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

2l6 TRAVELS IN ASIATIC TURKEY,
which lay in great abundance on the ground. Instead of cutting
it, they pluck it up by the roots, and collect it in heaps, each within
his own particular enclosure, where the grain is trodden out. We
met with several plantations of the henna. The dried leaves of
this shrub form the celebrated yellow, or orange-colour dye, so
much in use in Turkey, &c. The branches of it are cut low down
to render it stubby. The inhabitants also cultivate clover, lentils,
and the mustard plant. The country is open, being a complete flat,
or level ; and the road one continued causeway, on which the na-
tives and their cattle rendezvous at the time of the inundation, to
shelter themselves from the floodings of the plains.
We passed through several villages, the inhabitants of which
were the same objects in point of wretchedness with those we had.
observed on other parts of our route. They were nearly naked,
and the victims of disease and blindness. The children beneath
the age of six years were completely naked. It was distressing to
see so much misery in so fine and fertile a country.
The troops we found at Belbeis were in an intrenched encamp-
ment. A redoubt had been constructed by Captain Lacey.
The weather was oppressively hot on the 12th. In a marabout
adjoining to our camp, the walls of which were very thick, so
as perfectly
to prevent the
rays
of the sun from penetrating within,
the thermometer at noon stood at 97 ; and on the pole of my tent,
at 104.
In the evening a despatch was received by the Vizier from the
Capitan Pacha, with the information that Rahmanieh had been
taken possession of by the combined British and Turkish forces.
On this occasion a royal salute was fired in the camp.
A strong patrol, or reconnoitring party, of twelve hundred men,
quitted the encampment on the 13th, to scour the
country
in the
direction of Cairo, and collect intelligence.*
An English naval officer arrived at the same time with despatches
from Lord Keith.
Wc were exposed, on the 14th, to the very painful and distres-
sing effects of the kampsin. To such a degree was the atmosphere
heated, that the air which blew on us seemed to have issued from
an oven or a furnace. We were nearlv suffocated during this
* In sending forward this party, the Grand Vizier promised handsome rewards to
those who should biing in their pris*ners unhurt. If, on the other hand, they should
have been put to death, or even in any degree maltreated, no recompense would be al-
1 wed.