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

CONTENTS. 13
CHAP. IX.
Progress through the Holy Land. Ruins of a Tower erected in honour of forty
martyrs. Atabian dwellings. Ramla. Date trees. Ophthalmia. Residence
of the Jewish
monarchs. St. Jerom.
Arrival at Jerusalem situation of that
;
thrt-at of
city j Solomon's temple; residence of Pontius Pilate. Extraordinary
Buonaparte. Mount of Olives; David's tower; holy sepulchre; scene of our
Saviour's sufferings tomb of Baldwin. ; Humanity and good sense of a Turkish
santon. Visit from the Mufti. Armenian convent; head of St.
James; Mount Sion; Bethlem ; temple of St. Catharine; pools of Solomon;
gardens of Solomon ; birth-place of our Saviour ; receptacle of the murdered
Innocents ; tomb of St. Jerom ; convent of St. Catharine. Inhabitants of
Bethlem. Sepulchres of the kings ; sepulchre of the Virgin Mary ; valley
of Jehosaphat; impression of our Saviour's foot on the Mount of Olives;
tombs of Absalom and Zachariah ; welis of Nehemiah; burial-place of King
David ; convent of St. Helena ; birth place of John the Baptist. Josech of
Arimathea. Topographical account of the most interesting objects in the Holy
Land. iifi
CHAP. X.
Irregularities in the Turkish camp. Governor of Damascus beheaded. Memorial
delivered to the Grand Vizier on the state of the camp. Desertion of Turkish
chiefs and soldiers. Tents plundered by Arabs. Plague among the Mamelukes
and Albanians, Mutiny of the Janissaries ; ceremonies on paying them
their arrears. Alarms excited by reports from El-Arish. Decapitation of Turkish
soldiers for gaming. Ravages by the plague. Insurrection in Palestine
on account of the heavy impositions of the government. Disastrous state of the
British Mission. Death of a m litary artificer. A British gunner dies of the
plague. Death of Mrs. Koehler, and of the General. Precautions employed to
stop the progress of the plague. Turkish entertainments in camp. Removal of
the camp. Instances of insubordination in the camp. Effective force of the
Turkish army. Observations on the plague. Vizier's physician dies of the
plague. Ramazan. Lydda. The Grand Vizier indisposed, and attended by
the Author. Celebration of the Biram in camp. Remarks on the country
about Jaffa. Climate or Syria; face of the country and soil; productions of
Syria; sheep and goats; other cattle ; habitations of the Syrians; camels and
other beasts of burthen ; character and manners of ihc Syrians. Abject state of
the farmers, or husbandmen. Bedouins, or wandering Arabs. Agriculture of
Syria; diseases of Syria. j^ c
CHAP. xr.
The army of the Grand Vizier; principal officers; different casts of people; arti-
ficers and attendants. Precarious state of greatness in the Turkish government.
Standards ; dervises. Gross superstition of the Turks. Tradition
relative to the downfall of the Turkish empire. Origin and present state of the
Janissaries. The Arnauts ; light cavalry ; volunteers. Religious sectaries who
follow the army. Plunderers; Mameluke ; Arabian camel-drivers. Thievish
disposition of the Arabs. Tartars. Guards of honour. General character of
addiction to coffee
the Turks. Personal courage j superstition; temperance;
and tobacco ; games ; pay and allowance of the soldiery. Miserable state of the
medical art among the Turks. Horsemanship. 16S?
CHAP. XII.
Narrative resumed. Breaking up of the camp at J. ;ffa. March of the army. New
encampment. Account of General Mustaprta, alias Campbell. Singular fact
relative to the plague communicated by General Mustapha. Several deaths by
the plague. Rock where Samson was surprised by the Philistines. Ekron;
order of the
Ashdod Askalon Ramah of ; ; Gilead. Preparations for march ;
march. New encampment near Esdal, or Ashtaol. Arab villages ; Ashdod, or
Axotus. Progress of the army. Country round Ascalon described. Dearth of