Travels in Turkey, Asia Minor, Syria, and across the desert into Egypt ...

108 TRAVELS IN ASIATIC TURKEY,
ca ling to the sentinel, we found, after a little search, that our
unseasonable visiter was a poor insane Turk, who had been pur-
sut u by one of his countrymen from the camp, and had sought re-
in
fuge
the tent.
Monsieur FraiicMni died on the 15th at
night. He had been
sent by the Russian minister at Constantinople as an agent to keep
up a communication with the Turkish ministers in camp, and to
give an account of the military operations. He had caught the
pestilential infection from two domestics belonging to the Vizier's
new dragoman, who were recently arrived from Constantinople,
, and both of whom had fallen victims to the disease. Monsieur
Franchini languished six days after the attack.
On the morning of the 17th two hundred janissaries arrived in
the camp from Constantinople. In making an excursion towards
Gaza in the afternoon, I met with the body of an unfortunate man,
who had just been assassinated. He had received two strokes of a
•sabre, one of which had nearly severed the head from the body.
His turban had been carried off; but the stick which lay behind,
and the style of his dress, pointed him out as a wandering Arab.
On the 18th in the morning, General Koehler and the officers
went to a plain in the vicinity of the encampment, to be present
at a review of the Turkish troops by his Highness the Grand Vis
zier.
Adjoining to his own tent, which, being fitted up in the
oriental, or Persian style, far exceeded, in richness and magnificence,
any thing we had seen before, a tent was prepared for our
reception. The infantry and artillery were drawn up in three bo-
dies, that is, a main body and two wings, nearly in a line, with
the guns in front. While the whole advanced slowly, a firing was
kept up exclusively by the artillery; and the movement having been
continued for the space of six or seven hundred yards, the troops
faced to the right about, when, the guns being again brought to
their front, they returned to their former ground, firing
in the same
manner as when they advanced. This absurd manoeuvre was the
only one they displayed. During the whole of the time the infantry
remained with their arms shouldered, the Amends or Albanians
shouting. In returning,
the Grand Vizier was mounted on a
fine Arabian horse, richly caparisoned. His Highness was ele-
gantly dressed, as were also his principal officers and attendants.
"We were invited to join in the cavalcade, on its way back to the
encampment.