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

114.
TRAVELS IN ASIATIC TURKEY,
the General oft
Despatches from Lord Elgin were received by
the 13th i and on the
following morning the English frigate the
Mercury anchored off Jaffa. She had left England about four
months, had touched at Tripoli, and several other ports of the
Mediterranean, and was last from Acre, which place she had quitted
the evening before. Advices were brought to camp that JJjezar
Pacha was employed in fortifying the works of Acre.
On the evening of the 18th the Mercury frigate sailed from
Jaffa, having on board despatches of great importance. The news
of the surrender of the island of Malta to the British troops,
transmitted by the Capitan Pacha, were communicated to the Ge-
neral by the Grand Vizier and Reis Effendi.
On the 20th in the morning, a detachment of troops, consisting
of abour a thousand horsemen, arrived in the camp from Aleppo,
chaunting; hvmns on their route. Thev were better mounted and
equipped than any of those who had recently joined the Vizier's
army.
A heavy firing was heard in the camp on the morning of the
25th. We found, on enquiry, that it was occasioned by the dis-
pleasure of the Amauts, who had become greatly exasperated at
an attempt which was made to muster them. The Grand Vizier
entertained a suspicion that their chiefs drew a greater number of
rations for their troops than those to which they were entitled. It
indeed appeared that this practice was become so frequent among
them as to require an absolute check; but such was the menacing
aspect which the Amauts had assumed, that his Highness deemed
it prudent to relinquish this measure on the present occasion. I
shall take an opportunity hereafter to give a particular account of
these people, who were able to render themselves thus formidable,
notwithstanding they constituted but an inconsiderable Turkish army.
part of the
About this time we were highly amused by several Egyptian jug-
glers, who came into camp, and who, to cur no small surprise,
performed a variety of tricks with great neatness and dexterity.
These people travel through every part of the country, and contri-
bute essentially to the entertainment of the inhabitants.
A great number of jackals came almost every evening into the
camp, in search of their prey, and kept up a continued yell, equal
to that of a large pack of hounds in full cry, though much less mu-
sical. What with the yelping of these animals, the howling of
the dogs, and the braying of the asses and mules, a hideous noise