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

SYRIA AND EGYPT. 357
putrid stench which assailed us, when we approached the spot, was
intolerable.
Dec. 18. Very heavy showers of rain fell, accompanied with
stormy weather, loud thunder, and vivid lightning. Cold winds
from the S. S. W. Fahrenheit's thermometer at noon, ac 62 de-
grees.
The sudden changes in the weather produced rheumatisms, but
no other indisposition among the mission.
Plague and mortality among the Turks had abated since the
boisterous weather came on.
Dec. 26. Brigadier General Koehler, who had been involved
in die greatest distress of mind since the death of his wife, was
seized with putrid fever, and died the 29th instant.
Dec. 28. The thermometer before sun-rise was as low as 35.
The weather variable this month, particularly from the 17th, when
we had cold blowing winds; much rain fell suddenly, with heavy
claps of thunder, and vivid
lightning.
1801. Jan. 1. Except the seizure and death of General Koehler,
since our arrival upon the new ground of encampment, the
mission was nearly free from disease. The remarkable change of
the weather, which had for some time been cold, (the thermome-
ter before sun-rise being at 35), and boisterous, accompanied with
much thunder, lightning, and very heavy rains, had considerably
diminished disease and mortality among the Ottoman troops, as
well as ourselves.
Jan. 8. The weather, during the last week, continued rainy,
cold, and boisterous.
The Reis Effendi assured me to-day, that, although
there were
cases of plague within the Ottoman camp, yet the disease was become
infinitely more mild, and consequently less fatal. That several
persons who had been lately attacked, had recovered. He
instanced the cases of five slaves belon^in^ to the Vizier, three of
whom survived the attack. He remarked, that the same circum-
stance happened at Constantinople when the disease was upon the
decline. From this fact the Turks predicted the speedy cessation
of the plague.
Jan. 12. Dr. h'osari, the Vizier's own physician, died of plague
this day, after the third day's illness. Some days previously to his
indisposition, he assured me, that he had made every possible en-
quiry to ascertain the loss of the Turks since the camp was formed