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

50 TRAVELS IN ASIATIC TURKEY,
On the 26th, it being the fete of the assumption
Virgin, which the Greeks celebrate with much pomp,
of the blessed
in the even-
ing- great numbers of them were assembled in the meadow, and in
their holiday dresses.
On the 27th, another of our men was seized dangerously ill with,
a fever.
The reader will perhaps find the frequent mention of the changes
of the weather somewhat tedious, but nothing serves so well to give
an idea of the climate and situation. In the course of this afternoon
there was much thunder and lightning, and throughout the
whole of the day very heavy and sudden showers of rain fell.
On the 28th much rain had fallen during the night; and on the
29th the rains continued to fall with unabated violence.
J dined at Bu/jukdere, in company with all the officers belong-
ing to the mission, and with Count Ludolf, the Neapolitan envoy,
who gave us a very polite reception, and entertained us with great
hospitality. The evening was very cool and pleasant, and it was
to be presumed that as the rains had now fallen in
great abundance,
they would be succeeded by fine weather. During the months of
September and October the weather is in general very pleasant and
agreeable in Turkey ; .second summer.
and this season the natives call the little or
I found
On my arrival at C/ii/lick, on the morning of the 30th,
that a military artificer, Green/iale/i, had expired in the course of
the preceding afternoon.
On the 1st of September the officers of the mission dined with
General A'oe/t/er, and met there Count Ludolf, the Neapolitan en-
voy; and in the evening went to the palace
of the Russian minis-
ter, Monsieur Tomara, where there was a ball. It being Sunday,
some repugnance was felt at being present at these entertainments ;
it was, however, prudent to conform to the established usages.
On the 4th 1 visited Chijliek, and found that Kannaird, a mili-
tary artificer, had departed this life in the course of the preceding
afternoon.
On my reaching Chijliek on the 5th. I was called to the child
of a private belonging to the royal artillery, whose skull had been
fractured by a fall from a window. It survived this accident a few
hours only.
A party having been formed on the 7th, we made an excursion
to the village of Belgrade, distant from Constantinople twelve or
fourteen miles, and to the aqueducts in its vicinity. Among these