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

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

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SYRIA, EGYPT, GERMANY, &C. 207<br />

<strong>the</strong> latter of which places, accord<strong>in</strong>g to <strong>the</strong> contents of a letter<br />

from Capta<strong>in</strong> Lacey, a great mortality, supposed to be occasioned<br />

b*y <strong>the</strong> plague, prevailed among <strong>the</strong> Turks. It was more probably,<br />

hqwever, ow<strong>in</strong>g to constant fatigues, <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> want of a good nou-<br />

rish<strong>in</strong>g diet.<br />

The earJv part of <strong>the</strong> morn<strong>in</strong>g had been clouded over, which ren-<br />

dered <strong>the</strong> heat less oppressive ; but at ten o'clock, when we were<br />

with<strong>in</strong> two hours march of our dest<strong>in</strong>ation, <strong>the</strong> heat suddenly became<br />

so extremely <strong>in</strong>tense, that, to use a<br />

vulgar, but expressive<br />

phrase, we were literally broiled by <strong>the</strong> sun as we trod <strong>the</strong> scorch<strong>in</strong>g<br />

s<strong>and</strong>s. The appearance of <strong>the</strong> <strong>desert</strong> was here, however, much<br />

improved : We met with several plants <strong>and</strong> flowers on our way,<br />

toge<strong>the</strong>r with a few date-trees ; <strong>and</strong> <strong>in</strong> approach<strong>in</strong>g Thcah, found<br />

a greater proportion of green shrubs than we had encountered <strong>in</strong> any<br />

o<strong>the</strong>r part of <strong>the</strong> <strong>desert</strong>. In several of <strong>the</strong> hollows <strong>the</strong>re was a suf-<br />

ficient degree of moisture to promote vegetation ;<br />

<strong>and</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong>se spots<br />

<strong>the</strong>re is no doubt but that good water might be procured with little<br />

trouble. The numbers <strong>and</strong> varieties of <strong>the</strong> birds which were fly<strong>in</strong>g<br />

about <strong>the</strong>m, were a strong evidence of <strong>the</strong> truth of this observa-<br />

tion.<br />

It appeared that a village had once stood on <strong>the</strong> site of our en-<br />

campment, fragments of red bricks, &c. be<strong>in</strong>g scattered over <strong>the</strong><br />

surface of <strong>the</strong> s<strong>and</strong>s. In <strong>the</strong> Arabic language also, Thcah implies<br />

a village ;<br />

but we could not discover <strong>the</strong><br />

vestiges of anv build<strong>in</strong>gs.<br />

The wells were situated beneath a<br />

groupe of f<strong>in</strong>e diHe-trecs. It was<br />

<strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>tention of <strong>the</strong> Vizier to halt at this place for two days, to<br />

give time for <strong>the</strong> artillery <strong>and</strong> stragglers to come up, as well as to<br />

allow some repose to his army, which had had to perform a haras-<br />

s<strong>in</strong>g march of nearly seventy miles, <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> space of four days, over<br />

what was certa<strong>in</strong>ly to be considered as <strong>the</strong> worst part of <strong>the</strong> <strong>desert</strong>,<br />

<strong>in</strong> consequence of <strong>the</strong> difficulty of procur<strong>in</strong>g water after quitt<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong><br />

wells of Messoudich.<br />

A party of camels proceeded to T<strong>in</strong>ch <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> even<strong>in</strong>g, to br<strong>in</strong>g<br />

back a fur<strong>the</strong>r supply of barley <strong>and</strong> biscuit. They returned <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

afternoon of <strong>the</strong> follow<strong>in</strong>g day ; <strong>and</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> even<strong>in</strong>g Colonel llollo-<br />

way sent, with <strong>the</strong><br />

authority of <strong>the</strong> Gr<strong>and</strong> Vizier, a summons to<br />

<strong>the</strong> fort of Lcsbie at Damiclla. It was conveyed by Mr. P<strong>in</strong>k,<br />

accompanied by a Turkish secretary, provided by <strong>the</strong> Reis Effendi.<br />

The purport of <strong>the</strong> answer brought back was, that <strong>the</strong><br />

French comm<strong>and</strong>ant would not accept <strong>the</strong> terms held out to<br />

him.

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