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

2IO TRAVELS IN ASIATIC TURKEY,
several miles. We were encamped to the south of the fort, at
the distance of nearly
a mile.
On the approach
of the Grand Vizier to Salahieh, his High-
the manner iia
ness halted under a grove of date-trees, to arrange
which he should make his public entry,
as well as the form of his
encampment. The Turkish army afterwards marched in the fol-
lowing order :—First, a line of cavalry, small parties of horsemen
riding up and down in front of the line, and firing while on
full speed. Next another line, of Arnauts, with the led horses of
his Highness,
and the priests, or imaums, singing hvmns. Next
followed Colonel Holloway, Major Hope, Sec. the Turkish offi-
cers of state in succession, and his Highness the Vizier, with his
bands of music, and attendants. And lastly, a body of
cavalry,
Dehlis, closed the rear.
Thus had we surmounted a troublesome, fatiguing, and hazardous
march across the desert (a distance of about one hundred and
fifty miles from Kahnyounes to Salahieh), but not without the loss
of many animals, and several men. The lamentable scenes which
occasionally presented themselves were truly distressing to a feeling
mind. During the tedious and harassing marches to which we had
been subjected, it was found that in particular places which pre-
sented the greatest difficulties, the horses were not capable to drag
the In these cases the camels were resorted to with
artillery.
great
effect and advantage,
in consequence of their
very
docile nature and
steady draught.
As soon as we had reached Salahieh, the Arabs brought into
the encampment for sale a variety of articles of food, which were
purchased with great eagerness by the half famished military. They
also brought in straw and unthrashed barley for the cattle. The
harvest had been very abundant; but such had been the losses which
the population had sustained by war and diseases, that the corn,
although ripe, had not yet been got
in. The inundation of the
preceding year had been remarkably high, and had produced veryabundant
crops.
The Vizier fired a royal salute on his arrival. At ( -ux in the af-
ternoon there was a smart breeze from the south, accompanied by
a gentle fall of rain. The horizon was at the same tune obscured ;
and the air so close and sultry as to be productive of much oppres-
sion and languor.
I walked in the evening to a small village inhabited by Arabs,
who reside in huts constructed of mud and canes, and the tops, of