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9
OBSERVATIONS
ON THE
PASSAGE   to INDIA,
THROUGH
Egypt, and acrofs the Great Desert ;
W I T H
Occafional Remarks on the adjacent Countries, and alio Sketches of the different Routes :
By   JAMES   CAPPER, Efq;
Colonel in the Service of the Hon. Eaft India Company.
Nil Mortalibus arduum est.
\ rivAii
E« . a /   L   O   N   D O
N :
PrintTIT*fUFW. Faden, Geographer to the KING, Charing Cro/s; J, Robson, in New Bond Street; and R. Sewell, in CornhilU
M DCC LXXXIII.
to the honorable the court of directors
o f
the east india company: this work is inscribed with all due respect,
by their most obedient,
K
humble servant,
JAMES CAPPER.
Margaret Street, November 6th, 1783.
ERRATA.
Introduction: Page v. line 13, forbid, read forbidden.—-Letter : Page 29. line 18, cocoanut, read coconut.—Page 34, line 10, offer Afia infert But.—Line 24, bitter read brackifl].—— Joernal : Page 57, line 27, Hegiaa, read Hegira.— Page 100, lajl line, ciuanity, read quantity.—Page 102, laji line hut one, fupplyed, read fupplied.—Page 103, line 20, dele immediately—Page 104, dele jirjl the in line 12.— Dele Jirft t in confoltation, in line 15,—Page 107, lint 16, convoy read convey,
INTRODUCTION.
Th E following letter was written in India at the requeft of a perfon of rank, who once had thoughts of returning to Europe by the way of Suez : it was not at that time intended for publication, however fmce my return to England many of my friends having defired a copy of it ; to avoid the trouble of tranferibing it myfelf, or the expense of having it tranferibed by others, I have ui laft reluctantly confented to its going to the prefs.
This the firfl: difficulty being got over, I (hall now endeavour to make this publication as acceptable as I can ; by adding to it an account of the proper time, and moft agreeable manner, of going from Europe to India by Suez : but firft, as the Turks have at prefent forbid any Europeans to pafs that way, it will be proper to explain the caufe of this prohibition ; and to fhew that their objections agaiiifr. travellers going through Egypt may be eaiily removed.
Tins route to India was once the moft frequented of any, but after the diicovery of the paflage round the Cape of Good Hope,
A it
it was neglected by moft European nations, and almoft entirely abandoned to the Mahomedans, who carry on the trade of the Red Sea in the following manner.
In the months of November, December, and January, the pilgrims going to Mecca anemble near Suez, fome of them form a caravan and proceed from thence by land, but thofe who have merchandize, freight large {hips from fix to twelve hundred tons to carry them and their goods to Gedda, a lea-port within fixty miles of Mecca, and about two degrees from the Tropic. As different winds prevail on the different fides of the Tropic in the Red Sea, mips may come to Gedda from oppofite points at the fame feafon of the year ; thofe which come from Suez at the above mentioned time, benefit by the N. W. wind, while thofe that come from India and Arabia Felix are aflifled by the regular S. W. Monfoon. The pilgrims having fulfilled the duties of their religion, and fettled their worldly concerns, contrive if they can, to embark at Gedda time enough to avail them-felves of the * Khumfeen wind, which blows ibutherly from the end of March to the middle of May, and conveys them in lefs than a month back again to Suez: the India veffels muffc alfo quit Gedda io as to be out of the freights of Babelmandel before the end of Auguft. This meeting of the Mahomedans at Gedda has given rife to a fort of annual fair there, which, as all goods imported pay a regular duty of ten per cent, muft yield a coniiderable revenue to the government.
The government of Gedda properly fpeaking is vefted in the Slierreef or high Pried: of Mecca; but in order when necefliiry
* Khumseen or Kliumfoon, the Arabic term fifty; from this wind blowing during that number of dayi in the manner above defcribcJ.
to
to obtain the protection and fupport of the Turks, he alfo allows the * Grand Signior to fend a Bafhaw there. The Shereeff appropriates the major part of the revenues to his own ufe, giving only a fmall fhare of them to the Bafhaw; but fometimes he is obliged alfo to tranfmit a few purfes to Conftantinople to keep the Grand Signior and his minifters in good humour.
In the year 1774 the Governor General of Bengal propofed to fome merchants in Calcutta to fend a fhip to the Red Sea, loaded with a proper afTortment of goods for the Turkifh markets, and inltead of landing them at Gedda, to proceed with them directly to Suez; by which means he expected to eftablifh a new trade equally beneficial to us and to the Turks in general, and alfo to open a new channel for tranfmitting intelligence backwards and forwards, between India and Europe.   It is not neceffary in this place to confider the merits of the commercial part of this plan, iuffice it to fay, that the Sherreef of Mecca very foon took the alarm, and ufed all his influence both lpiritual and temporal to put a it op to Itc continuance : in his negociation at the Porte in this bulinefs, he was alio zealoufly alfifled by a large body of Turkifh merchants, who were apprehenfive of fuftering by the prices of India goods being lowered in their markets, which mud have totally put an end to the old eftablifhcd trade of Bof-fora and Aleppo.   By fuch a weighty concurrence of interelt a firmaun was obtained from the Grand Signior, which ftripped of its official tautology, and oriental hyperbole, contains no more than what follows.
* The Grand Signior affect* to have imperial authority over the three Arabias, and the conll of J'arbary, but which in faft is never allowed by the Princes of any of thofe countries, unlets when it fuits their convenience as in this inflance.
" Historians
" Historians inform us, that the Christians, an enterprizing ** and artful race, have from the earlieft times conftantly made 44 ufe of deceit and violence to effect their ambitious purpofes. 44 Under the difguife of merchants they formerly introduced 44 themfelves into Damafcus and Jerufalem ; in the fame manner 44 they have fmce obtained a footing in Hindoftan, where the 44 Englifh have reduced the inhabitants to flavery; fo now 44 likewife encouraged by the Beys, the fame people have lately 44 attempted to infinuate themfelves into Egypt, with a view 44 no doubt as foon as they have made maps of the country, 44 and taken plans of the fortifications, to attempt the conqueft 44 of it.
44 In order to counteract thefe their dangerous defigns, on 44 firft hearing of their proceedings, we enjoined their Am-44 baflador to write to his court definng their veffels might 44 not be allowed to frequent the port of Suez ; which requili-44 tion having been fully complied with, if any of their veffels 44 prefume hereafter to anchor there, the cargo fhall be con-44 fifcated, and all perfons on board be imprifoned, until our 44 further pleafure be known."
If it were necenary, the Chriftians might very eafily vindicate themfelves from the afperfions contained in this firmaun, and with great truth and juftice recriminate upon the Mahomedans.
It is univerially known that the dogma of their religion, and the principles of their government, inculcate in them a fpirit of conqueft and opprefiion ; infomuch that wherever their religion and government are efhiblithed, the full: fubj< ct is only the firft (lave in the Empire, and confequently any one of them may be deprived either of his property or life without the
leaft
[ " ]
leaft form of a trial: how ridiculous then does it appear to hear a Mahomedan Defpot lament, that the inhabitants of any country fhould be reduced to flavery ? But the Grand Signior's hifto-rians have milled him ftrangely concerning the proceedings of the Mahomedans and the Englifh in Ilindoftan, or he would hardly have ventured to make a companion between them.
Both parties are equally ftrangers in that country, the Mahomedans firft appeared there with an avowed intention of making conquefts; whereas the ChrifHans in general, but the Englifh in particular, never committed any act of violence in India, until they were compelled to take up arms in felf-defence. After Surage ul Dowla had unjuftly put a number of our countrymen to death in Calcutta, can we be blamed for refenting fuch cruelty and unmerited ill treatment ? and having drawn the fword in a jufr. caufe, and punifhed the aggreflbr, would it have been prudent in us to have quietly laid down our arms again, and fubje£r.ed ourfelves to the oppreilions of the new Nabob, who very cuily betrayed a treacherous and holtile dif-pofition towards us ? Surely not! It would have been folly in the extreme to have depended upon the good faith of thofe who were not to be retrained by the ties of honour and gratitude *.
Thus then it appears that avarice and ambition brought the Mah >medans into Hindoftan ; but the hope of honeft gain acquired by a fair trade introduced Us there,  and that if we
* Meer Jaffihu the Nabob of Bengal was no fooner placed on the throne of Surage ul Dowla, than be immediately began plotting againlt us, but his negotiations with the Dutch being dtfc vercd, their fcheme of extirpating us off* by the prudent and fpivited exertions of Lord Ciive entirely defeated. Vide Qrme'l Iliftory and Vanfittau's Narutive.
afterwards
[  k 1
afterwards llept out of that line, it wras at firft, only on the ad-miifible principle of felf-prefervation.*" It mud be acknowledged fince that time we have, like others, been infected with the vice of ambition ; ftill however no charge can be brought againlt us of having reduced the inhabitants to llavery ; they have been flaves to the Moguls, but are not fo to us. It is true the country has been more impoverished under our government, than it was under theirs, but that is, becaufe we have brought away the fpecie to Europe whereas they required more money from the people, but then as they never quitted Hindoftan that fame money, in the regular courfe of things, returned into circulation within the bounds of the empire : other caufes alfo have concurred to render our government more prejudicial to the country, although lefs oppreffive to the people, but not to wander too far from the fubjecf. of the firmaun, the Grand Signior evidently declares in it the fentiments of others, and
* The different conduct of the Chrirtians and Mahomedans in India will appear in a more linking point of view from the relation of an anecdote of Oriental Hiftory, which accidentally came to the knowledge of the author.
" Surage ul Dowla was the grandfon of the great Alyverdi Khan, who had M a favourite wife, a woman of extraordinary abilities and great virtue. When Alyverdi *' was dying knowing the flighty and tyrannical difpofition of his grandfon, whom he in-(i tended for his fucceflbr, he advifed him on all important occaiions after his death to " confult the Old Queen, whofe difcernment would enable her to fore fee Dangers, imper-i* ccptible to an impetuous and inexperienced youth like him.
«< When Surage ul Dowla inftigated by avarice intended to attack Calcutta, he con-" fulled this oracle, who advifed him again ft it in the following prophetic words:
11 The Englifh arc a peaceable and induftrious people, like bees if properly encourag-" ed and protected they will biing you honey, but beware of diftuvbing the Hive: 14 you may pet haps deflroy a few of them, but in the end believe mc, they will lling M you to Death." A prediction which was foot! afterwards verified. From this well-known fact it appears, that we were not even fufpectcd of a dilpoiition to eni'uve the natives of India, nor even to quarrel with the JMahomedan ufurpers, until compelled to it Jn order to avoid being cnilaved ouifelves,
not
not his own; for did he think as unfavourably of us as he there expreffes himfelf, he would not only exclude us from the port of Suez, but alfo compel us to leave every other part of his dominions; but on the contrary it is well-known, that he allows us to have factories at Conftantinople, Smyrna, Aleppo, and many other places in Turky, without fhewing the leait appre-henfion of our feizing on his cities, or enflaving his people. We may therefore reafonably coniider the Sherreef of Mecca, as the principal author of this fcurrilous libel, who hoped thereby to keep the trade of the Red Sea in its old channel.
When our government thought proper to comply with the requiiition of the Porte concerning the trade to Suez, it is much to be lamented, that our miniiter at Conftantinople, was not inftructed to ftipulate for fome delay in ifluing the firmaun, fo that a proper time might be allowed for fending a copy of it to India ; for want of which precaution, fome merchants going from Suez to Cairo, were plundered and murdered by a body of Arabs. Suppoling even for a moment, what was not the cafe, that the merchants had been informed of the prohibition; ftill they were not punifhed in a regular manner, nor even according to the tenor of the firmaun, which decrees only a confifcatiou of their property, and an imprifonment of their pcrfons: whereas thefe unfortunate men were fome of them cut to pieces, and others left to perifh of hunger and thiift on the Delert ; a mode of punimment which plainly (hews, that the manacrc was made by a banditti, fct on by a ruffian like themfelves, and not by any government whatever.   Here again we may alio trace the hand of the Sherreef of Mecca, who, no doubt, expected by an act of uncommon violence and cruelty, to deter every other Chriftian from parting that way; and alio at once to gratify his avarice and rcfentment, by feizing on fuch a valuable booty.
But
[ » ]
But the Grand Signior having ifTued this firmaun, forbidding our mips to come to Suez, and expreffed himfelf in it, in fuch very ftrong terms: it may perhaps be deemed expedient to abandon the trade, rather than involve ourfelves in a dif-pute with him ; but iurely no perfon will think, that we ought alfo to give up the right offending pacquets that way, to which neither the Grand Signior, nor even the Sherreef of Mecca himfelf, can offer the fmallefl reafonable objection.
Every man acquainted with India mult, know, that it is of the higheft importance to individuals, to the company, and to the nation at large, to have this channel of communication opened again. During the latter part of the late war after the firmaun was ifliied, the French regularly transmitted advices by Suez, to and from India, by which means they frequently anticipated us in intelligence, and thereby counteracted our operations. It is not neceflary to particularize every inftancc of it, but it will doubtlefs be well remembered, that the news of the unfortunate defeat of Colonel Baillie came to England through France where it was known in February, time enough to enable them to fend out reinforcements to Hyder Ally, before the belt feafon for palling the Cape of Good Hope was elapf-cd; whillt we who were ignorant of that difaftcr until April, could not fend out any fhips before the return of the enluing ieafon, near fix months afterwards.
Sinck then, nothing lefs than the exiftencc of our fettlemcnts in India, may fome time or other depend upon our pollening a right of pafhng unmolelled through Egypt ; and the prohibitory firmaun was only intended to prevent the trade of Gedda from being transferred to Suez, finely no time fhould be loft in demanding another firmaun explanatory of the fnit, and declaring
that
that no perfons dependent on, or connected with, the Turkish government, fhall impede or moleff, any Briti(h fubject in paffing up the Red Sea, or through Egypt, provided they have nothing but papers, and fuch baggage as travellers may be fup-pofed to have occanon for on fuch a journey. The Sherreef of Mecca may probably at firft. oppofe our enjoying this privilege, in which alfo it is likely he will be fecretly fupported by the French* ; but can it be thought prudent in us to fubmit to the controul of the one, or to be dupes of the fecret machinations of the other, efpecially when confidently withjuitice, we can eafily get the better of both.
After fhewing from what caufe, the oppofition to our having a free paffage this way to India arofe, and expofing the futility of the charges contained in the firmaun : I fhall next confider what is the belt, time for fetting out from England.
Tire feafon for undertaking this journey commences early m April, and ends early in June ; during which time a per-fon accuflomed to travel, will eafily arrive at Alexandria from London in about a month, that is fuppofing he has previ-oufly determined what route to purfue to the Mediterranean ; and alfo has caufed a veffel to be prepared for him on his arrival at the place where he intends to embark. The northerly and wellerly winds prevail in the Mediterranean in May, June and July ; and therefore in thefe months, the paf-
* It is not intended to infinuate that the French ever did, or ever would co-operate with the Sherreef in employing aflatlins ; but as our rivals in politics, it is very natural to fuppofc they will endeavour to prevail on the Grand Signior, not to revoke his prcfent firmaun, which is not only a fevere national libel upon us, but alfo highly incompatible with our intcreft*
B fage
[ «Sr ]
fage from Marfeilles, Leghorn, or Venice to Alexandria, in a tolerable good failing vefTel feldom exceeds eighteen days, and is often performed in ten or twelve ; from Alexandria he will eafily get to Suez in eight days; and from thence to Anjengo is a voyage of twenty-five days; to Bombay twenty-eight; to Madras thirty-five ; and to Bengal forty ; making the journey from England to India, at the moft feventy-eight days, at the leaft fifty-nine, and at a medium fixty-eight and an half. This perhaps to iome people* may appear too nice a calculation, confi-dering it is an undertaking dependent upon many accidents of winds and weather ; but in anfwer to this objection it mil ft be remembered, that great part of the voyage is performed within the Tropic, where the winds and weather are as regular as any natural periodical revolution can be ; and even in the Mediterranean where only the winds are variable, they are never known in fuminer, to blow long between the S. and E. the only quarter of the compafs unfavorable to the veffels bound from the ports of Italy, and France, to the Levant. The manner of performing the principal part of the voyage, that is through Egypt and from thence to India, is in a great meafure explained in the following letter ; but in that nothing is mentioned of the European part of the journey.
It cannot be neceffary to offer much advice to couriers, they of courfe confult only the moil: expeditious mode of travelling, without paying the lead: attention to their own private pleafure or convenience ; gentlemen on the contrary, lefs able, or lefs willing to bear fatigue, will with to be informed how they may perform this voyage agreeably ; at a moderate ex-pence ; and without a rifque of injuring their health. The firft thing to be provided is a ftrong fecond-hand poif-chaife, which will coil at moft about thirty pounds : a large trunk before, a
fmaU
fmall one behind, and a chaife feat will cany as much or more baggage than is neceiTary for two gentlemen, and one fervant; allowing each gentleman a Turkifh drefs, two coats, a dozen and half of fhirts, two dozen pair of common, and one dozen pair of filk dockings, two pair of fhoes, and other neceifaries in the fame proportion. This perhaps may be thought a fcanty allowance ; for generally young travellers prepare for their firft excurfion on the continent, as if nothing cotdd be procured out of their own country ; whereas experience foon teaches them that they have not occafion for much more baggage than Mr. Sterne informs us he fet out with on his fentimental journey. Thofe who are fond of tea, and are nice about the quality of it, as many Engliihmen are, will do well to take two or three pounds with them ; for that which they will find in the inns abroad, is rather coarfe and unpalatable. It may alfo be proper to take a few cakes of portable foup to ferve on board a fhip, and even fometimes on fhore, particularly in Egypt; to which may be added a bottle or two of the enence of fellery, with which and a little vermicelli or rice a perfon may prepare a good mefs of foup on the defert, with the fame fire that ferves the Arabs to boil their coffee.
With liquor every perfon may fuit himfelf, remembering that either in France or Italy at the place where he embarks, he may purchafe a great variety of good wines ; and at Alexandria he may procure a freifi fupply, fhould his fea dock be exhauded on his arrival there. As to mediciues it is nniveriaily allowed the fewer he is obliged to take the better, dill however he fhould confider his conditution, and if he is lubjecl to any particular diibrder, he will do well to confult his phyfician about carrying with him a fmall quantity of thofe medicines which he is mod likely to require. The mod healthy and robud
Ij 2 are
[   ™ J
are not exempt from accidents, therefore every perfon may take from England half a dozen papers of James's powders, and two pounds of bark, which are cheap, and eafily carried, and betides the former is feldom to be procured fo good in any foreign country; no perfon however mould take or adminiiter thefe medicines, without having previoufly endeavoured to learn in what cafes, and in what proportions, they may be given with efficacy and fafety. This advice, efpecially that which relates to culinary matters, may appear trivial to travellers who have been accuftomed to go from one poll: town to another in Europe ; but in Alia, where there are no inns, a prudent man although no epicure will do well to guard againff. being in want of a fufficient fupply of wholefome food. The necelTity of carrying medicine will hardly be difputed, but neither would I advife any perfon to undertake croiling the great defert, without learning to bleed and drefs flight wounds; by which means he may not only fave his own life, or that of a friend, but he will alfo merely from the reputation of his fkill obtain great re-fpedt from the whole caravan. The practice of forgery it is true is dilagreeable to thofe who are not bred up to the profef-fion ; but it is ftill more difagreeable not to be able to admi-nifler relief to a fellow creature in diflrefs.
These hints being given for providing a carriage, clothes, provi-fion and medicines, fome account may next be expected of the expence, but that is at prefent impoflible. If government or the company fhould hereafter elTablilh pacquet boats between the European ports and Alexandria, and alfo between Suez and the ports of India, the expence will then be cahly afccrtaincd, and confidering the length of the voyage, be very moderate. The chaile will fell at the place of embarkation for as much or more, than it coft in England ; therefore the only expence of the journey
ney through Europe would be the pod horfes and charges at the inns, amounting to thofe who like to live well to about fifty pounds ; to the Captain of the pacquet to Alexandria, if he finds the table, forty pounds ; at Alexandria ten pounds; from thence to Suez forty pounds ; at Suez ten pounds ; from thence to India iixty pounds; and for contingences forty pounds ; making altogether two hundred and fifty pounds, which divided between two makes one hundred and twenty-five pounds each. But this account of the journey, and the calculation of the expence mud be underdood to relate only to the outward bound paflengers : thofe who come home will not travel lo fad, nor fo cheap ; for in the fird place they will be much longer coming up than going down the Red Sea, and confequently mull pay dearer for their paflage; and belides the delay and ex-pence of performing quarantine mud come into the account of the return from India to Europe.
It is faid a plan is now in agitation to fubvert the Turkifh empire, the fuccefs of which mud almod totally depend upon the part we are inclined to take in the conted : but mould the Im-perialids and Rullians prevail ; the defert between Suez and Cairo may in that cafe hereafter become the pod road to India, and be pafled with as little apprehenfion of danger as are any of our public roads in England. But this perhaps to fome politicians may not be thought a very defirable event, led fuch a facility of communication between Europe and Alia, fhould in the end be detrimental to our India trade. Let fuch men calculate the expence of fending goods up the Red Sea to Suez ; of landing thofe goods, and tranfporting them on camels upwards of fe-venty miles to the Nile ; of fending them from Cairo to Alexandria, Rofetta, or Damietta; and of reimbarking them at one of thofe places for the European Markets ; and they will find
that
that goods fent round the Cape of Good Hope at a proper feafon,
and fubject. to no expence or danger of being fpoilt on the way, would come at leaft fifty per cent, cheaper to any market in Europe.
When the Venetians loft the India trade, no violence, no fineile was ufed to deprive them of it ; the trade died away of itfelf, becaufe the Portugeze and other European nations, paf-fmg round the Cape of Good Hope, could by means of the fhortnefs and fafety of the voyage, afford to under-fell them in thofe articles of India commerce which they received only by the more tedious, dangerous, and expenfive channel of the Red Sea : Hut the probability of the danger of the trade by this route becoming prejudicial to ours by the Cape of Good Hope, being admitted in its fullcft extent; are we to fuppofe that other European nations are fo blind to their own intereft, fb ftrangely ignorant, or fo abfurdly indolent, as not to difcover it, and immediately avail themfelves of their knowledge ? Why then, as we have not the power to controul them, fhould we decline participating of their profits ? If goods can poiitively be brought cheaper to Europe that way, the India trade muff unavoidably undergo another revolution ; but it does not follow that we are not to poffefs the fame ihare of it that we now do, while we can retain our prefent poflcflions in the eaft, and England continues to be what it now is, the firft maritime power on earth.
But whether or not the trade by the Red Sea will materially operate to the prejudice of that by the Cape of Good Hope, is not at prefent the qucftion; nor is it certainly our bulinefs to try the experiment : all that is immediately contended for is the revocation of the firmaun, as far as relates to obtaining a free pai-
fage
[   xl* ]
fage for our couriers through Egypt, which in common juflice cannot be refuted. The tenor of the firmaun efientially affects our intereit, and the language of it is extremely infulting; nor mould it be forgotten that it was iffued in the hour of our deepen: diftrefs. Happily the icene is now reverfed, of which if we are too generous to take advantage, ftill however it is to be hoped we fhall at Icafl oblige the Turks to admit our claims, if not apologize for their infolence and injultice.
The way to India by Baflbra is fatiguing, and rather dangerous, and confet]uently wdl feldom be taken by choice, or for the bare gratification of curiofity ; but as fome of the company's fervants may be obliged to pafs over the great delert on public bufinefs, I think it incumbent on me to furnifh them with all the information in my power, that they may execute the orders of their employers with fafety and dif-patch ; and alfo perform the journey with all poffible convenience to themfelves ; for this purpofe, I mail fubjoin to this work the copy of a journal 1 kept when going that route, and as a common itinerary would be very uninterefting to mod readers, I have interfperfed in it fome anecdotes and remarks, which I trufl will be deemed both amufing and ufeful.
By the feveral ways of the Cape of Good Hope, Suez, and Baflbra, we mail be able to fend difpatches to and from India at all feafons; but being excluded from any one of them, there will be an anxious interval of fome months in every year, when we fhall mutually be ignorant of what is paflirig in the different countries. The be ft feafon for leaving England, to go by the Cape of Good Hope, commences in November and ends in April j that by Suez commences in April and ends in the middle
[   ** ]
die of June; and that by Baflbra will be the beft route all the reft of the year. To have a conftant fucceflion of intelligence eftablifhed almoft as regular as our pofts at home, would be but a very trifling, if any expence ; would afford general fatis-faction to every perfon concerned in India affairs ; and at the fame time be productive of innumerable advantages both to Government and the Eaft India company.
+
X
«> Ml
r c )
£% x 4- x x -f x x      x x x
V# X   ■£   X X        X X   *   X X   *   X #T
LETTER.
SIR,
I should find very little difficulty in writing fuch an account of a journey over land to Europe by the way of Suez as would be ufeful, and perhaps in fome degree entertaining to a perfon who had never paffed over the great defert; but i confefs myfclf puzzled how to addrefs you on the fubject, who have already gone by the way of Buflbra, and confequently muff, be perfectly acquainted with almoft every thing neceffary for a traveller to know. But as i may not be able to difcriminate what may from what may not be requifite for you, allow me, Sir ! to enter on the fubjecl:, as if you had never been in Arabia; the major part of my advice if not neceffary for yourfelf, may hereafter at leaft be ferviceable to fome of your friends.
The principal objections I have heard mentioned againlt a voyage to Europe by the way of Suez are the expence, the inconvenience,
C and
[     * ]
and the danger of it. The expence would be trifling to a man of fortune, or when divided between two or three perfons would be lefs to each of them than going round the Cape of Good Hope ; the navigation of the Red Sea being now tolerably well known can in a proper feafon no longer be deemed dangerous ; and as to inconvenience, I know of none but what might be al-moif. entirely removed by means of a little money properly applied; In palling from Suez to Alexandria, you may po/libly meet with fome difagreeable embarrailinents from which a man of rank and fortune is generally exempt in a more civilized country, but moil of thefe are to be avoided, or at lean; greatly lef-fened by giving prefents of no great value to the Beys and other leading men in Egypt.
In all Arabian andTurkim Countries, efpecially In thofe near the city of Mecca, to avoid the infults of the lower clafs of people, an European mould allow his beard and whilkers to grow, and always wear an Eaftern drefs; it is heft to make up a coarfe one in the Arabian fiihion for travelling, and another rather elegant In theTurkilh falhion to wear at Cairo, and Alexandria. If you perform the journey in winter, a pellis will be both ufeful and ornamental, but it maybe proper to remark thataChriflian fhould not wear green clothes at any place in the Levant, for green is a colour deemed ficred to thofe who have made the pilgrimnge to Mecca, and to the defcendants of the Prophet ; nor do the Turks like to fee any European in red, which was alio Mahomed's favorite colour.
Those who undertake long journies in Europe are obliged to furnifh themfelves with bills of exchange, but on this they are not indifpenfably neceffary ; a perfon of character may have credit to any amount the whole way for drafts upon England or India ; but if you do not choofc to be without a fufncient fupply
of
E   3 3
of ready money, you mould take with you- Venetian chequins., which are very portable, and at the fame time current in all countries between India and England.
I presume you will find no difficulty in getting an Interpreter to attend you, who fpeaks both the Arabic and Turkifh languages ; the former is absolutely neceffary from the entrance of the Red Sea to Suez, the latter is mofily ufed by all men of diitinction in Egypt.
During the month of November, at which time I fhould propofe to you to leave Madrafs, the voyage round the ifland of Ceylon is extremely tedious; I mould imagine therefore it would be more eligible for you to apply to the Government of Bombay, for one or more of the Company's cruizers, to be fent about the middle of November to Anjengo, the one for yourfelf, and another fmall one for a tender or pilot-veilel; the captain of the fhip on which you embark will of courie take care to lay in a fufficient flock of every kind of provition for your table, but above all he fhould be directed to take plenty of water from Bombay, for that on the fouthern part of the Malabar Coaft is but indifferent, and the beft to be got in the Red Sea is fcarcely drinkable.   If you travel through the Travancore country with your baggage iti the month of November, which is during the height of the Montbon, the rain may fpoil it; your fervants therefore mould fet out with it fomewhat earlier : in a good palanquin you yourfelf will be very little incommoded by the weather, for you may deep every night in good Choultries or elfe in churches all the way from Pollamcotah to Anjengo *. A
mariner
* In the End where there arc no inns, they have been obliged to ercft publick buildings lor the reception of travellers, which bear different names in different countries; on the ci>aft of Choromandcl they are called choultries.   The abovementioncd churches are
C 2 thofe
mariner might perhaps advife you not to fail fo foon as November from the Malabar coaft ; he would fay it was too early to make the mod expeditious paffage, for that you will be liable to meet with contrary winds above Gedda. It is true if you are ddirous of making a fhort voyage to Suez you mould not think of palling Gedda before the commencement of the Khumfeen wind ; but for my own part, I mould not hefitate about fubmit-ting to be a few days longer on board a mip to enjoy the fatisfaclion of travelling through Egypt in cool weather. The Khumfeen wind comes from the fame quarter as the well known Siroco, and is productive of nearly the fame effects ; it is unplea-fant even at fea, and in paffing the defert would be almoit intoleiable. The plague is alfo apt to break out late in the fpr'mg, and feldom rages at Cairo violently before March or April. As your captain will doubtlefs be an experienced officer, and likewife be furnifhed with good charts, it will not be neceffary for me to trouble you with a nautical memoir ; i fhall therefore only touch very flightly on marine observations, and confine my remarks to what may principally contribute to your convenience, or amufement.
It is ufual for fhips in the month of November to work up the Malabar coaft by the afliftauce of the land and fea breezes as high as Porca or Cochin, and then with the N. E. wind to ftretch over to the weftward, and make Calpini and Schulipar
thofe which the Catholic Miflionaries have prevailed on the King of Travancore to allow them to build on the lea coaft of his country ; but the good fathers, although indefatigable in their duty, have by their zeal rather injured than ferved thecaufe of Chrilf ianity; for having; received the loweit and mod abandoned outcafts of the country into the bofom of the church, and not made any other converts, the Chriftians in India with refpect to religion, are univerfally looked upon as the refufe of all other people.
two
[   5 ]
two of the Lacadivi's ; after leaving thefe the next land you fee is the illand of Socotra, which is fituated near the entrance of the Streights of Babelmandel. The Arabian or Eaft fhore of thefe flreights, to which you approach within a few leagues, affords fome very romantic views, confiding principally of immenfe mountains and high broken rocks, with the ruins of cadles upon them ; but there are few inhabited towns of any eminence until you have pafTed the Ifland of Perim, which with the cape on the eaftern lfiore forms what the Arabs call Al Bab, or the Gate.
You will lofe very little time by flopping at Mocha, which is the firft feaport town on the eaft coaft of the Red Sea within the gate, where you may procure all kinds of refreshments, particularly plenty of mod excellent grapes. If your dock of provifions brought from Bombay fhould not be good, you may purchafe here Abiflynian fheep, which are exactly the fame as thofe at the Cape of Good Hope, half a dozen of which will be fufficient to laft you to Gedda, where you will be able to fupply yourfelf fufficiently with every thing neceffary for the remainder of the voyage, of a better quality and at a cheaper rate.
The fheep at Mocha are very dear, being all brought over as an article of trade from the oppofite fhore of Abiflyuia : it appears however very extraordinary that the natives of the fouth-crn part of Arabia Felix who breed the fined horfes, mules, and alfes in the world, mould neglect to breed fheep, which doubtlefs would thrive very well in the fame padures; efpecially as mutton and lamb conditute a principal part of their own food.
The view of Mocha from the Sea, will probably induce you to go on fhore there ; the houfes, mofques, minarets, and even
the
the walls of the place are white-warned, which at a dittancs gives an air of neatnefs to the town, but the infide of it you will find by no means correfpond with its external appearance. The Governor will certainly fend you an invitation by the Company's broker to come on more ; and if you accept of it, 1 am perfuaded he will receive you with the utmoft reipect.. We were introduced to him as common travellers going to Suez, on our way to Europe. On landing, he caufed us to be falut-ed with three guns, and the matter of the port gave us coffee at the gate where we flopped a few minutes, to wait the arrival of the Governor's mufick, and alfo a horfe to be led before each of us : preceeded in this manner, and attended by fome perfons of rank, we went to the Governor's houfe, which ftands in the middle of a large fquare ; and is built of rough flone, and unburnt brick : we were conducted up two pair of narrow broken flairs into his apartments, where he was feated on a kind of chiofque, or window feat, fronting the fea; he rofe when we entered the room, and faluted us very couiteoufly in the manner of the Arabians, by placing Ills right hand on his left breaft, and ilightly inclining his head. After fome general converfation about our intended journey, which continued about a quarter of an hour, pipes, fwectmeats and coffee were then brought, and at laft a cenfer to perfume the beard and clothes, the introduction of which, in all Eaftcrn countries you know, Sir, is intended as a hint for taking leave.
If you choofe to flcep on fhore, the broker will conduct you to a houfe belonging to the Company, built in the Arabian flile. A gentleman of the Bombay cftablifhmeut, relided here two or three years as a fupra-cargo, or agent, but the plan not anfwering either to him or his employers he was recalled ; and the Company's buiiuefij has lince in a great meafure been
tranfacted
[  7 ]
tranfadted by the broker, who is a native of Guzerat, and fpeaks both Englifh and Moors.
There are fome few dangerous fhoals between Mocha and Gedda, but nothing is to be apprehended from them at this feafon of the year, when the wind thus far is fair for going to the Northward. The town of Gedda is not particularly worth feeing, and therefore it is better not to go on fhore there, for as the diffance is only fixty miles from Mecca, a Chriftian of whatever rank, even although difguifed in the country drefs, would be liable to difagreeable taunts and infults from the mob, who almoft think themfelves contaminated with the breath of an unbeliever when fo near their holy ground. Your interpreter, or any Mahomedan belonging to your veffel will be able to get you any thing you may want.
It is at Gedda that the difagreeable part of the voyage commences, for within a degree or two at moft North of this place you generally lofe the Monfoon, and meet the N. W. Wind, which as I have before obferved prevails above ten months of the year in this part of the Red Sea. The Gedda pilots who make an annual voyage backwards and forwards to Suez, muft of courfs be acquainted with all the ports, and alfo with the winds and currents and appearance of bad weather, &c.—It would therefore be prudent to take one of them to conduct you fiifely to Suez; the expence I believe would not exceed thirty pounds, and he may probably fhorten your voyage at leaft a fortnight, or perhaps three weeks.
It is much to be lamented, that the Captain of the Coventry Frigate, who lately went up the Red Sea, was inadvertently betrayed into a quarrel with the inhabitants of Cofire, a place about
fix
fix degrees North of Gedda on the Weftern fhore, and only one hundred and twenty miles from the banks of the Nile ; a perfon if he could with fafety, would at all times choofe to land there in preference to Suez, for the upper part of the Red Sea is the moft tedious and dangerous part of the whole voyage, and befides Upper Egypt is full of monuments of antiquity. The ruins of the famous city of Thebes are within a very few miles of Ghinnah, where you go to from Cofire, and the banks of the Nile all the way from thence to Cairo are covered with valuable remains of ruined cities, of which Dr. Pococke and Mr. Norden have published very learned and accurate accounts. It is faid not only the Fort, and a number of houfes were deflroyed, but alfo that near fix hundred of the inhabitants were killed. This account is probably very much exaggerated, but it is to be feared as a heavy fire was kept up on the town for upwards of two hours, many of the people mull have fallen, and therefore at prefent it is unneceffary to examine more minutely into this route. I cannot however conclude this digreffion without exprelling a hope that fome atonement will be made to them for their lofYes, which whether they were attacked juflly or not is abfolutely neceffary before any European ought to venture to pafs that way: For by way of retaliation they will facriiice every one they can get hold of, until fome effectual means have been taken to pacify them.
There are many large towms on the Eaft fide of the Red Sea between Gedda and Suez, but as one Arabian town differs very little from another, after having icon Mocha it would only be a lofs of time to flop either at Yambo or Tor; the former a place of great trade not far from Medina ; and the latter a fmall Port inhabited principally by pilots, where there are wells of tolerable good water. Tor i^ about five and thirty miles from Mount Sinai, near to which there is a convent of Greek Chriilians,
faid
faid to have been founded by the Empress Helena and dedicated to St. Catherine. If you have any curiofity to fee this convent in all probability by writing to the monks, permiliion might be Obtained from the Arabs to pafs unmolefted from Tor; but the Arabs and monks are not always on good terms, as the rapacity of the former, the defencelefs date of the latter, and the bigotry Of both parties, occafion frequent difputes between them. The monks to guard againlt. any furprife conftantly keep their doors fhut, and when they have occafion to go out or come in are drawn up in a baiket to one of the windows of their convent, which are not lefs than forty feet high ; but they feldom however go out having every article of provifion for their table within their own walls, which are rather more than three quarters of a tnile in extent.
The voyage from Tor to Suez may eafily be performed in one day with a fair wind, but at any rate in five. Immediately as a fhip appears in fight of Suez, a boat is lent on board to enquire the purpofe of her coming: and the officer generally brings a prefent from the Governor confiding of a fheep or two, fome fmall flat cakes of bread, a jar of water, and a fmall quantity of fruit, particularly oranges, which are juicy and of a very delicious flavour. As the meflenger is a man of fome rank, it is ufual to falute him with three guns, and to entertain him with coffee, tobacco, fweatmeats, &c. When he returns on fhore he will carry a letter for you to any perfon at Cairo, and it will be forwarded by exprefs the fame evening, together with an account of your arrival to the principal Bey of Cairo, who is called Sheick Belled. It would not be prudent to write any fecrets in the letter, but you may fend inflructions concerning your journey, and directions to have a veflel prepared for you at Alexandria. Your rank you may conceal or mention as you think proper.   In my
D opinion
opinion fuppofing they have no reafon to fufpect you of carrying money or jewels to any great amount, it would be better to make yourfelf known. They may indeed expect prefents accordingly, but then their attention to you will alfo be proportioned to your liberality to them, the difference of expence will be but trifling to a man of fortune, and the conveniencies you will derive from being thought a perfon of high ftation will be very great. Lord A. Percy who was at Cairo in the year 1776^ appeared there in his proper character and was treated with great politenefs, nor if I was well informed, was there a great difpro-portion between the prefents he gave, and thofe he received iii. return. A perfon who from necefiity is obliged, or from difpo-fition inclined to be a rigid reconomift, mould not attempt to travel for curiofity or pleafure in the Levant; where the infolence and bigotry of the natives can only be got the better of by an appearence of wealth and liberality, mould bufmefs oblige him to pafs that way he muff do the beft he can. The Governor of Suez is generally one of the Beys or Lords who compofe the Ariftocracy in Egypt, his rank of courfe entitles him to fome attention. If you chufe to vifit him it is only neceffary to announce your intention the day before, and to fix the hour you will go on fhore, and he will doubtlefs receive you with civility. But as the anfwer of your letter to Cairo will probably come back in four days at moft, it will perhaps be better to wait until it arrives: for the Governor of Suez will not know what reception to give you untill he hears from Cairo, and in the mean time you may plead ill health for flaying on board the fhip.
The moll: acceptable prefents you can offer them are moft double barrelled filver mounted guns or piflols, if bell mouthed the better, china bowls, fmall French gold repeating watches, lhauls, keemkaubs, or pieces of muflim   Any of thefe things
given
I II J
given to the Governor of Suez, and alio fome trifle of the fame kind to the officer of the cufloms, who is a fervant to the Grand Signior, and appointed by the Bafhaw at Cairo, will enfure you great refpect, and prevent your baggage from being fearched and tumbled. A cautious man or an economift might object to a declaration of your rank, leaf1 your fuppofed wealth being communicated to the Arabs, mould tempt them to attack you in palling the defert; for my own part I do not think there is any danger of it, and indeed I am convinced there is more rifque in fuejecting yourfelf to be difcovered by accident, than by pub-lickly avowing your rank, and that the purpofes of your journey* are curiofity and amufement. The prefent Duke de Lafoens a Portuguefe nobleman, wras incognito at Alexandria nearly at the fame time that Lord Percy appeared there in his proper character, and whilff. the latter was allowed to ride on horfeback, attended by guards, and received prefents of horfes and other things nearly equivalent to what he gave to the Beys, an order was iffued to arreft the former, and it was with fome difficulty that afliftcd by Mr. Baldwin he made his efcape on board a fhip lying at Alexandria. The Sheick Belled has great authority over both the Turks and Arabs, and therefore protected by his guards, which probably he would lend to cfcort you as foon as he is informed who you are, you would pafs the Ifthmus of Suez without any danger of being molefted.
The diftance from Suez to Cairo is not more than feventy miles, fome people have reprelented this little journey as very fatiguing and dangerous. I have already given my opinion of the danger, which with common difcrction I mult repeat appears to me perfectly imaginary ; and as to fatigue you may travel in a tukt-rawan or litter carried by camels or mules, the motion of which is not very uncafy : thefe machines are ealily
D z procured
t » ]
procured at Cairo, but it would be mod advifeable for you to get one made at Bombay of bamboo, which would be both light and commodious, and ferve you both as a travelling carriage and a tent. Should you not choofe to be encumbered with a tukt-rawan, nor the Bey fend you a horfe, your agent will probably procure you one at Cairo ; but at the worn:, you may borrow one of the Arabian guards who efcort you from Suez, and thefe horfes, although not very handfome are far from being unplea-fant to ride, as their paces are agreeable, and they are intirely free from vice.
When the day of your departure from Suez is fixed, you mould make a large provifion of bread and ready dreffed meat, fowls, mutton, &c. the feafon being cold, fuch things will keep good for three or four days, which is longer than you can well be on the road to Cairo. Your party will always halt at night when you may drefs any thing, if you prefer hot victuals to cold. There is no water on the defert, and therefore i would advife you to take a few dozen bottles in balkets from the fhip ; for that at Suez is rather brackifh, and betides the Arabs carry theirs in ikins, which are not always very clean.
Notwithstanding I think there is no danger of being mo-lefted by the Arabs, efpecially after having taken the precautions I have already mentioned; yet to put it pad a doubt, I would advife you when the paifport comes from Cairo, to fend your baggage forwards a couple of days before you ; and when you have heard by exprefs lent back to you that it is advanced about halfway to Cairo, imincumbcredwithadringof camels, that move ilowly and detain each other, you may then fet out, and without travelling in the heat of the day, arrive yourfelf at mod in eight and forty hours, allowing even a proper time for ileep and rc-
frdhmcnt
[   '3 ]
freihrnent on the way. The Arabs, unlefs tempted by the hopes of plunder, or provoked by fome act of hoitility, are never guilty of any violence to travellers of any denomination; therefore if your baggage paffes unmolefted, which mult ever be the fole object of their attack, your perfon will be perfectly fafe. This journey might be performed with great eafe in eighteen or twenty hours, but then your baggage mult be left behind, nor will you eafily perfuade your efcort to keep up with you at this rate of travelling.
The face of the country nearly refembles that of the great defert, being barren and entirely dellitute of trees, excepting a few of the Egyptian thorn, bearing a yellow flower. Within about twenty miles of Cairo, you meet with rocks amongff. which you may find a ltone that refembles petrified wood beautifully variegated. I thought it fufficiently curious to be taken to Europe, and therefore carried a few fmall pieces with me, which were much admired at home.
It is neceffary to get to Cairo before fun fet, at which time the gates are fhut; for if you arrive five minutes after they are clofed, you will be obliged to pafs the night very uncomfortably in the fuburbs amonglt poor Arabian huts. But independent of this inconvenience it is very defirable to be near Cairo about the middle of the day to enjoy one of the moft pleafing profpects I have ever feen ; the beauties of which perhaps are fomewhat heightened by coming after a fuccellion of views every one more dreary and defolate than the other.
When about three miles from Cairo, from the fummit of one of theie Hills you perceive that city fituated in a fertile valley, and watered by the Nile which meanders at the fide of, and
beyond
I  H 1
beyond its walls through a rich country as far as the eye can teach each way. To the S. W. is an immenfe high rock, at the foot of which and adjoining to the town is the citadel and palace ; to the North and N. W. the buildings cover a fpace of at leaft ten or twelve miles in circumference amongif which are many magnificent tombs and mofques, whole domes and adjoining columns give a variety to this view furpafling even that of the belt, built towns in the Catholick countries, where the churches add greatly to the beauty of their external appearance. The weather wTas rather hazy the day we were on this hill, or i fhould fuppofe we mufb alfo have perceived the Pyramids in the back ground of this charming landfcape.
Upon entering the gates of the city you are not llopt and interrogated as you generally are coming into the towns on the continent of Europe, but your guides conduct you immediately to the houfe of your European correfpondent, and he the next day will fettle with the officers of the culfoms about your baggage, if they have fealed up your trunks at Suez, as they ufually do, you fhould not luffcr thofe feals to be taken off, or broken, for they may be glad of inch a pretence for threatning you with the difpleafure of government, in order to demand a confiderable bribe for hum money : thefe artifices they will be likely enough to practife upon you if you afford them an opportunity, especially if you conceal your name and rank.
The officers of the culfoms at Suez fealed up our trunks, and alio our pacquets, and in this manner we carried them to Cairo; but as much rain fell whillt we were crolling the defcrt, we opened our trunks and boxes in order to thy our clothes, but above all our papers ; not however without having prcvi-oully confulted a gentleman at Cairo concerning the propriety
of
of it. The next morning when the cuitom-houfe officers came to examine our baggage, being told of what we had done, they affected to believe we had broken the feals to conceal fome prohibited goods, or at leafl to avoid paying the proper duties. We might perhaps have been able to pacify them by means of a little money, but our friend flighted their menaces, trufling he fhould get the Sheick Belled to interfere in our behalf; unfortunately for us he was again deceived, and in the end this little act of inadvertency cofl us near three hundred pounds, together with no little anxiety on account of being detained fe-veral days at Alexandria by the order of the Baihaw.
After your arrival at Cairo, I would advife you as well for health as for pleafure, almoft immediately to repair to the hum-mam or bagnio. The Turkifh manner of bathing is infinitely fuperior to any thing of the kind that is now known, or at leafl practifed in any part of Europe, for even moft of the inhabitants of Italy, once fo famous for the magnificence of their baths, have long ncgle&ed this luxurious but falutary cuftom; as fome of your friends may never have feen a Turkifh bagnio, I fhall attempt a defcription of that I ufed, which was one of the common fort, fuch as are to be met with in every city in the Levant.
The firft room is the undrcfTing chamber which is lofty and ' fpacious, about twenty-five feet long and eighteen wide ; near the wall is a kind of bench raifed about two feet from the floor, and about feven or eight feet wide, fo that after bathing a perfon may lie down upon it at full length; the windows are near the top of the room, as well that the wind may not blow upon the bathers when undrefled, as for decency's fake. After uiuhcfiing a lervant gives you a napkin to wrap round you, and
alfo
t   '6 1
alfo a pair of flippers, and thus equipped you are conducted through a narrow paflage to the fleam room or bath, which is a large round building of about twenty-five feet diameter paved with marble, and in the centre of it is a circular bench where you are feated until you find yourfelf in a profufe perfpira-tion ; then your guide or attendant immediately begins rubbing you with his hand covered with a piece of coarfe fluff* called Keflay, and thereby peels off from the fkin a kind of fkurf, which cannot be moved by warning only. When he has rubbed you a few minutes be conducts you to a fmall room, where there is a hot bath about four feet deep and ten feet fquare, in which he will offer to wafh you having his hand covered with a fmoother fluff than before ; or you may have fome perfumed foap given you to wafh yourfelf: After you have remained here as long as is agreeable you are conducted to another little fide room, where you find two cocks of water the one hot the other cold ; which you may throw over you with a bafon, the water being tempered to any degree of warmth, or perfectly cold if you prefer it. This being the lait ablution, you are then covered with a napkin, and from hence again conducted to the undrefling room, and placed upon the before-mentioned bench with a carpet under you, and being extended upon it at full length, your attendant again offers to rub you dry with napkins. Some people have their nails cut, and alfo arc fhampoed ;*
* Shampoinc il varioufly performed in different countries. The moil ufutl manner is (imply prelling thehands and fingers upon the body and limbs, particularly near the extremities, fo as to comprefs, but not to pinch them. This is the general manner praftifed by the ferv.tnts of the A:i tics, but the barbers and the guides at the baths make alio the joints and even the ve tcbrae of ihe back crack by a fudden jerk, which to people tmaccullomed to it in their youth, is rather a painful fenf.it ion. The Chinelc and Malay barbers particularly excel in this art, which however is very well known, and generally praftifed all over Afhi, being by them thought a ncccflary fubilitute (or exctcifc during the hot weather.
the
the Turks generally fmoak after bathing and the operation of fhampoing, and in about an hour, a few minutes more or lefs, they commonly drefs and go home.
It is to be wifhed that fome able phyfician would take the trouble of informing us what would be the probable eiiccts of the ufe of the Turkifh baths in England. If we were to judge by a comparifon between the endemical diforders of Alia and Europe, we fhould fuppofe that the moderate ufe of the bath might render the gout and rheumatifm as uncommon in this part of the world, as they are in the other.
Very few Afiatics are afflicted with thefe complaints, although they eat their meat very highly feafoned with fpices, and ffew-ed in clarified butter ; feldom take any exercife, and even many of them fecretly indulge in other excefYes, which with us are fuppofed to caufe the gout.   Why then may we not allow fome degree of efficacy in warm baths, and fhampoing in throwing off thofe humours, which not being removed, occafion the gout and other chronical diforders amongff us ; but my knowledge of thefe matters being very fuperficial, I only humbly fuggeft thefe ideas to the faculty for their confideration and opinion : thus much however I can pretend to fay from my own experience, that the warm bath is very refrefhing after undergoing violent fatigue.    In  coming from Suez to Cairo, a journey of fe-venty miles, I was expoied to very bad weather,  for two days and two nights, with no tent or covering hut a cloak. On my arrival at my journey's end very much harraned with fatigue and benumbed with cold I went into a warm bath, in which having remained about half an hour I was perfectly recovered, and never in my life was in better fpirits, or more able to have purfued my journey.
E The
[   '8 j
The day of your arrival at Cairo you mult determine whether or not you will vilit the Sheick Belled, and the Bafhaw, which will I fuppofe in a great meafure depend upon their own behaviour, or rather perhaps upon the character in which you chufe to appear. If you travel incognito there will be no occafion for you to go near them ; but in that cafe you mull: fubmit to the mortification of riding about on a jack afs, as all Chriffians do excepting thofe who have exprefs permilfion to ufe a horfe : but as Lord A. Percy, and alio Lord Charlemont before him. were both allowed horfes, your agent no doubt will be able to procure you the lame indulgence ; but then as I have already ob-ferved, prelents of iome value will be neceffary both to the Sheick Belled, and the Bafhaw. We were informed it was not neceffary to vilit the Bafhaw, whofe authority in the country they told us was merely nominal ; but this to our coft I have already faid we found to be a miftake ; for had we paid proper attention to him, or in other words had we waited upon him, and given him a trifling prefent, the affair of opening the pacquets wrould have been pafled over in filence. To guard you againfl the fame inconveniences that we experienced through ignorance of the nature of the Egyptian government, I fhall attempt to give you a general idea of it.
Egypt is divided into twenty-four provinces, each of which is governed by a Sangiack or Bey : the major part of thefe twenty-four Beys refide at Cairo, where always once a week, and fbmetlmes oftener they fet in council, called by them the Di an : the Sheick Belled is the prefident of the council, and executive member of the government ; his office is fome-what limilar to that of the Doge of Venice, with rather more authority, but that indeed depends upon a variety of circumftances, fuch as whether he is a man of great abilities and firmnefs himfelf;
{elf; whether he is fupported by a large party amongfl his colleagues ; and whether or not he is on good terms with the Bafhaw. When I was at Cairo the Sheick Belled was rather a weak man, and owed his fafety to the mutual jealoufy of two rival Beys nearly of equal power, who both afpired to his place. The Bafhaw is lent from the Porte as Viceroy on the part of the Grand Signior; if he can contrive to fow fedition amongfl the Beys, and fecretly attach himfelf to the flrongeft party, whilfl he feems to obferve a flricSt neutrality, he lometimes acquires more influence than even the Sheick Belled himfelf; but then he mufl act with great care and circumfpection, for fhould his intrigues be difcovered, and the adverfe party to his prevail, he certainly will be obliged to quit the country.
The manner of his difmiflion is characteriflic of the gloomy and arbitrary proceedings of this oriental republic. The Beys having come to a refolution of fending him away, difpatch a Carracoulouck from the Divan or council to his houfe, who approaches the place where the Bafhaw is fcated, and having h-lently turned up the corner of the carpet, abruptly goes away ; he is however obliged to carry an order with him, which he puts into his bofbm, leaving out a corner of it fo as to be plainly perceived. The name Carracoulouck fignifies a black miffen-ger, for he is drefled in black, with a fort of bonnet on his head, of the fame colour.
The Bafhaw never pretends to oppofe this mandate or rather hint irom the Divan, knowing that reiiflance would very probably cofl him his life. He therefore as foon as pofiible retires quietly to Boulako, iituated about two miles and a half to the weflward of Cairo ; or when he fufp:cts a violent degree of rcfentmcnt ngainft him, he proceeds to Rofetto, and from
E 2 thence
[ *° 3
thence by the firft conveyance to Cyprus, where he remains until he hears from Conftantinople.
The Divan or council of the Beys to keep up appearances with the Porte difpatch a fpecial meffenger to Conftantinople complaining of the mifconducr. of the Bafhaw ; but the Grand Signior confcious of his inability to fupport his officer, takes no other notice of his difmiflion than in fending another Bafhaw to Cairo, and often impofing a fine on the one who has been dif-graced. Such, Sir, is the general outline of this Government, and as it is impoffible for you, during your fhort flay in Egypt, to difcover the fecret intrigues of the ftate, fo as to judge which party predominates, you perhaps will think it moft prudent to be equallv attentive to both. On a future occafion when poffeff-ed of full information, and more leifure, 1 fhall probably trouble you with ionic further obfervations on this extraordinary government, but I fhall conclude the prefent account with a curious trait of their policy, which has no precedent that I know of in any other country whatever.
The children of the Beys cannot inherit either the rank or the property of their fathers, nor even be appointed to any office which it is deemed proper for a Bey to hold. It is true the Divan after the death of a Bey, appropriates a part of his property to the maintenance of his family, but the remainder goes to his cafheef or lieutenant, who generally fucceeds both to his office and eitate, Thefe cafheefs are Georgian or Cir-cafiian flaves, whom the Bey has bought and adopted when young, and of courfe educated with great care and tendernefs, with a view of leaving them grateful guardians to their orphan children. This law was doubtlcfs iuggefted to th< m by their diflike to monarchy and predilection for a republic ; but iurely it
firft
[ « ]
firft took place during the admlniftration of fome childlefs perfon, or the voice of nature would have fupprefled the dictates of policy.
The city of Cairo and its environs as you well know are full of curiofities, but nothing attracted my attention fo much as the infinite variety of people in the public ftreets, and yet I could difcover nothing like an original national character among them. The prefent Egyptians are an heterogeneous mixture of all nations, and having unfortunately retained only the worff features both of the minds and perfons of their anceftors, in my opinion they are now become the moll: difagreeable and contemptible nation on earth, bearing no more refemblance to the former Egyptians, than the prefent ruins do to their once magnificent buildings.
When you have fufficiently gratified your curiofity at Cairo you may proceed from thence to Alexandria by land; but you will go with much greater eafe, expedition and fafety as far as Rofetto by water; there are two forts of boats on the Nile, the one refembling a Bengal budgerow or barge, and the other fome-wliat like a Moor punkey, * but the generality of Egyptian boats are inferior to thofe of Bengal, both with refpect to elegance and accommodation. I took one at Cairo of eighteen oars, in which I arrived at Rofetto in thirty hours, about two thirds of the men conlfantly rowing whilft alternately the others llept : the
A Bengal budgevow refembles the barges of the city companies ; a Moor punkey is a long mirrow boat to row with ten or twenty oats ; the former is "feu1 for travelling up and down the great rivers in Bengal, and the provinces to the North or it ; the latter is fcldom ufed but in coming down with the cunent, with the ailillance of which when the river a lull they are fuppofed to go at the rate of ten or twelve miles an hour.
banks
[ •» ]
banks of* the river are covered with well inhabited towns and villages, but as the natives of this part of the country bear not the belt of characters, and are particularly inimical to Europeans, it will not be prudent to truftyourfelf among them. It is even thought neceffary at night, to carry a light in a paper lanthorn, under the tilt or deck of the boat, to fhew that you are Europeans and alert, or thefe pirates will fometimes attack you in hopes of plunder. Should you come to an anchor you muft alfo be watchful that they do not fwim off from the fhore, and pilfer fomething out of the boat, at which they are very expert.
The objection againlt going all the way to Alexandria by water, is the furf at the Bogaz or mouth of the river at Rofetto, which renders this part of the voyage rather dangerous. It will therefore be better to go on fhore at Rofetto, and from thence proceed by land, the diftance is about thirty three miles: Chriifians are allowed to make this journey upon camels or mules, and even upon horfes if they will go to the expence of hiring them. If you let out from Rofetto about eight o'clock in the evening, you may arrive at Alexandria at day break, which in a moon light night is the moft agreeable manner of travelling, for you would thereby avoid the heat of the fun, which in the middle of the day even in the winter feafon is very unpleafant.
Ik advifing you to travel by night from Rofetto to Alexandria, I do not mean that you fhould depart from Rofetto the night of your arrival, for if you can flay there you will find fufficient amulement for a week at lead, not that Rofetto itfelf I believe abounds with antiquities, but there are many modern buildings, in and near the city very well worth feeing. It is a place much relpected by the Mahomedans, who fay if Mecca was to be taken from them, that the pilgrims who now go thither, would in
future
[    *3 ]
future vifit Rafhid i. e. Rofetto ; which opinion is probably founded on a tradition that one of Mahomed's neareft relations, formerly lived, and is now buried at amofquewhich isfituated at the North part of the fuburbs. The length of this city is near two miles but it is not more than half a mile broad; in the environs of it there are many country houfes belonging to Chriftian merchants whofe gardens abound with exceeding fine Oranges, and many of the choiceft fruits of the Eaft, but what contributes mch: to make it an agreeable residence to them, is the liberality and politenefsof the Mahomedan inhabitants, who not withftand-ing the reputed fancYity of the place are particularly civil to the Chriltiaos, whereas at Damietta which is fituated only on the oppofite or pelufian fide of the Delta, an European cannot appear without a certainty of being intuited. For this violent antipathy no other reafon can be affigned, but that during the crufades confiderable detachments of the Chriftian armies ufed to land there, and the accounts of the ravages they committed being tranfmitted to polferity has fixed a deep rooted refentment in the minds of the Damiettans, that will never be eradicated as long as thofe ftories are remembered.
European travellers in general complain of the ill treatment they meet with in all the countries of the Levant, but particularly when they are examining the ruins of ancient cities: the jcaloufy fliewn by the Mahomedans on thefe occafions is always imputed to religious prejudices, or the want of urbanity, but I (hall beg leave to account for it in another manner.
It is generally believed by them that all Europeans are deeply verfed in the abilrufe and occult fciences, which makes them confider us in the fame light as the vulgar and ignorant in Europe coniieler our fortune tellers or conjurors, that is with a
kind
kind of admiration mixed with fear and deteltation. Added to this prejudice, they are alfo thoroughly perfuaded from the ftories they daily hear repeated out of the Arabian Nights Entertainments, that there are many fubterraneous palaces in their country full of pearls and diamonds, in fearch of which they fuppofe the Europeans are come to Egypt: we always acknowledge that wTe are looking after curiofities, which ferves to confirm them in their error ; for as they have not the moft diffant idea of what we mean by curiofities, they naturally conclude we are looking for the pearls and diamonds fuppoied to be concealed in thole fame palaces; which opinion alfo is ftrongly corroborated by the zeal and anxiety lhewn by our antiquarians in their refearches.
As the mean heat of a country is faid to be nearly afcertaincd by the mean heat of the fprings ; fo are the genius and character of a nation difcovered by perufing their favorite books; for which reafon I advife you by all means to perufe thefe Arabian Nights Entertainments before you fet out on your journey. Believe me, Sir, they contain much curious and uletul information. They are by many people erroneoufly fuppofed to be a fpurious production, and are therefore flighted in a manner they do not deferve. They were written as I have already hinted by an Arabian, and ate univcrlally read, and admired throughout Afia by all ranks of men, both old and young: conlidered therefore as an original work defcriptive as they are, of the manners and cuf-toms of the Eaff in general, and alfo of the genius and character of the Arabians in particular; they finely muff be thought to merit the attention of the curious; nor are they in my opinion entirely deftitutcof merit in other refpects, for although the extravagance of fome of the ftories is carried too far, yet on the whole one cannot help admiring the fancy and invention of the author,
in
in finking out fuch a variety of pbafing incidents : pleafing I call them, becaufe they have frequently afforded me much amufement, nor do I envy any man his feelings, who is above being pleafed with them; but before any perfon decides upon the merit of thefe books, he fhould be eye witnefs of the effec~t they produce on thofe who beft underftand them. I have more than once feen the Arabians on the defert fetting round a fire liftening to thefe ftories with fuch attention and pleafure, as totally to forget the fatigue and hardfhip with which an inflant before they were entirely overcome. In fhort Sir ! not to dwell any longer on this fubjedf, they are in the fame eftimation all over Alia, that the adventures of Don Quixote are in Spain ; and I am perfuaded no man of any genius or tafle would think of making the tour of that country, without previoufly reading the works of Cervantes.
About half way between Rofetto and Alexandria you come to a place called Madhia, where at the flood tide you mult crofs over in a ferry boat, hut at the ebb you eafily pafs over on horfe-back : near the ferry is a ferai or refting place where you can deep, but fhould it be neceffary for you to pafs a night on the road, you had better go to the town of Aboukeer, which is fituatcd on the lea coalf, about a mile and a half to the N. W. of the ferrv, for the ferai is open to the weather, and alfo extremely dirty, from Aboukeer or the ferry to Alexandria is about feventeen miles.
With refpecf to a defcription of Alexandria and its environs, I fhall beg leave as before to refer you to Pococke, Norden and Neibuhr, &c. taking the liberty however in fome few points to differ from them, and likewifc to add fome ohfervations
F that
that I have not met with in either of the above-mentioned writers concerning the prefent and alfo the former ftate of Egypt.
The mole of about one thoufand yards in length which was built to form a communication with the ifland of Pharos does not appear to me to have been taken fufficient notice of by any perfon. As Alexandria was built with a view to commerce, this mole, notwithstanding fome appearances of gothic work in the arches, is probably coeval with the foundation of the city. Of what excellent materials then mult, it have been originally compofed to have refilled the beating of the wind and waves for near two thoufand years ! Dr.Pococke with great reafon admires the arched cifterns under the houfes for the reception of the water of the Nile, of which however there are not more than five or lix remaining at this time; but in my opinion the fame labour and expence would have been better bellowed in lining the canal from the Nile to Alexandria, with the fame durable materials as thofe of the Mole; by means of which the city to the end of time would have been amply fupplied with water, and goods with great eafe have been tranfported to it from all parts of Egypt. For want of being lined the Califch or canal is now fallen in, which is one of the principal cauies of the decline of the trade, and of courfe of the ruin of the city.
It has long been a favorite opinion amongfl the learned, both ancient and modern, that the Egyptians were acquainted with the arts and fciences, when all the other people were in a ftatc of ignorance. We are told they dilcovered geometry in making the divifions of land, after the annual overflowing of the Nile ; that the cleanup's of their atmolphere ( .aided them to make aflron .mval obfrvations fooner than other people ; and that the fcrtilit) of their country gave rife to trade, by enabling them to
fupply
[  *7 1
fupply all their neighbours with corn and other necenaries of life. Thefe arguments are however more fpecious than true, for if we owe the difcovery of geometry to the overflowing of the Nile; of aftronomy to the clearnefs of the atmofphere, and of trade to the fertility of the foil, in that part of Hindoftan which is within the tropic, there are ftill larger rivers which overflow annually, a clearer fky, and a more fertile foil. The Nile only once a year affords a fupply of water to the countries on its banks, and the fmall quantity of rain that falls there at other times, does not furnifh moiiture enough to keep up the fmalleft degree of vegetation. Whereas the rivers in Hindoftan particularly thofe on the coaft of Choromandel, are regularly filled with water twice a year, firft. from the rains which fall in June, July and Auguft, in the Balagat mountains, where the lburces of thofe rivers lie ; and afterwards from the N. E. mon-foon or rainy feafon, which continues on the Choromandel coaff. during the months of October, November and December. With refpccf to the goodnefs of the climate, or the clearnefs of the atmofphere for the purpofe of aftronomy, there can be no companion between Egypt and Hindoftan; for at night during the greater part of the year in Hindoftan there is fcarcely a cloud to be feen in the Iky, and the air efpecially in the fouthcru countries is never diiagreeably cold, fo that an aftronomer would have every opportunity and inducement to purfue his ftudies in the open air, whereas in Egypt the Iky is often cloudy, and the air fo cold as to make it unpleafant to be out of doors after fun-let.
Tiik Indians had alfo very evidently the advantage of the Egyptians with refpeel to cloathing, which is one of the necef-iaries, or at leafl one of the comforts of life; for if we fuppofe men lirft cloathed themfelves in the fkins of animals, India
F 2 abounds
abounds in vail, forefts and extenfive fertile plains, where animals of all kind both lavage and tame, muft have bred infinitely taller than in the barren deferts of upper Egypt; but in a hot country the natives would naturally prefer garments made of woven cotton. Now the cotton fhrub is very rare in Egypt, even at this time, and it is well known to have grown in India, and to have been fabricated into cloth ever fince we have had any acquaintance with that country. From thefe premifes, therefore it is natural to fuppofe, that the Indians in the early ages were much more likely to fupply the Egyptians with neceffaries and comforts of life, than to be fupplied by them; that the Indians would at leafl have as much occafion for geometry as the Egyptians; and that they had at leafl equal if not greater advantages for purfuing the lludy of aftronomy. Thus far however all is but conjecture, for we have no tradition or hiflory of thofe times, when either the Egyptians or the Indians were in an uncivilized Hate; but if we purfue the fubject we fhall find very evident proofs that when an intercourfe did take place between them, that the Egyptians received irom Hindoftan all thofe articles of luxury, which the Greeks and Romans purchafed again from them. It would be both tediems and unneceffary to enumerate all thefe, I fhall therefore content myielf with particularizing filk, fpices, pearls, diamonds and other precious ftones.
It was formerlv fuppofed that moft of thefe articles came from Arabia Felix, but this error has long iincc been exploded. It is now well known they were none of them the produce of Arabia, hut where brought thither by veffels from India, and from thence were carried up the Red Sea with other productions of that country.
It
It may perhaps be objected, that the Egyptians and the Arabians are generally fuppofed to have known the art of navigation before the Indians, and of courfe that although India may produce fpices, &c. the Egyptians and Arabians went thither to fetch them. Hiftory being intirely filent on this fubject we can only endeavour to afcertain this matter, by ftating the arguments on both fides the queftion.
In all probability before any intercourfe fubfifted between the Indians and Egyptians, both people knew how to conitruct fmall boats or rather rafts for crolling deep rivers, and even for tranf-porting themfelves by water from one place to another in the fame country; but at the fame time it muff be allowed that the Indians had much better materials for building both fmall and large boats than either the Egyptians, or even the Arabians; and the boats of the prefent day plainly fhew in what manner the Indians made ufe of thefe materials. The planks are made of a hght boyant pliant wood, fewed together with coir or the rind of the cocoa nut made into a kind of fmall cord; all the larger ropes are made of the fame materials, and even the oars themfelves are formed of one ftrait pole with a piece of flat board tied upon it with a coir firing to form the blade of the oar. The prefent large country boats of forty and fifty tons, efpecraily thofe belonging to the Lacidivi and Maldlvi iflands are flill built in the lame manner, with no other difference than l>eing on a larger fcale : with thefe in a fair feafon they make voyages many degrees out of fight of land, yet nothing of the kind not even the firft effays of the art could have been more rude than thefe now are. It is highly probable therefore that as loon as they knew the latitude of the ftrcights of Babelmandel, and were furnifhed with inftruments for making observations, they ventured to pafs over from the Malabar coaft to that of Arabia.
I may
c 30 1
I may perhaps be afked when and how it was they became acquainted with the latitude of thefe ftreights ; that is a difficulty I believe no perfon can folve any more than myfelf, but it is pollible that there was once a chain of iilands nearly in fight of each other, from the Malabar coaft to that of Arabia, moft of which may have been fwallowed up in fome great convulfion of nature, fo as to leave no remains excepting the ifland of Socotra and thofe of Lacidivi and Maldivi : but even fuppoiing no fuch iflands to have exifted ftill finely as the Indians had good materials for building veffels, and a fea to fiiil upon that is governed by regular currents and periodical winds, neither of which the Egyptians had ; we may rather fuppofe that the produce of Hindoftan was carried to Egypt by the Indians, than that it was fetched away from thence by the Egyptians.
If the Indians required nothing from the Egyptians either of the nectffaries or comforts of life; if the Egyptians got fpices and other articles of luxury from India ; and it" the natives of India were firft acquainted with the fcience of aftronomy and the arts of navigation, all of which I think are probable : it is but reafonable to fuppofe that the arts and fciences were firft known in India, and from thence were brought up the Red Sea to Egypt.
I am well aware that the advocates for Egypt will call upon me to produce any remains of antiquity in India fo ancient as the Pyramids. To thefe gentlemen 1 fhall oppoie one impofli-bihry to another, by alking them to trace back the building of Gour, which (even hundred and thirty years before Chrift was the capital of Bengal, or of the better known Palibothra of the ancients, which was the capital of India long before Alexander*! time.   As a further proof that the natives of Hindoftan were
in
t m a
in an advanced {late of civilization near two thoufand years ago, I fhall alfo beg leave to obferve that a plate of copper was lately duv up at Mongheer, engraved with Shanfcrit characters which contains a conveyance or grant of land from Bickeram Geet Raja of Bengal to one of his fubjects, and dated near one hundred years before the Chriftian sera. To enter into a long detail of reafoning upon this plate cannot be neceffary; I am perfuaded Sir, you will in an inflant conceive how long the arts and fci-ences muff have been known in Hindoftan, before thefe regular divifions of land took place, and the grants of them were engraved on copper in fuch charafters as would not difgrace our mofi ikilful artiils even at this time.
The ingenious Mr. Halhed in the preface of his Bengal grammar, informs us that the Raja of Kiffmagur, who he fays, is by far the moft learned and able antiquary, that Bengal has produced within this century, pofitively affirms that he has in his own poffeffion Shanfcrit books, which give an account of a communication formerly fubfitting between India and Egypt, wherein the Egyptians are conftantly defcribed as difciples, and not as inftructors of the Indians; and as iecking that liberal education, and thofe fciences in Hindoftan, which none of their own countrymen had fufficient knowledge to impart. This evidence of the learned Raja has great weight with me, efpecially as there are books now extant in Bengal, written in the Shanfcrit language, which are copies of others laid by the Bramins to be dated more than two thoufand two hundred years before the Chriftian aera. This fact admitted, and I firmly believe it very pofiihle to be proved, the Egyptians muff appear a modern people m companion with the natives of Hindoftan; for when the former were advanced no further in literature, than the conducting of hiero-
gly plucks,
[   3* ]
glyphicks, the latter were matters of books written in a language which had then attained a great degree of perfection.
But this is not all that may be urged in favour of the claims of the Indians, fome further proofs will appear upon examining the general ftate of commerce at that time all over the globe. In Europe it was very trifling, and only a corner of Africa was even known, confequcntly whatever commerce then exiffed muff have come from Xiia. About this time there was a chain, or if I may be allowed the expreflion, a ftreet of magnificent cities from Coptos to Alexandria, which continued in a flouriffling ftate, notwithstanding the Egyptian empire frequently changed its Sovereign. Nor from any information I am mailer of, can I find thofe cities began to decline until the followers of Mahomed transferred the India trade from Upper Egypt to the oppoiite coaft of the Red Sea, then and not before Upper Egypt became what it ftill continues to be an uninhabited defertt If thefe facts be true, and I believe they will not be difputed, we may reafonably infer from them, not only that thefe cities of Upper Egypt exifted by the fupport they derived from that trade, but alfo that they owed their original exiftence to it. Nor is it Egypt only that has experienced thefe effects of the India trade; whatever nation has poffetfed the largcft fhare of it, has invariably for the time enjoyed alfo the largeft portion of wealth and power, and when deprived of it, funk again almoft into their original obfeurity.
When the folly of the crufades was over, and the remembrance of the injuries fuftained on both (idea in fome meafure mutually forgotten ; the Mahomedans intent only on conqucft and iprcading the doctrines of their prophet, allowed the Chrifti-ans to carry on the trade between Europe and the Levant, which
confuted
}
[  33 1
confifted principally in tranfporting the India goods from the ports of Syria, Paleftine, and Egypt, to thofe of Italy. It is well known that the Venetians for a long time engrofled the greater part of this trade, and whilft they enjoyed it were the richeft and moft powerful people in Europe; we may alfo trace it from Venice to the Hans towns by the cities to which it gave rife in Germany. But at length the Portuguefe difcovered the palTage round the Cape of Good Hope, which carried a part of the India trade into another channel; immediately Venice declined, and Portugal became one of the greateft nations in Europe. They however enjoyed their fuperiority but a fhort time, for the enterprizing and induftrious natives of Holland found their way round the Cape of Good Hope, and very foon efta-blifhed themfelves in India on the ruin of the Portuguefe. Whilft the riches of India flowed into Holland, the Dutch dif-puted the empire of the feas with the united fleets of England and France. At laft we obtained a larger portion of this trade than ever was enjoyed by any nation whatever excepting the Egyptians, and every perfon knows at that period Great Britain gave law to all Europe. Nor does it require the gift of prophecy to be able to foretel, that deprived of this fource of wealth we fhall fink almoft as low in the political fcale of Europe, as either Holland, Portugal, Venice, or even Egypt itfelf.
If all the European Countries I have mentioned derived the major part of their wealth and power from the India trade, and declined again when they were deprived of it; we may naturally fuppofe that fimilar caufes have produced fi mi la r effects in Egypt, and confequcntly that Hindoftan was the original fource or fountain head of the arts, the feiences and commmerce, and from whence they have iincc been dirfufed over the reft of the globe.
G Although
[   3+ J
Although rather foreign to the fubject- of this letter, I cannot help remarking that there feems fomething'more than common chance, in this regular progrefs of the arts and fciences from Eaft to Weft; fuppofing them to have come originally from India, they next went to Egypt, from thence to Greece, and fo on to Italy, Germany, France, Spain, and Portugal: from the weft part of Europe they alfo paffed over to America, where probably they will ftill continue to purfue the fame courfe, until they have fmiihed their circuit round the globe, by opening a communication between the Weft coafts of America, and the Eaft cpafts of Alia. The further coniideration of this fubject. would lead me into a long train of political reflections, I (hall therefore quit it, and return to what relates to Egypt. .
j\r,*l.f Or   «\»f-f   -if.    fil'ffi   *iff°f til    t"*^iiT    f'~   .''&vf    Tl"1f^'t [i^f?tf{f^
There are great difputes amongft the moderns concerning the exact htuation of the ancient city of Berenice, on the weft coaft of the Red Sea ; and alfo whether or not there was a navigable canal between that city and Coptos on the banks of the Nile. If you have leifurc to go iuto Upper Egypt, or can land at Cofire, you perhaps will be glad to know what has been already faid on this fubject, and alfo to receive any information I can afford you, concerning that or any other navigable canal between the Red Sea and the Nile.
Both ancient and modern geographers defcribe the remains of a canal from Suez, to a hnall lake of bitter water about thirty miles to the north of that place, and from thence to a canal faid to have been dug by the order of the Emperor Trajan, which goes from that lake into the Nile a few miles below the city of Cairo : for my own part, I muft acknowledge, I faw nothing like a canal near Suez, excepting a fmall water courfe, many of which arc to be feen both in the great and little deiert. With
refpect
[   35 3
refpect to that faid -to have been cut between Berenice and Coptos in the latitude of twenty-fix in Upper Egypt, in my oWn opinion I doubt its exiftence. Mr. D'Anville feems to think that a road only was made from the Nile to the Red Sea, and that ] the miftakc arofe from there being a navigable canal between Coptos and the Nile, from which it was diftant only ieven miles. But this great geographer not having entered fo minutely into this fubject, as perhaps you may think it deferves, I mall offer a few words to your conlideration in confirmation of his opinion. Won     ;vf' brn;        od 02 3ifov/ b^irjc^ sjf> notflw nr ^'isrno
Those writers who have placed a navigable canal or a road between the Nile and the Red Sea from modern Ghinna to Cofire, have probably gueffed that it muff, have been in that fituation, Ixcaule it is the fhorteft diftance from the Sea to the river, being in a ft rait line at moft one hundred and twenty miles. But admitting any fuch canal to have exifted in Upper Egypt, of which there are no traces to be found ; it is not very likely it fhould be cut in that direction, for Cofire being almoft three degrees beyond the Tropic, the voyage from the Tropic to Cofire, would to the ancients in their illconftructed veffels have been practicable during only the continuance of the Khumfeen wind, which as I have before obferved blows for about fifty days in the year: furely then had the Egyptians attempted to make fuch a navigable canal, they would have made it further to the fouthward, near the Tropic, where it would have been Serviceable to them for fix months in the year; that is near to the fpot where Ptolemy and others have placed the ancient Berenice. Dr. Pococke who does not feem to have adverted to this circumftance of the N. W. wind prevailing fo long below Cofire; thinks that Ptolemy is miftaken in his latitude of Berenice, becaufe Strabo who had vifited Upper Egypt places Berenice near Coptos ; the word near however being only a relative term, may mean equally one hundred or two hundred
G 2 and
[   3« ]
and fifty-eight miles, and therefore cannot be deemed any proof that Berenice mould have been exactly in the fame parallel of latitude with Coptos. The fituation of Coptos is not difputed, and as Ptolemy, and many of the moil refpectable geographers have made the diftance from thence to Berenice near two hundred and fifty-eight miles, moft perfons perhaps, will be of opinion, that Berenice was iituated in what is called Foul Bay, to the fouthward of Cape Nofe, and within a few miles of the Tropic. Ptolemy Philadelphus made a road from the one city to the other, in which he caufed wells to be dug, and what would now in the Eaft be called Caravanfaries to be erected ; but of which i have been informed no veftiges are now viiible. This road has alfo by fome people been miftaken for a canal, but I lhall oifer fome objections to your confideration againft the probability of any canal having been made between this part of the Nile, and the Red Sea.
The canal muft have been fupplied with water either from the river or from the fea. If from the river, fuch a difcharge from that body of water muft even in the heft feafon have deprived Lower Egypt of too large a quantity of this only fource of its fertility : and in a dry featon, which happens at Laft every fourth or fifth year, muft have occasioned a famine; for as I have before mentioned the rain never falls there in lufficient abundance to keep up the fmalleft degree of vegitation.
Ii the canal was to be fupplied with water from the Red Sea, an extraordinary fpring tide, or a ftorm might have broken down the locks, and thereby overflow d Lower Egypt, fo as to render it a mere fait water lake. But at leaft the mixture of the fait with the frefh water would have made it unfit for the pur-pofes of hufbandry, and behdes the major part of the inhabitants
[  37 ]
tants have no other frefh water than what comes from the Nile. If then the Egyptians could not cut a canal without ruining their country, or depriving themfelves of a requlfite fupply of water for domeftic ufes, we may reafonably conclude they never would have made the attempt and thereby expatriated themfelves. Thus Sir ! having made all the obfervations on Egypt that occur to me, or at leafl fuch as will come within the narrow com-pafs of a letter ; I mail next confider what meafures you muff, take to proceed from Alexandria to Europe.
The time and manner of your departure from Alexandria muff entirely depend upon the plan which you have laid down ; that is whether you intend to go directly to England, or whether you propofe to travel leifurely, and make a tour of pleafure : You will hardly think of going to Europe all the way by land through Palefline, Syria, Afia Minor, Sec. I fhall therefore mention what fteps you are to take in going by lea.
Your agent will eafily procure you a veffel on freight to carry you to any of the ports in Europe, which you may have on reafonable terms if you will allow them alfo to put a cargo on board ; and it will be no inconvenience to you, provided the venel is afterwards put under your orders.
Of all the nations that frequent this port, I fhould advife you to employ Ragufians. Their vellels are ftrong and well-found ; their feamen are fober, cleanly, and civil; and their republic is generally at peace with all the different flates of Harbary. Next to thefe in time of peace, I fhould prefer the Freneh who carry on a confiderablc trade here, and employ in it very large fhips; there are but very few Englifh vcntls, and thefe are generally fmall and in bad condition.
If
If you are in hafte to get home, it is belt to freight the fhip for two months to carry you to any port in the Adriatic or the Mediterranean, and then it will be in your own power to choofe'orie of thofe places where the quarantine is fhort, viz. Malta, Marfeilles, Ragufa, or Triefte, at all thefe ports with a pattenta netta, or clean bill of health, the confinement is only eighteen days. I would advife you to freer for Malta ; but if the wind comes to the Wefhvard after you have palled Candia, and before you fee Malta, you fhould then attempt to pafs by the Pharo Mellina in the way to Marfeilles, or elfe to enter the Adriatic and fail for Trielfe. When you are advanced up the Adriatic, fhould the wind come round to the N. W. the port of Raguia will be under your lee ; from whence after performing quarantine, you may land in any part of Italy. Before you embark at Alexandria, the Conful who acts as your agent, at the fame time he dif-patches the fhip, gives you a feparatc certificate or bill of health for yourfelf. If you propofe making a voyage of pleafure without being reffricfed in time, and can depart from Alexandria in the month of February, you will of courfe firft vilit the Archipelago, where in the different i(lands you will find an inexhaufti-ble fund of amufement. It will be very eafy in the courfe of four months to go to Conftantinople, calling in the way at all the places on the Eaft fide of the Archipelago that are worth feeing, and afterwards when you are going to Italy to vilit thofe on the Weft. I am extremely lorry it is not at prefent in my power to give you a particular defcription of all thefe iflands, but at Alexandria you will eafily obtain every kind of information concerning them that you can require. In your return from Conftantinople, after paffing the N. W. end of Candia, if you wiUwifh to fee the South part of Italy, and the ifland of Sicily, it will be neceffary for you to perform your quarantine at Malta, but as the Sicilians fullered dreadfully from the
plague
[   39 ]
plague in the year 1743, i am not certain that you can go from Malta to any part of that ifland, without being detained fome days on board the fhip. At Meflina where the plague raged v ith its greateft violence, they often impofe a quarantine of feven days, even on thofe who come from the oppofite coaft of Calabria, but the Neopolitans are not fo fcrupulous, therefore having got Pratique from Malta you may land in that city.
The time fpent in vifiting Conftantinople and the iflands in the Archipelago, and alfo in performing quarantine, will bring you to Naples in July or Auguft, which indeed is not the moil favorable feafon ; but that cannot be avoided, unlefs you prolong your flay at Conftantinople or the iflands, fo as to arrive at Naples in September or October, which is exactly the plan I fhould moft recommend, for by this little delay, you will have full time to examine countries, which are in the higheft degree worthy of your attention ; you will be able to pafs the winter moft agreeably at Naples ; and you will have all the following fpring and fummer for your journey through Italy and France to England; the warmth of the fun increafing, as you advance towards the North.
And now Sir ! having conducted you to the continent of Europe, I fhall beg leave to conclude ; not however without affur-ing you that if neceffary, I Hi all be happy to arford you any further information in my power, and alio that I am,
.V / R,
With great re/peit,
1 ort)- moft obedient
humble few ant,
Fort Sr. George, J A MES C APPE R.
Nov. 29, 1780.
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Sketch or the Rout e
acrofs the GREAT DESERT of ARABIA from 1 ATH'UKAUy \'\ .1KPPO to H ASS OK A ,
By Colf James Capper .
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JOURNAL.
B Y way of introduction to this journal I fhall beg leave to pre-mife, that if Government or the Eaft India Company fhould have occafion to fend difpatches by Baffora, after the feafon is paft for going through Egypt; the moft expeditious and lean, expenfive manner of doing it, is by fending duplicates of the letters to our minifter at Vienna, who will forward them to the miniffer at Conftantinople; from thence one copy may be tranf-mitted to Aleppo, and another to Bagdad, both of which in all probability will arrive at Baffora from England in lefs than two months. The poft from England to Vienna, and a courier to Conftantinople, will travel fafter and cheaper than any gentleman can poffibly do ; as will alfo the Tartar couriers from thence to Aleppo and Bagdad ; and when the letters contain any order or information of more than common importance, to enfure their fafe arrival a fecond fet of duplicates may be fent to Vienna and Conftantinople within a week after the departure of the firft.
h But
r 42 ]
But fometimes it may happen that a perfon muft be fent by this route, not only to convey the orders to India, but alfo to carry them into execution; in which cafe he fhould confider whether he is equal to the fatigue of travelling all the way by land to Baflbra, or whether he will go to Latichea and Alexandretta by fea from fome of the ports in the Mediterranean : the former is unqueftionably the leaft fubject. to delays from wind and weather, but then it is alfo by much the moft dangerous, fatiguing, and expenfive; befides there are but few men who are able to bear the fatigue of riding poft from Vienna to Conftantinople, and from thence to Aleppo in the winter feafon: and the paftage by fea may be greatly fhortened by embarking at fome of the ports in the S. E. part of Italy. Upon fumming up therefore all thefe different reafons pro and con. I believe moft people will think that letters fhould be fent to Baffora all the way by land; but that a gentleman had better go part of the way to Syria by fea. Two days only were allowed me to prepare for this journey, and therefore in the midft of fettling my own private concerns, I had not leifure to confider what route I had beft take; the orders given me were to go by Holland to Venice or Leghorn ; in confe-quence of which I loft many days, which would have been faved if I had followed the abovementioned plan of going further to the fouthward before I embarked.
It muft be entirely unneceffary to give an account of my journey to Leghorn, the way to that city being fo well known, fufficc it to fay then, that it was performed in eighteen days, notwithstanding I went round by Venice, and was detained near two days on the road ; firft by the poft-mafterof Gorcum in Holland, who refufed to give us horfes to travel in the night; and afterwards by an accident happening to the carriage.
The
C  43 3
The Conful at Leghorn on our arrival there, freighted a Ra-gufian fnow of 220 tons to convey us to Latichea or Alexandretta, which was ready to receive us on the 27th of September 1778, but the wind being foul we did not go on board until the 29th -at fix in the evening. As this Journal is not intended as a direction for mariners, I fhall put down the time according to the common way of reckoning, that is from twelve at night, and not according to the agronomical day of twelve at noon.
On the 29th of September, 1778. At night we {food out to fea, and got a tolerable good offing.
September 30th. The wind at S. E. blowed exceedingly hard all night: in the morning we faw a fail, and likewife the ifland of Caprara, bearing about eaff, diffance feven miles, and the North end of Corfica W. S. W. The wind in the morning moderate.
- . /- • vdt,£ 4jc*b\> aviyv/J UiJ bniW . i'3 &3&ciToQ-
October iff. Variable winds and calm, faw the ifland of Elba, bearing S. E. diffance about fix leagues, and the ifland of Pianofa S. by E. diftance about nine leagues, the weather cloudy; in the evening the wind veered about to the E. S. E. no ob-fervation.
October 2d. Variable winds and fometimes calm, faw the ifland of Monte Chrifto, bearing E. by S. diffance feven leagues, and found a current fetting to the S. E. latitude obferved42. 9. N.
October 3d. In the morning light airs, and fometimes calm : in the evening began to blow frefh from the S. W. increafmg at night.
October
t   44 ]
October 4th. Continued blowing very frefh till about ten o'clock, when all at once the wind flackened, and for about an hour it became calm, and then began to blow very hard from S. S, W. we continued all night under dole reefed topfails.
October 5th. Light airs and calm all the day ; In the night the wind frelhened at S. by E. latitude obferved 40. 32.
October 6th. Calm all the morning and very hot weather ; about two in the afternoon a breeze fprung up from the S. S. W. with fmall rain and very thick weather. In the night faw a large Moorilh velfel {landing to the northward, latitude obferved 40. 21. N.
October 7th. Wind at S. by E. blowing very hard all the twenty-four hours, a prodigious high fea, no obfervation.
October 8th. Wind till twelve o'clock S. by E. from thence to S. S. W. blowing very frefh and a heavy fea, faw a veffel in the afternoon Handing to the N. W. latitude obferved 40. 10. N.
October 9th. Wind from S. to S. W. a frefh breeze and plea-fant weather, latitude obferved 39. 40.
October 10th. Wind S. W. a frefTi gale and pleafant weather, at day-light in the morning faw the ifland of Sicily, and the other iflands near it, Lipari, Salini, Stromboli, &c. flood in fhore till we were within about five miles of the land, and then flood off" and on all night, no obfervation.
October nth. Wind S. S. W. rather a frefh breeze about two o'clock in the morning, made fail for the Pharo Meflina, a pilot
came
I  45 13
. came alongnde about" feven in the morning, and took the fhip through the entrance of the Pharo, which is about three miles broad. We paffed within twenty yards or lefs of the more of Sicily ; the price of the pilotage is not fixed, but depends upon the weather, which being moderate, we paid only two chequins and a half, they often demand five, and fometimes twenty. Ever fince the great plague at Meffina, there has been a quarantine of feven days, even between the coaft of Calabria and Meffina ; the ufual quarantine there from the Levant is at leafl forty days, and on the moft trifling report of a plague, they will not permit any body to land ; in which cafe moft veffels go to Malta ; the center of the channel bears about E. S. E. and W. N. W. the wind being favourable and the weather fair, I remained on deck the whole day to enjoy one of the fineft views I ever beheld ; this beautiful canal was doubtlefs made by fome great earthquake, which perhaps at the fame time gave birth to the neighbouring volca-canos of JEtna and Vefuvius. This idea occured to me as I was paffing through the Straits, and therefore I put it down in my journal, in which however it is not my intention to introduce many obfervations upon natural hiftory. Off Reggiowe faw two French xebeques lying at anchor, but they took no notice of us, nor of a Sicilian veffel, though neither of us fhewed our colours. The Sicilian veffels always keep a boat a-ftern, in order to enable the crew to make their efcape, if they fhould fall in with a Bar-bary corfair ; in which cafe they always run the fhip as near as poffible to the fhore, and taking to the boats, land and fly into the woods; we faw the top of Mount ^Etna covered with fmoak, but it has ceafed emitting fire fome years paft. About fix in the evening we got through the Straits.
October i 2th. Wind N. W. a pleafant breeze and very fine weather, the fouthermoft part of Sicily in fight bearing S. W.
and
I 46 ]
and Cape Spartivento the fouthermoft point of Italy N. N. W. diftance about fourteen leagues. Saw and fpokewith a very clean Ragufian veflel homeward bound from Genoa. Latitude obferved
37' 25« N-
October 13th. Wind S. W. by S. a light breeze and very fmooth water, with fine clear weather, latitude obferved 37. 8. N.
Ifivtfj odl ; r.fjrfi^M hn~ fefidfiLDlo fisoD srh /io>v/^^d r.^V'j ?.vrh October 14th. A light breeze from S. W. in the morning, which veered in the evening to S. by E. fine pleafant weather and a fmooth fea, at eight at night faw an Aurora Borealis which continued exceedingly bright for more than an hour. Latitude obferved 36. 34. N.
October" 15th. Wind from S. by W. to E. S. E. blew frefh and a confufed fea, in the night the wind came round more to the fbuthward, at eleven o'clock tacked, no obfervation.
October 16th. Wind S. W. the firft part of the day light breezes increafing towards the evening to a moderate gale, rather hazy weather, and a very heavy confufed fea, latitude obferved 36. 2. N.
October 17th. Wind W. S. W. a frefh gale and pleafant weather for the moft part of the day; about noon a little fquall of rain, latitude obferved 35. 19. N.
October i 8th. Wind S. W. a fine frefh breeze, and hazy weather, about five in the morning one of the failors fell off the main yard overboard ; we hoiffed out the boat and faved him after he had been twenty minutes in the water. At feven in the morning we law three French fhips, at ten fpoke to one of
them,
[   47 ]
them, they were all from Smyrna and bound to Marfeilles, they fent a boat on board to enquire whether war was declared between England and France, but our Captain pleaded ignorance, to avoid being known I had aflumed the drefs of an Italian failor and therefore palled unnoticed with the reft. At half paft five in the evening faw the land bearing N. E. diftant five leagues, we imagined it to be Goza off the N. E. end of Candia.
October 19th. Wind W. S. W. a fine breeze and very pleafant weather, faw the ifland of Candia, at fix in the evening Cape Soliman bearing N. N. W. diftant about eight leagues, latitude obferved 34. 44. N.
enoi;i>i no;; moo <-n c>; Inn* <A zh.L->\vt ziA :vir-..d mil b^giu'o in\& October 20th.   Wind N. increafing gale and pleafant weather, latitude obferved 34. 34. N.
October 21ft. Wind N. N. W. very light airs and fometimes calm, latitude obferved 34. 31. N.
October 22d. Wind N. N. W. a light breeze in the morning, all the evening calm, latitude obferved 34. 21. N.
October 23d. Wind in the morning at N. W. at three in the afternoon at W. by N. light airs and rather increafing ; in the evening, faw the Ifland-of Cyprus, the next morning Cape Baffa appeared bearing about N. E. diftant about twelve leagues, Cape Blanco N. by E. diftant five leagues, Cape Gatto E. by N. nine leagues. Near Baffa was fituated the ancient Paphos, of which probably Baffa is only a corruption. In the country near this Cape the women are ftill remarkably beautiful, in other parts of the Ifland they are rather plain.   The Captain finding
a great
a great and unexpected fcarcity of water, determined to come to an anchor for a few hours at Lernica in order to get a fupply, latitude obferved 34. 22.
October 24th. Wind S. W. blowing rather frefh from ten in the morning, found a current fetting W. S. W. it drove us twenty-one miles in twenty-four hours, Cape Gatto N. \ E. diftant about five leagues, latitude obferved 34. 36. At five in the evening arrived in the road of Lernica, the landing place bearing W. by S. and the flag of the Englifh factory W. N. W. diftant off fhore about a mile and a half Found lying here a French frigate from Malta ; in the evening we went on fhore to the Ragufian Confufs houfe, whom we enjoined ftricr. fecrecy, and obliged him before his fervants to treat us as common failors, we returned on board again about eight at night. The town is built as other common Turkifh towns are, with bricks dried in the Sun. After we went on fhore, a boat from the French frigate went on board our veffel but did not difcover any thing relating to us. We faw the Englifh Conful on fhore, but he did not know us in our difguife of Italian failors, and we did not make ourfelves known, left his fervants might publifh our arrival.
October 25th. In the morning till about ten o'clock calm, a light breeze fprung up from the E. S. E. at eleven the captain came on board with a Greek Pilot, and we weighed anchor with an increafing wind, faluted the French frigate when we got under way with five guns, fhe returned only one.
October 26th. Wind variable moftly from the S. W. and frequently calm, in the night quite calm, at day-break faw part of the coaft of Syria, in the evening at fun-fet the mountains
of
[   49 ]
of Antioch diftant about fifteen leagues, latitude obferved 35- 2*
litnct/p rfofjt ni bdD^fcotfj won £t bur; (trttidinA bur,'jufairT adj October 27th. Light breeze at N. E. by N. Latichea bearing about N. E. 4 E. about eight leagues diftant. Stood off and on all night the wind being contrary, we could not get into port, and we began to be apprehenfive that the captain of the French frigate would by fome accident hear of our being on board and follow to make us prifoners. Saw feveral lights on the fhore in the night.
October 28th. Light winds at N. E. Latichea bearing N. E. by E. in the evening came on board three French boats belonging to merchant veffels then laying in the harbour to aiiiif us in getting in. At nine at night came to an anchor in eight fathom off the entrance of the port.
October 20th. In the morning we went on fhore to the houfe of Mr. Sciperas, Englifh Vice Conful under Mr. Abbot at Aleppo, to whom we fent a letter announcing our arrival and informing him of our bufinefs.
The prefent city of Latichea lies about a quarter of a mile-from the old port, which in its priiline ftate muft have been a moft expenfive and magnificent work ; but it is now in ruins and the ground like that of the new port of Alexandria, fo foul from-the blocks of marble and Hone that arc fallen into it as to deftroy the cables of fhips. The adjacent country was once famous for producing excellent wine, but there is none made now, which as' the country ftill produces abundance of grapes, and the Mahomedans would not object to their being made into wine, can only be imputed to the ignorance, or the indolence of the Chriflians
I and
f 50 ]
and Jews, who together conflitute the major part of the inhabitants. The tobacco of this country is in very high efleem with the Turks and Arabians, and is now produced in fuch quantities as to fupply the greateft part of the Turkifh empire ; it is in particular fent to Damietta in Egypt, where it is exchanged for coffee that comes there from Mocha, and alfo for the rice that grows in the Delta. Was this country under a good government, and were the inhabitants inclined to be induflrious; with the advantages they have of a fertile foil and fine climate, they might poffefs not only every comfort, but alfo every luxury this world produces ; a remark indeed equally applicable to almoft the whole of the Turkifh empire, which is unqueflionably the fineff. part at leafl of the old world. Where nature has been fo bounteous, it is a pity her choicefl gifts have been fo badly beflowed.
October 30th. We remained at Latichea getting our baggage on fhore, and fettling accounts with the captain. What leifure time we had both this day and the next was ipent in walking about the city, and examining the environs of it, in which there are many noble monuments of antiquity in a very ruinous flate : towards the S. E. part of the prefent city is a large triumphal arch, fupported on columns of the Corinthian order, and which now makes a part of a mofque: the architrave is adorned with an-tient military trophies, and there are many Greek infcriptions about the different parts of the building; but thefe have probably been deflroyed by the Mahomedans. About half a mile to the north of the city we faw feveral fepulchral chambers, in which many ifone coffins are depofited in fmall niches exactly made to receive them. In the center of one of thefe vaults is a fpring, the water of which is faid to produce very miraculous effec~ts, not only curing all forts of diforders, but alfo enduing
[   5« ]
ing people with the gift of highland fecond fight; the Greeks call it the cavern of St. Tecla.
Saturday, November iff. At eight o'clock in the morning we fet out for Aleppo on horfeback, with mules to carry the baggage, and efcorted by two Janizaries ; the firft part of the road was a flrong uneven country : about ten o'clock we crofTed a rivulet, and in the forenoon began to enter the hills wrhich are covered with wood : the road through them is narrow, and the af-cents and defcents are fleep, but the horfes being furefooted and accuifomed to the road, we met not with the leafl accident; the foil is a kind of chalk and large loofe flones : the harveffc and vintage had been over fome time, but the peafants brought us fome grapes they were drying for their winter flock. At three in the afV ternoon the muleteers flopped near a fmall hovel, where they demanded a kafar of four dollars; the diflance from Latichea I fhould fuppofe to be about twenty-five miles. As there was no houfe near we were obliged to deep in the open air by the road fide*
November 2d. At two in the morning we proceeded on our journey, and flopped about noon at the town of Chokoor, where the governor ordered us to halt for the night. The caravanfera being dirty we paffed through the town, and lay in an open field to the S. E. of the town, on the banks of the river Orontes. On this day's journey we paffed over many chalk hills reflecting a very flrong heat, but the road was much better than yefter-day : we faw both to the right and the left of us many confide-rable towns and fome villages, the inhabitants of which brought us great variety of grapes. The town of Chokoor is fituated on the Weft fide of the river Orontes, and is furrounded bv a very beautiful country. A man who called himfelf a catholic prieff, but dreffed like a Turk, and who fpoke no European language,
I 2 offered
C   5* ]
offered us an apartment in his houfe in the town, but we preferred the field in order to get away early in the morning, before the gates would be opened. The moon mining exceedingly bright, at midnight we began to prepare for our departure, but were detained by a frefh order from the Governor, who fent us word he Jiad information of fome Bedouins being in the road, and that in the morning he fhould fend a guard with fome money to Aleppo who would alfo efcort us.
-;- ' > «v/OTif»n 8f fnotij ti''\i!')iLi) i)£oi *>r]i * boo*// uiivr   y\ •/
November 3d. About four o'clock we left Chokoor, accompanied by a large caravan, and efcorted by horfe and foot. At fix in the morning we came to a kind of cuftom-houfe, where they receive the kafar; at which place the people made us halt <uid diimount, till the whole caravan came up to pafs the hills together. We were told the Arabs were polled among the hills in the front, however, we faw nothing of them; two Turkiih horfemen exceedingly well mounted and armed, who compofed a part of our guard, advanced in front with us to reconnoitre. We were about an hour in palling the hills, the road over them was exceedingly bad, but afterwards we went through a very fine country, where we faw a great variety of vines, and alfo fig> and olive trees. About three o'clock we flopped at the town of Adelip, at a fmall houfe. in the fuburbs : our comrades the Turkiih lbldiers had interelt enough in the town to get us a very excellent pillaw and fome fruit, of which without much intreaty we prevailed on them to partake, we found them very fociabJe and ufeful companions ; one of them had ferved againll the Ruffians, and gave us a very good account of the war.
November 4th. At two in the morning proceeded on our jour-nev over a very lloney road, we kt.pt a few hundred yards in front of the caravan, until we arrived at Khantaman ; and then
about
[   S3 1
about nine o'clock in the morning proceeded by ourfelves over a hilly and Itoney country to Aleppo. We got there in about two hours and a half, and our baggage arrived about four hours after us. Some Arabs on bad horfes feeing us without any attendance, endeavoured to terrify us with an account of there being plunderers on the road, but no perfon attempted to molelt us ; however Mr. Abbot informed us wTe had been imprudent in quitting our guards.
To attempt giving a defcription of a place fo well known as Aleppo would be ridiculous, efpecially as we had but little lci-fure for obfervation. Dr. Ruffel who refided many years in this city, has written a full and accurate account of it, which I would recommend to the perufal of every perfon who wifhes to be acquainted either with the natural hiftoryof the country, or the manners and euftoms of the inhabitants. I fhall principally confine myfelf to a detail of our own proceedings.
Upon our arrival we waited on Mr. Conful Abbot who very kindly invited us to take up our relidence in his houfe. When a ilranger comes to remain any time in the city, it is cuftomary for every European gentleman in the place to pay him a vilit, which of courfe mult be returned ; but as we were only fojourn-crs, Mr. Abbot had prevailed on them to difpenle with this ceremony with refpecf to us. He however conlfantly invited company to his houfe every day, by which means we had the plea-lure of feeing all the ladies and gentlemen of the place. The language molt in ufe amongfl the Europeans is the Italian ; however molt of them fpeak alio the French and Englifh, and many of the ladies are converlant in modern Greek, Turkifh, and Arabic. The European languages they acquire from each other, the Greek from the women fervants, and the Tuikilh and Arabic from the inhabitants of the country and their men Icrvants. Even
the
the children fpeak the major part of thefe languages with fluency and correctnefs. The Europeans by a general lubfcription have built a fmall Theatre, which they have fitted up with great tafhe. During the winter feafon they perform French and Italian comedies, and even fometimes attempt operas with very great fuccefs ; they politely offered to exhibit fome little piece to amufe us, but the houfe being difmantled for the firmmer, we could not ftay long enough for them to make the neceffary preparations. We declined accepting all invitations of either dinners or flippers, but Monfieur Perdrieaux, the French conful would not hear of a refufal, he infilled upon our meeting a fmall private party, which he entertained with great elegance and good humour.
The Confuls of all nations always wear the European drefs, but the gentlemen of the factories generally put on the Benifh or long Turkifh robe, with a hat and wig, which has an uncouth, not to fay ridiculous appearance. Surely it would be both more convenient and becoming, either to confine themfelves to the European clothes, or elfe to adopt entirely thole of the Turks. The culfom of wearing the hat in the room with the ladies, ltrikes a ftranger alfo as being very extraordinary ; but this is done in compliance with the opinions of the Mahomedans, who deem it indecent to appear with the head uncovered.
As there was no caravan likely to fet out for Baffora, the Conful was obliged to form a light caravan exprefsly for us. He at firft agreed with an Arabian Sheick or Chief for an efcort of forty men to fet out in a few days, and the Sheick as ufual was to furnifh camels for carrying ourfelves, our baggage and provi-fions ; but a Jew merchant hearing of our intention, offered to double the efcort, provided we would take thirty camels loaded with goods for him to Graine.   After fome deliberation his pro-
pofals
[   55 ]
pofals were agreed to, on condition that he would alfo fend two camels for each load of goods ; thefe points being fettled, a new agreement was drawn up with the Sheick, of which the following Is a literal tranflation.
7'ranflation of a contraB with the Sheick Suliman for an efcort of Arabs acrofs the Great Defert from Aleppo to Baffora,
" This writing is to certify, that we the under-written of the tribe of Arabs Nigadi, have for our own free will agreed to accompany and conduct the bearer of this contract, Colonel Capper, an Engliifiman, and thofe of his company : and that we oblige ourfelves to take with us feventy guards of the tribes of Arabs Nigadi, and Agalli and Benni Khaled, who are all to be armed with mufkets ; we the underwritten are included in the number, excepting Sheick Haggy Suliman Eben Adeyah.—And we do promife alfo to carry with us nine refeeks with their mufkets, two of whom of the two different tribes called Edgelafs, two of the two tribes 11 Fedaan, one of the tribe of Welled Aly, one of the tribe of Benni Waheb, one of the tribe of Lacruti, one of the tribe of Baigee, and one of the tribe of Sarhaani, making in all nine refeeks, as above-mentioned.
And it is agreed, that we the underwritten are to bring with us our own provisions, and the provifions for the guards and refeeks above-mentioned, and the fame provifions are to be loaded upon our camels, the hire of which camels is to be paid by us ; and we likewife agree to buy ourfelves thirteen rotolas of gunpowder, and twenty-fix rotolas of balls, the coif of all the afore-liud things are to be paid by us, and not by Colonel Capper.
And
And we alfo oblige ourfelves to provide for him and his people nineteen camels, for the ufe of himfelf and his company, to carry their tents and baggage, water and provifions for themfelves and for their horfes, befides thofe nineteen camels above-mentioned ; we alfo oblige ourfelves to provide them two other itrong camels to carry the mohafa, in order that they may change every day one camel, and to provide a perfon to lead the camel that carries the mohafa from Aleppo to Graine, and moreover we will appoint him a perfon to take care of his horfes.
We the underwritten do promife Colonel Capper, by our own free will and confent, and oblige ourfelves to pay all kafars and giawayez (that is to f.iy duties) to all the Arabs, and to the Sheick. Tamur, the Sheick Tiveini, and all the Sheicks of the tribe of Beni Khaled, and to all other tribes of Arabs whatever; and we make ourielves relponfible for all what is above-written, and further when we approach the tribe of Arabs called 11 Allam, and Shammar and any other tribes, we oblige ourfelves to take from them a refeek to walk with us till we have palled their confines.
We agree to carry no goods, or even letters from any other perfon or perfons, excepting the goods from Khwaja Rubens, which are thirty-one loads, for the hire of the faid goods from Khwaja Rubens we have received in full, that is, the hire, the inamalumi, the refeeks, the giawayez, ligmaniah, and all other cxpences to Graine ; we have received of him in full, according to the receipt in the hands of the faid Khwaja Rubens: moreover we have agreed with our free will to provide for the laid thirty-one loads, for every load two camels, in order to keep up with the above-mentioned Colonel Capper, and never feparatc from his company till our arrival at Graine ; and we alio oblige
ourfelves
[   57 ]
ourfelves to pay the dolleels (fcouts) the maadeb, the birakdar, and the chaous (officers of the guards) all the faid perfons we are to pay ourfelves, and not Colonel Capper. We have agreed alfo with our free will, with the faid Colonel Capper, to carry him and his company fafe in thirty-fix days to Graine, from the day we depart from the village of Nayreb ; but in cafe the faid Colonel Capper fhould be defirous of flaying to refl a day or more the faid delay is not to be reckoned in the aforefaid thirty-fix days. And we the underwritten alfo engage three days before our arrival at Graine, to difpatch a meffenger from our parts with Colonel Capper's letter to the agent of the Britifh nation in Graine. And by this inflrument it is flipulated and agreed between the faid Colonel Capper and us the underwritten perfons, that he pays us for all the fervices above-mentioned dollars nine hundred forty-one and one fourth in Aleppo, which fum we have received in full ; befides which the faid Colonel Capper does oblige himfelf to give us on the road dollars five hundred ; and moreover at our fafe arrival at Graine, on our having fulfilled this our agreement with him, he the faid Colonel Capper obliges himfelf to pay us dollars eight hundred rumi, and in cafe we fhould fail in performing any part of our agreement with him, we then are to forfeit the lafl-mentioned eight hundred dollars, and all we the underwritten are refponfible one for the other, for the performance of the promifes as above agreed between the contracting parties. In witnefs whereof, we have figned with our fingers this the fixteenth day of the moon called Shewal, in the year of the Hegina, one thoufand one hundred and ninety-two.
Suliman Ebben Adcyah—Mohamed il Bifshir—Ally Ebben Faddil—Haggy Ifa Ebben Hameidan—Naffeh Ebn Refheidan— Suliman Ebben Gaddib—Mohamed Ebn Nidghem—Suliman Ebben Naaifay.
k Me
t 58 3
77je witnejfes to the agreement are.
II Haggi Omar Ulleed—Ifmael Eftracy—II Haggi Mahomed Firous—II Kaggi Ibrahim Ulbed—II Haggi Mahomed Emin il Takrity—II Haggi Fathu Ebn il Haggu Ufuph Maadaraloy— Ifmael Ebben Achmed Tecrity.
In this manner all caravans that crofs the great defert are formed, that is to fay, an Arab Sheick or Chief of known good character and great experience, engages a certain number of refeeks or arfbeiates to join with him in furnifhing the merchants of the different cities with camels, to tranfport their goods from one place to another, and alfo each of the refeeks engages to bring a certain number of armed men to enfure the fafety of the caravan acrofs the defert: the refeeks are taken from different tribes, in order to lelfen the rifque of being attacked ; for each of them carries the colour or enfign belonging to his tribe, all which colours are difplayed upon the appearance of a party on the defert; and if the party belongs to th'e fame tribe as any of the refeeks, the principal Sheick or Chief of each tribe, having generally half of what each refeek receives from the merchants; the caravan of courfe paffes unmolefted. The firft-mentioned Sheick referves-to himfelf the executive power and command in chief of the caravan ; but in cafes where there is time for deliberation, a council of all the refeeks is called, and the point, in debate is fettled by a majority of voices.
Many travellers give the Arabs an exceeding bad character, representing them as a faithlcfs and rapacious people, in whom no confidence can be repofed. I confefs they do not app« ir to me in that light; they certainly like moft men endeavour to make the beft bargain they can for themfelves ; but for my own part,
I never
J never found them inclined to alk for more than was jultly their due. Mv reasons for thinking favorably of them will appear in the courfe of my journal.
Oi wG&i-.iM' no heimvoiq I iuBVioi & ic\ bahoiflih td ol 3 ;n smii On the ioth of October, in the morning our baggage, fervants, and camels left Aleppo ; and in the morning of the fame day we took leave of our friends, and I am fure on our parts, not without very fenfible concern at leaving fuch an agreeable fociety. We found our encampment at the village of Nayreb, about fix miles from Aleppo, where the Conful had fent his fervant with a fupper, we palled the night in an Arabian houfe as agreeably as could be expected all circumltances confidered.
On the i ith, at day-break in the morning the Conful aflembled all the principal Arabs, our fervants, and in fhort all our dependants, and having given them his final instructions with po-litive commands to treat us with the greateft refpect, he and his brother returned to Aleppo, leaving Mr. Shaw, one of his clerks to go another ftage with us, in order that we might by his means be fupplied with any thing we might have forgotten, whilft we were in the neighbourhood of Aleppo. At feven in the morning, we marched, and in nine hours arrived at the ruined village of Haglier; at the diftance of about two miles from it we faw a fiilt water lake, the length of which appeared to be upwards of ten miles, to the right were fome hills not very high. About two miles from Haglier we paffed a large village of houfes, ltiaped like bee-hives, near to which we met about fifty Arab horfemen, but they did not offer to moleft us : the road was good all the way, at four o'clock in the evening we encamped on a hill.
November 12th. We remained at Haglier to get water and feed the camels, fo that they might travel two or three days WJtfo-
K 2 out
[   6° 1
out a freiTi fupply. As my valet de chambre was fick, I endeavoured to prevail on him to return to Aleppo, but he being violently againft it, I did not fend him away ; but at the fame time not to be diftreffed for a fervant 1 prevailed on Mr. Shaw to leave his man an Armenian who was accuftomed to travelling, and who agreed to go with us for one hundred dollars and hh expences paid back. Mr. Shaw left us about four o'clock in the afternoon, we had a little rain about eleven o'clock, the wind at S. W. In the evening we were joined by a fmall caravan going to Bagdad. Our own party to pafs the defert now confifted of Major Thornton, whom I met at Aleppo in his way to India ; Mr. C. Dighton who accompanied me from Europe; Jean Cadeo a Frenchman my valet de chambre ; Babeck a cook hired at Aleppo; and Mr. Shaw's fervant an Armenian, eighty armed Arabs, ten of which were Sheicks or Chiefs, and the reft their fervants and dependants, Khawja Rubens agreable to his promife fent fixty-two camels for thirty-one loads, and we had nineteen camels for carrying our tents, proviiions and water, befides two alternately to carry a mohafa. We began our firft days journey upon camels, to Ice how we liked their motion. The walk we found difagreable, and at frrfl a great ffrain on the loins and back, but the amble is like the fame pace of a large horfe and not unpleai-fant.   Cadeo being ill was put into the mohafa.
November 13th. At day break we ffruck the tents and began to load the camels, but did not get away from the ground till eight o'clock, when all the caravan began to move: for the firft three hours and a half the road was tolerably good, to the left we faw the S. E. end of the fame fait lake we had feen before. About feventeen miles from Haglier and two miles to the right of the road perceiving fome ruins we went to look at them, and found the fhell or outer wall of a church built of
ftrong
[   6t 1
ilrong black granite without cement; there were four large arches that appeared to have been windows, three to the fouthward and one to the eaftward. Near to this building was alfo the remains of a very large town; the Arabs faid it had been in ruins time immemorial and was called Amuck Mafhook. At a quarter before three we flopped upon a riling ground, the mountain of Diaram in fight bearing about W. by N- diftant about three miles. On the top of it appeared to be a ruined building, where there is faid to be a well of exceeding good water, and much frequented by thieves. We faw five Antelopes but could not approach near enough to get a fhot at them.
November 14th. It rained the greateft part of the day, little wind from S. W. at five in the morning we marched and palled over an uneven country, the Ibil of which is a red gravelly fand, full of holes made by rats and fnakes, we faw feveral fnakes lkins. At two o'clock it began to grow cloudy and thunder to the S. W. about four o'clock in the afternoon the ftorm broke upon us with a hard fhower of rain, which continued fome time, and obliged us to pitch our tents in a place where there was the appearance of a caravan of camels having been lately encamped. The ufual mode of encamping is as follows; when the caravan comes to the ground, the camels which carry the tent the provifions and the baggage are drawn up in the centre, and thofe with the bales of merchandize form an outer circle round them, by which means their loading makes a kind of rampart; and the camels themfelves having one of their lore legs tied up form another outer circle round the goods : but when there is pafture for the camels as there was this day for the full: time fince we left Haglier, after being unloaded they are turned loofe to browze, and before it is dark one of the drivers goes out and makes a noife fomewhat like that made by our herdfmen in
calling
[  6z ]
calling the cows; on hearing which all the camels come up to him on a full trot, and return to the camp where they are tied together to prevent their {fraying in the night. Our courfe this day was nearly E. S. E.
November 15th. It rained all night, neverthelefs at fix in the morning we marched, but where obliged to halt again at three in the afternoon, we pafled this day over a clay fandy foil that was very flippery, on which grew furze and long grafs. We killed two makes about feven feet long and faw a large flight of wild ducks, which came from the S. W. and flew towards the N. W. our camp was fituated in a bottom furrounded with fmall hills, on the fummit of one to the N. E. is a white building which our Arabs told us was erected by a man to the memory of his horfe which died near that fpot, after having faved him from falling into the hands of fome Bedouins by whom he was purfued. About four o'clock we had an alarm and our people took to their arms, the perfons fufpected proved to be our own fcouts.
November i6th. The rain continued the greatefl part of laft night, and the wind blew pretty frefh from the S. W. At fix in the morning the wind changing to due weft it cleared up, and at feven we marched. We paffed over an hilly uneven country, the foil nearly the fame as yeflerday. About nine in the morning we faw fix oflriches at the diflance from us of about half a mile. At one o'clock found the remains of a dead body, the head entire with fome of the hair upon it, one of the arms and both the legs gone, and no flcfh on the carcafe; about two hundred yards further lay a blue Arab jacket, our people fnppofed it to be the body of a courier fent from Bagdad with difpatches for Aleppo, who had been fome time miffing.  A little
after
after two in the afternoon we halted and encamped upon a plain furrounded by fmall hills. Our Sheick went to the top of the highelt to look out for Arabs, but faw none; he alfo in the evening fent two fcouts to the next watering place, which is about fourteen miles diftant, where we are to halt to-morrow to take in a frefh fupply of water.
November i 7th. We began our march at a quarter paft feven in the morning, very fine weather, fent out fcouts, and quitted the direct road to avoid falling in with an enemy. We proceeded over a very uneven country, the foil the fame as yefterday. About twelve o'clock we faw the remains of a very large encampment which alarmed our Sheick, and made him collect the caravan to march in clofe order; about two o'clock three horfemen appeared on the top of a hill to the right of us. We drew up the men who began their war dance, throwing their muikets over their heads and fhouting with great vociferation. As we advanced the horfemen retreated, we lhowed our colours and they difplayed theirs, on which our Sheick faid they were not irreconcileable enemies. We drew off to the right, and encamped in a ftrong port, flanked by two marines, and covered in the rear by a fmall hill, on which we ftationcd ten men : from this hill we could plainly perceive at the diftance of about three miles, an immenfe body of Arabs, which as they had their families and flocks with them, looked like the encampment of the Patriarchs; they firft fent out a detachment of about four hundred men towards us, but finding we were drawn up to receive them, five men only advanced from their main body, feemingly with an intention to treat: on feeing which we alfo lent five of our people on foot to meet them. A fhort conference enlucd, and then both parties came to our camp and were received with great ceremony by our Sheick ; they proved to be Bedouins under the command of Sheick Fadil, amounting
ing together to near twenty thoufand, including women and children. After much negotiation our Sheick agreed to pay a tribute of one chequin for every camel carrying merchandize ; but he re-fufed to pay any thing for thofe which carried our tents, baggage, and provifions : thefe terms fettled, the Bedouins promifed to fend a refeek with us, until we were paft all danger of being molefted by any of their detached parties. To the fouthward of us, and about four miles diftant we could plainly perceive the ruined city of Tiaba, but the Sheick advifed us not to vifit it, leaft wre fhould be attacked by fome ftragglers from the Bedouin camp. Palmira, or as the Arabs call it Tadmor, is faid to be forty-five miles S. of this place, over the hills.
November i 8th. Sheick Suliman not having fettled with the Bagdad caravan, what portion of the Bedouins demand they fhould pay, we remained at the fame encampment. The Bedouins brought fome camels to fell, for the beft of which they alked twelve chequins : our people purchafed one and killed it to eat, the flefh of the camel being efteemed a dainty, the divilion of it occafioned many difputes among them, nor wras it without fome difficulty they were prevented by their Sheicks from fighting for it. One of the Bedouins who was fick, being informed we were Europeans, came to afk our advice as phyficians ; we told him we had no medicines with us, but would write down his cafe, and if he would carry our prefcription to Aleppo, the gentleman there would give him what was proper to cure him. We accordingly wrote the letter, and the brother of the patient fet out with it next morning exprefs, promifing to deliver it in two days and a half. Thefe Bedouins are almoft the only tribe of Arabs, who live according to the primitive fimplicity of their anceftors ; they never fleep in houfes, nor even enter a town or city, unlefs to purchafe what they want, or to fell what they
have
have to difpofe of. They acknowledge no fuperior but their own Sheicks, nor do they like moft other tribes pay a tribute to any of the Bifhaws belonging to the Ottoman government. In the fummcr feafon when the wells and ponds in the defert are almoft dry, for the convenience of feeding and watering their camels and lheep, they always keep near the banks of fome great river; but after the rains they move about from one place to another, feldom remaining on one fpot longer than a week. They compel every perfon they meet to pay them a tribute ; but are feldom guilty of cruelty, unlefs they are refilled, and any of their companions are killed ; in which cafe they are very vindictive. The year before they fell in with us, they attacked and plundered a caravan going fromDamafcus to Bagdad ; but their victory coft them dear, which perhaps made them more readily liften to overtures of peace from us.
November 19th. We marched at half after feven in the morning, and about a mile to the eaftward of our camp paffed by a fpring of warm water, which in colour, tafte, and alfo in heat greatly refembles that of the Briftol Wells. It is called by the Arabs Ain ul Koum : our Sheick told us there was once an aqueduct to convey this water from the fountain head, to an ancient ruined city about fourteen miles from thence, called Guf-fur ul Bain, but we faw no traces of it ; foon after paffing the well we had a good view of Tiaba, which we faw to the fouth-ward at the diftance of three miles. The ground we paffed over this day was a tolerable good mould, and capable of producing many kinds of grain. About the diftance mentioned by our Sheick,-and rather more than a mile to the right of the road we faw Guf-fur ulBain, which accompanied by our Sheick we went to examine. The building is divided into two fquares, and a paffage between them of about fifty paces.wide, each face of the largeft
J j fquarc
[  «« ]
fquare is about two hundred and fifty yards long, and thirty feet high ; there are round towers at the diftance of forty yards from each other, the gate is in the centre of the weft front, and a fmall round tower on both fides of the gate. In the interior part of the largeft fquare there is the ruin of a building, and near to it a fub-terraneous paffage that leads to a kind of cave or cellar. In the S. E. angle of the fquare was a portico of the Corinthian order entire, and the fhafts of fome other columns lying on the ground, the bafes and capitals of which we could not find. The walls are built of a kind of Bath ftone, and the fmaller fquare of the fame materials; the inlide of the fmall fquare is a continuation of arches in a ruinous ftate ; round the top of the walls of both the fquarcs there is a kind of a parapet made of fmall bricks and mortar, but we could perceive no cement between the ftones of the lower wall. We were prevented taking any particular plan or view of this place by the appearance of fome ftrange Arabs. Thefe ruins and many others in fight of this place, are probably remains of towns and villages, formerly dependant on Palmira. About three o'clock we halted upon a rifing ground, the Bedouins brought fome more camels to fell, but we did not purchafe any of them.. Our courfe this day was about S. E.
November 20th. It teems the Sheick expected to be attacked by the Arabs we faw yefterday near Guffur ul Bain, and for that reafon kept the centries very alert all night. At feven this-morning we marched over rather a plain country, the foil a light white loom, with rank dried grafs growing on it in clumps ; this day we faw a great number of hares and rabbits, of which we killed feveral; at three o'clock we halted, when the caravan came firft to the ground there were a number of antelopes in fight, which immediately fled on our appearance, and we faw no more of them.   In the evening Sheick Suliman defircd a hundred and
five
[   «7 ]
five dollars to fettle his own accounts with Sheick Fadil. Weather fair, the wind at S. S. W. courfe S. E. faw two flocks of fheep and goats, bought one fheep for feven dollars, which we killed immediately, and It proved to be very fat and good ; buried without any funeral ceremony an Arab of our party who died yefferday.
November 2rft. We marched at feven this morning over a plain country of light clay, with a kind of fern and furze growing upon it, amongft which we fhot fome hares and rabbits. The Arabs dreffed a hare for us in the following manner. They dug a hole about two feet deep in the ground, large enough to contain the hare at full length, which they filled with furze, and then fet it on fire ; after the firft parcel of furze was confum-ed they put in a fecond, and then a third, until the hole was al-moft as hot as an oven : then they put in the laft parcel of furze, and without drawing or fkinning the hare, they placed it on the fire until the flame was extinguifhed, at laft they covered up the hare with the mould, which had been heaped upon the edge of the hole, fo as to be heated by the fire, and thus they left it until it was fufficiently baked. The Arabs eat fkin and flefh together; but we contented ourfelves with the flefh only, which we thought a very favory difh. We arrived at our ground, where we encamped about four in the afternoon,  our courfe was S. E. eafterly.
November 22d. Marched at feven this morning, and in the courfe of the day paffed two hills, but on the whole the country was tolerably plain, we croffed one place that had the appearance of being the bed of a river, but our people differed about its name; the foil in general was a kind of light clay with ftones. We fhot fome hares amongft the furze. At half after three came to our ground at a place called Ainul Ilaroof;
L 2 we
we found a well in a bottom and rather deep, the water of which was muddy; weather fair and exceedingly hot, at noon the wind N. W. courfe S. E.
November 23d. Marched at feven this morning over an uneven country, the foil, fhrubs, &c. the fame as yelferday about twelve o'clock we paffed the bed of a river about one hundred and twenty yards wide from the appearance of the weeds and fhrubs that grew in it, the water ran from the N. E. to the S. W. it is called Suab, and is faid to be impaffable after heavy rains. We killed fome hares, but faw not fo many as for fome preceding days ; we alfo faw fome Antelopes and Oftriches but at a great diftance ; cloudy to the eaflward, in the morning when the fun rofe the fky looked wild, in the middle of the day the weather was exceedingly hot and in the evening cool, wind about S. E. our courfe S. E. halted at three in the afternoon : the Arabs when the wind blows from 'this quarter always cover their mouths with a piece of their turbans.
November 24th. Marched at feven this morning over a very uneven Itony country. At twelve halted a few minutes at the bed of a river called Rutgur, About one o'clock came in fight of fome hills called Manget, they bore about S. E. the country we "travelled over till we halted was rather plain and the foil a light mould. Stopped at half after four, the wind N. N. E. the weather fair and the middle of the day very hot,, faw a few hares, lent out three fcouts to reconnoitre the next watering place, at the diftance of three days journey, courfe S. E.
November 25th. Marched at feven this morning,, and at noon the Bagdad caravan feparated from us to proceed to the place of its deltination, they expected to come in fight of the
Euphrates
Euphrates the next day in the evening \ we were very happy to part with them, for they doubtlefs detained us very much, but we could not get rid of them without quarrelling with the Sheick, who certainly made them pay convoy money. The foil of the country much the fame as yeflerday, caught a few hares; about twelve o'clock paffed the bed of a river, halted a quarter before five in the afternoon. Whilft: we kept with the Bagdad caravan, I believe we travelled only at the rate of two miles an hour, but afterwards I reckon at the rate of two miles and a half an hour.   Our courfe this day was S. e. by e.
November 26th. Laft night was a froft, and the air exceedingly cold, in the morning the wind W. N. W. marched at feven, about eight o'clock faw on a hill to the right of us the appearance of a ruin, but we were advifed not to go to examine it. The country we paffed over very much the fume as yeflerday, caught fome hares, halted at four* o'clock on the bank of a bed of a rivulet that overflows in the rainy feafon.
November 27th. Marched at feven this morning, the foil of the country we paffed over was compofed of hard fand and flints, we faw fome hills to the left of us that had the appearance of ftone, and about three in the afternoon paffed by a deep pit, that looked as if it had been a ftone quarry. At five in the evening halted at Haglet ul Havran, where we found a great number of wells near the furface. When the camels came within half a mile of the place they began of their own accord to run as faft as they could, which muft have been owing to their fmelling the water; this was the fifth day they had not drank any. The appearance of a large encampment having lately left this place, alarming the Sheick he talked of going the next morning towards Mefhed Aly, which he fays is feven or eight
clays
[   /o 1
days journey from hence. In the morning the weather very cloudy, and the wind at E. but it cleared up towards the evening, and at night it was a froft, courfe E. S. E.
November 28th. Remained near the wells till nine o'clock in the morning that the camels might drink a fufficient quantity of water, to lafl them three or four days ; at half after nine began our march, we paffed over a barren country, and halted at five o'clock, about a quarter after ten o'clock in the morning, we pafied the bed of a deep rivulet, when we got over on the other fide, we were met by one of our people who had been at Cubeffa to learn news : he brought word that Baflora was certainly evacuated by the Perfians, and in the poneflion of the Arabs; alfo that Mahomed Khulleel, an Arab, but a profeffed deift who had affembled a large body of troops to attack and deftroy Mecca, had been defeated by the troops and allies of the Sherreef. The other fcout did not return with the camels, this man came on foot to us, and faid he did not know where his comrade was gone; in confequence of the Baffora news, the Sheick promifed us we fhould go to Baffora inftead of Graine. About twelve o'clock the wind began to blow very ftrong from the N. W. which produced cloudy weather and fome rain; halted about half paft three o'clock in the evening, courfe E. S. E.
November 29th. The wind continued to blow exceedingly hard and cold, marched at half after feven, pafied over a barren country, faw to the right of us, at a confiderable diftance a flock of fheep : when we firft perceived them they were near the fummitof a hill, which made them look large, and induced us to take them for a party of horfe. About three o'clock we came to a country covered with furze, the fame as we had feen before, caught a lew hares, ftopt at half after four o'clock in the evening
[  7' 3
ing: our Sheick told us he had intelligence of fome Arabs being on the road, he fent two men to a village to gain further information about them, the man who returned on foot went again on a camel to fearch for his comrade, the wind continued blowing hard all this day from the N. W. courfe S. E.
November 30th. Marched at half paft feven this morning, the wind blowing at N. W. exceedingly cold, we paffed over an uneven country with fome few hills of white ftone : the foil in general a fand, and fome few hills of white clay, which muff be very flippery in wet weather, and confequcntly dangerous to travel over upon a camel ; we came to our ground at half after four near a ruined village : to the N. E. of us we faw a hill that had the appearance of a ruin. One of the fcouts returned and brought advice that there were fome Arabs near the watering place where we intended to halt the next day, we therefore determined to go another way towards the village of Rahaly 'y fow three eagles foaring in the air, courfe S. E. by E.
December iff.   In the middle-of laft night a man came and confirmed the report of our fcouts, he faid he was fent by one of our people, but we detained him leaf! he fhould be employed by an enemy.   About two o'clock we turned off due S. to avoid the above-mentioned Arabs.   In the firft part of the day we marched: over a conuderable fpace of ground that is overflowed in the rains ; we afterwards met with many different kinds of foil, but principally gravel.   About four in the afternoon we faw fome hills of white fand to the eaftward of us, near which the Sheick fays, there is exceeding good water, but we kept to the fouth-ward to avoid meeting the Arabs.   At noon faw a large herd of goats ; this evening two men came into our camp d re fled in the ikins of antelopes, whofe principal bufinefs is to kill thofe animals,
mals, and to carry their fkins to the adjacent towns to fell. Halted at fix in the evening, about ten miles from Rafaly, which we mould have reached this night if we had not been obliged to go fo much to the fouthward ; the wind weft ward, the morning and the evening cool, t«he middle of the day exceedingly hot, the weather fair.
December 2d. IVIarched at feven this morning, after travelling about three hours and a half over loofe fand, came in light of two large clumps of date trees, we drew up the men in good order to march to the town of Rahaly, which is lituated in the middle of a large plain, and lurrounded by a vaft number of date trees : about three quarters of a mile to the N. W. of the place, are two large ponds of clear water, which are fupplied by fprings. We firft halted near thefe ponds, but the Sheick advifed us to move nearer the town. It is faid to contain five or fix thoufand inhabitants who carry on a confiderable trade with the city of Bagdad, particularly in dates. The commander or Arab governor, upon our arrival fent us a prefent of preferved dates and bread. We faw feveral large flocks of fheep and goats, and bought a fheep for four dollars, they afked half a dollar apiece for fmall fowls, which it feems are very fcarce : the trees in the neighbourhood of the town feem to cover a fpace of near fix miles, but there is no pafture for the cattle, excepting fome fern that grows between the trees; the foil is a light fand, which perhaps is the, reafon the people in general have bad eyes, for when the wind blows violently from the S. E. it raifes the fand, and is faid to, affect their health as well as their eyes ; the fumyel or poifonous wind that blows in July and Auguft comes from that quarter. Early in the morning about a dozen of thofe people who live by catching antelopes came into our camp, in language as well as, in features, they appear to be a very diftinct people, from any
Arabs
[   73 ]
Arabs lever faw, by whom they are treated in the fame manner as we treat our gypiies.
December 3d. The Sheick being told that a large body of hoftiie Arabs were on.the road, lent fome people to treat with them, and delired us to remain at Rahaly, until his meffengers returned. This morning abort eleven o'clock, fome of thofe Arabs came into our camp, and two of them flayed with us as refeeks. One of our lervants fhot two birds fomewhat like a partridge, but rather larger, the breafl of the male bird is covered with black fpots, and the neck entirely black; the plumage, of the hen bird is exactly like that of a hen partridge ; the inhabitants of the town we found to be great thieves, they attempted to take every thing they could carry away unobferved; the Sheick difpatched a man to Mefhed Aly, to fee if there were any other hoflile Arabs in the neighbourhood of that city, and alio to learn if the Perfians had abandoned Baflbra ; by their an-fwers we were to regulate our march ; the weather fair, the morning cold, the wind all the day at N. W. in the evening the weather was remarkably fine, and the air temperate. We gave the governor's brother a prefent of four piaftres, and a Benifh or long gown : this place is remarkable for fine greyhounds, we faw feveral in cloathing like our race horfes.
December 4th. Marched at feven this morning, the firft two hours we pafied over a light fand, on which grew a number of thorny bufhes and fome furze : about nine in the morning we faw a clump of trees to the left, where our people told us there was a fmall town called Ajeb, and to the right of us was a cupola built of ftone, faid to be the tomb of Sheick Huzzar ; foou afterwards we pafied over a place that had the appearance of a lake dried up ; on the ground of which we found a great quan-
M tity
[ n 1
tity of white fait of a bitumenous tafte, it feemed to extend a great way to the N. E. and S. W. and we were about an hour and half in paffing over it to the S. E. we then came on a fand and clay mixed, intermixed with gravel: about three o'clock we faw another clump of trees to the left of us : about five in the evening halted in a large plain of fand and gravel, and about four miles to the N. W. of a large ruined building, but it being late when we arrived at our ground, we poftponed vifiting it until the next morning. The Sheick faid it was formerly built by the Greeks, and is called by the Arabs, Khuttar. Weather fair and wind N. W.
December 5th. Marched twenty minutes before feven this morning. Accompanied by the Sheick and one of the refeeks, we went to examine the ruin mentioned in laft night's journal called Khuttar, it is fituated on the bank of a bed of a river, which has been, and perhaps ftill is very deep when the frefhes come down. The building is a large fquare, furrounded by a wall upwards of thirty-five feet high, and each face of it, fomewhat more than two hundred yards in length, built of rough ftone and mortar ; within the large fquare there is a fmaller one of about one hundred yards each face and parallel with the outer wall : the interior part of the Ieffer fquare was divided into a number of chambers and paf-fageSj which being in a very ruinous ftate, we could not form any conjecture what they had been ; we could fee no place where there had been wells or refervoirs for water, but the Sheick told us by digging near the fur face water is always to be found. We faw nothing like Grecian architecture, but our people fay it was Certainly built by the Greeks : when we were leaving this place we were alarmed by the appearance of fome ft range Arabs from the N. E. the v appeared as foon as we got clear of the building, but fome of our people who had obferved their motions
corning
coming from the caravan to join us, the ftrange Arabs perceiving them coming to our affiftance difappeared; at eleven o'clock we pafied by two fmall pools of water, which were clear but extremely brackifh : at half after four we halted, the country we paffed over was fandy, and fome places mixed with day ; about halt after three we faw a number of hillocks of fand both to the right and the left of us, we did not lofe fight of Khuttar until half an hour before we encamped. Six men on camels and feven on foot came and encamped near us, it appeared they were the fame people that we faw in the morning, and were well known to be thieves. In the morning the wind at eafl and very cold, the weather fair, difpatched another meffen-ger this evening to Meflied Aly for intelligence.
December 6th. Marched at a quarter before feven this morning, and left the people behind that encamped near us laft night; they mentioned to Sheick Suliman that a French gentleman going to Baffora, had been attacked and plundered ; and although much wounded was likely to live, they faid the Arabs carried him to Graine, and likewife that the gentleman behaved very gallantly, and killed two or three of their people himfelf. The foil of the country over which we paffed till twelve o'clock was a light fand with fome bufhes, and a few fmall hills to the right and left of us : a quarter before twelve we arrived at a place called Hidia where there was a pool of water, furrounded with high grafs, we filled a few fkins with the water, which was clear, but very brackifh ; afterwards pafied over a country, the foil of which was mud impregnated with fait, there were banks of fand to the right and left of us. At the diftance of about twelve miles E. by N. we law the town of Mefhed, or rather Mef-gid Aly, that is the mofque or burying place of Aly, who it is well known was the fon-in-law of Mahomed, and the favorite pro-
M 2 phct
pliet of the Perfians. At a quarter before rive we encamped near a place called Birket Rahama, wind E. S. E. weather fair. One of our fervants obferving a young camel without an owner, wo lent out a man who brought it into our camp.
Decemeber 7th. Marched rather before feven, the foil over which we palled was fand with thick bullies, faw at the diftance of about ten miles to the N. E. the town of Meigid Aly ; we could plainly perceive feveral minarets, and a large gilt cupola ; our Arabs fay the latter belongs to the Mefgid or great mofque of that city; it appeared to us with great advantage, for the fun lhone on it, and made it appear extremely brilliant : as well as we could judge of the fize of the cupola at fo great a diftance, it cannot be lefs than the dome of St. Paul's. About twelve o'clock we came to a hill, on which were erected two lmall forts, the place is called Alathe. At the diftance of three quarters of a mile from the Westward fort is a Ipring of water, which is conveyed to the fort by a deep ditch, and there railed by means of a wheel to water a fmall garden lately made about the fort, and planted with a great number of radilhes and onions : the largcft fort is a fquare about ninety yards each face, at each angle is a round tower built of mud, the inlide is a ftone building of two ftories high, built in the Mahomedan llile : this place was founded by our Sheick, who propofes living here when age or infirmities compel him to retire. He feems to expect to lay the foundation of a very large town here, which as there is plenty of water and a good foil of a light mould, for the purpofes of agriculture and gardening, is a very reafonable expectation. A caravan that lately paffed, which came from Graine, and was going to Bagdad told the people in the fort, that the Montifeek Arabs have had a great battle with the Perfians near Baflbra, in which they cut olf the whole Perfian army, and thereby repolleifed themfelves
[  77 ]
felves of Baflbra, the wind N. E. the weather fair, our courfe about S. E. by S. bought a fheep, and paid three dollars and a half for it.
December 8th. Marched at a quarter before feven this morning over a barren ftony country, killed a few hares, faw at the diftance of about ten miles N. E. of us the town of Gur-gam an ancient city rebuilding. About two in the afternoon palled over a hill of red gravel, and at half after four halted in a valley where there was but very little pafture for the camels. About eight in the evening our centinels being pofted as ufual, one of thofe to the weftward difcovered five horfemen who fled the inftant he fired at them. We doubled our guards and kept under arms for a few hours in expectation of their attacking us with a reinforcement. The meflenger from Mefhed Aly not returned, nor the people that were miffing from the firft place, the wind at E. morning cold, middle of the day exceedingly hot, the wind in the afternoon at N. E.
December 9th. Marched at feven this morning, dark and cloudy to the N. W. and the wind from that quarter : the firft three hours, a very barren foil, hard fand and large dark brown foft ltones, afterwards came to a hard fand and a great many fhrubs ; half after four halted, killed fome hares, the weather cloudy and hazy, to the N. W. we faw a fire which they told us was on the banks of the Euphrates.—Major Thompfon about noon miffed his watch, but having looked at it about ten o'clock he fent one of the Arabs back to fearch for it, telling him within what diftance it muft have fallen, the fellow very honeitly brought it, nor was it broken.
December
[ fl ]
December loth. Marched at feven this morning, paffed over a very barren country, faw to the left of us three large volumes of fmoke from the banks of the Euphrates, which the Sheick faid was fifteen miles diftance: at a quarter paft twelve halted for half an hour near fome wells of tolerable good water, untill two o'clock the foil continued barren, then we got amongft fome hills of light fand and broken ftones. At four o'clock a large body of Arabs appeared to the right, who feemed inclined to attack us, our people immediately halted and drew up towards the enemy. Some few fhot were fired, but a man advanced waving a cloth in his hand, and began a treaty with our Sheick who went to meet him, which put an end to hoftilitles : our people were of different opinions concerning them, fome infilled on their being thieves who intended to attack us in the night; the Sheick himfelf though he called them friends advifed us not to pitch our tents, and alfo to be on our guard all night. We were encamped half a mile diftant from the newcomers, our own camels and baggage were drawn up in as fmall a circle as poffible ; our fufpecfed enemies were divided into two camps, one to the weftward and the other to the fouthward, wind wTefterly and weather fair.
December i ith. The fuppofed thieves remained quiet all night in their camps with fires lighted, at half after fix we began loading our camels, but did not move till half after feven, we judged it prudent to divide our men into two parties, one of them to march in front of the camels, and the other to bring up the rear. The firft two hours the foil was fand with furze, and then a barren (tony country ; afterwards a fand with furze and in fome places large fpots that looked like a pond dried up in fummer. Rather before one in the aftcrnon we came to fome wells and alio a large pond of hrackifh water, then proceeded over the fame fort of countrv and foil as before till near five, and then
encamped
[   79 1
encamped for the night: cloudy to the N. E. and S. w. a little rain between two and three in the morning, fix of the party we faw laft night joined us on the march, and were received with great cordiality by our people.
December 12th. Marched rather before feven this morning and pafied over a light fand mixt with fait, a great quantity of furze and fome bufhes ; the latter part of the day the fand lay in great heaps or ledges: halted at four a clock in a bottom; from an afcent near the camp we faw a ruin called Couria, about five miles to the fbuthward, with a glafs we could perceive it was a fquare building with round towers: the morning and evening was cool, but the middle of the day very hot, the wind variable, the water we got yefterday brackifh and exceedingly bad, at ten o'clock at night we difpatched a letter to Mr. La-touche at Baflbra, to inform him of our being on the way, and defiring him to detain any veffel that might be ready to go to Bombay, one of the Arabs that joined us yefterday was fekcled by the Sheick to carry the letter.
December 13th. Marched at feven this morning over an exceeding uneven country, light and deep fand. About four miles from our laft nights encampment, we faw the track of a great number of camels and afles, which our people fufpccted to have been the encampment of a body of thieves. We turned off immediately due E. and pafied over an exceeding deep fand, and a country covered with fand and bufhes, in tome places the ground was covered with dried mud and fand, which by the heat of the fun is hardened fb as to appear like broken tiles, there was no appearance of a road; about two o'clock we obferved two people at fome diftance from us, and fent three of our men after them, who took one of their camels and brought it to us, but
the
[ so 3
the people efcaped. At four o'clock halted at a place where there was a number of fprings, but not much water in the wells; this evening for the firft time we caught a defert rat, of v hich we have feen a great number, it is an animal that refembles very much a fmall rabbit both in fhape and colour, the body is about the fize of a fmall mole, the tail thee times the length of the body, the point of which is covered with a fmall bufh of hair, the •eyes are large, full and black, the hind legs remarkably long-weather fair, wind S. E. and very hot, paid the Sheick one hundred and ten dollars, the laft payment of the five hundred kept for difburfement on the road.
December 14th. Rained at two o'clock in the morning: marched at feven this morning over a plain country, a cold breeze from the S. E. and cloudy, halted at four o'clock. Courfe S. E.
December 15th. Marched at feven this morning over a country of light laud and moftly barren, at nine in the morning faw a man on a camel, who told us he was a meffenger going to the Sheick of the Montiffecks from Sheick Sidon, he alfo informed us that Baffora was ftill in the hand of the Perfians. In the evening we perceived fome men on camels to the northward, but they did not come near us, we fuppoied them to be of the fame tribe as the man that paffed in the morning. Weather cloudy and fome few drops of rain, wind W. N. W. and very cold, courfe S. E. by E.
December 16th. Lightening to the N. E. marched at half after feven this morning, in a very dirty thick fog that came on about one o'clock in the morning from the N. E. feparated from the caravan belonging to Khwaja Rubens, which went to Graine,
and
[   8r ]
and we proceeded towards Baffora with only fixteen men and nineteen camels. Our Sheick gave all the water to the other party, thinking we fhould arrive in the evening at the village of Coebda; but he was miftaken in the diftance, for although we kept moving on till ten, we were obliged to pafs the night very uncomfortably for want of fomething to drink: the very great concern expreffed by the good old Sheick prevented our reproaching him for his imprudence ; he offered to ride all night to fearch for water, but of courfe we did not allow him to fatigue himfelf.
December 17th. A violent fog came on again laft night, and continued fo heavy as to foak through the tent. Early in the night before the fog came on, we faw three or four fires, apparently at the diftance of three or four miles to the E. N. E. the Sheick informed us they were on the banks of the Euphrates. Marched at day-break, and at half an hour after nine came to the village of Coebda, which had been ruined by the Perfjans ; here we got fome good water, at leaft it appeared fo to us who had not tafted any for more than twenty-four hours. We alfo met at Coebda the perfon we had fent with the letter to Baffora, who brought an anfwer from Mr. Latouche. About one o'clock we arrived at Zebeer, another place which had alfo been de-ftroyed by the Perfians. In the evening M. Latouche, by a fe-cond meflenger informed us, that in the morning he fhould fend us mules and an efcort, for as hoftilities ftill continued between the Arabs and the Perfians, our efcort could not accompany us any further : the weather cleared up a little about noon, but was not quite clear until the evening. We pitched our tents amongfl: the ruins of Zebeer, and ftationed an advanced picquet in front towards Baflbra to guard againft being furprifed by the Perfians; nor can this precaution be deemed unneceffary, conlidering the
n violent
violent animofity that fubfifted between the two nations, of which the following relation will fufficiently explain the caufe.
When the Perfians took Baffora, they appointed Aly Mahomed governor of it, leaving with him a garrifon of feven thoufand five hundred men. Although he was fuch a mo niter, as is only to be found amidft the ruins of a country ; he had art enough to conceal his difpofition, until by an affected moderation, he had thrown the inhabitants of the towns and villages, dependant upon his government, off their guard. In about two months however, he broke out, beginning his exceffes in the city of Baffora itfelf. The firft victim of his lull: was the daughter of an Arabian phyfician, the fame of whofe beauty having reached him, he caufed her to be brought to his honfe, where he kept her for three days, and then turned her out of doors, expofed to the infults of the mob. The father had followed his daughter to the houfe of the ravifher when fhe was torn from him, and had never quitted his door, fo that he was the firft perfon to receive her when fhe was again diimiffed. He conducted her home, intending on the way, in compliance with the cuftoms of his country to put her to death ; but before he could execute his intentions, his affection for his only child prevailed over his regard to cuftom, and he determined, not only to fave her life, but alfo as much as poffible by marriage, to wipe out the ftain her reputation had received. He was rich and much refpected in the city, which added to the beauty of the girl, enabled him to get a hufband for her, not entirely equal to her proper rank and former pretenfions ; but at the fame time greatly above the vul* gar. The celebration of fuch a wedding could not fail to make a great noife, and of courfe was foon known to the tyrant: whilft he continued fober the news of it feemed neither to afford him pleafure or pain; but in the firft fit of intoxication, he
fent
I   83 |
fent for the father, the hufbaudand the wire, and aiked them how they durfl prefume to difpofe of a perfon devoted to h'13 pleafure ? without waiting to receive their anfwer, he made one of his guards cut off the heads of the father, and thehufband, and then compelled the woman to bring water to wafh their blood off the hands of the executioner; nor did he itophere, but the fequel of his conduct was not only toofhocking, but alfo too indecent to be related.
Notwithstanding fuch unheard of barbarity, the major part of the inhabitants of Zebeer and Coebda were fo infatuated as to continue to live within twelve miles of him, imprudently relying on the faith of one who had thus publicly violated all laws, both divine and human. A few, and but very few of the moft prudent of them had left either of thefe places, when one night in a fit of drunkennefs, Aly Mahomed marched from Baffora with a body of troops and burnt Zebeer ; at the fime time putting to death all thofe who attempted to efcape from the flames : from thence he marched to Coebda, where he acted in the fame manner, and then returned to Baffora, exulting as much in having treacheroufly maffacred, in cold blood, a number of defencelefs people, as if he had obtained a glorious victory over a powerful army.
Submissive as the fubjects of defpoticgovernments generally are, even under the heavieft oppreffions, the inhabitants of Baffora would certainly have revolted againfl the governor, had not the city been almofl depopulated, both by plague and famine before it fell into the hands of the Perfians. The few wretched inhabitants who iurvived thefe dreadful calamities, could neither refill their tyrant, nor efcape from him ; their number was too fmall to hope for fuccefs againfl his force, and to remove from the city was impofhble : they were therefore almofl reduced to defpair when
n 2 the
the gallant tribe of Arabs called Montiffeeks determined to refcue them.
Sheick Tamur, the chief of this" tribe having collected an army of about fifteen thoufand men, advanced with a feledt party of about two thoufand horfe within fight of the walls of Baffora;   the remainder he left about fifteen miles in the rear, concealed in a wadi, or water courfe, near the river Euphrates which place the Arabs deltined for the fcene of action ; for befides the Euphrates to the Eaft, and the water courfe to the North, there was a deep morafs to the South. Aly Mahomed who did not want for perfonal courage, no fooner perceived his enemies near Baffora, than he marched out with five thoufand chofen troops to attack them ; the Arabs retreated towards their ambufcade, and were followed by the Perfians.   When the Sheick perceived the Perfians had got between the water courfe and the morafs, he fal-lied out of the place of his concealment, and with a part of the troops having clofed up the only opening to the Weitward, he charged them fword in hand, in which being alfo well feconded by the other detachment, which had decoyed them towards the-ambufcade, they together put every man of the Perfians to death, not leaving one alive to carry back the news of their defeat.   By an over-fight, very difficult to be accounted for,  Sheick Tamur neglected to purfue his victory,   and march directly to Baffora, of which doubtlefs fie would have eafily made himfelf matter, for Aly Mahomed had left only a fmall garrifon in it, who would neither have had ftrength or fpirit enough to have made any re-hfrance.   This account we received from one of the former inhabitants of Zebeer,  whom we found employed in fearching among the ruins for what might have efcaped the hands of the Perfians, when they plundered and deff royed the place.
In
[   »5 3
In the evening we fettled accounts with the Sheick, and fo far from finding him mercenary and felfifh as thefe people are generally reprefented; he behaved to us with apolitenefs and libera* lity that would have done honour to the mofl polifhed European*
It will be remembered that by our written agreement at Aleppo, I was to give him five hundred dollars on the road, and eight hundred more on our arrival at Graine: the former fum therefore I kept ready to be paid to his order ; but the latter I counted and fealed up in a bag to prevent any of them being loft or miflaid.   When this bag was brought, as 1 was going to open it, the Sheick flopped me, afking if it had been counted and fealed up in my prefence ; and when I anfwered in the affirmative with a carelefs unaffected air, befpeaking no merit from the action, he threw it over his moulder, and ordered his fervant to put it into his trunk.   A man fhewing fuch confidence in another, could not be guilty of any bafenefs himfelf; in which alfo he had the more merit from our fituation, for had I deceived him, he durft not have followed me to Baffora to have demanded redrefs.
December i 8th. At eleven o'clock the mules arrived from Baffora, efcorted by ten ftpoys belonging to the factory ; after taking le.we of the Arabs, with mutual profeffions of friendfhip, and a requefl from our honed Sheick, that we would fend for him to accompany us if ever we pafied that way again, we left Zebeer.
As the fepoys were on foot, and moved flowly, we left them with the baggage and rode on towards Baffora. About half way we were met by Mr. Abraham and Mr. (Tally, two of the Company's fervants, who very politely came to meet and conduct us
to
to the Englifh factory, at which we arrived rather before three in the afternoon : the appearance of Bdflbra was exceedingly gloomy, having as I have before obferved been almofl depopulated by a plague, a fiege, and a famine.
In the year 1772, there were fuppofed to be upwards of four hundred thoufand inhabitantsin the place, and on the day of our arrival, there were certainly not more than fix thoufand, including the Perfians ; the principal flreets were like a burying ground, with fcarcely a fpace of three feet between each grave.
December 19th. Mr. Latouche endeavoured to get a country boat to convey us to Mufcat, but he could not procure one without feuding to Bunder Reeg or Bunder Aboufhaher, called by us Bunder Bufhire,
December 20th. The difficulty of procuring a boat was in-creafed by an order fent from Shiras, to detain all boats for the ufe of the troops in their march to reinforce the garrifon. This day we rode about the city, which in every part of it wore the fame gloomy appearance. The few Arabian inhabitants that remain mewed great refpect to Mr. Latouche as he paffed along the flreets, on account of his generofity and humanity towards them and their countrymen ; many of whom after the reduction of the place he redeemed from flavery, and fent to their relations in the country.
December 2iff. News came that the Sheick of Julfii had taken a veflel belonging to Bombay, and fold the crew and paffengers forflaves : this intelligence induced the gentlemen here to advife us to flay for a fhip, as in country boats they thought we rifqued falling alio into the Sheicks hands who might treat
us
[  «7 J
us in the fame manner; but we were not at liberty to flay, having promifed before we left England not to wait for a fhip, if a boat could be procured.
December 2 2d. The fame difficulties fllll continued about procuring a boat, but before the end of the month, we were pro** mifed what is called a doa, which is a boat of twenty or thirty tons-burthen, fewed together with coir rope. The boats in which the inhabitants crofs the Euphrates, to and from the city are nothing more than large round wicker bafkets lined with leather, in which they carry not only men, but alfo horfes, and fometimes camels.
December 23d. Enquiring into the fuppofed caufe of the plague, I found it was in general imputed to an extraordinary inundation of the river, which left a great quantity of fifh on the defert, and thofe fifth becoming putrid infected the air: in riding about the environs of the city we faw an immenfe quantity of fifh-bones ftill lying on the ground.
The plague generally rages with moft violence in Turkey and Egypt, in March and April, at which time the weather is extremely hot. As heat feems to increafe the virulence of this diforder, as the weather is hotter in Hindoftan than it is in Turkey, as the inhabitants alfo profefs the fame religion, obferve the fame cuf-toms, eat the fame food, and live in cities built in the lame manner, and of the fame materials, it is furprizing they have hitherto never been afflicted with this dreadful diiorder ; nor indeed can I find that it has ever been known within the Tropics, even in Arabia Felix* So far from ufing uncommon precautions to prevent the introduction of it into India; when the plague had depopulated Baffora, the fhips coming from thence fcarcely performed any quarantine at
any
any of the ports, either on the coaft of Malabar, or Choromandel.
December 24th. At five o'clock in the afternoon, Suduc Khan entered the city, at the head of about four thoufand horfe. His men were ftout and well-made, but they were miferably drefled and accoutred. The Prince himfelf is a very handfome man ; as indeed are moft of the Perfians of diftindion, being the offspring of the handfomeft women of Georgia and Circaflia, as well as of their own country.
December 25th. Early this morning the mafter of a doa came to treat with us for his boat, at firft he was very exorbitant in his demand ; but at length became more reafonable, and promif-ed to make it ready without delay. It being Chriftmas-day Mr. Latouche invited moft of the Chriftian gentlemen to an entertainment at the factory : amongfl: whom we found fome of the Catholic miflionaries very converfable, agreeable men. Although no epicure, I cannot help remarking that the flefh of the wild hog which wTas one of the difhes we had for dinner, was by far the fineft meat I ever tafted, which probably is owing to its feeding entirely upon dates.
December 26, 27, and 28th. Making preparations for our voyage, the Nakhuda or Captain promifed to fail within two days at lateft.
December 29th. The Nakhuda called this morning, and faid he fhould weigh anchor the next day with the ebb, which makes about two o'clock in the afternoon.
December
[   *9 1
December 30th. About"two o'clock we left the factory accompanied by the gentlemen belonging to it, who during our flay at Banora con ftantly treated us with the great eft politenefs and hof-pitality: they remained a little time on board the doa and then took leave ; as they went out of the boat we weighed anchor with a light breeze at N. W. and the tide in our favour : in the morning we came to an anchor again at Aboo ul Khufeeb, where we remained to get wood, rice and dates, which are remarkably cheap and good at this place, Major Thompfbn ftayed behind at Baffora.
December 31ft. Remained at anchor until one o'clock, then weighed, the wind at N. W. at twelve o'clock the wind dying away and the tide againft us, we came to again : The river is about a mile and a quarter wide all the way from Banora, and planted on both fides with date trees, amongfl: which a few towns and villages are interfperfed wThich have a very pleating effect:. We faw great numbers of wild ducks, and other water-fowl on the river, but could not get within gun-fhot of them. At four in the evening we weighed anchor, and palled the mouth of a river to the Eaftward, which they faid was the boundary of the Baflbra country, and the beginning of the Shaub.
January iff, 1779. Weighed at fix this morning with a light breeze at N.N. W. at day break we loft fight of the land, fleered till twelve o'clock, E. S. E. then afterwards E. by N. by an obfer-ration found ourfelves in the latitude of 29. 41. North, the weather rather cloudy, we paffed feveral boats going towards the mouth of the river.
January 2d. The wind at N. W. and the weather fair ; about ten o'clock we faw the land bearing South, and about one o'clock pafied Cape Bang.   On the mountains of Bang, there appeared
O a large
[ 90 ]
a large fort, which our people faid was built by the Greeks, and before it was in ruins was deemed impregnable.
January 3d. In the night the wind blew exceedingly hard with a high fea, the fail having been torn by the violence of the wind we lay to, whilft they cut it up to half its former fize. At day break we made fail again, but the fail being torn a fe-cond time, and alfo the rudder damaged : we came to an anchor off Bunder Reeg, about three miles from the fhore. We wanted to get into that place, but we had overfhot the port, and were therefore obliged to Hand on towards Bunder Aboufhaher, called by the Europeans Bunder Bufhir. As the wind blew frefh, and the fea ran high, for want of a fail and a rudder the boat was feveral times in danger of filling. In the afternoon the wind moderated, and at four in the evening finding ourfelves off Aboufhaher, we flood into the road, and went on fhore to our factory, where Mr. Beaumont the refident received us with the greateft politenefs.
January 4th. The doa came into the harbour; on examining her we found that fhe not only wanted all kinds of ftores, but alfo that her rudder was entirely deflroyed, the wind blew ftrong from the Southward.
January 5th. Finding the Captain dilatory in purchafing ftores and neceffaries for the voyage, we threatened to buy them for him, and to deduct the price ot them out of the balance of freight, which he was to receive at Mufcat ; to avoid which he himfelf brought an anchor flock, fome fpare rope, and two fmall fails, the wind at S. E. the weather cloudy with rain.
January 6th. The Nakhuda continued repairing his doa, and promifed to be ready in the evening; wind and weather as
yefterday.
yefterday.   I made fome enquiries of a man who had been at Perfepolis, concerning the prefent ftate of the ruins of that city ; he called it Tuckta Jumfhid, and faid that there are only a few pillars and arches left, which .are almoft covered with bufhes. The Grecian name of Perfepolis was totally unknown to him, he reckoned it about one hundred and twenty miles from Aboufhaher.   Finding this man equally intelligent and communicative, I enquired of him alfo the prefent ftate of the modern cities, and indeed of the empire in general : he informed me that Ifpahan, or as he called it Isfahan, was now almoft entirely deferted ; the feat of Government being transferred to Shiras, where Kerreem Khan the prefent Sovereign, or as he calls himfelf, the protector refides.   Kerreem Khan was one of the ableft Generals of the famous Nadir Shah, better known in Europe, by the name of Kouli Khan, when his mafter was aflaflinated, Kerreem Khan marched towards Perfia, and having a large body of troops devoted to him, he affumed the reins of Government, which he has held ever fince.    A Prince coming to a throne by hereditary fucceftion, or by election, may venture to refide in an open city like Ifpahan ; but an ufurper muft endeavour to fecure' himfelf with fortifications ;  for this reafon Kerreem fixed upon Shiras, which is furrounded with a wall and a ditch, fufnciently ftrong to reiift the attacks of the Perfians ; and in order to render himfelf ftill more iecure, he has obliged all his principal officers to bring their women- into the city, from which none of them  can ever go out again without his permifiion. Could any other advantages compenfate for the want of liberty, the Perfians would have no realbn to complain of the rigour of this order, for at Shiras they certainly enjoy every plcafure that can be derived from a fine climate and a fertile foil: they have fruits and vegetables of all kinds in abundance ; and of the grapes they make a wine, the qualities of which have been celebrated
O 2 by
t ml
by their well-known Poet Hatiz, who has alfo fpoke of the ladies with fuch enthuliafm, as to fay the truth would only become an oriental writer, but ftill there is no doubt of their being extremely beautiful; nor are the arts entirely unknown there, for at Shiras, they manufacture the fineft lword blades in the world, and adorn the handles of them with enamel which would be admired even in London or Paris. Nothing in fhort is wanting to render Perfia a terreftial paradife, excepting a regular Government. The prefent Ufurper Kerreem Khan is too far advanced in years to make his power felt throughout the Empire, and whatever fucceflbr he may have will find, he has much to do to unite a kingdom, which for fo many years has been in a ftate of anarchy and confulion.
The great Kouli Khan ruined Perfia ; the force he collected for the invalion of Hindoftan excited in the nation in general a fpirit of enterprize and adventure, and the influx of wealth from the plun> der of that country, entirely deftroyed the Ipirit of induftry. In confequence of which, the cultivation of the lands has been neglected, trade abandoned, and thofe troops which were levied for 'conqucft, having difiipated what they acquired by plunder have ever fince been ravaging their own native country. The fate of Perfia may ferve as a leflbn to all other nations, to prefer the more flow but falutary profits of trade. Superfluous wealth occafions a kind of fever in a kingdom, during the paroxifms of which itleems to have acquired uncommon ftrength ; but being cxhaufted by unnatural exertions, it at length finks .down a mifcrablc victim to its diforder.*
* It has been faid Lord Clivc propofed to pay the national debt by an expedition to China : he might in a convivial moment anionglt hi* friends have faid fuch a fcliemc was practicable,and fo it certainly is; but he was toofound a politician, towifli to fee one hundred and fifty millions ot fpecie introduced at once into England, knowing as he muft that one half that fum has irrecoverably ruined one of the greatcit Empires in the worlJ.
January
[   93 ]
January 7th. The Nakhuda promifed to have the doa ready to fail in twenty-four hours, if the wind permitted. In the evening of this day there was a violent fquall of wind from the S. E. accompanied with thunder, lightening and rain, which was the breaking up of the weather, for in the night the wind came round to the northward with a moderate breeze.
January 8th.. The Nakhuda called in the morning to inform us he mould fail in the evening about five o'clock, at which time we embarked and failed in company with two trankeys bound to Gombroon, the wind N. N. W. and the weather fair.
January 9th. Fair weather with a frefh breeze at N. W. faw the mountain and Cape Burdiftan, and at twelve o'clock bore away N. N. E. towards a fhoal called the cock that we pafied at one o'clock in the afternoon upon which two Englifh fhips have been loft, one of them in the year 1763. On the mountain of Burdiftan they ufed formerly by fignals to convey intelligence to the merchants at Shiras, of the appearance of the fhips expected from India, that they might inflantly come to Aboufhaher to purchafe their goods, latitude obferved 27. 53. North.
January ioth. About two o'clock in the morning it grew calm, and continued fo all day: about fix in the evening a light breeze fprung up from S. S. E. About four miles from the fhore faw Cape Naband E. byN. latitude 27. 11. North.
January nth. Calm till about feven in the morning, then a light breeze fprung up from the N. W. faw a fmall boat coming from the Southward, and two others from thcEaflward, faid to belong to a pirate called Abd ul Rheman, they did not come within gun fhot of us, but hovered about us till dark and then appeared no more. Within about fix miles of the fhore on which
are
■ s m 1
are high rocks called Dar ul Afban that appeared white like chalk, latitude obferved 27. 8. North.
January 12th. A fefh breeze from the N. w. and fair weather, paffed by the Ifland of Sheick Shaub, Shudwan and Handeraby, latitude obferved 26. 43. North.
January 13th, Calm the greateff part of the night and this morning, at eleven o'clock came on a frefh breeze from the N. w. which continued till feven in the evening, pafied by the Iflands about five, faw the highland about Gombroon bearing e. N. e. latitude obferved 26. 23. North.
January 14th. Light airs and variable, paffed the Iflands of Kern and Belior, latitude 26. 24. North.
January 15th. The wind at N. e. and blew frefh, coming further to the eaflward. In the morning e ran in towards the Ifland of Kifmis, near a place called Daag ul Kumuck, came to an anchor after ten o'clock, calm, latitude obferved 26. 36. North. Two people who came in a fmall boat from the fhore, confirmed to us the report that Mahomed Rafliid Sheick of Jul fa, had taken one of the company's veffels, going from Bombay to Baffora, and lold the crew for Haves.
January i 6th. At nine in the morning weighed anchor, and went round the Wefl end of the Ifland of Kifmis, called by the Perfians Touly, and came to an anchor again off Ras, (cape) Baflido which by an obfervation lays in the latitude of 26. 41. North. Between twenty and thirty years ago, the people faid there was a fettlemcnt of Europeans here; we law the remains of a church, and the ruins of a large town that had been built
with
with bricks dried in the fun. At two in the afternoon weighed with a light breeze at S. W. and the tide in our favor, the channel between Kifmis and the main at this place is about four miles wide. At Baffido we got a frefh fupply of water, which was taken out of a refervoir that had been built by the Europeans, paved all through with a white ftone, at this time there were not ten houfes inhabited in this large ruined town, all which wrere Perfians.
January 17th. Came to an anchor at half paff ten at night, and did not weigh again until fix the next morning. About feven we arrived amongft a parcel of Iflands covered with trees molt of which ffood two feet or more in the water; the Iflands are divided by very narrow channels, fb that the trees almoft meet and form a kind of arbour. About eleven o'clock it being calm and the tide making againft us we again came to an anchor; the people whilft they were cutting wood faw three large wild hogs and fome pigs. At half after eleven in the forenoon it began to rain hard, and to blow frefh from the N. W. which continued till two o'clock ; then cleared up and being a fettled wind we weighed. Until five in the evening we continued failing through a narrow channel amongfl the Iflands, and then came in fight of a fort and ruined town called Left ; it is fituated under a hill on the Ifland of Kifmis, .the fort bore about S. W. of us at fun fet; near this place we were obliged to wait for our boat that Sheick Aly the Nakhuda had fent on fhore for fome wood and fifh for his own private ufe. About four in the afternoon made fail again and pafied by a galivat belonging to Sheick Mahomed Miny of Ormus. No obfervation on account of the hazinefs of the weather..
January
January 18th. At night calm, the tide making againfl: us, came to an anchor. In the morning at day break weighed with a light breeze to the S. W. Gombroon bearing about N. N. E. In the afternoon the wind frefhened and came further to the wefhvard, blowing very hard from five to feven in the afternoon, and then it began to moderate, no obfervation. Cape Salamet on the Ifland of Mahomed Salamet, bore at fun fet about S. W.
January 19th. The wind continued to blow exceedingly hard from the weftward, which made the veffel both roll and pitch very much : at half after eight the fail was broke by the violence of the wind, unbent it, and bent a fmaller. The middle of the night being exceedingly cloudy, the Arabs for want of a com-pafs did not know which way to ffeer ; they had been going above two hours due North when we difcovered it, and put them right, they had been deceived by a change of wind and bad lteerage. In the morning came on a frefli breeze to the N. W. which continued till ten in the morning, it then grew calm, and afterwards fprung up from the fame quarter : latitude obferved 26. 29. North, diftant from the fhore about five leagues, high mountain near Cape Mozandon. The town of Lema bore of us at noon S. W. by W. the afternoon little wind and cloudy all round.
January 20th. About one o'clock this morning came on a frefli breeze at North, which incrcafed with a following fea : about four o'clock in the morning our tiller roper broke, and it was with much difficulty we prevented the veffel from flying to. Three men got overboard to mend the rudder, in the mean time the veflel rolled fo much that there was danger of her filling, or at leafl: of her carrying away the malt; in about an hour the rudder being repaired, we got under fail again, the weather being dark and fqually, the Nakhuda and the pilot thought it unfafe
to
[   97 )
to continue any longer at fea, and therefore put in at Khorfakan, which is fituated on the coaft of Arabia, in a fmall bay open only to the Eaftward ; on the S. E. fide of the bay is a harbour for boats, where we lay in fmooth water, and entirely fheltered from all winds, it rained exceedingly hard the whole day, and confe-quently wetted our baggage and beds. At feven in the evening the clouds difperfed, and it began to clear up.
January 21ft. About twro o'clock this morning came on a very hard fquall of wind and rain, with violent thunder and lightening from the N. W. which continued near an hour; had we been at fea we muff inevitably have foundered in lefs than five minutes, for although we lay in a place furrounded with hills, the violence, of the wind fhook theveftbl as if fhe had ffruck by a broadiide from a large (hip. The wind being at S. E. we could not move, therefore at day-break we went on fhore to the top of the hills to take a view of the country, and dry our cloaths, &c. on a fmall hill to the Weftward of this little harbour, is a ruined caftle, formerly built by Nadir Shah, to cover a magazine for his ftores, when his troops befieged Muikat.
The town which is fituated at the bottom of the Bay was once confiderable, but at prefent coniifts only of two or three houfes built of ftone, the reft are fifhermens huts.
January 22d. At nine at night the wind being fet in at N. W. and the weather fair, we weighed anchor from Khorfakan. When out at fea we faw fome lightening from the S. E. At eleven at night the wind began to frefhen from the N. W. and at one blew in hard fqualls, at feven in the morning our tiller rope broke, which had not been mended above a quarter of an hour when a hard fquall came, and the rudder itfelf was broken, as it
p was
was impoflible to mend it without unhanging it, fome of the people went overboard for that purpofe, and in half an hour brought the remainder of the rudder on board, but it was full four hours before it was repaired j in the mean time, as we could not lay the veffel to, we lowered down the fail, and the veffel lay with her broadiide to the wind, we expected fhe would fill every moment, for the wind blew very hard in fqualls, wTith a fhort and heavy fea, when the rudder was mended, fix of our people got into the fea to fix it. About twelve o'clock, with much difficulty we got her head round and fcudded her before the wind, juff after we had repaired the rudder, we faw Cape-Shenes, bearing weft, latitude obferved 24. 34. N. We had no obfervation at Khorfakan, but from its bearing and diftance this day at noon, I fhould fuppofe it lay in latitude 25. 13. North.
January 23d. At ten laft night, in fhifting the fail to haul in for the land, our tiller-rope broke again, and the veffel flew up in the wind. We tried when the rope was mended to bring her head round again to our proper courfe, but in vain, and therefore fteered as much as we could to the weftward. Our people were fo much harraffed by the fatigues of the preceeding day and night, that they could not be prevailed upon to exert them-lelves ; but on the contrary were fulky and quarrelfome, upbraiding us with being the authors of their diftreffes, in obliging them to leave Khorfakan before the weather was fettled. Our veffel being very lively fhipped no fea, although the- wind ami fea encreafed confiderably. At day-break in the morning, pafied between the iflands of Sawady, and the town of Sohar on the Main : the wind being much more moderate, at five in the morning we came to an anchor at Mufcat. The entrance of the outer port where we anchored is defended by feveral batteries even with the water's edge ;  but the Arabs with
fome
[   99 J
fome reafon depend mod upon two forts, erected upon hills, commanding the mouth of the inner harbour, which are called Marany and Jillaly ; not being acquainted with the rules of this place, we narrowly efcaped getting into a fcrape, for as no boats are allowed to go on fhore after fun-fet from the outer port, the guards ftationed in the two above-mentioned forts fired at us, but fortunately they were bad markfmen, only one of their fhot ftruck the boat. The Succefs, Grab, from Bombay, which was bound to Baffora with difpatches, was lying in the inner harbour ; we went to the houfe of Narraindofs, the Englifh broker, which although not a very elegant habitation appeared to us, who had been expofed td...violent wind and inceffant rain for eight and forty hours, a perfect palace.
January 24th. In the morning Captain Twyfs came and told us he fhould fail for Baffora the next day. He had fix Englifh gentlemen paffengers with him that were going over the defert, and alfo Monlieur Borel de Bourg, the French officer, who had been plundered and wounded,by the Arabs 011 the defert. Monlieur Borel wifhing to hear the lateft news from Europe, and perhaps alio being defirous of converting with a perfon who had lately travelled the fame route as himfelf, came and fpent the evening with me at the broker's houfe. I told him that I was no itranger to what had befallen him on the defert, and eafily prevailed on him to give me an account of his adventures.
The particulars of the bufmefs upon which he was fent, he of courfe concealed, but in general terms he informed me that foon after the engagement between the two fleets near Brelt, in July 1778, Monlieur de Sartinc, his friend and patron ordered him to carry difpatches over land to India.   I think he laid he left Mar-
P 2 feUleg
feilles on the third of Auguft; but that owing to the ftupidity of the Captain of his veflel, and to contrary winds he did not arrive at Latichea before the end of the month ; from thence he immediately proceeded to Aleppo. The French Conful could not collect more than twenty-five guards to attend him acrofs the defert ; with which on the fourteenth of September, be began his journey. He met with no ferious moleftation, until he was within fifteen days of Banora, when early one morning he perceived himfelf followed by a party of about thirty Arabs mounted on camels, who foon overtook him. As they approached, he by his interpreter defired they would pleafe to advance or halt, or move to the right or left of him, for he chofe to travel by himfelf ; they anfwered that they ifiould not interfere with him, and went forwards at a hriik rate. Mr. BoreFs people then fuf-pected them of fome hoftile deiign, and told him to be upon his guard. In the evening, between four and five o'clock, he obferved them halted and drawn up as if to oppofe him, and in a few minutes three other parties, confilting alfo of about thirty each appeared in light, in oppofite directions, feemingly inclined to furround him: from thefe appearances very naturally concluding their intentions to be hoifilc, and confequently his fituatiou defperate, he thought only of felling his life as dearly as poliible. He was armed with a double barrelled fuzee, a pair of piltols and. a fabre ;. as he kept marching on, he firlt fell in with the party in front, who fired at him, which he returned as foon as he came within mulket fhot of them and killed the Sheick ; when he had difcharged his fire arms, before he could load them again, ieveral of the Arabs broke in from different fides, and cut him down. Stunned with the violence of the blow, he knew nothing that palled afterwards until about an hour before day-break the next morning, when he found himlelf entirely naked on the ground, a quanity of blood near him, and part of the flefh of
the
the fide of his head hanging upon his cheek. In a few minutes he recollected what had pafied, but as he could feel no fracture or contufion in the fkull, he began to hope his wounds were not mortal : this however was only a tranfient gleam of hope, for it immediately occurred to him; that without clothes or even food, he was likely to fuffer a much more painful death. The firft objects that ftruck him when he began to look about him were thofe who had been killed on both fides in the action \ but at the diftance of a few hundred yards, he foon afterwards perceived a great number of Arabs feated round a large fire : thefe he: naturally fuppofed were his enemies, he neverthelefs determined to go to them, in hopes, either to prevail on them to five his life or elfe to provoke them to put an immediate end to his miferies. Whilft he was thinking in what manner without the affiltance of language he fhould be able to excite their companion, and to foften their refentment againft him for the death of their companions, which thefe people he had heard feldom forgive : it occurred to him, that they paid great refpect to age ; and alfo that they feldom deftroy thofe who fupplicate mercy ; from whence he concluded that if he could throw himfelf under the protection of the oldeft perfon amongft them, he might probably be faved. In order to approach them unperceived, he crept towards them upon his hands and knees, and when arrived within a few paces of their circle, having tingled out one who had the moft venerable appearance, he rufned forwards and fpringing over the head of one of the circle, he threw himlelf into the arms of him whom he felected for a protector. The whole party were at firft extremely aflonifhed, not having the leafl notion of his being alive ; but when their fur prize fubfided, a debate aroie whether or not they fhould allow him to live. One of them who had probably loft a friend or relation, drew his lword in a great rage, and was going to put him to death, but his protector flood up with great
zeal
I m ]
zeal in his defence, and would not fuffer him to be injured; in confequence of which, his adverfary immediately mounted his camel, and with a few followers went away. When this con-tell was over the Sheick, for fo he happened to be, perceiving Monfieur Borel entirely without clothes, prelented him with his abba or outer cloak, invited him to approach the fire, and gave him coffee and a pipe, which an Arab when he is not on the march has always prepared. The people finding Monfieur Borel did not underfland i\rabic enquired for his interpreter, who was found afleep and nightly wounded.
The firft demand the Arabs made was for his money and jewels, which they obferved Europeans always have in great abundance, but which are concealed in private drawers, that none excepting themfelves can difcover. He affured them thefe opinions were erroneous with refpect to him, for that he was not a rich merchant, but only a young foldier of fortune, employed to carry orders from his government in Europe, to their fettlements in India: but that if they would convey him to Graine a place near Baffora on the Sea coaft ; on their arrival there, and on the receipt of his papers he would engage to pay them two hundred chequins, about one hundred pounds flerling. After a few minutes conlultation with each other they acceded to his propolals, returned him his oldeft Arabian drefs, and during the reft of his journey treated him with tolerable kindnefs and attention.
After Mr. Borefs arrival at Graine he eafily prevailed on an Armenian to advance him the money to fulfill his engagements with the Arabs; and alio to feud the French refident at Baffora an account of what had befallen him on the defert, defiling to be fupplyed with money and other nccelfiries to enable him to proceed to Pondicherry. His letter very fortunately for us fell
into
I m 1
Into the hands of the Englifh refident at Baffora, who having^ heard of our rupture with France inftantly determined to arrefl him, being convinced he muff be charged with public difpatches of confequence. Every generous mind will lament the neceffity there was of adding to the diltreffes of this fpirited and unfortunate youth; but the lives of thoufands, and perhaps the fafety of our fettlements in India,, depended upon his being intercepted, but to prevent his being treated with any rigour, or fuffering any indignity, Mr. Abraham the fecond in council of the factory was employed to feize him..
The town of Graine is about feventy miles from Banora, and is governed by an Arab Sheick who is very much attached to us, but Mr. Abraham knew it would be very difficult to prevail on him to violate the rights of hofpitality to a ftranger, and without the Sheick^s connivance, the execution of the project would have been abfolutely impracticable : the better to conceal his defign Mr. Abraham at night went down to Graine in a country boat, accompanied by the Captain of one of our mips then lying at Baffora, and immediately proceeded to the Sheick's houfe, to whom he immediately communicated his bufinefs. The Arab at firft violently oppofed the meafure; but being mollified by prefents, and alfo affured that Mr. Borel fhould not receive any perfbnal injury, he at laft tacitly confented. When Mr. Abraham knocked at the door Mr. Borel was retired to reft, but he inftantly got up to admit him, thinking he was a perfon fent from the French Refident with an anfwer to his letter;, as foon as he difcovered his miitake he attempted to defend himfelf, but he was inftantly overpowered and conveyed to the Sea tide, where he was put on board the fhip that had been fent from Batlbra, and was juft then come to an anchor off the place. He had two pacqiiets, one for Pondicherry, and another for Mauritius, which
were
t   *<h ]
were fouud, but Monfieur Borel obferved to me that they milled the key of the cypher in which the difpatches were written, by neglecting to fearch the lining of his clothes. It was perhaps a fortunate circumltance for Monfieur Borel that he was taken prifoner by us, for his wound through unfkilfull management, and the want of proper remedies was grown extremely bad, nor is it improbable if he had attempted to proceed in a country boat, the only conveyance he could have got at Graine, that his wound would have occafioned his death long before the boat could have arrived at any French fetlement in India. I made ufe of thefe arguments to confole him for his misfortunes, but the zeal for his country, the natural enthufiafm of his difpofition, and the hopes which had been given him of promotion, had he executed his commiffion, made him deaf to every thing I could fay to afford him confoltation : difappointed but not difcouraged by his former fufferings, he was then on his way to Baflbra to proceed over the great defert a fecond time; which I was afterwards informed, he pafied with every afnftance he could receive from the gentlemen of our Factory.
January 25th. Remained at Mufcat the wind blowing directly into the mouth of the harbour.
January 26th. Went on board the dingy at day light, and began warping out. At eleven in the forenoon got out of the harbour and failed, the wind began to frefhen in the afternoon, and there being appearances of its blowing flill harder, at three in the afternoon we put about and returned into the harbour of Mufcat, came to an anchor off the fort of Merany. At feven in the evening another dingy that had failed at the fame time put back in a very fhattered condition. The Grab that failed in the morning went away before the wind to Baflbra.
January
t   10 S ]
January 27th. The wind continued to blow exceedingly hard all laft night from the S. E. Although we lay with two anchors under the cover of a hill in fmooth water, we drove very* much in the night. At day break layed a grapling to the weftward, and warped towards the harbour. At eight in the morning the wind came round to the weftward, and blew very hard, with great clouds of duft that came off the land; the veffels that were going out, and alfo all the fifhing boats immediately put back into the harbour; as our people alfo feemed apprehen-five of a hard gale, by their advice we alfo returned into the inner harbour, where we found three dingies waiting for a fettled wind, to proceed to the Malabar coaft with us, remained in the harbour, as the forts would not let us pafs out in the evening.
January 28th. At day break in the morning began to warp out of the harbour, at eleven o'clock got under fail, went on board an Englifh Snow bound to Aboufhaher, commanded by Captain Johnfon who gave us a quadrant, mine having beeii injured by a fall, he alfo kindly offered us every other afliftance in his power. The wind at N. W. at fun fet Cape Curiat bearing S. W. by S. diftant about five leagues. In the evening the wind began to flacken very much.
January 29th. Calm all laft night. Came on a light breeze this morning that lafted from feven to ten ; calm all the reft of the day and the weather very hazy.   Latitude obferved, 23. 15. North.
January 30th.  Calm the greateft part of laft night. At four in the morning came on a light breeze from the N. W. At day- t light law a large veffel to the S. S. E. ftanding to the weftward. Latitude obferved 23. 9, N.   Calm fince noon, and a fwell from the N. W.
January
■
January 31ft. Very little wind all night. At three in the morning a light breeze fprung up from the Southward, in the afternoon, it came round to the Weftward, and at laft fettled in the N. W. Latitude obferved 22. 24.
February rft.   Light wind all day from the N. W. and very
fine weather.   Latitude obferved 22.  15.-2d. Calm part of
lad: night, afterwards a breeze from the N. W. continued till five in the morning. Calm till twelve o'clock. Latitude obferved 2r. 52. North. At two in the afternoon a breeze fprung up which continued to frefhen.
February 3d. Laft night at eleven o'clock the wind cams to the N. E. and frefhened to a very fine breeze. At two in the morning pafied by two fmall dingies, luppofed to be bound to Mufcat, but did not hail them.   Latitude 21. 19-
February 4th. A frefh breeze from the N. W. and fiir weather. At nine faw a veffel to the N. E. quarter, Handing to the Southward ; we hauled our wind as foon as fhe appeared in fight, fuppofing her to be an enemy. She pafied within a quarter of a mile to leeward of us, without taking any other notice, but hoiffing her colours, which were Moors. Latitude obferved 20.. 30. North.
February 5th. Light winds at N. N. E. Latitude obferved 19. 50. North.
February 6th. A fine frefh breeze at N. E. and very fair weathcr. At three in the afternoon layed to and founded, found forty-fix fathom ; faw feveral fnakes, the figns of being near the Malabar coaft.   Latitude obferved 19.22.
February
[   io; ]
February 7th. Moft part of the day very little wind, and fometimes calm. About two o'clock in the afternoon the fea wind fprung up and freshened to a fine breeze, hove to and founded, found forty-three fathoms. Latitude obferved 1 9. 15. Courfe E. § N,
February 8th. A fine frefh breeze at N. W. for the molt part of the day. Saw the land at day-light in the morning, and at four in the afternoon came to an anchor in Bombay harbour, found there the Alia man of war, Capt. Vandeput; the Royal Admiral and Morfe Indiamen ; and feveral other country fhips. The Alia and the two Indiamen arrived from England the day before us. At fix in the evening went on fhore to the Governor's houfe and delivered him the pacquets.
Mr. Hornby, the Governor of Bombay, during our flay on that ifland, very politely entertained us at his houfe, and ordered a veflel to be got ready to convoy us to Anjengo. We embarked on board the Thunder Bomb Ketch, Captain Baine, on the 14th of February, and arrived at Anjengo in nine days; a voyage at this feafon of the year on the Malabar coaft is always agreeable, but was rendered particularly fo to us, from the good humour, and good fenfe of our Captain.
Having hired a palanquin and proper people to carry it, on the 24th in the evening I fet out from Anjengo for Pollamcottah, leaving my companion Mr. Dighton to follow me at his leifure, with the baggage and fervants: the third day at noon I arrived at Pollamcottah, where I remained one day to give time to my friend Captain Burrington, the commandant of that garrifon to lend orders to have palanquin bearers ready for me, at all the different flages on the road to Madras.   The poll, or as they arc
Qjs called
called at Madras the tappal peons carried thefe orders, which I found the whole way had been punctually performed. It has been invariably my rule throughout this journal to acknowledge the attention I met with on the way; but without proceeding in the fame manner after my arrival at Pollamcottah, and from thence to Madras; I fhall only mention in general, that on this as on every other journey I have made in India, the kindnefs of my friends in that part of the world, has always infinitely furpaffecl both my expectations and wifhes. Nor do I on that account arrogate to myfelf any particular degree of merit, for their hofpitality knows no bounds or diftinction, when a perfon is properly introduced to them.
The voyage from Leghorn to Bomb a y was performed in five months and ten days ; but had we embarked at fome port in the S. E. part of Italy, or rather Calabria ; and had there been a fhip ready at Baflbra to convey us immediately from thence to Bombay j we fhould certainly have arrived there in lefs than four months, as will appear by examining the time unavoidably loft; firff by contrary winds in the N. W. part of the Mediterranean, and afterwards in waiting at Baflbra for a boat, &c. Had we gone directly from England to Brindifi or Otranto, we might have arrived at either of thofe places in five and twenty days, and afterwards have gone from thence to Latichea in fifteen days, making altogether forty days. Whereas by embarking at Leghorn we were almofl fixty days going the fame diflance : no time was loft either at Latichea or Aleppo, but at Baflbra we were detained twelve days, waiting for a boat, and afterwards were thirty nine days going from thence to Bombay, a voyage that in an European veffel might eafily have been performed in three weeks. Twenty days loft in the way to Latichea; twelve days at Baflbra,
and eighteen from thence to Bombay, make altogether fifty days,
which
which being deducted from five months and ten days, leaves a remainder of three months and twenty days, that is reckoning each month at an average of thirty days.
It is hardly neceftary to obferve that more attention has been paid to the matter, than to the ffile of this journal, particularly in that part of it which relates to the defert. But the obferva-tions of each day were put down in the evening of the da, on which they were made, and with no other view than to ferve as memoranda; in which form they perhaps will be moft acceptable to the generality of readers, as being the ideas of the country as they occurred on the hoot. It may perhaps be thought that too much has been find of wind and weather, which are feldom much noticed in books of travels by land. Travelling in a clofe carriage, it certainly does not fignify what quarter the wind comes from, or whether it blows hot or cold ; but this is not the cafe with a traveller expofed to the open air, with no other covering than the clothes he wears. A perfon going acrofs the defert will probably be glad to know what weather he is likely to have during his journey, that he may guard againft the inclemency of it, by purchafing fuch clothes as are beft fuited to the purpofe.
TnEobfervations on the foil, and the appearance of the country were originally intended as materials for a work, which perhaps will hereafter be offered to the public ; but which a multiplicity of private bufinefs prevents my entering upon at prefent. The great defert of Arabia has often been reprefented as an immenfe fpace of barren fand; which never has, nor ever can be made to produce any herb or vegetable whatsoever; where confequcntly not only men could never refide, but where no animals of any kind could pofiibly exift. The journal itfelf confutes that opinion, in which the attentive reader will perceive, that frequent
mention
t "° ]
mention is made of the ruins of buildings, which in all probability are only fmall remains of what once exiifed on thofe fpots. Before the difcovery of the pafTage round the Cape of Good Hope, when the productions of the Eaff were necefiarily brought the major part of the way to Europe by land, particularly in the early ages of antiquity ; the great defert was doubtlefs one of the principal channels of Eaftern commerce : at that time I fuppofe thofe ^buildings to have been erected, nor can I attribute the exiflence of Palmyra itfelf, which is fituated in a moft barren part of the defert, to any other caufe. Water the great principle of both animal and vegetable life is not wanting. By means of thole water courfes which communicate with the Euphrates, and alfo from the wells which are interfperfed throughout the defert, water enough may be obtained, not only for domeitic ufes, but alfo for the purpofes of hulbandry. The foil in general is by no means fo barren as not to be capable of cultivation ; there are but few fpots that would not yield to the perfevering hand of induftry. But, my further fentiments on this fubject, and alfo my opinion of the character of the Arabs I muft for the reafbns already aligned, defer giving to a more convenient opportunity; and in the mean time my indulgent readers may be allured that no endeavours mail be wanting on my part to obtain for their fatisfaction and amufcment, the fulled and molt authentic information.
FINIS.
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