Darfour traveller's description of the remains which he considered to be those of the temple of Jupiter Ammon. From Egypt he passed into Syria; and, stopping for a few days at Seyda, he was admitted to an interview with Lady Hester Stanhope. In detailing to her the plan of his future route, he mentioned his intention of going into the mountains of the Ansărie, a tribe of idolators who occupy the hills between the sea-coast and Aleppo, and who live in such perpetual hostility with both Mohammedans and Christians that they are rarely visited, and are consequently very imperfectly known by either. Colonel Boudain, it seems, was aware of the dangerous nature of the enterprise, but, like many others, he flattered himself with the hope that his fate would form an exception to the general calamity that had hitherto befallen almost all who had attempted to sojourn among these barbarians. Lady Hester used all her powers of persuasion to divert him from his purpose; and succeeded so far as to obtain from him a promise that he would not make the attempt, unless he should find, on arriving near their territory, assurances of perfect safety in going among them. Under this impression, the colonel pursued his journey; and either his enthusiasm growing stronger, or his discretion weaker, as he approached the district, he ventured to depart from his prudent determination, went into the mountains, and was first robbed and then murdered, as had been predicted by the kind but unavailing advice of his best friend and protectress. The sale of his watch, and some other articles of value, in the bazār of Damascus, soon after excited suspicion; enquiry was instituted by some Christians of the country, and the fact was placed beyond a doubt. When the intelligence of this melancholy catastrophe was first brought to Lady Hester Stanhope, she is said to have urged the French consuls, at the several towns on the coast, to write to Constantinople, and have orders sent from thence to trace out and punish the murderers. Her intreaties had not the desired effect, from what cause, whether an unwillingness to avenge the death of a Frenchman more attached to Napoleon than to the Bourbons, or

for any other reason, I am not aware.

Intreaties addressed to

Aleppo, and even remonstrances forwarded to several of the European ambassadors at Constantinople, produced no greater effect: when this heroic and benevolent woman determined on avenging the death of the stranger, on whom her excellent advice had been so unhappily thrown away, but whose remains she nevertheless thought still entitled to her protection. She accordingly caused letters to be addressed, in Turkish and Arabic, by her secretary, to the pashas of Aleppo, Damascus, Tripoli, and Acre, requesting from each a supply of a certain number of troops to range the mountains of the Ansărie, to trace the mangled remains of the murdered stranger wherever they might be found, to recover all his papers and other property not sold or destroyed, to find out the perpetrators of the murder, and to bring them to the ignominious punishment which their crimes so richly deserved. Her appeals were successful, and accomplished what all the influence of all the ambassadors could not have effected, what even the commands of the Grand Signor himself could not have carried into execution—a union and co-operation of elements the most discordant, whose combined force brought the body of the murdered victim to light, discovered and collected most of the property, and brought the murderers to their deserved end. Many other instances of the benevolent and beneficial exercise of the influence which this excellent woman so deservedly enjoys, might be collected in the country itself; her whole life, indeed, abounds with them: but I have, perhaps, already said more than will be agreeable to her on this head, as I know how purely she does good for its own sake, and how unwelcome to her ears would be any thing that even bordered on adulation. There is a duty, however, which all men owe to society, as well as to individuals; and although my gratitude to Lady Hester Stanhope would make me shrink from doing any thing that I should conceive likely to wound the refined delicacy of her feelings, yet I should despise myself as a man, if I could pass over in silence a period which I shall ever regard as one of the most inte

resting and happy of my existence; or if I omitted to offer my humble tribute of admiration to her distinguished virtues, or failed to hold up the general tenor of her useful and honourable life, as an example worthy of imitation by those whose birth and fortune furnish them with equal opportunities to use their influence for the benefit of mankind at large.

During the few days of my being sufficiently strong for the purpose, while I remained here, I made some excursions on foot in the immediate neighbourhood, with Dr. Meryon, Lady Hester's physician; and as both of us wore the dress of the country, with beards, and spoke the Arabic tongue, we were never molested. Dr. Meryon's residence was in a separate house, within five or ten minutes' walk of the convent at which her ladyship resided, and we generally, on returning from our rambles, passed an hour together there before dinner. One of these excursions was to some extremely interesting tombs recently excavated, and exhibiting stuccoed painted chambers, not unlike those of Eliethis and Thebes in Egypt, and in an excellent state of preservation. For the reasons before given, I preserved no notes of them, and can therefore only speak of them in general terms.

When the period approached for my quitting Mar Elias, I felt extreme regret; for I had scarcely ever before concentrated so much of highly intellectual pleasure within so short a space of time; and I had then little prospect of meeting any similar asylum till I should reach India. The stay had, however, been productive of the highest advantages to me in every point of view. I had regained much of my former health and strength in a surprising manner, considering the shortness of the time, partly by the skilful medical treatment of Dr. Meryon, and partly by the change of air, improved diet, and delightful repose of the mind as well as body, which I enjoyed in perfection here. I had also had an opportunity of writing to many of my friends in England; and, above all, I was now better prepared for my future journey than I had ever been before. I was comfortably furnished with clothes,

an excellent horse, a trusty servant from Lady Hester's own suite, transferred to me by her request, and charged by her with a thousand injunctions as to care and attention to my wishes and safety on the road. I was accommodated with sufficient means to defray my expences, till I should reach Aleppo, and draw my authorized supplies from the consul, Mr. Barker, to whom my letter of credit from Alexandria was addressed. I was intrusted with various presents from her ladyship to the several pashas and governors in my way, accompanied with letters of introduction to them, that I might offer these gifts in her name, and thus secure their protection and aid: and I was furnished with letters to Sir Evan Nepean at Bombay, and General Murray at Madras; so as to render my reception in India more advantageous than it would be likely to be without such recommendations.

This chapter includes the whole time of my stay at the convent of Mar Elias, from the 11th to the 18th of April, both inclusive, a period of eight days, during which no written notes were made by me for preservation; but the events, which I have here endeavoured faithfully to record, have been stated from memory, assisted by letters to friends in England, written from that spot and now in my possession, by which almost every thing has been restored to my recollection as freshly as if it were but of yesterday's date. In resuming the narrative of my journey in the succeeding chapter, I shall preserve the language of my note-book exactly as I find it, though at the hazard of a slight repetition; but this will be compensated for by the greater assurance of fidelity.

FRIDAY, April 19, 1816.-All our preparations for the journey being completed, and my strength in some degree restored, I parted from my warm-hearted and amiable friend, Lady Hester Stanhope, with considerable regret. By her kindness my stay at Mar Elias had been rendered most agreeable, and she had furnished me with letters to every body of note on the road to make my progress equally so. I had now two mares of my own, one for my own use, and another for the baggage and the green-turbanned Hadjee Ahmed, who accompanied me as my guide and servant, so that we now needed no other escort.

We left the convent a little before noon, and descending into the valley gradually approached the sea-shore, coming in about an