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

SYRIA, EGYPT, GERMANY, &C, 1 53
The Cynthia sloop of war, Captain Dick, arrived at Jaffa on
the morning of the 15th, with despatches (ram Alexandria, which
were immediately sent on shore. She sailed in the evening wich de-
spatches, to join the fleet commanded by Admiral Lord Keith,
lying in the bay of Marmarice, and was to touch at Cyprus on
her way.
The Turkish Ramazan, a solemn fast already described, commenced
on the evening of the 16th. No sooner was the new moon,
by which it was introduced, descried, than a general discharge of
cannon, musketry, and pistols, was heard in every part of the
camp,
to announce the event.
ISEntreprenant, an English cutter, arrived at Jaffa on the 2lsr,
with despatches from Admiral Lord Keith. Among the papers con-
taining intelligence which were received by this channel from Cairo,
was a printed proclamation of General Menou.
Further intelligence from Cairo was received on the 23d, by a
Greek merchant, who had left that place eighteen days before ; and
also by a confidential Arab, sent by Mahomed Elphi Bey. The
latter had passed through Cairo and Salahieh, both of which pla-
ces the enemy were employed in fortifying, more especially the lat-
ter, for the defence of which they had recently sent several pieces
of heavy ordnance. He estimated their force at about twelve thou-
sand French, and from two to three thousand native troops, distri-
buted in these places and their
vicinity. This Arab was the bearer
of a note from Mahomed Elphi Bey to the officer commanding
the British mission.
I rode out, in the morning of the same day, towards Lydda,
the ancient city of Loudda, where Peter, the disciple of our Lord,
healed the aged JEneas, who laboured under a paralytic complaint;
and whence he proceeded to Joppa, the Jaffa of modern times, to
effect a miraculous cure by restoring to life Tabitha, or, as she was
otherwise called, Dorcas, a pious and good woman. Lydda is
denominated
by the Greeks Diospolis, or the
city
of Jupiter, pro-
to that
bably because a temple had been dedicated in its vicinity
deitv. Since the crusades it has received from the Christians the
name of St. George, on account of its having been the scene of the
martyrdom and burial of that saint. In this city tradition reports
that the Emperor Justinian erected a church.
On the 25th the confidential Arab, to whom I referred above,
left the camp with the reply of Colonel Jlolloway to the note of
( 20 )