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

SYRIA, EGYPT, GERMANY, &C. 21J
interval bv the clouds of dust. In the morning the wind was west-
erly, but shitted during the gale, which was extremely violent, to
the north. I had never before experienced such an oppression in.
breathing, nor did 1 ever know the thermometer to rise so high.
At ten in the morning, within a box perforated to give a free ad-
mission to the air, and placed within my tent, it rose to 103;
and within the above-mentioned marabout, inaccessible to the
sun's rays, to 103. At one o'clock it was so high as 112 within
the tent.
Colonel Moniresor arrived in the evening with despatches from
General Hutchinson. The British army was in possession of
Bahmanieh, in abandoning which place the enemy had left a part
of their sick behind, and had fled precipitately towards Cairo.
Their gun-boats and small vessels had fallen into the hands of the
British and Turkish forces. Our loss was stated to have been
very trifling ; but that of the Turks was more considerable. Colonel
Thompson, of the royal artillery, lost a leg in the action ;
and this brave and very meritorious officer died a few weeks after-
wards at Rosetta.
In the evening: I walked into Belbeis, which is situated on an
eminence : the greater part of the buildings, formed of a reddish
brick, were in ruins. To the south-west of the town stands a for-
tress built by the French, but which they in a great measure de-
stroyed previously to their abandoning the place. It was not extraordinary
that they should spike the guns, and leave the fortress in
a very ruinous state ; but they very mischievously destroyed also
the principal of the mosques, of which there were formerly three
at Belbeis. On the west and north-west sides of the town the fine
fields of corn were highly gratifying to the view ;
but to the south
and south-east the land was a barren desert. Among the fruits
the inhabitants cultivate the lime, the
juice of which was highly
refreshing to us during the intense heats which time.
at
prevailed
this
Early on the morning of the 15th intelligence was received in
camp that the enemy's forces were approaching to attack the army
of his Highness the Vizier. This intelligence being
afterwards con-
firmed, his Highness, who in the course of the early part of the
day had frequent consultations with Colonel Holloicay and Major
Hope, ordered Tuhcr Pacha to set out at the close of the evening
with three thousand cavalry, and three pieces of artillery, to pro-
ceed in quest of the enemy, and to attack them during the obscurity
(23)