the more apparent 
 in the violent habits of their lives. 
 
 13th. — The mountains, properly speaking, ended (as already noticed) 
 with the pass leading down to Koeesinjak ; on this day, however, we 
 had still to proceed over stony hills, intersected in the vallies by deep 
 ravines, and through a road equally difficult and dangerous. Some 
 of our party were twice stopped on their way, by small roaming bands 
 of plunderers ; but as we were tolerably strong, and were not of that 
 description of travellers they sought, we reached Hashcuff'suka in 
 perfect safety. This is a small village, with tolerable accommodations, 
 distant thirty-three miles from Koeesinjak : we also passed three in- 
 ferior hamlets on the road. 
 
 14th. — We proceeded over a hilly, stony, difficult country from six 
 till ten A.M.,wben Erbil, the ancient Arbela, appears in view; and after 
 a short descent the plain begins. At twelve we reached this city, mak- 
 ing a distance of six hours or twenty-five miles for the day ; and 
 passing through the bazars and dirty lanes, amongst which the castle 
 stands, ascended through narrow dismal gateways, and were ushered
 
 CEREMONY OF PROCLAMATION. 211 
 
 into the principal building of the place. It was easy to perceive, that 
 although our reception was sufficiently hospitable, it was not quite so 
 honourable and ceremonious as our companion the Pasha's confi- 
 dential slave had thought himslf entitled to. He played the great 
 man in all its parts, first observing a dignified silence, next a haughty 
 reserve ; and refusing at last the friendly embrace of the Governor, 
 when breathless with haste, but too late in regard to etiquette, he 
 came to pay his court. He was offended, it seems, at not having 
 been met before his entrance into the town, and also because no 
 salute had notified his arrival ; honours, I should have thought, far 
 beyond his rank. The Governor had only been a lukewarm friend 
 to the successful cause ; and having but too much reason to feel un- 
 easy at this error in his politics, was glad indeed to pacify his guest at 
 any rate. 
 
 After a reconciliation, therefore, had been negociated between these 
 doughty chiefs, the whole of the troops in the garrison, with the 
 principal inhabitants, were summoned together into the square, in 
 front of the residence we occupied ; when they were formed into an 
 irregular circle, and after the loose firing of a few guns and carabines, 
 the firman was read, and Daood Pasha was proclaimed as at Bagdad. 
 The whole then joined hands, as in rejoicings, and moved round the 
 circle in a slow awkward dance, to the melancholy, deep, nasal notes, 
 of the presiding master of the ceremonies. It was easy to perceive, 
 there was little of the heart in this formality : to them, perhaps, it 
 was only a change of oppressors ; but a change in such a case is 
 always attended with some expense, as the great men of the East, 
 like leeches, must be filled, before they cease to bite and gorge them- 
 selves with blood. At distant intervals this dismal ditty was joined 
 in by the crowd ; and when the shout of approbation was not thought 
 sufficiently expressive, there were men who, under pretence of pre- 
 serving order, belaboured the shoulders of the performers to the 
 right and left until they roared again. The conclusion of the dance 
 was followed by a general but irregular discharge of all the guns and 
 pistols in the garrison ; and as it is probable the greater number were 
 
 £ £ 2
 
 212 PUBLIC ENTERTAINMENT. 
 
 loaded with ball, which it was thought too much trouble to extract, it 
 was certainly most fortunate that no accidents took place. 
 
 These formalities over, having unfortunately been pointed out as 
 an English Faringee to some of the inhabitants, I was pestered with 
 visits from all the sick and lame, who came to me expecting to be 
 cured ; and who Seemed greatly disappointed and astonished, when I 
 fairly acknowledged (pointing to my pistols and my sword) that it was 
 my trade to kill and not to cure. One of these in particular (a man 
 of some rank) proved so troublesome, that I was obliged at last to turn 
 doctor in my own defence. He ordered the crowd of inferior patients 
 to retire, and taking me aside told me, it was well to put off such 
 inferior folks with an excuse, but that, as for himself, he was a person 
 of consequence, and equal in rank to the Governor. He then pro- 
 ceeded to the description of his case, and insisted I should prescribe, 
 telling me, indignantly, I must not suppose him so ignorant as not to 
 be aware, that every Faringee, and the English especially, were of 
 the profession ; enumerating the names of some of our oflficers im- 
 perfectly, as of the Esculapian tribe, and praising one traveller 
 in particular, for the gravity of his demeanour, and the length 
 of his beard. I was now (as our Indians would express them- 
 selves) perfectly helpless ; so finding I was likely to be degraded 
 from my present dignity as an English balios, unless I would 
 consent to be a doctor also, I was obliged to recommend an 
 operation, which I knew his case required, the first time he visited 
 Bagdad ; and supplied him in the interim with such a dose, from my 
 own private stores, as was likely to rid me of his importunities for 
 the day. The wretch who, amongst other infirmities, had com- 
 plained of such feebleness as no inducements could stimulate, and 
 not even the most unnatural indulgences could overcome, lefl me 
 in despair at the sentence I had pronounced, and vowed he had no 
 opinion of my skill, though he would try my remedy. 
 
 In the evening, we were invited to a most sumptuous entertain- 
 ment, consisting of forty dishes at the least The children of the 
 Governor were introduced to his guests ; story-tellers and musicians 
 were next brought in to while away the time, and sooth us to repose
 
 TURKISH NOTIONS OF HARMONY. 213 
 
 by the melody of their notes. Understanding, with difficulty, the 
 general tenor of what was addressed to me, it may be supposed I 
 could derive but little amusement from a story I had not the least 
 clue to comprehend ; and as for the music, it was of that monotonous, 
 hum-drum, yet harsh, grating quality, which could only please a Turk. 
 The song itself was of that violent, uncouth description of the re- 
 citative which is even now practised by the wandering Troubadours of 
 the South of France, and which I heard afterwards, though in far 
 greater perfection, in one of the villages of Languedoc. My com- 
 panions, however, seemed to enjoy the entertainment; and frequently 
 called upon me to express that meed of praise, which I yielded with 
 pleasure as the tribute of gratitude for the attentions I had received. 
 The Turks, with Asiatics in general, have no notion whatever of the 
 powers of harmony ; and I recollect having heard that, on a public 
 occasion, one of our bands having performed some of their most 
 beautiful pieces before the late Nizam and his court, were requested 
 to repeat the favourite air they had begun with ; the discordant tuning 
 of their instruments to the leading key, as it proved on the repetition. 
 On retiring for the night, when I was about to compose myself to 
 sleep on the carpet I had sat upon, I was given to understand by my 
 rascally Tartar, it was expected I should withdraw to an inferior 
 room. I thought, at first, that the hall we had dined in was appro- 
 priated to other purposes, and was about to comply ; but when I 
 found this was only intended as a compliment at my expense to 
 the fastidious gentleman already mentioned, I felt at once the evil 
 consequences of submitting to the insult ; so deliberately brought 
 back my pillow ; and notwithstanding the clamour raised at my pre- 
 sumption, made my title good by stretching myself on the very best 
 carpet I could find. This little incident, like many others, trivial in 
 themselves, is mentioned for the advantage of future travellers. There 
 will be some, perhaps, who will blame my conduct in this and similar 
 instances, as intrusive and wanting in urbanity : from my experience 
 of Asiatics, however, I must declare, that as the place assigned me 
 was likely to affect the rank I held in their estimation, this was cer-
 
 214 MANNER OF CROSSING THE ZAB. 
 
 tainly the only expedient course. Too much condescension and hu- 
 mihty, in these lawless climes, is only attributed to fear, or the con- 
 sciousness of inferior importance ; and as I had been allowed to sit 
 in the presence of the Pasha, where this assuming slave was not even 
 admitted, I felt assured a proper rank had been assigned me, which 
 it was necessary to uphold. 
 
 Erbil, the ancient Arbela, is celebrated in history as the refuge 
 sought by the unfortunate Darius after his defeat in the great battle 
 of that name. It is a mean, dirty town, with a ruinous castle in the 
 centre, standing on the summit of one of those artificial elevations 
 that crown the plain, and appear to the eye an immense mass of 
 ruins and decayed materials that were formerly of greater magnitude, 
 and in a more perfect state. Its population is composed of Christians, 
 Arabs, Koords, Turks, Jews, and Zezidees ; and it is famous for a ma- 
 nufactory of thick heavy blankets, that are particularly well calculated 
 for turning off the wet. 
 
 15th. — We left Erbil early on the morning of this day, accom- 
 panied by a guard of honour, and by the Governor himself for the 
 first three miles ; who, taking his leave of our fellow-traveller with 
 many demonstrations of respect, left the rest of our party to pursue 
 their course, without even the ceremony of an adieu. Our road lay 
 over an undulating plain for five hours, when we crossed the greater 
 Zab on hurdles supported by inflated skins, being ferried over by a 
 small party of the Zezidees (worshippers of the devil), who commonly 
 ply these shores for this purpose. These fellows were almost naked, 
 and extremely haggard and miserable in their looks : they proved ex- 
 pert, however, in swimming our horses across ; even the smallest boys, 
 with one of the skins to support him, leading over three or four with 
 the greatest ease, and with so much safety that we only lost one, who 
 sunk in the attempt to return back, after he had nearly reached the 
 intended shore. When we had all crossed, and were about to mount, 
 a fellow who had held my horse asked me for a buckshish : a few 
 paras would have been quite sufiicient j but having none, I presented 
 him witii a cruce, which the knave returning with contempt, in the
 
 / CURIOUS DISTINCTION. 215 
 
 expectation of getting more, I put into my pocket The fellow, how- 
 ever, was not so easily to be put off: he was only anxious to extort 
 a very unreasonable present for so trifling a service, and had never 
 expected, I believe, that I would take him at his word. When he 
 attempted, therefore, to seize my bridle, and pull me off my horse, 
 calling me a Christian infidel and a dog, and demanding a larger gift, 
 I fairly knocked him down with the handle of my whip ; my com- 
 panions laughing heartily at the exploit, and telling the astoni^ed 
 ruffian he had mistaken his man, for that / was not a Christiariy but an 
 English officer, I thought the distinction sufficiently curious ; but 
 the appellation, in point of fact, is so immediately connected with 
 the patient suffering of every wrong, and the most abject fear of re- 
 senting an injury, that it only requires a very slight exertion of spirit 
 to draw the line of demarcation which this distinction was intended 
 to express. 
 
 The Zab is one hundred yards wide, and is deep and rapid at this 
 season of the year : the country is a plain, though varied by gentle 
 swells ; and after three hours and a half, and fording an inferior 
 rivulet, we reached Karakoosh, estimating tjie distance at eight hours 
 and twenty minutes or forty-two miles, as-.\fre were well mounted, and 
 made the best of our horses. Karakoosh is a large village inhabited 
 partly by Zezidees, and is extremely dirty. Many of the houses have a 
 small dome in the centre, which gives the town a remarkable appear- 
 ance, and the people, in general, showed themselves Rufficiently civil 
 and well inclined ; being also a personable, manly looking race, and 
 the women extremely pretty. Why Captain IVIacdonald Kinneir, 
 though in general, I doubt not, sufficiently accurate, should assert 
 this place to be the ancient Memmium, I must confess I cannot un- 
 derstand, as Karakoosh is only forty-two miles from Arbela at the 
 most, but jMemmium, by the very same account, four days jour- 
 ney ; or, as I should estimate this calculation by the day, full eighty 
 miles. 
 
 At Karakoosh, my Tartar threw off the mask entirely with which 
 he had contrived to impose himself on some of my friends as a pat-
 
 216 ARRIVAL AT MOSUL. 
 
 tern of sobriety. The fellow having retired into our private apart- 
 ment, in the Menzil Kaneh, with four of the principal men of our 
 party, commenced the business of getting drunk, after many formal 
 excuses, with as much gravity as if he had been engaged at his de- 
 votions. Exchanging his high kalpak for a shawl, laying aside his 
 pistols and his sword, and deliberately sitting down, cup in hand, for 
 the concluding scene. Unfortunately, or fortunately as I should 
 think, the liquor failed them before the wished for degree of delirium 
 had been attained ; and, there being no more in the town, they were 
 constrained to compose themselves to sleep, greatly vexed and disap- 
 pointed at this interruption of their joys. 
 
 On the 16th, having been furnished with fresh and most excellent 
 horses, and the fumes of the rakee they had drunk the preceding 
 night not having, perhaps, entirely gone off, my companions began a 
 style of furious riding to which our speed of the former day was not 
 at all to be compared. Within a little more than an hour and a half, 
 we reached Mosul, a distance, by the map, of fifteen miles ; gallop- 
 ing all the way, notwithstanding our heavy loads, and shouting and 
 fl(^ing each others* horses, like madmen, to impel their speed. The 
 country between Karakoosh and Mosul is nearly a level flat, but com- 
 paratively well cultivated, and the roads tolerably good, with the ex- 
 ception of two or three places where the little bridges over the drains 
 had fallen in, and where we were obliged to wade across, or leap the 
 breach, alternatives equally inconvenient and dangerous in the sad- 
 dles we rode upon.
 
 217 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 MOSUL; TRACES OF ANCIENT NINEVEH, &C. &C. — PRESENT STATE OF THIS CITY AND ITS 
 
 INHABITANTS. JOURNEY ACROSS THE SMALL DESERT TO NI8IBIN, AND OCCURRENCES 
 
 ON THE ROAD. NISIBIN FAMOUS IN THE HISTORY OF THE ROMAN WARS. — CA8SIR 
 
 JEHAN; DARA. arrival at MERDIN. — observations made THERE. — A SHORT 
 
 ACCOUNT OF THE ZEZIDEE8 OR DEVIL-WORSHIPPERS. 
 
 Mosul, it is generally believed, stands very nearly opposite the 
 ancient site of the celebrated Nineveh. It is situated on the western 
 bank of the Tigris, about four hundred miles from Bagdad ; and is 
 approached by a stone bridge of fifteen arches, but of which five in 
 the centre have fallen in, so that a ferry must be employed in 
 crossing the stream. I will not take upon myself to assert, that 
 those elevations of earth and broken materials which may be ob- 
 served on the eastern bank, have ever formed a part of the extensive 
 city that is supposed to have occupied this spot The illustration 
 and proof of this opinion would require more extended lights ; it is 
 certain, however, that very extensive mounds of earth, apparently 
 artificial, and very nearly similar to the barrows or tumuli of Babylon, 
 may be distinguished a little above the town. The first about a 
 mile from Mosul, and on the eastern bank of the river, is nearly a 
 mile in circumference. The second, considerably higher, but less 
 extensive, is crowned by a building with a cupola, (said to be the 
 prophet Jonah's tomb, where the Jews go on a pilgrimage,) and 
 is surrounded by a small village that still bears the ancient name of 
 the lost city it is supposed to represent. Further on, the man I had 
 with me asserted, the like inequalities might be traced in the surface 
 of the plain for many miles ; and he pointed to a few distant huts on 
 elevated ground higher up the river, as being in the direction of 
 
 F F
 
 218 MOSUL. 
 
 other remains of the same nature with these, which he attributed in 
 part to Nadir Shah. 
 
 The learned are, I believe, at a loss to determine the exact 
 ground whereon this city stood ; being divided in their opinions 
 between the spot opposite Mosul, distinguished as Jonah's tomb, 
 and the vicinity of the small village on the higher ground we have 
 already noticed. If it be considered, however, that considerable 
 towns built on the banks of a river generally follow its course in the 
 direction of the streets ; and if it be recollected also, that Nineveh 
 has always been described as a city of very great magnitude ; it 
 will readilv appear by no means improbable, that both opinions are 
 equally correct ; this great city having once extended full eighteen 
 miles along the banks. The mounds of earthy that may be supposed 
 to be* the remains of the palaces, walls and chief buildings of the 
 town, may principally be distinguished above Mosul : on these 
 grounds we might therefore perhaps assert, that Mosul was originally 
 the southern boundary of its extent 
 
 In its present state, Mosul is a very considerable town, surrounded 
 by a lofty stone wall ; and though perhaps in its decay, is still very 
 populous. Before the siege we shall have occasion to notice, it was 
 said to contain twenty thousand houses : one-third of these have 
 been destroyed, and only half of those that are left are now in- 
 habited ; at an average of six or seven persons to each house, 
 however, its actual population might be estimated at forty or forty- five 
 thousand souls. Of these about twelve thousand profess Christianity, 
 have thirteen churches, occupy one thousand six hundred houses, 
 and are held in some esteem. The space within the walls, though 
 partly filled up with ruins, is yet adorned with many convenient 
 houses, excellent hummums, and handsome mosques. The hum- 
 mums, especially, are amongst the best I have ever visited, being 
 generally faced with marble, extremely clean and elegant ; whilst of 
 the sixteen Menzil Khanehs generally open for the reception of 
 travellers, there are ten or twelve of a considerable size, and con-
 
 MOSUL. 219 
 
 taining every requisite for their accommodation, after the habits and 
 customs of the East. 
 
 The manners of the people in general are less reserved than 
 in many other towns. The women are less closely veiled than at 
 Bagdad ; and a considerable trade in carpets, horse furniture, iron, 
 and copper instruments, seemingly denotes greater wealth and 
 more assured security than is enjoyed in other towns of equal 
 magnitude. With a small district immediately around it, Mosul is 
 the independent government of a Pasha of the first order; and 
 under Hussain Pasha was besieged by Nadir Shah, though without 
 success; the Christians joining in the defence with a degree of 
 resolution that procured them an esteem and admiration they have 
 still preserved. On this occasion, the Persians assaulted the walls 
 for three successive days, but (the breaches being immediately re- 
 paired) were constantly repulsed ; the Turks declaring with vows 
 and imprecations, they would rather put their wives and daughters to 
 an immediate death than see them fall the captives of these hateful 
 heretics. 
 
 The mountains in the neighbourhood, contain some silver mines j 
 and several marble quarries are found in the immediate vicinity. 
 I am not aware that beyond these particulars it contains any thing 
 in itself deserving of attention. 
 
 I had fared rather badly on the evening of our arrival ; on this day, 
 therefore, after enjoying the refreshment of the bath, 1 returned to 
 the caravanseray with a keen appetite, and in the expectation of 
 better treatment. I found, however, that my Tartar had gone off to 
 the Pasha's without even thinking of my wants; and that the 
 servants, taught by his example, had devoured every thing that had 
 been provided on their account, without even reserving me a bone. 
 I had had no dinner the day before, very little breakfast this morning, 
 and was not, I must confess, very highly pleased with this neglect ; 
 especially as these rascals were evidently amusing themselves at 
 my expense. Alone, and with a very difficult journey still be- 
 fore me, it was useless to contend ; I followed therefore my usual 
 
 pp 2
 
 220 JOURNEY ACROSS THE SMALL DESERT. 
 
 plan of showing the fellows I could depend upon myself. I had 
 engaged a servant of the caravanseray to accompany me to the 
 bath, and had secured his services by the trifling presents I had 
 made ; I therefore directed him to conduct me to the proper bazars, 
 and procured an entertainment, which immediately secured me a 
 host of friends ; all the servants, and the very drivers, eagerly 
 pressing to the treat. I soon, however, convinced them of their 
 mistake. You have had your meal, I said, though you ought to have 
 waited until I had been served ; at any rate, I cannot demean myself 
 as an English balios by allowing such inferior folks to sit at my table- 
 To speak the truth, if there was any thing ridiculous in these assump- 
 tions of dignity, I generally found them turn out to a good account ; so 
 ordering the tray into the private apartment we had secured, my would- 
 be companions immediately became my humble slaves, and waited 
 on me with obsequious alacrity in the hope of an after treat. 
 When my Tartar returned, I could instantly perceive the good 
 effects of this assumption of dignity j as though it was all affected, 
 he immediately began reprehending his people, and offering apolo- 
 gies for his own neglect. 
 
 17th. — Horses being now ready, we set off at five in the afler^ 
 noon, and after riding two hours and three quarters reached a small 
 village ; where not all the whipping we could inflict (though ex- 
 tremely liberal in the application of it) could procure us accom- 
 modations of any kind, or the most trifling refreshment. We rode 
 on, therefore, for nearly two hours more, and reached an Arab 
 camp in the small desert between Mosul and Nisibin ; where a kid 
 was killed, and hastily broiled for us. Our meal over, we imme- 
 diately set off, and fell in with another tribe at half-past eleven 
 at night ; where we only dismounted until guides could be pro- 
 cured. 
 
 18th. — We had now to ride in the dark for the remainder of the 
 night, being piloted through the desert by our guides, until we 
 reached a small rivulet, where we dismounted to give our horses a 
 little drink. We had been travelling from five of the preceding
 
 JOURNEY ACROSS THE SMALL DESERT. 221 
 
 evening, and at twelve reached a small conical hill, which our 
 guides ascended, to reconnoitre some distant horsemen who now 
 appeared. For my own part, I could only distinguish a small black 
 speck through the hazy atmosphere that overhung the plain ; and 
 which appeared a distant cloud driving before the wind. Our 
 folks, however, had better eyes, and were far better acquainted 
 with the ominous meaning of this rising cloud. With the travellers 
 who had joined us at Mosul, we were nearly eighty strong, and 
 perfectly well armed; but the Sinjacks, generally attack in con- 
 siderable bodies, frequently of several hundreds ; and the principal 
 Tartar immediately sending out his scouts, directed us to ascend 
 the hill. 
 
 The first scout that returned desired us to prepare, and before the 
 second could reach us, their spears were already visible, when some 
 stout Christians of our party began their battle song, clashing their 
 swords and pistols together at intervals to increase the noise, and to 
 work themselves into a becoming fierceness for the strife. Thinking 
 I had some right to understand the business we were about, I im- 
 mediately requested a perfect silence might be observed ; and that 
 our packs should be piled up at the few accessible points that were 
 assailable, as a breast-work to resist the charge. 1 must confess, 
 this advice very nearly lost me the little credit for resolution I had 
 apparently obtained in the former fray ; as my companions, in the 
 increasing fervour of their shout, seemed to evince their belief, 
 that an intolerable noise was the only proof of personal intrepidity. 
 Tiiey continued singing, therefore, clashing their arms at intervals j 
 whilst others composedly sat down to smoke their pipes. In this 
 situation we remained for about half an hour, when a few horsemen, 
 separating from the still distant cloud, rode thundering down in 
 pursuit of our Arabs ; and only stopped, when they perceived our 
 numbers and quality, and the commanding station we had as- 
 sumed. I believe the noise we still kept up was of considerable 
 advantage, as, after observing our position, they greeted us with a 
 Salam Alik, and immediately rode off; the distant cloud of dust
 
 222 JOURNEY ACROSS THE SMALL DESERT. 
 
 the main body had raised gradually diminishing, until at last it 
 seemed to lose itself in the level flat. 
 
 Happy in a deliverance that was attributed to the valour we had 
 displayed, we now again resumed our weary course. At two P.M. 
 we took post a second time in some considerable ruins on our left, 
 on the first alarm of another band of plunderers. As far as I 
 could observe, these were the ruins of a large caravanseray ; though 
 some of the people asserted that a city had once stood there, and 
 immediately commenced one of those idle tales, which they have 
 always ready for an occasion of the kind. The only remarkable 
 object I saw there was a stone coffin or trough about six feet long, 
 and which lay in front of the ruins, being apparently applicable to 
 various purposes. A little beyond this, at three P. M., we dis- 
 mounted, for a short time, to water our horses at a shallow stream ; 
 resuming our course at four until twelve at night of the eighteenth. 
 
 19th. — After about an hour's halt, we again mounted, and pro- 
 ceeded with the greatest caution, my Tartar not allowing a word 
 to be spoken, or a pipe to be smoked, lest the smell should 
 betray our silent course. We had now been marching almost con- 
 tinually, and without any rest whatever, since five P. M. on the 
 evening of the seventeenth ; when, after passing two encampments 
 at nine A. M., two small villages, and some considerable ruins on 
 our right at ten, we halted at Chullee Aga, a miserable village, at half- 
 past ten. As we had now been on our horses for upwards of thirty 
 hours out of the forty- one without any sleep or rest, and with no 
 other food since the seventeenth than a few onions and a piece of 
 the blackest bread, it had been my hope we should have halted 
 for the day : I had indeed been thrown at an early hour in the 
 midst of a rivulet, in consequence of the weariness of my horse ; 
 but when the order was issued, I was obliged to mount. As 
 yet, I had had but few occasions, in the course of my peregrin- 
 ations, to complain personally of the people of the country we 
 travelled through : when I had been treated with neglect or in- 
 solencey it had generally been by some assuming Turk, or half-civilized
 
 NISIBIN. 228 
 
 Tartar of our own party : on the present occasion, however, a trick 
 was played me, that was the cause of very great temporary incon- 
 venience. My Turkish boots had got wet by the accident that had 
 befallen me, and had so shrunk in the drying, that I found it im- 
 possible to pull them on ; which a villager observing, he imme> 
 diately accommodated me with an old worn out pair, and took 
 charge of mine until we should reach Merdin. I had gener- 
 ally been sufficiently on my guard, but on this occasion was so 
 pleased with the fellow's civility, that I accepted the offer, and pre- 
 sented him with a cruce. We had not rode far, however, before his 
 brother made off with my boots ; and when I seized the rascal by 
 the throat, to drag him off his horse and punish him for his knavery, 
 my Tartar interposed, and requested me to forbear, with promises 
 of redress which he never performed. 
 
 It was a quarter to five before we had resumed our course ; 
 we rode until a quarter past ten, through a country partially 
 cultivated ; and passed two camps, or temporary villages, before we 
 reached the caravanseray at Doogroot, distant five hours and a half 
 from ChuUee Aga. Here we halted for the night, after having spent 
 those of the 17th and 18th in the open air, and without sleep ; and 
 afler having been in the saddle thirty-five hours, and on the move 
 upwards of forty out of the forty-eight 
 
 20th. — We mounted our jaded hacks at half-past six A. M., nearly 
 recruited by the five hours' sleep we had enjoyed ; and meeting a 
 strong party of Tartars on the road, offered them an exchange of 
 horses ; but the fellows were not to be taken in : so after some 
 delay we reached Nisibin at the end of a ride of four hours and a half; 
 Nisibin * presents the miserable remains of a town formerly of some 
 extent, and which occupied a considerable space along the banks of 
 
 * Nisibis, now Nisibin, a midland town thirty-five miles from the Tigris towards 
 Charrae (or Harran), was heretofore a very considerable city, called Antonia Mygdonia, 
 from the river Mygdonius which runs through it. Under the Romans it was the capital 
 of Mesopotamia Proper, and was well defended by its bishop in Constanttne's time ngainst 
 the Persians, but taken by them afterwards in the time of Jovian K. Rauwolf.
 
 224 ARRIVAL AT MERDIN. 
 
 the Mygdonius ; a small but rapid stream, that defended the position 
 to the north, whilst the south was equally protected by a swamp. 
 The greater part of the houses are in ruins, and the post-house is 
 execrably dirty ; the remains of an aqueduct, however, with other 
 traces, sufficiently point out the great importance it once enjoyed. 
 
 In the town is a building that has the appearance of a castle or 
 citadel, with loop-holes in its walls ; and a stone mosque also with a 
 single minaret. The ruins of a Christian church, once dedicated to 
 St. James, still exist ; and at about a musket-shot from the church five 
 large granite columns, each of a single stone sixteen or eighteen feet 
 in height, are also left. 
 
 After resting ourselves whilst we breakfasted, for an hour and a 
 quarter, we again mounted, and passed some considerable ruins called 
 Serika Cawn by our guides, (though I have been since informed 
 Cassir Jehan is their proper name,) at about seven miles from Nisibin. 
 These present the appearance of a fortification or castle of consider- 
 able extent, the lofty massive walls remaining almost entire to the 
 present day. There is a well (I was given to understand) in the 
 centre, producing water remarkably clear and cool, and a stone stair- 
 case, almost perfect : some parts of the wall though undermined 
 having also resisted the ravages of time. We halted for the night 
 at Hamooda, a very small village with a large square post-house 
 tolerably convenient, at about four hours' distance from Nisibin. 
 
 21 St. — A few miles beyond Hamooda, we passed the lofty majestic 
 ruins of Dara, once a frontier town of considerable importance, 
 and very accurately described in his travels by Captain Macdonald 
 Kinneir of the Madras establishment. After riding five hours and a 
 half for the day, we arrived at Merdin, the ancient Marde ; passing 
 on the road, at the foot of the hill, some very remarkable excavations 
 in the solid rock, and ascending the mountain the town stands upon 
 by a steep, narrow, and very rugged path. 
 
 We were here entertained in a very handsome manner by the 
 Governor; and I was visited by the principal Christians of the place, 
 who brou^t me very liberal supplies of wine and bread of the very
 
 MERDIN. 225 
 
 best quality ; enquiring with earnest solicitude after the health of 
 their bishop, and the temper of the times. When the company had 
 withdrawn, my companions immediately solicited a share of the pre- 
 sents I had received ; and pushed round the flask in a manner that 
 sufficiently convinced me their only object was the enjoyment of the 
 soft deliriums of ebriety. The Turks appear to me in this respect 
 intolerable. They outwardly profess the utmost abhorrence of all 
 intoxicating liquors, and generally confine themselves to the limpid 
 stream ; but whenever the opportunity presents itself of getting 
 thoroughly drunk, they may be esteemed the greatest reprobates in 
 the world ; and it is never neglected. Their sobriety, in fact, ccmsists 
 in this, that they disdain the partial enjoyments of mirth-inspiring 
 wine; and are only content when they can indulge to the utmost 
 extent : the end of drinking appearing amongst them, the entire 
 oblivion of every care, and the repose of death. 
 
 The town of Merdin is nearlv three miles in circumference, and is 
 situated on the southern side of the hill just below the old citadel 
 that defends the summit. It is surrounded by a stone wall that 
 joins that of the citadel ; and the houses in general being built of 
 stone, present a much handsomer appearance than any I had hitherto 
 visited. The streets, however, are extremely rugged and incon- 
 venient, though perfectly clean ; opposite qualities that are derived 
 from the greatness of the slope that carries off the dirt, but is indeed 
 extremely difficult to scramble up. It is the metropolitan see of the 
 Catholic bishop I had met at Bagdad, and is governed by a Motselim 
 appointed by the Pasha ; the inhabitants being a mixture of Catholic, 
 Nestorian, and Armenian Christians ; with Turks, Arabs, and Jews, 
 and, it is said, a few families of Parsees. The whole of which we may 
 estimate at upwards of 20,000 souls ; if it be correct that there are 
 2000 houses inhabited by Mahomedans, and 1000 by Christians of 
 various sects, as we were informed. 
 
 Before we leave Merdin, beyond which they are seldom found, 
 it would be wrong to omit the notice of the Zezidees of Mount 
 Sinjar ; a sect of fanatics who infest the small desert between Mosul 
 
 G G
 
 226 ZEZIDEES OR DEVIL WORSHIPPERS. 
 
 and Nisibin, and are not, I believe, so properly speaking, " worship- 
 pers of the devil," as deprecators of his wrath. They stand nearly 
 in the case, it would seem, of the old beldame who was observed to 
 light a taper for his Satanic majesty, after having performed the like 
 courtesy to the more venerated shrine of the Holy Mother : " He was 
 not so bad," she said, " as the folks would have him ; and there was 
 no knowing where she might want friends." 
 
 Of their peculiar tenets there is little known ; for as the Turks only 
 tolerate those sectaries who have the sanction of a written law, (as the 
 Christians and the Jews,) the Zezidees are obliged to accommodate 
 themselves to circumstances, and frequently assume the denomination 
 of the enquirer, calling themselves Mahomedans, Jews, or Christians, 
 as prudential considerations may suggest. It is asserted by some, 
 that they equally venerate the Koran, the Scriptures, and the different 
 authorities of the Christian and Mahomedan religions ; whilst there 
 are others who would maintain that they are derived from Jezid and 
 those Arabians who slew Hossein, the grandson of Mahomed, and 
 persecuted the family of Aly with so much rancour and virulence. 
 The Zezidees in this respect resemble the Mahomedans and the Jews, 
 that their males are circumcised in early youth ; but as this custom 
 is equally practised by other Asiatics, and (as we have understood) 
 by some Christians in the East, so in the use of wine, and other 
 strong liquors, they would seem to separate themselves from the 
 more strict observances of this religious sect. The Mahomedans 
 abhor wine, and yet in some instances will be found the greatest 
 drunkards in the world: the Zezidees, on the contrary, seem to 
 venerate the mirth-inspiring grape, as the immediate gift of the 
 Deity, and scruple at the most trifling waste of it as at an utter 
 abomination ; carefully holding the goblet with both hands when they 
 drink, and attentively covering up with earth the drops that fall, as 
 the immediate portion a superior power has reserved. It may be 
 allowed, where this custom is scrupulously observed, there is little 
 danger indeed of absolute intoxication ; as a single moment of for-
 
 ZEZIDEES OR DEVIL WORSHIPPERS. 227 
 
 getfulness might utterly destroy tliose hopes of salvation they enter- 
 tain in the general tolerance of their faith. 
 
 It seems a general principle amongst the Zezidees, that the mercy 
 of the Creator is boundless, as his wisdom is infinite ; and when they 
 speak with reverence of the power they are accused of worshipping, 
 calling him " Lord and Master," it is only in the assurance of seeing 
 him restored to those honours he has forfeited by his disobedience. 
 Why provoke his wrath, they say ; why interpose between a fallen 
 angel and the great principle they worship ; when it may so happen 
 that his faults will be forgiven him, and when it is certain their curses 
 and interference are uncalled for by superior might ? God wants not 
 their aid to punish a fallen servant, and better shun his example than 
 curse a name which they even esteem it unlawful to pronounce. As 
 well might they interfere between the prince and his officers ; as well 
 might they draw the sword to punish a favourite, who lives but in the 
 breath of the Sultan, and who may rise to honours on the morrow, 
 as he has been disgraced for the day. Followers of Shaik Ade, they 
 are accordingly deists of the most tolerant principles, and not wor- 
 shippers of the Devil as is generally believed : Christians on Christian 
 ground ; or Mahomedans Wee himself , as a latitudinarian mufti once 
 asserted ; and the description was perhaps correct. 
 
 They chiefly reside in the neighbourhood of Mount Sinjar, a range 
 of hills which cross the plains of Mesopotamia to the south-east of 
 Merdin, and are celebrated for the grapes, figs, and apricots, which 
 they produce almost spontaneously. In the winter they dwell in 
 caves on the brow of these mountains ; and issue forth during the 
 summer months into the open plains, stopping the^ caravans, and 
 plundering all they meet with indiscriminately. On these occasions, 
 they pitch their tents in the desert, after the manner of the Bedooins ; 
 fight on horseback with a sabre, a lance, and pistols, a rifle or a fusil, 
 which they can use with equal dexterity in the advance or the retreat ; 
 firing as they fly at speed, (like the more celebrated Parthians, whose 
 country they partly occupy,) and seldom missing their aim. The 
 Zezidees are in general fine, personable men, dressed like the Turks, 
 
 GG 2
 
 228 ZEZIDEES OR DEVIL WORSHIPPERS. 
 
 trained from their youth to arms, extremely well mounted, and 
 capable of enduring the greatest fatigues and privations ; but, com- 
 monly speaking, as wantonly cruel and treacherous, (murdering their 
 prisoners, or stripping them naked, and leaving them to perish in 
 the desert,) as they are sometimes cowardly. We heard some very- 
 dismal accounts of their treatment of various travellers who had 
 fallen into their hands ; but were also informed of two or three 
 instances wherein the resolution of a single individual had abso- 
 lutely intimidated them, and saved the whole caravan from being 
 plundered. 
 
 At present they are thought to amount to between one and two 
 millions, and are divided into small independent tribes or families, 
 each under the conduct of its own immediate chief These various 
 tribes are said to be derived from five original families ; but can 
 now better be distinguished as " stationary," or " wandering 
 Zezidees:" the one and the other being again separated into 
 " blacks" and " whites." The " white Zezidees" are the laity ; 
 the " blacks" (so called from the colour of their dress) the clergy ; 
 though it would not appear these priests are very constantly em- 
 ployed in the duties of their ministry, since they are often met 
 with as shepherds, in charge of the common flock. 
 
 Amongst other extravagant superstitions they are accused of, it is 
 believed, and probably true, that once a year they assemble at a 
 large cavern in the side of Mount Abdool Aseez, where they devote 
 a portion of their wealth and most costly ornaments to their founder 
 and the Devil, by casting them into the yawning abysm : accom- 
 panying this offering (which is perhaps emblematical of their con- 
 tempt of worldly goods) by the most horrible and profane cere- 
 monies ; and dancing to the wild music of their horns and cymbals, 
 in the most uncouth and frantic expression of religious inspiration. 
 The Zezidees commonly purchase their wives from the parents, but 
 are never allowed to repudiate them after consummation, except 
 they devote themselves to the church, when the divorce is per- 
 mitted, and they marry again j a liberty that may perhaps account
 
 ZEZIDEES OR DEVIL WORSHIPPERS. 229 
 
 for the numbers of black Zezidees that are to be seen amongst them. 
 We heard nothing of the peculiar ceremonies that are observed at a 
 birth, but were informed they rejoice at a funeral ; unless when 
 their friend has fallen by violence, and has not been avenged. In 
 this case the body is consigned in silence to the grave, and the 
 nearest relatives commonly shave their beards, as a mark of the 
 distress and dishonour they labour under j never again' allowing 
 them to grow, and delaying all funeral honours, until the manes of 
 the deceased have been appeased. 
 
 Their devoting a portion of their wealth in gold and silver, as 
 already mentioned, has perhaps given rise to the popular belief, of 
 their having a very considerable treasure concealed in a well for 
 their Shaik, when he shall return and visit them. Impelled by his 
 avarice, and the desire of obtaining this hidden store, or provoked 
 by their depredations and cruelties, the Great Solyman once attacked 
 them with a considerable force ; following them into their hills, 
 destroying their grapes, and the little cultivation that could be seen, 
 and striking off the heads of several of their chiefs. In the end, 
 however, he was called off by insurrections in other quarters, leaving 
 behind him the recollection alone of those cruelties, which could 
 only stimulate their inveterate hatred of the Turks.
 
 230 
 
 CHAPTER XL 
 
 MEUDIN TO CONSTANTINOPLF, AND OCCURRENCES ON THE ROAD. 
 
 On the 22d, early in the morning, we left Merdin. The Motselim, 
 the evening before, had expressed a wish to purchase the pistols 
 I wore in my belt ; but as I felt the pistols of greater value than 
 the money, in a situation where the pistols might defend the 
 purse, but where the purse could not protect the person, I had 
 fixed their price at 200 piastres, believing this demand might in- 
 duce him to retract. On mounting my horse, however, I was pre- 
 sented with the amount in gold, and, though unwillingly, was obliged 
 to keep my word. It is thus that bargains are commonly trans- 
 acted with the grandees of the East : there is no freedom of choice 
 where the traveller is in their power ; but as they often seize by 
 force, without offering any remuneration whatever, so it sometimes 
 happens, (as in this instance,) that the weaker party is the gainer 
 by the exchange. 
 
 The first part of the road from Merdin was over a hilly desert 
 tract, with a few neglected vineyards here and there ; and was in- 
 fested, as our folks asserted, with numerous banditti. We kept as 
 close together, therefore, as we could ; and being well mounted 
 reached Tezeean in six hours in safety, though not without expe- 
 riencing a variety of alarms : having heard enough certainly to 
 awaken our fears, even had we not encountered so many suspicious 
 marauders on the road, apparently on the watch to pick up 
 stragglers. These wanderers commonly presented themselves in 
 parties of four or five, on the brow of the heights we passed ; and 
 had each a matchlock in their hand, which they rested at times 
 in the bushes they crept amongst, as if watching to take us off: on
 
 OCCURRENCES AT TEZEEAN. 2S1 
 
 firing our pistols, however, to show we were prepared, they gene- 
 rally made for the steepest crags, marking our course with anxiety, 
 as if doubtful of our intentions. It is probable, indeed, they were at 
 least as frightened as ourselves ; the folks our party consisted of, 
 being universally esteemed very unwelcome visitors on account of 
 the depredations they generally commit. On reaching Tezeean, a con- 
 siderable village, well watered by several small rivulets that fall into 
 the Tigris, and with the principal house on a rock in the centre ; 
 we were ushered into a long dismal chamber, where the chief made 
 his appearance, after a while, in a very unceremonious manner and 
 attended by twenty or thirty savage looking ruffians all perfectly 
 well armed. These folks seemed to view our party from the be- 
 ginning with an eye of jealousy and mistrust, intruding them- 
 selves in our places in a rough, boisterous manner, that soon produced 
 a very animated discussion between our principal Tartar and the 
 chief The fellow, a tall, athletic Koord, of a most ferocious aspect, 
 seemed to doubt the authenticity of the firman we had brought 
 with us ; and insisted on seeing the heads, in proof of its authority. 
 AVhen the saddle-bags that contained them, however, were brought 
 forth, and when a small square box was taken from each, and (the 
 lid being removed) a white linen bag was opened, and the grim 
 and ghastly features of the fallen Pasha were exhibited, the ruffian 
 turned aside evidently discomposed ; whilst it was equally plain he 
 applied the moral to himself In the height of his pride, at that 
 moment, and in the full enjoyment of his independence, he had 
 never perhaps been taught the possibility of a reverse ; but the 
 same power, (said our Tartar with a determined look,) can strike off 
 thine, Mustapha Aga ! if you dare to insult the officers of the state ! 
 The lesson was sufficient : he made light of the threat, but the im- 
 pression seemed indelible ; and after a while he withdrew, depressed 
 and mortified in the extreme, leaving us to ourselves ; professing, 
 as he retired, the utmost respect for our firman, and the authority 
 that could thus vindicate its rights. In the course of the evening, 
 he sent us abundant supplies of every kind j and a favourite buffoon
 
 232 DIARBEKIR. 
 
 was also introduced with his compliments, to beguile away the 
 time : after which, we retired to rest, but with our sabres and pistols 
 in readiness, at the desire of our chief, to guard against treachery 
 during the night. 
 
 23d. — Some of our horses having been exchanged, we rode for 
 four hours through a country still more bleak and desolate than 
 that of the day before ; even the remains of vineyards and cul- 
 tivation having entirely disappeared. At the second village, how- 
 ever, which we passed by without entering, the prospect very 
 suddenly improved ; we left the rocky hills behind, and entered 
 upon an extensive and well cultivated plain covered with villages. 
 In the remaining seven hours and a half, we passed close by 
 three considerable hamlets, besides those at a distance; and as 
 we rode through the fields had occasion to observe the very 
 superior degree of perfection cultivation had attained ; the 
 fields being regularly laid out, though not enclosed, well ma- 
 nured, and perfectly and evenly ploughed, by strong well con- 
 ditioned oxen of the largest size. It was the first attempt at re- 
 gular, general, and systematic husbandry I had hitherto met with 
 in a tract of about a thousand miles ; the rest, though capabilities 
 existed, having rather been a hasty and very imperfect attempt at 
 raising just enough to supply the most absolute wants of a thinly 
 scattered populatipn. On drawing near to Diarbekir, the road 
 became rather difficult, marshy in some places, and confined by 
 hillocks for the last four miles. We again saw the Tigris, rapid and 
 sinuous as below Mosul ; and passing three bridges, (the last very 
 handsome and well built, and consisting of ten noble arches,) 
 reached the outer gates of the city at about half-past five. 
 
 As the ancient Amaida, Diarbekir is not unknown ; and the 
 name is even now used by the Turks, who frequently call it " Kara 
 Amid," or Black Amid, from the colour of the stones employed in 
 building the walls and principal houses. There are few places in 
 these parts, I think, that offer a more novel and interesting appearance 
 to the European traveller than this : the rapid stream almost seems
 
 DIARBEKIR. 233 
 
 the boundary of life, as immediately after passing the bridge, the 
 abode of death presents itself on every side j and the stranger is at 
 once surrounded with tombs, and awe-struck at the melancholy 
 gloom of the black marble battlements which encircle the sable 
 pile. From dark lofty porticoes of imposing strength, a busy crowd 
 issues forth to complete the illusion ; fair, restless, and decked in a 
 thousand colours, they almost appear the beings of another world, 
 enrobed in all their vanities, and revisiting their earthly tenements. 
 In proceeding through the streets, the same impression is still 
 kept up ; and the wanderer, without any very strong appeal to ima- 
 gination, may almost fancy himself in the vale of tears, in the 
 palace of enchantment and despair, which the fair Scheherazade so 
 well describes. 
 
 On reaching the caravanseray attached to the Pasha's palace for the 
 accommodation of public messengers, our dinner was immediately 
 brought in, after the Turkish tnauiier, a single dish at a time. The 
 first thing that was served up was a large tray of the coarsest rice ; 
 nothing so very savoury, I thought, for a Pasha's kitchen ; but I had 
 been on horseback for eleven hours and a half, and so required no 
 seasoning. The second and third dishes were, to the full, as coarse 
 and indifferent ; but as I heard some mention of mounting imme- 
 diately, I determined to lose no time. When the fourth came, there- 
 fore, a savoury pillaw ; a fifth, a sixth, stews, curries, and pastry ; 
 fifty varieties ; I must confess I was more inclined than able to par- 
 take of the luscious treat ; an error in politics I determined to 
 rectify on future occasions, by reserving my forces for the conclusion 
 of the engagement. At the next dinner, however, having passed by 
 the first and second in expectation of the third, lamentable to be told, 
 I lost my dinner ! a warning, I trust, to all epicure travellers, and 
 which I notice for their sakes. 
 
 There was very little information, regarding this city, which I could 
 obtain from our visitors, that is not, I believe, already known. Having 
 walked over it that evening and the next morning, with an Arme- 
 nian who volunteered to be my guide, I found, on the whole, it 
 
 H H
 
 234 DIARBEKIR. 
 
 was better built than any other Mahomedan city I have ever visited, 
 not excepting Constantinople itself. The streets, in general, are well 
 paved, tolerably clean, and wider than in other towns. The bazars 
 are extensive and well supplied, the baths, of black marble, equally 
 sumptuous and convenient ; and the mosques (in part Christian 
 churches) both numerous and well built. The north-east angle is 
 protected by a citadel, surrounded by a lofty wall, equally strong 
 with that of the city, which is defended by numerous round and 
 square turrets mounted with artillery, though generally in a very un- 
 serviceable state. On several of these turrets, which appear of dif- 
 ferent dates, and at the gates, inscriptions may be observed, some- 
 times cut into the stone, at others, traced on furnace-baked bricks : 
 I had neither time nor learning sufficient to arrive at the meaning of 
 any of them ; but was told by my guide, (who appeared tolerably in- 
 telligent,) they were supposed, like those on the great bridge, to con- 
 tain the date of the building, and the name of the Sultan or Pasha 
 of that year. In pacing round the half of the town from the Merdin 
 Kaputsi (or Gate) to the Dag Kaputsi on the opposite side, I had an 
 opportunity of estimating its circumference at about five miles and 
 three quarters, the only criterion of judgment I could obtain in respect 
 to the number of its inhabitants. Supposing, therefore, on this 
 estimate, that one third of the contained area is occupied by 
 streets, the remainder would be equal to 11,000 houses, each seven- 
 teen feet square, and two stories high ; which, at the rate of five 
 persons to each house, would amount to about 55,000 souls ; a scale 
 of judgment and a result which would very nearly correspond with 
 the like estimates where the population is exactly known. At Bag- 
 dad, for example, it would give a population of upwards of 200,000 
 souls ; but a greater part of the city is unoccupied, which has in- 
 duced the more moderate estimate we have adopted. At Bussora, 
 the result would be very nearly the same, if the calculation were 
 confined to those parts of the town which are built up. 
 
 On the 24th, we set off at one P. M. for Arguna. It had been 
 raining the whole of the morning, with the greater part of the pre-
 
 ADVENTURES ON THE ROAD. 235 
 
 ceding night ; and as part of our route lay through marshy ground, 
 it may be conceived it was not all the whipping in the world that 
 could help us forward. The roads were knee-deep in mud, and fre- 
 quently much more j every brook had swelled into a torrent, which we 
 were often obliged to swim ; and before the night had set in, our horses 
 were so jaded and fatigued, that none but Tartars, I am sure, would 
 have thought of urging them on. They were Tartars, however, that 
 I was with, and on they went, though the escort we had brought 
 from the town refused to proceed any further, and actually left us 
 to our fate. In the four or five ensuing hours of perfect darkness, 
 and of incessant rain, I do not believe we made as many miles, our 
 horses falling under us at every step, and requiring the application of 
 half-a-dozen whips to induce them to get up. At last, two of out 
 party got so entangled in the windings of a rivulet, that, in attempting 
 to disengage themselves by crossing the stream, they were carried 
 away by its violence, and so entirely sobered by the fright, (for I be- 
 lieve they had all been drinking that morning,) as to consent to a halt 
 We had now been eleven hours exposed to constant rain, and had 
 so entirely lost our way, that we knew not whether we were ad- 
 vancing or retreating. We were glad, therefore, on perceiving a 
 light at a distance, to make for it through mud and water up to our 
 saddles ; and after scrambling up some rocks, and forcing our horses 
 over two or three broken walls, took refuge in a large cavern in the 
 centre of ruins we found already occupied. The inclemencies of the 
 weather had been such, indeed, that both friends and foes had taken 
 shelter there ; and as part of the company were Christian merchants 
 and travellers, so the rest, it was soon found, were of that description 
 who live by travellers ; a circumstance we availed ourselves of im- 
 mediately, as an excuse for driving them all out into the rain. The 
 space was not large enough, certainly, for accommodating the whole 
 of our party ; but I must do our Tartars the justice to observe, they 
 were stnctly imparticU in the expulsion, turning out believers and 
 honest men with as little remorse or hesitation as they evinced to- 
 wards the rogues and infidels. 
 
 HH 2
 
 236 ARGUNA. 
 
 In this miserable cave, up to our knees in mud and filth, drenched 
 to the skin, almost starved, and nearly suffocated by the smoke of 
 our fire, we spent the remainder of the night ; the bag that con- 
 tained the heads we had with us serving me as a pillow to rest my own 
 upon. It may be conceived the wretchedness was great indeed, that 
 could seek for such a refuge, and esteem itself fortunate : our ill luck, 
 however, was not yet at an end, as, on resuming our course in the 
 morning, the rain set in as hard as ever, whilst the fog was so thick, 
 that (being without guides) we lost ourselves a second time ; and so 
 employed ten hours more in reaching Arguna at the foot of Mount 
 Taurus. The distance is commonly performed in thirteen hours ; but 
 w^e had thus been twenty-four on the road, and twenty-one on the 
 move, without victuals, constantly in the rain, and frequently ob- 
 liged to swim our horses across the stream. I had often, in India, 
 observed the rapid increase of our mountain rivulets, but had never 
 witnessed so unexpected a fall of water as I noticed in this march ; a 
 river coming so suddenly down upon us, (where scarce a bed could be 
 traced,) that it seemed as if some inland sea had broken its bounds to 
 inundate the plain beneath, whilst the rear of our party were up to 
 their girths, where the front had scarcely wetted their horses' hoofs. 
 
 Arguna, like Merdin, is situated at the top of a lofty hill ; but the 
 fog continued so thick, and the rain poured so incessantly, that had 
 I not been in want of rest, I could not have made any other observ- 
 ations whatever. It is famous for its wines, as is the whole of the 
 range of Mount Taurus, and the plains of Karpoot On the further 
 side. I was informed their vineyards produced a great variety, but 
 could only procure a small pitcher of fragrant red, which the most 
 celebrated presses of Burgundy might have been proud to acknow- 
 ledge. 
 
 On the 26th, at eleven A. M., we mounted fresh horses, the principal 
 Tartar, with the Caputchee Baschi, the heads, and five or six others, 
 riding off in front. The road was hilly, stony, and difficult, until one 
 P. M., when we crossed a branch of the Tigris (here a mountain 
 rivulet) over a bridge of three arches, and commenced, at once,
 
 MOUNT TAURUS. 237 
 
 ascending the principal range of Mount Taurus; the ibrmer part of our 
 course having been over inferior hills. At two P. M. we crossed a 
 second bridge of two very lofty arches, and reached Maden, a large 
 village in the side of Mount Taurus, celebrated for its copper mines, 
 and the centre of a Pashalic under the superintendant of the mines. 
 At five P. M. we passed a third bridge, of a single arch ; and at 
 six P. M. halted at a wine press on the top of Mount Taurus, 
 having been seven hours on the rise, and at as quick a rate as the 
 difficulties of the ascent would allow. 
 
 From Maden, we had been constantly in the snow ; and as there 
 was no road whatever, and we were always on the brow of a dan- 
 gerous precipice, it may be conjectured I had enough to think of 
 without enquiring after my companions who had ridden in front, or 
 even noticing their absence. When I had taken possession of the 
 fire-side, however, and had been presented with a flowing cup of 
 perfect nectar by our hosts, I began to wonder at not seeing them ; 
 especially as the Tartar servant had also disappeared, and lefl me with 
 the baggage and two uncouth savages, whom I scarcely knew or could 
 even understand. I asked where my Tartar was, and was informed 
 he had gone off for Constantinople, then distant about eight hundred 
 miles ; a joke of theirs to frighten me, as I thought, but which 
 turned out perfectly correct. The rascals had ridden on as hard as 
 they could in a wild frolic j and having obtained information of some 
 travellers being in front, who were likely to carry the news of Daood 
 EfFendi's success to the Sultan much sooner than themselves, had 
 pursued their course to overtake and pass these messengers, with 
 no other ceremony than leaving word I was to follow with the bag- 
 gage. Left to myself amongst strangers, and at so great a distance 
 from every kind of assistance, in a wild unknown country, and at the 
 top of Mount Taurus, it may be thought my situation was equally 
 distressing and uncomfortable ; quite the contrary : the wine was 
 good, my quarters excellent, the packages we had with us of too 
 much value to be left in danger, which made it plain I had nothing 
 personally to apprehend. My two ruffians, I saw, indeed, were more
 
 238 MOUNT TAURUS. 
 
 inclined to laugh at my expense than to help me on ; and being 
 decked with a little brief authority over the beasts of burden and the 
 merchandise, seemed to think they might copy their absent lords, 
 give themselves airs, and seize the first cup, the best horse, the 
 cleanest carpet, and the most honourable seat near the fire. As I 
 had felt the inconvenience of all this, however, with their betters, 
 who were far more civilised, and had never submitted to these as- 
 sumptions where it was possible to avoid it, I determined, at once, 
 to reduce them to their station as servants, or to come to an open 
 rupture, and proceed on by myself; an object I effected with ease, 
 by paying our hosts for every thing we had, and by assuming a de- 
 gree of importance and determined pride, which accorded with the 
 expense I put myself to, and kept them in order. 
 
 27th. — We began descending the mountain at five A. M. I have 
 said nothing as yet of the difficulties of the ascent; because though 
 great, they were such trifles to the dangers we now encountered, as 
 scarcely to have left an impression behind. The height of Mount 
 Taurus, it is known, is commonly estimated at upwards of 10,000 feet ; 
 and as the Turks seldom trouble themselves to seek roads to the rijjht 
 or left, the beaten track (for there is no road whatever) goes directly 
 over the hills ; generally, I believe, over the worst and most dangerous 
 ground that could have been chosen. The snow at the time we 
 passed was six or eight feet deep, except where it had been trodden 
 down and had frozen ; and as this beaten path was not above eighteen 
 inches wide, frequently less, and on the brink of a dreadful pre- 
 cipice, if we swerved ever so little to the right or left, or missed 
 a single step in sliding down this frozen course, it was in the dreadful 
 certainty of being buried in the snow, or dashed to pieces down the 
 yawning abysm. In ascending a mountain, dangers of the kind are 
 never so much felt ; but in going down, I could not but wonder at 
 the steadiness of my two companions in keeping their saddles, and 
 in assisting the Soorapgees to drive the bat-horses on. For my part 
 I was often inclined to dismount, but would not for very shame ; and 
 so did my best to keep up with my Tartars and the guides. All my
 
 KARPOOT AND EUXOOLY. ^9 
 
 efforts, however, could not have prevented my being left in the rear, 
 and perhaps lost, had not one of the Tartars, who were now extremely 
 civil, assisted me with a lesson in horsemanship, I should never 
 otherwise have dreamt of practising. In England, when we descend 
 a hill, we generally hold our horses up, and proceed at a moderate 
 cautious pace ; with the Tartar it is directly the reverse : he throws 
 his bridle on the horse's neck, and spurs and flogs him on at every 
 step ; a practice that forces the animal from his natural timidity, and 
 gives his fore-feet, perhaps, a firmer hold, on being dashed with 
 restive fretful violence to the ground. A few trials, and tlie necessity 
 of keeping up, soon gave me confidence ; and we reached the bottom 
 in five hours, with the loss of only one horse ; which was dashed to 
 pieces down a precipice, and carried away almost immediately by the 
 rapidity of the torrent that foamed beneath. In four hours more, 
 (making a total of nine hours for the morning,) we crossed two pl^ns 
 with their intervening range of low hills ; and at two P.M. reached 
 Karpoot, the ancient Charpote, a considerable town in the valley of 
 Sophene, defended by a castle, and belonging, intervening with the 
 districts, to the Pashalic of Maden. 
 
 At Karpoot we only halted two hours and a half to refresh our- 
 selves and procure horses ; beginning from this day a course of hard 
 riding, which entirely precluded observations of every kind. We 
 mounted again at half-past four P.M., and rode over a hilly difficult 
 country (the last five miles along the banks of the Euphrates) until 
 five A. M. on the morning of the 28th, when we halted at Euxooly, 
 a small town on the east bank of the river, inhabited by Koordish 
 boors ; and also called, I believe, Teiz Oghlou. We had thus been 
 on horseback twenty-one hours and a half in the twenty-four ; and 
 were now again joined by the servant belonging to our principal 
 Tartar, whom they had left behind ; and who now assumed the com- 
 mand of our party : a Turkish noble of rank, (Hamud Beg Effendi, 
 brother-in-law to Little Solyman Pasha,) who was flying from Bagdad 
 and Daood Effendi's wrath, also requesting to accompany our troop 
 with the nine or ten attendants he had with him.
 
 240 MILETENE. 
 
 28th — After five hours rest and breakfasting, we mounted at 
 eleven A. M. for Malateea, the ancient Miletene, distant six hours, 
 or about twenty miles ; when being well mounted, and anxious to 
 ascertain the practicability of getting on by myself, I distanced my 
 companions by a full hour, and rode alone through the town to the 
 Menzil Kaneh ; where I soon found that for my money I could be as 
 well received as with a dozen Tartars at my heels. Malateea, once 
 the capital of Asia Minor, though in its decay, is still a considerable 
 town ; we left it again, however, at seven P. M., and after riding for 
 five hours as hard as we could, reached a village called Hassun 
 Badrick at twelve at night; a place where as the women are not 
 remarkable for their chastity, so the men are infamous for the most un- 
 natural practices ; and, as my companions averred, are neither Christians 
 nor Mahomedans, but the most abhorred and profligate infidels. 
 
 The Tartars have a very peculiar and a very harassing way of 
 riding, I think, in performing these extraordinary long journeys. 
 Where a relief of horses can be procured, they set off at an ordinary 
 pace, and every man smoking his chubook ; which as the pipe is 
 going out they gradually increase into a trot. But as hard trotting 
 cannot well agree with this sedentary pastime, as the motion accele- 
 rates, they gradually put by their pipes, commence a noise with their 
 tongues very similar to that made by the horse himself in this pace ; 
 and after a while set up a hideous and continued shout, flogging their 
 neighbours' horses and their own as if they were mad, and riding 
 furiously until the horse is ready to drop under them. On this they 
 gradually pull up, walk, smoke, sing, trot, canter, shout, and gallop at 
 full speed ; until it is again necessary to pull in. Whatever the dis- 
 tance may be, the practice is invariably the same when they are 
 riding post ; and if I might judge from the exertions our horses 
 made, in marches of twelve or fourteen hours, it is probably the best 
 calculated of any to reach their destination through such roads in the 
 shortest possible time. 
 
 29th. — We rode for seven hours over a wild, hilly, romantic 
 country to Hakim Khan j where, to my astonishment, after all our pre-
 
 DELLIKI TASH. 241 
 
 vious exertions, we halted for the night in a miserable hovel. I could 
 not at first conceive the reason of this sudden change, but was soon 
 led to suspect, from the complaints of our new friend the Effendi, 
 and from his weariness, it was entirely on his account that we passed 
 the more considerable towns, (where comfortable accommodations 
 might have been procured,) to put up in such wretched villages. In 
 the large towns, it seems, his dignity was hurt at putting up in the 
 post-houses ; in the smaller villages he was unknown. Our marches 
 might have been divided far more conveniently ; and as his presence 
 was equally intrusive and inconvenient, his attendants seizing the 
 best horses, and the best of every thing for their lord, though it was 
 useless to contend, I determined to part company with him as soon 
 as possible. 
 
 On the 30th, we rode for four hours over a hilly country, to Hassan 
 Chilliby, where we breakfasted ; and again for seven hours through the 
 snow to Hallujah Khan, a small dirty square fort, where we spent 
 the night. 
 
 On the 31st, a second fall of snow having taken place during the 
 night, (so as entirely to obliterate every trace of the former beaten 
 path,) we found it extremely difficult to get on ; our horses fre- 
 quently sinking in the snow up to the saddle, and one unfortunate 
 animal in his struggles rolling down a precipice with his load, and 
 injuring himself so seriously, that we were obliged to leave him be- 
 hind to die or be devoured by the wolves. Afler seven hours and a 
 half, however, we reached Delliki Tash, where being shown into a 
 miserable hovel, whilst the EfFendi was lodged in the best house in 
 the town, I thought it only just to share his good fortune as he 
 had more than shared mine, (having, in truth, often taken every thing,) 
 and so followed him with as little ceremony as he had commonly 
 observed. The attendants, indeed, were for keeping me out, but 
 holding it always best to assume a certain degree of hauteur on such 
 occasions, I made an ostentatious display of my arms, drew myself 
 up to my full height, and trailing my weighty sabre on the ground, 
 passed on, as if unmindful or unheeding their interference. It was 
 
 1 1
 
 24*2 SI WAS. 
 
 well tor me that I did so : I got a most excellent dinner and comfort- 
 able lodging for my pains ; whereas, had I shown my companion too 
 much deference and delicacy, (as the Turks have very little indeed,) he 
 would have measured my consequence exactly in the inverse ratio to 
 my good breeding, taken every advantage of me, and perhaps in- 
 sulted me to boot. 
 
 On the 1st of April we rose at one in the morning, and after a 
 march of nine hours over a good road, crossed the bridge over the 
 Sullah and reached Siwas, a considerable, but very dirty and meanly 
 built town, at the northern extremity of a fertile valley where very 
 fine horses are bred. I had an opportunity of seeing several : they 
 were in general about fifteen hands high, well calculated for cavalry, 
 uncommonly strong and well built, and very high spirited. In the 
 evening, having purchased bread for the journey, (a very necessary 
 precaution on leaving Siwas,) we proceeded onwards for three hours, 
 and crossed a high volcanic mountain ; making seven hours and a 
 half more during the night to a large caravanseray and a small 
 village, where we slept. Distance for this day nineteen hours and a 
 half. 
 
 On the 2d, we rode five hours and a half, (the first three hours 
 over hills covered with pine trees,) to a small farmers' village ; where 
 we breakfasted on some excellent brown bread, thick cream, wild 
 honey, and a variety of other rural dishes of the same kind ; being 
 waited upon by the old farmer, his sons, and his old dame, and peeped 
 at from behind a skreen by many a black-eyed damsel. The condi- 
 tion of the peasantry in Mahomedan countries has often, I think, 
 been misunderstood : the evils of a despotic sway, I rather apprehend, 
 (where the despot is not also a tyrant,) are chiefly felt within the 
 gloom of its own dark abodes. Beyond the immediate influence of 
 those rays which should illuminate, but only kill, it is the repose of 
 gleep ; a condition not very honourable to the dignity of our nature, 
 though perhaps equally compatible with peaceful and domestic hap- 
 piness. The Turkish peasant in these plains (if not all over the
 
 CONDITION OF THE PEASANTRY. 243 
 
 empire) is well clothed, well fed, lodged in substantial, extensive 
 buildings, surrounded with fertile, well cultivated lands, with 
 numerous droves of valuable cattle, and enjoys the advantages of one 
 of the finest climates in the world : is he not happy? Abstract theory 
 will say no, because he still remains a slave ; facts and personal ob- 
 servation will, I believe, assert the contrary, because he has never 
 known another state. What is the condition, and what mmt be the 
 condition of the labouring classes, in the freest governments we are 
 acquainted with ? Theirs is the privilege (as I believe Dr. Johnson 
 has observed) " to work or starve :" this, in truth, is the full extent 
 of the liberty which they enjoy : they may work, or they may starve, 
 and they cannot even always work for those they choose ; but whilst 
 their condition is such, in every variety of climate and country we 
 are acquainted with, we may, I believe, assert, " that labour is happi- 
 ness, which can secure abundance." The peasant, indeed, if he 
 attends diligently to the support of his family, has no idle time to 
 spare for the delusive speculations of abstract theory : he feels mu€:h 
 oftener than he thinks : removed from the immediate observation of 
 its agents, the weight of despotism presses not so heavily on him as 
 on the wall-girt citizen : his retirement is comparative freedom ; and 
 as it is in towns and large assemblies only that tyranny can seek and 
 find its victims, so it is from extensive and populous cities in ge- 
 neral that (galled with the present deformity of arbitrary sway, and 
 confident in mutual strength) the spirit "of liberty walks forth to 
 avenge the insulted rights of nature and humanity. Happy, indeed, 
 if in the sacred enthusiasm the call inspires, it is only recollected that 
 " true liberty consists in the power of doing that only which the law 
 permits." * 
 
 On leaving those peaceful scenes, which have occasioned these 
 observations on the condition of the peasantry, in the more favoured 
 regions of this extensive empire, we proceeded for five hours and a 
 
 * Montesquieu's Spirit of Laws, lib. xi. chap. iii. 
 I I 2
 
 244 HISTORY OF A TURKISH NOBLE. 
 
 quarter over a good road to Tokat. * I had expected we should have 
 halted there ; but we only exchanged horses, and rode on for eight 
 hours more over a good road to Tuskhal, the ancient Sebastopolis ; 
 a journey of eighteen hours and three quarters in the twenty-four. 
 
 3d. — The Effendi had taken possession of the Tartar servant I had 
 with me, directed our motions at his will, and avoiding all the great 
 towns, still persisted in putting up in the most wretched villages. 
 Heartily tired of his company, therefore, I desired him plainly to 
 proceed on by himself, and to select what Tartar he pleased, 
 leaving me my own, whom I offered to remunerate if he would re- 
 nounce the Effendi. A separation, however, was the last thing he 
 would consent to : we had only one firman with us, which belonged 
 properly to my party ; and he had other views besides, which I 
 now became gradually acquainted with. Hamud Beg Effendi, with 
 all the airs he gave himself, was nothing more it seems than a 
 fugitive. In his youth he had been purchased as a slave, and had 
 been placed in the service of Old Solyman ; where gradually rising 
 to offices of the highest trust, he had at last obtained the govern- 
 ment of Bussora ; and had even been subsequently honoured with a 
 sister of Little Solyman Pasha's in marriage. Of that class who 
 pass under the yoke, to arrive at the first dignities, when Little 
 Solyman was killed, he was for some time in disgrace with the 
 good Abdullah ; so that having been deeply implicated in those 
 intrigues which displaced 'this virtuous chief, and raised Sayud Pasha 
 to the Pashalic, he was naturally involved in this last disgrace, and 
 on the list of the proscribed. Under these circumstances, he had 
 fled the city during the siege; and with nine or ten attendants 
 whom he picked up in his flight, thought himself fortunate in 
 escaping with his head. When our party overtook him, and when 
 
 * Tokat, the ancient Berisa, standing in a valley through which flows the Jezil Erm^k, 
 formerly called the Iris, the largest city in the interior of Asia Minor, containing a po- 
 pulation of G0,000 souls, and belonging to a female of the Grand Seignior's family. Vide 
 M. K.
 
 HISTORY OF A TURKISH NOBLE. 345 
 
 our principal Tartars, with the heads and the Caputchee Bashee, 
 left me in the rear, to be the first to carry the intelligence, he was 
 on his way, he said, to the capital, to make his story good, and to 
 obtain an appointment from the Grand Seignior j that of Caputchee 
 Bashee if he could : in which hopeful mission, he seemed to think 
 he might be assisted by the influence of our ambassador at the 
 Porte. 
 
 Having obtained this insight into the history of this mighty chief, 
 and perceiving he was in no immediate danger, but only in the pur- 
 suit of ambition, he soon lost the interest which misfortunes ge- 
 nerally command. And whose head, said I, will you first bring to 
 the presence ? Daood EfFendi's ! (the new Pasha's) he replied, 
 beyond a doubt : he would have had mine, and is the sole cause of 
 my not having been appointed to the Pashalic, my name having 
 been originally inserted in the firman. When we arrived at 
 Oostambole he continued : " You must introduce me to the English 
 ambassador: I know by your bearing, (with other compliments a 
 score or two,) you are a man of rank ; though Faringees often travel 
 alone in this way to obtain information. By the English ambas- 
 sador's means, and my own interest, I shall obtain the appoint- 
 ment ; and then, farewell to Daood Effendi ! God being willing ! 
 (for Gk)d is always introduced amongst the Turks to sanction all 
 such atrocities,) I shall immediately strike off his head, and succeed 
 in his stead of course." With his own head so very lately in 
 jeopardy, and when addressing one of such moderate pretensions as 
 myself, (notwithstanding tlie carriage I had assumed for my own 
 convenience,) I thought the request moderate enough ; so being 
 satisfied as to his motives for intruding himself on me, i. e. the 
 convenience of the firman, and the hopes of the Pashalic, I told 
 him plainly there was only one objection to the thing, — his having 
 forced himself on me, and his having taken my Tartar against my 
 will ; a liberty English officers were not accustomed to allow. De- 
 siring him, in conclusion, to leave me to myself, and threatening my 
 Tartar I would complain to our consul and to Hallut Effendi, (the
 
 246 HISTORY OF A TURKISH NOBLE. 
 
 Grand Seignior's favourite, and this gentleman's enemy,) unless he 
 would consent to our proceeding on alone. Startled as they all 
 appeared at the high tone I assumed, they reproached me bitterly 
 for my ingratitude, after the EfFendi had so often allowed me to sit 
 at the same table with himself; a reproach I thought perfectly 
 ridiculous, as, intrusion apart, a Pasha is only a governor, and this 
 gentleman, at any rate, only a Pasha in embryo. 
 
 I have mentioned this little anecdote at length, as indicative of 
 the manners of the East ; where these turbaned infidels seem to 
 think the rank they assume as believers, a sufficient apology for 
 every kind of intrusion and insolence. Accustomed as I was, how- 
 ever, to deal with them, and deriving many advantages from the 
 haughty deportment I had observed, and the habits of my life, the 
 utmost I could obtain was a delusive promise of greater attention to 
 my wants and wishes, in regard to horses and the ordering of our 
 daily halts. Had I seized a horse and rode off, I might perhaps 
 have carried my point, as it was not for their interest to attack 
 me J but one to tw^elve, it would have been a dangerous ex- 
 periment. 1 had had a fray of the kind on the way, with a wild 
 uncivilized Tartar, who had grossly insulted me ; but had thought 
 myself fortunate in the end, in having done him no injury ; 
 as my attendant assured me I might have fared very indifferently 
 from the rest, had not a timely interference prevented mischief. 
 Such are the little inconveniences the European traveller must 
 submit to, in wandering amongst these barbarians unprotected as I 
 was by an official mission. In general I was treated with civility, 
 but only because I always assumed a very determined tone ; or 
 made myself at home when my wants were not attended to, in a 
 manner that showed a careless indiflference as to consequences. 
 
 When we set off at break of day this morning, having secured an 
 excellent horse in consequence of the stipulations I had entered into, 
 I determined to preserve this advantage, by distancing my com- 
 panions, and being the first to change. I set off, therefore, by 
 myself, trusting entirely to the sagacity of my steed, and after a
 
 AMASIA AND TOSIA. 247 
 
 ride of three hours over a good road, and through a hilly romantic 
 country, reached a woodman's hut in the forest, where I alighted 
 without ceremony, procured a cup of coffee, and mounting again as 
 soon as my companions arrived, rode on as before for six hours 
 more to Amasia ; where having been directed to the post-house, I 
 left my horse, and proceeded to the bath. Amasia is a very large 
 straggling town, in a narrow valley between high mountains, and 
 occupies, with its numerous gardens, the two banks of the Jizil Ermek. 
 On a reference, I find it celebrated as the birth-place of Strabo *, 
 and for some ancient tombs of the kings of Pontus, to which king- 
 dom it formerly belonged. In the evening, we rode on for nine 
 hours more, making a total of eighteen hours for the day, over a 
 good road, and through a level flat country, to Marsowan, where 
 we slept for a few hours. It is still a considerable, though dirty 
 town, and is supposed by M. Kinneir to be the same with Phase- 
 mon, a city of Pontus, celebrated for its mines. 
 
 On the 4th, we rode over a high romantic country, (halting only 
 half an hour on the road to breakfast,) for fourteen hours, to 
 Osmanjik ; a city inhabited by a very coarse, urnnannftrly race, situ- 
 ated on the banks of the Kezil Ermek, remarkable for its ancient 
 castle, for a very beautiful bridge over the river, said to be tiie work 
 of Sultan Bajazet, and formerly known (if our authority holds good) 
 under the name of Pemolis. In the evening, and during the night, 
 we rode on for nine hours more, (making a total of twenty-three 
 hours in the twenty-four,) and passing through a narrow defile 
 cut in the solid rock, to Hajee Hamza ; a small square foyt said to 
 be the ancient Andrapa, and situated on the Kizil Ermek. 
 
 On the 5th, we only rode thirty miles, over a good horse road, 
 and through a fine country to Tosia ; where we met a Persian of 
 rank returning home, and a Maltese who spoke a little French, 
 who accompanied me through the bazars. I have mentioned several 
 
 * Who calls the river it is on the Iris; and gives a magnificent description of the 
 place. Lib. xii.
 
 248 OCCURRENCES ON THE ROAD. 
 
 instances of our lawless course : I had this day another proof of the 
 little ceremony the Turkish and Tartar officers observe in supply- 
 ing their wants by force : I was, as usual, (when well mounted,) 
 several miles in front by myself, when the Tartar, who always 
 rode on before to order horses, returned at speed, enquired after the 
 rest of the party, and after a moment's inward consultation, primed 
 his pistols, examined mine, and desired me to follow him. I had 
 expected at first we were about to be attacked : quite the contrary. 
 At a sudden turn wc met three men tolerably well armed, and lead- 
 ing a string of fifteen horses ; when riding up, and presenting our 
 pistols ready primed and cocked, (before they could be prepared,) 
 we seized the six or eight best we could select ; with a threat of 
 shooting the first man who should resist. It was the work of a 
 moment ; and we had got through this notable exploit almost before I 
 had time to recollect myself. I had naturally expected my services 
 on this occasion would have been rewarded with a chosen steed, 
 my own horse being nearly blown ; with unparalleled effrontery, 
 however, the laughing knave informed me they were all intended 
 for the Effendi and his suite j which, considering it a very unfair pro- 
 ceeding, and entirely at variance with the proverb that recommends 
 honesty amongst those of a certain class, I resented, by transferring 
 my saddle to one of those I held, and immediately rode offi 
 The Effendi and the rest I thought would have been highly in- 
 censed at this cavalier proceeding, but in Tosia I knew myself 
 secure; and found in the end they were more inclined to laugh 
 than cavil at the joke ; being indeed entirely indifferent to all I did, 
 and very seldom embarrassing themselves with religious distinctions, 
 provided I was always ready to assist them in their frays. We 
 were all soldiers and travellers, the Tartar said, on being laughed at 
 by some of the others : the Faringee had helped to seize the horses ; 
 and though it was right to take every thing we wanted from stran- 
 gerSi it was folly for companions to quarrel amongst themselves. 
 Such the morality he held forth. The very next day, however, (as had 
 happened before amongst them,) on some casual disagreement with
 
 OCCURRENCES ON THE ROAD. 249 
 
 with another Tartar, he drew a sabre the EfFendi had given him, 
 wounded the fellow in the head through his calpac before he could be 
 prepared, and commenced a furious attack, which we could only inter- 
 rupt by throwing ourselves sword in hand betwixt the combatants. 
 
 On the morning of the 6th, we rode to Cojee Hissar, a distance 
 of eight hours ; next eight hours more to Karajowan, a small town 
 in a fertile well cultivated plain ; and at night four hours more, 
 (making a total of twenty hours for the day,) to Karajolar, where 
 we slept a few hours, and where I met with an accident, (by mis- 
 taking places) which cannot be related, but which might have cost 
 me dear indeed had I been found out ; and which should serve as 
 a warning to every traveller, to conform in every things (in their 
 most private moments, as in public,) to the customs and manners of 
 the country they travel through. 
 
 April 7th. — The weather for the last two or three days had again 
 set in exceedingly cold. We left Karajolar in the midst of a heavy 
 fall of snow, and passing a new handsome town, where we drank 
 coffee, nijidc directly for the passes over the Olympian range. At 
 first, our route lay through an open country, where, notwithstanding 
 the depth of the snow and the want of a beaten track, our horses 
 picked their way with wonderful sagacity. We met a party of 
 travellers who advised us to return, having themselves been part of 
 a day and the whole night on the road, and in very great danger, 
 even before the last heaviest fall. Whether it was from obstinacy, 
 however, or a resolute disdain of every kind of fatigue and exposure, 
 our Tartars decided we should go on. Being well mounted, the 
 EfFendi and myself soon left the rest in charge of their four or 
 five loaded mules ; and endeavoured to overtake the guide and 
 Tartar who were in front, to accompany them into Hamamlee. 
 They had not set off above half an hour before us, and we had 
 once obtained no very distant sight of them j the snow, however, 
 was falling so thick around us, that we soon lost every trace of their 
 horses' hoofs ; so that being equally separated from our other com- 
 panions, we crossed the lofty Olympus by ourselves, and wandered 
 
 K K
 
 250 OCCURRENCES ON THE ROAD. 
 
 until dark amongst the mountains ; often on the narrow dangerous 
 ridge which overhung the precipice, and in the momentary expect- 
 ation of being dashed to pieces or buried in the snow, if we swerved 
 a step only from the narrow path we could not see, but left our 
 horses to find out. After sixteen hours in performing a march 
 which commonly requires nine or ten, we reached Hamamlee at 
 night ; and were overtaken before morning by the rest of our party, 
 who gave the most dismal accounts of the difficulties they had 
 encountered, and mentioned the loss of another horse. 
 
 On the 8th we rode through heavy snows, but nothing equal to 
 those of the day before, to Gerida, distant ten caravan hours, 
 through a fine country, passing one small town, and stopping twice 
 to drink coffee at small log huts where it may always be procured. 
 As we could obtain no change of horses, we halted for the night ; 
 and I spent half an hour in walking over the town, which contains 
 nothing remarkable, and is entirely built of wood. 
 
 9th. — We set off very badly mounted, for Boli, the ancient 
 Hadrianopolis, distant thirteen caravan hours ; which we got over 
 in about nine, by dint of flogging. The road was tolerable ; but we 
 passed no villages or any signs of population for the first seven 
 hours. Boli itself is a very convenient town to rest at, has a good 
 post-house, an extensive bazar, and a small but clean and comfort- 
 able bath, which I visited ; the plain immediately around being well 
 cultivated, and full of villages ; which are generally situated on 
 the banks of a small navigable stream communicating with the 
 Black Sea. 
 
 10th. — We set off worse mounted than ever, and my horse, as 
 on the preceding morning, the very worst of the whole ; indifferent 
 horses, however, are never esteemed a sufficient apology for slow 
 riding, when the contrary has been decided upon. The roads were 
 execrable, our horses always knee deep in mud, and frequently 
 getting caught (as in a trap) between the knotty roots of the forest 
 trees. The unfortunate animal I rode was soon knocked up, and 
 fixed to the ground, quite unable to extricate himself: we left him
 
 OCCURRENCES ON THE ROAD. iJSl 
 
 to perish in the snow. The next I mounted was in appearance 
 something less miserable : we came to better ground, and set off at 
 full speed ; flogging each other's horses, shouting and hallooing like 
 madmen to force the wretched creatures on. Mine fell twice with 
 me whilst proceeding at this rate: a multitude of blows soon brought 
 him up : I had kept my seat : we never stopped. Within the next 
 mile, he fell under me a third time, right on his head as if he had 
 been shot, and rolled over me into a swamp, whilst I was left 
 nearly senseless on the other side; the unfortunate creature was 
 stone blind. I now insisted on a change, but the other led horses 
 had all been used in consequence of similar accidents ; and I was 
 obliged to rest contented with my own : such is the mode of travelling 
 uith Tartars overland. I was happily blessed with a strong consti- 
 tution, but these little incidents (otherwise uninteresting) should 
 serve as a lesson to the adventurous, to measure their strength by the 
 habits of their lives, before they undertake the journey on such slender 
 funds as I could command. With a Tartar and servant to myself, 
 with a proper equipment, and guards here and there, it might have 
 been performed far more conveniently ; unable, however, to secure 
 these advantages, I had thought myself fortunate in meeting with 
 such an opportunity ; whilst, as my companions seldom regarded my 
 wants, and chiefly prized my company for mutual protection and 
 security, it is probable I might have been left behind on more than 
 one occasion, had I not happily possessed the same physical powers 
 of enduring fatigue with themselves. Dustchee, where we halted 
 for the night, is only a collection of boutiques in the forest for 
 the convenience of travellers j but the post-house is tolerably com- 
 fortable. 
 
 On the 11th, being still very indifferently mounted, we only rode 
 for twelve caravan hours, through the forest and very bad roads, to 
 Hendek ; a small town, composed entirely of farm-houses surrounded 
 by luxuriant orchards, which were even then shooting forth the blos- 
 som of expectation. The only objects deserving of attention we passed 
 this day were two or three saw-mills worked by water ; and where
 
 252 ARRIVAL AT CONSTANTINOPLE. 
 
 the machinery used, though extremely simple, seemed to indicate a 
 greater advance in arts and civilization than we might have been 
 taught to expect from the wildness of the scenes around. 
 
 12th — Hendek is about one hundred and twenty miles from Con- 
 stantinople, a distance my companions determined to perform without 
 halting ; they never dreamt, however, of letting me into the secret, so 
 I set off quite unprepared in mental resolve for so arduous an under- 
 taking. We crossed the Sangar by a wooden causeway and bridge, 
 which only present a very insecure passage, indeed, over such a rapid 
 stream. 'J'he next river (or perhaps the principal branch of the 
 same) we crossed over the beautiful remains of a stone-bridge sup- 
 ported by arches ; and with a lofty majestic arch (capable of admit- 
 ting three carriages abreast) at either extremity. The stream itself 
 seemed to have forsaken its ancient course : there was scarcely 
 any water left in the bed, or any appearance of its having been 
 filled for many years. 
 
 Sabanja, the first place we came to, twelve hours from Hendek, is on 
 the banks of a beautiful lake, which the road winds partly round. It 
 is a small place, and we only exchanged horses, setting off again imme- 
 diately for Ismid, (tiie ancient Nicomedia,) which we approached by 
 an ancient stone-way across the marsh. Ismid is ten caravan hours 
 from Sabanja, on a rising peninsula which juts out into the sea of 
 Marmora. It was quite dark when we got there, but we only ex- 
 changed horses and went on. During the night and the next morn- 
 ing, we rode the remaining sixty miles, exchanging horses once, 
 passing Gebsa and Kortal on our way, leaving Chalcedon on our left ; 
 and reaching Scutari, (where our journey terminates), after having 
 been for thirty-one hours, (from six A. jM. on the I'^th until one 
 P.M. on the liith) so constantly in the saddle, that we never dismount- 
 ed except to exchange horses, and only partook of such food as we 
 could eat on horseback. 
 
 THE END.
 
 SOUTHERN REGIONAL LIBRARY FACILITY 
 
 405 Hllgard Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90024-1388 
 
 Return this material to the library 
 
 from which it was borrowed. 
 
 W 
 
 1 
 
 ,UIN 
 
 Form L
 
 I 
 
 UC SOUTHERN REGIONAL LIBRARY FAQ^^^^^ 
 I! III! Hill Hill HII! "■""""""'""""""""" "" 
 
 3 1158 00491 2068 
 
 A A 000105 376 
 
 SI