CHAP.
III.

cassock. His turban was also white. Neither cushion nor carpet decorated the naked boards. of his diván. In his girdle he wore a poignard set with diamonds; but this he apologized for exhibiting, saying it was his badge of office, as Governor of Acre, and therefore could not be laid aside. Having ended his orders to the engineer, we were directed to sit upon the end of the diván; and Signor Bertocino, his dragoman, kneeling by his side, he prepared to hear the cause of our visit.

The conversation began by a request from the Pasha, that English Captains, in future, entering the bay of Acre, would fire only one gun, rather as a signal, than as a salute, upon their arrival. "There can be no good reason," said he, "for such a waste of gunpowder, in ceremony between friends. Besides," he added, "I am too old to be pleased with ceremony: among forty-three Pashas of three tails, now living in Turkey, I am the senior. My occupations are consequently, as you see, very important," taking out a pair of scissars, and beginning to cut figures in paper, which was his constant employment when strangers were prethe sent; these he afterwards stuck upon wainscot. "I shall send each of you away, said he, "with good proof of old Djezzar's

ingenuity. There," addressing himself to Cap- CHAP. tain Culverhouse, and offering a paper cannon, "there is a symbol of your profession:" and while the author was explaining to the Captain the meaning of this singular address, he offered to him a paper flower, denoting, as he said, "a florid interpretation of blunt speech." As often as we endeavoured to introduce the business of our visit, he affected to be absorbed in these trifling conceits, or turned the conversation by allegorical sayings, to whose moral we could find no possible clue. His whole discourse was in parables, proverbs, truisms, and Oriental apologues. One of his tales lasted nearly an hour, about a man who wished to man who wished to enjoy the peaceful cultivation of a small garden, without consulting the lord of the manor whenever he removed a tulip; alluding, perhaps, to his situation with reference to the Grand Signior. There was evidently much cunning and deep policy in his pretended frivolity. Apparently occupied in regulating the shape of a watchpaper with his scissars, he was all the while deeply attentive to our words, and even to our looks, anxious to discover whether there were any urgency in the nature of our visit; and certainly betraying as much ostentation in the seeming privations to which he exposed himself,

CHAP.
III.

as he might have done by the most stately magnificence. He was desirous of directing the attention of his visitors to the homeliness of his mode of living: "If I find," said he, "only bread and water in another world, I shall have

cause of complaint, because I have been
accustomed to such fare all my days; but
those who have fared sumptuously in this life,
will, I suspect, be much disappointed in the
next." We spoke of the camp of his cavalry,
then stationed near the town; and of the great
preparations he seemed to be making against
the Druses, and other rebel Arabs, with whom
he was at war. "It is not," said he, "the part
of a wise man to despise his enemy, whatsoever
shape he may assume. If he be but a pismire,
there is no reason why he should be permitted
to creep upon your cheek while you are sleep-
ing." We found we had touched a delicate
string he believed these dissensions had been
excited in his dominions by Sir Sidney Smith, to
divert him from the possibility of assisting the
French, by attacking the Vizier's army in its
march through Syria; and was much incensed
while he complained to us of this breach of
confidence. "I ate," said he,
"I ate," said he, "bread and salt

with that man ;
we were together as sworn
friends. He did what he pleased here. I lent

III.

him my staff'; he released all my prisoners, CHAP. many of whom were in my debt, and never paid me a pará. What engagement with him have I violated? What promises have I not fulfilled? What requests have I denied? I wished to

combat the French by his side; but he has taken care that I shall be confined at home, to fight against my own people. Have I merited such treatment?" When he was a little pacified, we ventured to assure him that he had listened to his own and to Sir Sidney's enemies; that there did not exist a man more sincerely his friend; and that the last commission we received, previously to our leaving the fleet, were Sir Sidney's memorials of his regard for Djezzar Pasha. In proof of this, we presumed to lay before him the present Sir Sidney had entrusted to our care. It was a small but very elegant telescope, with silver slides. He regarded it, however, with disdain, saying, it had too splendid an exterior for him; and taking down an old ship glass,

(1) A short crutch, frequently inlaid with mother of pearl, of which the author cannot recollect the Oriental name, serves men of rank in the East to support their bodies while sitting erect. Djezzar always had one of these; and the possession of it enabled the bearer to exercise the authority of the Pasha himself.

(2) Djezzar's prisoners were confined in a dungeon beneath the apartment in which he lived; so that all persons ascending or descending the staircase leading to his chambers passed the grated window of their jail.

СНАР.

III.

that hung above his head, covered with greasy leather, added, Humbler instruments serve my purposes: besides, you may tell Sir Sidney, that Djezzar, old as he is, seldom requires the aid of a glass to view what passes around him." Finding it impossible to pacify him upon this subject', we turned the conversation, by stating the cause of our visit to Acre, and requested a supply of cattle for the use of the British fleet. He agreed to furnish an hundred bullocks, but upon the sole condition of not being offered payment for them in money. He said it would require some time to collect cattle for this purpose we therefore persuaded Captain Culverhouse to employ the interval in making, with us, a complete tour of the HOLY LAND. Djezzar, having heard of our intention, promised to supply us with horses from his own stables, and an escort, formed of his body guard, for the undertaking; ordering also his dragoman, Bertocino,

(1) The Rev. J. PALMER, Arabic Professor in the University of Cambridge, has visited Acre since the death of Djezzar. Being at the palace of his successor, Djezzar's secretary confessed to him, that his master had "long made up his mind to put Sir Sidney to death, whenever the means were in his power." Considering the open unsuspecting frankness of Sir Sidney, in all his dealings with the Arabs, it is wonderful this was not effected.

(2) The only remuneration required by Djezzar, for the supplies he twice sent to our fleet, was a few pieces of artillery taken by our army from the French in Egypt, or a little ammunition. It is said, however, that no payment of any kind was ever made to him.