No. 141.]

OR,

FRIGHTFUL INTERIOR OF A MOORISH GOVERNMENT AND FAMILY.

The following incidents are abstracted from letters written by the sister of Mr. Tully, at that time British Consul in Tripoli. The high favor the English had gained in Tripoli, aided by the personal character of Mr. Tully, (who appears to have enjoyed the esteem of all parties during his residence there) procured his family an unprecedented degree of confidence from all the principal people of the place, especially the reigning family.

Ali Bashaw appears to have been a mild and kind governor, but a very weak one; and being irresponsible, except remotely to the Grand Seignior, he was led to tolerate worse deeds than he could have perpetrated himself. Altogether the narrative presents a painful view of a people at the mercy of weaknesses of all kinds. Whatever happens, they have no help for themselves; but are driven hither and thither, and butchered as remorselessly as sheep. They are every way oppressed,-by their rulers, and by custom, superstition, and miserable ignorance.

A more immediate interest is added to a narrative of this kind, by the curious existing attempt on the part of the French government to colonize the still more barbarous territory of Algiers.

"Previously to entering the bay of Tripoli, a few miles from the land, the country looks picturesque, various tints of beautiful verdure being perceptible: no object whatever seems to interrupt the evenness of the soil, which is of a light colour, almost white, interspersed with long avenues of trees, for such the numerous palms planted in regular rows appear, being kept in the finest order. Their immense branches, coarse when near, are neat and distinct at a distance. The land being low and very level, the naked stems of these trees are scarcely seen, and the plantations of dates resemble for many miles luxuriant woods and groves. On a nearer view, they make a more straggling appearance, aud afford neither shelter nor shade from the burning atmosphere that every where surrounds them. The whole of the town appears in a semicircle, some time before reaching the harbour's mouth. The extreme whiteness of square flat buildings covered with lime, which in this climate encounters the sun's fiercest rays, is very striking. The baths form clusters of cupolas, very large, to the number of eight or ten, crowded together in different parts of the town. The mosques have in general a small plantation of Indian figs and date trees growing close to them, which, at a distance appearing to be so many rich gardens in different parts of the town, give the whole city an aspect truly novel and pleasing. On entering the harbour, the town begins to discover its dilapidations from the destructive hand of time, large hills of rubbish appearing in different parts of it. The castle, or royal palace, where the Bashaw resides, is at the east end of the town, within the walls, with a dock-yard adjoining, where the Bey, (the Bashaw's eldest son, and heir to the throne,) builds his cruisers. This castle is very ancient, and is enclosed by a strong high wall that appears impregnable, but it has lost all symmetry on the inside, from the innumerable additions made to contain the different branches of the royal family; for there is scarcely an instance of any of the blood royal, as far as to the Bashaw's great grand-children, living out of the castle walls. These build

VOL. 12.

ings have increased it by degrees to a little irregular town. The arrival of Christians in the harbour occasions a great number of people to assemble at the mole-end and along the sea-shore, the natural consequence of an African's curiosity, who never having been out of his own country, finds as much amusement at the first sight of an European, as his own uncouth appearance affords to the newly-arrived stranger; and it was not easy for some minutes to draw off our attention from the extraordinary group we perceived collected. It was noon when we disembarked, an hour when, on account of the extreme heat of this season, no Moor of distinction leaves his house; but a number of the Bashaw's chief officers, some from the Bashaw, and some on their own account, came to welcome Mr. Tully on his return to Tripoli. This being the first time we had seen so many persons, splendidly arrayed in the fashion of the east, assembled together, rendered their appearance more striking. Their long flowing robes of satin, velvet, and costly furs, were exhibited amidst a crowd of miserable beings whose only covering was a piece of dark brown homespun cotton, or a lighter web, resembling a dirty blanket, and which (by a wretched contrast) heightened the lustre of those who passed through them towards us.

The Bashaw, Ali Coromalli, is short in stature, and by no means equal to his sons in figure, but he looks both consequential and venerable. Though not sixty, he appears an old man from the whiteness of his beard. The Bey, his eldest son, is about thirty, a fine majestic figure, much beloved, being extremely mild and just to his people. His guards and power are nearly equal to the Bashaw's, a circumstance which raises a jealousy in his younger brothers, Sidy Hamet, and Sidy Useph, which is cruelly heightened by disaffected persons around them, and renders them both exceedingly troublesome to him. Though the Moors and Turks are allowed to marry four wives, the Bashaw has only married Lilla Hullama, a truly amiable princess. December 29, 1783. The Bashaw, the Bey, and his second son Sidy Hamet, went to day to attend the mosque. None but the royal family ride in town. Their suite follows on foot, excepting the head Chaoux, who is first in the procession, richly dressed and mounted on a stately horse; he has a large kettle-drum before him on which he strikes minute strokes, going before in the manner of a herald, proclaiming the Bashaw at the entrance of every street. He rides before the Bey in the same manner when the Bashaw is not present, but does not accompany any of the other sons. His dress is nearly the same with that of the other chaouxes, with the difference of a large gold claw on the left side of his turban; and the front of his under jileck, or waistcoat, was almost an entire breastplate of silver. Six chaouxes followed him on foot, dressed uniformly in scarlet cloth close dresses, quite plain, not very long, and fastened round the waist with a leather belt. They had all of them plain white stiff high caps, made exactly in the shape of a cornucopia. The tails were borne next (the sovereign of Tripoli is a Bashaw of three tails); then followed the hampers, or the Bashaw's body guard: some of these guards were with the Bey; the younger sons have none at present. They were drest very showily and carried a short silver stick in their hands. After these followed the attendants and suite of the Bashaw; rouud him were the officers of state, those highest in rank, of course, nearest his person. The sword-bearer was on one side of him, and his first minister of state on the other, to whom he seemed talking very

earnestly. He was dressed in a yellow satin caftan, lined with a rich fur. His turban was very large with gold ends. He was without jewels to day, though usually adorned with very fine ones. This omission of precious stones is to indicate to his subjects, that the Bashaw's mind is opressed. The horses of the Bashaw and Bey were particularly beautiful; they were buried in their trappings. Both their saddles were embossed gold, and had gold stirrups weighing more than thirteen pounds each pair. The Bashaw's horse had on five solid gold necklaces; the Bey's horse had three. The Bey wore a pale green and silver caftan, and a crimson shawl with rich gold ends twisted over his turban. One of his officers of state had on a caftan of gold tissue, with a fine purple cloth bernuse over it. You may perceive, that in few places, the costume can be grander than it is here.

The Bashaw looks venerable, but the Bey looks much more like a sovereign. He is a noble figure and remarkably handsome. An immense number of black slaves and servants encircled the whole procession and kept off the crowd. The Bashaw visits the mosque on every particular event, good or bad, that concerns himself or his state. He sometimes, though not often, pays a visit to the Rais of the marine, who cannot wish much for the honour, as it costs him two of his blacks, whom he is obliged to present to the Bashaw for his gracious condescension. While the Bashaw was passing, a man who was in the consul's house for protection (all the consulary houses being sanctuaries), ran out and touched his horse, and was on that account pardoned. This privilege extends to the touching any part, not only of the Bashaw's, but of the Prince's garments or horses when they are out; but the Bashaw's horse protects at all times, even in his stable if a criminal can get under him or cling round him, his life is safe. When the Bashaw goes to any of his gardens, which he always does on horseback, he has three relay horses, richly caparisoned, led before him by slaves, and all his suite then ride.

May 24th, 1784.-The Bashaw has not given his consent for some time past to the Christians to reside in the country, at a greater distance from the city of Tripoli than four or five miles, as he cannot answer for their safety, on accounts of the incur. sions of the Arabs, or even of the Moors, many of the cyderies being at present nearly in a state of revolt. We have the use of a large Moorish country-house on the skirts of the sands; though the grounds belonging to it are not in the best order, yet they are in the style of all African gardens-a mixture of beauty and desolation. The orange, citron, and lime trees are in their fullest bloom their branches, covered with flowers, are bending down with the weight of fruit ready for gathering. The Arabian jessamine and violets cover the ground; yet in various parts of the garden, wheat, barley, water-melons, and other still coarser plants are indiscriminately found growing. The high date tree, with its immense spreading branches, is planted round the gardens near the walls. The branches of this tree extend fourteen feet; they grow from the top of it, furnished with close leaves from two to three feet long. Each bunch of dates, which resemble colossean bunches of grapes, weighs from twenty to thirty pounds. The tree grows nearly a hundred feet high. From this tree the Arab gathers the richest nourishment for his family, and from its juices allays fevers with the freshest lakaby, and cheers his spirits with that which has been longer drawn. They extract the juice from the tree by making three or four incisions at the top of it. A stone jar that will contain a quart is put up to each notch: the jars put up at night are filled by the morning with the mildest and most pleasant beverage, and, on the contrary, those jars put up in the morning and left till late in the day, become a spirituous strong drink, which the Moors render more perniciously strong by adding leaven to it. The tree will yield this juice for six weeks or two months every day, and after the season, if taken care of, recovers in three years, and bears better fruit that before it was bled, as the Moors term it. It is customary in noble families to have the heart of the

date tree at great feasts, such as weddings, the first time a boy mounts a horse, the birth of a son, or the return of an ambassador to his family. The heart lies at the top of the tree between the branches of its fruit, and weighs when cut out from ten to twenty pounds; it is not of a substance to take out before the tree has arrived at the height of its perfection. When brought to table its taste is delicious, and its appearance singular and beautiful. In colour it is composed of every shade, from the deepest orange and bright green (which latter encompasses it around.) to the purest white; these shades are delicately inlaid in veins and knots, in the manner of the most curious wood. Its flavour is that of the bannan and pine; except the white part, which resembles more a green almond in consistence, but combines a variety of exquisite flavors that cannot be described.

The best dates, called by the Moors and Arabs taponis, when fresh gathered have a candied transparent appearance, far surpassing in richness any other fruit. In these gardens the Moors form no walks, only an irregular path is left, which you trace by the side of the numerous white marble channels that cross it with rivulets of water, as I have before described to you, through an almost impenetrable wood of aromatic trees and shrubs. The sweet orange of Barbary is reckoned finer than those of Chiua, both in flavor and beauty; the next best is a small white orange which grows at Malta, almost crimsoned withinside. Cherries are not known here, and peas and potatoes ouly when cultivated by the Christians. Water melons, as if ordered by Providence, are particularly excellent and plentiful. Many owe their lives to this cooling and grateful fruit, when nearly expiring through insupportable heat. The pomegranate is another luxurious fruit of this country. The Moors, by pressing the juice through the rind of it, procure a most exquisite drink. The Indian and Turkey figs are acknowledged to be extremely good here. There are two sorts of apricots: one remarkable for its large size and excellence, the other, with the musk, melons, and peaches, are very indifferent. There are several sorts of fine plums, and some very high-flavored sweet grapes, which, if cultivated in quantities for wine, would render this country rich in vineyards, from the ease and excellence of their production; but Mahomet has too expressly forbidden Mussulmans wine, to admit of its being made in their presence, for even the sight of it is repugnant to the laws of the Koran. There are delightful olive woods near us, but when the olives are ripe, it is inconvenient to walk under the trees on account of the olives continually falling loaded with oil. Near to these woods are marble reservoirs to receive the oil the Moors extract from the olives, and from these reservoirs they collect it into earthen jars : it is as clear as spring water, and very rich. The natives who can afford it are so delicate in their taste of oil, that they allot it to their servants when it has been made eight or nine months, and yet when a year old it often surpasses the finest Florence oil. The walls which surround the houses and gardens of the principal people divide this part into a number of narrow roads in all directions; beyond them are date-trees, interspersed with fields of barley and high Indian Spaces of sand separated by olive plantations, sun-burnt peasants, and camels without number, add to these a burning sun and the clearest azure sky, and a just picture may be formed of Tripoli. The deserts adjoining, though singular in appearance, seem frightful from the frequent and recent proofs we have had of their victims. A party arrived from them yesterday so exhausted that they would have died on the road if they had not been instantly relieved by the Moors. Four of their companions had perished the day before for want of water and from the excessive heat. Haggi Abderrahman, who is just named ambassador to England, often speaks of the death of his favourite daughter, who died in great anguish two days after crossing these deserts with him in his last return from Mecca. Being extremely delicate in her constitution, from the scorching heat of the ground at the different times they stopped with the tents, her feet became blistered and mortified."

corn.

In this fertile country, so fatal are the despotic laws to agricultural prosperity, that in the year 1785, a frightful famine raged. While still the famine possessed the town, the plague made its horrid appearance, and the Christians were forced to shut up their houses. It is against the Mahometan faith to endeavour to avert the decrees of destiny; pestilence is therefore almost totally unchecked by precautionary, or even remedial measures. Before the first attack had yet died away, the plague revived with increased horror, and the new year, 1786, was ushered in, in the midst of pestilence and famine. At this time a vessel was expected from Europe with grain; it arrived, and was found to be freighted with Venetian boards, to cover the graves, and make boxes for the dead. The people were ready to tear in pieces the unfeeling Moor who had speculated in this dismally prophetic fashion.

Before the plague and famine had withdrawn themselves from the unhappy people of Tripoli, the more dreadful pestilence, discord, had completed a sad and dreadful triumvirate. Owing to the restlessness of the Bashaw's two younger sons, especially the youngest, the place was for years after in unceasing anxiety and excitement.

The city of Tripoli, after the plague, exhibited an appearance awfully striking. In some of the houses were found the last victims that had perished in them, who having died alone, unpitied and unassisted, lay in a state too bad to be removed from the spot, and were obliged to be buried where they were; while in others, children were wandering about deserted, without a friend belonging to them. The town was almost entirely depopulated, rarely two people walked together. One solitary being, pacing slowly through the streets, his mind unoccupied by business, lost in painful reflections; if he lifted his eyes, it was with mournful surprise to gaze on the empty habitations around him; whole streets he passed without a living creature in them; for beside the desolation of the plague before it broke out in this city, many of the inhabitants, at the greatest inconvenience, left their houses and fled to Tunis, (where the plague then raged), to avoid starving in the dreadful famine that preceded it here.

Amongst those left in this town some have been spared to acknowledge the compassion and attention shewn them by the English consul. In the distresses of the famine, and in the horrors of the plague, many a suffering wretch, whose days have been spun out by his timely assistance, has left his name on record in this place. Persons saved from perishing in the famine, who have remained sole possessors of property before divided among their friends (all now sweft off by the plague), come forward to thank him with wild expressions of joy, calling him bani (father), and praying to Mahomet to bless him. They say that besides giving them life he has preserved them to become little kings, and swear a faithful attachment to him, which there is no doubt they will shew, in their way, as long as he is in their country.

August 29, 1786.-The appearance of a new moon three nights ago put an end to the Moor's great feast of Ramadan, which had begun on the appearance of the new moon preceding.

During thirty days a number of circumstances having happened to create very alarming dissentions between the three sons of the Bashaw. Lilla Halluma, by exerting every effort, hoped during the feast of Beiram, which begins on the day after the fast, put an end to these disputes and reconcile her sons; for that feast is the time at which every good Mussulman endeavours to settle all quarrels which may have disturbed the peace of his family in the foregoing year.

On the first day of Beiram, which feast continues three days in town, the Bashaw usually has a numerous court, which he should receive in the chamber built for that purpose, called the Messelees; but owing to the prophecy I have mentioned to you before, of some years standing, delivered by one of their most famous marabuts, that "the Bashaw shall end his reign in this chamber, by being stabbed on the throne by an unknown hand,"

he will not follow his inclination of resuming the custom of going there when dissentions happen at the castle; and there have been such serious quarrels between his sons during this Ramadan, that he still continues to receive his court in another part of the palace.

All his subjects are permitted to approach the throne to do homage to their sovereign on the first day of the feast. Two of the people in whom the Bashaw has the greatest confidence, stand on each side of him; their office is to lay hold of the arm of every stranger that presents himself to kiss the Bashaw's hand, for fear of any hidden treachery, and only people of consequence and trust are permitted to enter his presence armed; others are obliged to leave their arms in the skiffer on entering the palace.

The drawing-room, in honour of the day, was uncommonly crowded; when all the courtiers were, in a moment, struck with a sight that seemed to congeal their blood; they appeared to expect nothing less than the slaughter of their sovereign at the foot of his throne, and themselves to be sacrificed to the vengeance of his enemies. The three princes entered with their chief officers, guards, and blacks, armed in an extraordinary manner, with their sabres drawn. Each of the sons, surrounded by his own officers and guards, went separately up to kiss the Bashaw's hand. He received them with trembling, and his extreme surprise and agitation were visible to every eye, and the doubtful issue of the moment appeared terrible to all present. The princes formed three divisions, keeping distinctly apart; they conversed with the consuls and different people of court as freely as usual, but did not suffer a glance to escape to other. They stayed but a short time in the drawing-room, each party retiring in the same order they had entered; and it became apparent, that their rage was levelled against each other, and not against their father, though the Bashaw seemed only to recover breath on their departure. The next morning, the second day of the feast, the Bey went to his mother's apartments to pay his compliments to her on the Beiram. She was very anxious to see him shake hands with his brother, Sidy Hamet, the second son, at least to make up the last breach between them; she began by insisting, therefore, that the Bey should not touch her hand, till he consented to stay with her till she sent for Sidy. Hamet's wife to come and kiss his hand, a token of respect never omitted by any of the women in the family of the Bey on this occasion, unless their husbands are at variance with him. Lilla Halluma hoped, by this mark of respect from Sidy Hamet's wife, to begin the work of reconciliation between the Bey and his brother, as this would have been the means of disarming the anger of Sidey Useph, the youngest son. The Bey, at length, consented to his mother's entreaties, and a message was instantly sent to Sidy Hamet's wife, who most unfortunately was, at that moment, attending on her husband at dinner. The message was delivered in his hearing, and it is thought with design, as there are so many intermeddlers at the castle. Sidy Hamet immediately ordered his wife to send a very severe answer back to the Bey. His wife was so alarmed and hurt at this new misfortune, which must occasion a further breach, that her women were obliged to support her. When she recovered, being willing to soften the matter as much as possible, she only sent word to the Bashaw's wife that she could not come because her husband was eating, and begged her to make as light of it as possible to the Bey; but the answer was delivered in the worst words Sidy Hamet had delivered it, and the Bey left his mother's presence too much enraged for her to pacify him, while Lilla Halluma remained agonized, meditating on the scenes of blood that would in all probability, be soon perpetrated in the castle.

On returning to his apartment, the Bey found that one of his servants had been laid down at his youngest brother's, Sidy Useph's, feet, and almost bastinadoed to death, for a dispute with one of Sidy Useph's servants. Had the brothers met at that moment it would have proved fatal to one or both of them.

The next morning (the third and last day of Beiram) the Bey went again to court, and in the presence of his father, Sidy Hamet, and Sidy Useph, and a very numerous assemblage of courtiers, be warned both his brothers of putting his prudence any further to trial; he said he scorned to take an unfair measure, though in his power to silence both of them; that if either of them wished to call him out, he would condescend (for they had no right to demand it of him), to meet them on the Pianura, where he did not fear the zeal or numbers of his people, and where, if they irritated him too much, he would shortly summons them to feel his power. The Bey's suite seemed hardly able to abstain from confirming with their actions what their master had said, who, upon saluting his father, retired from the court.

With various degrees of violence the same animosity was exhibited between the Bashaw's children up to the year 1790. Settled disputes among relatives seldom do otherwise than increase in bitterness with time. At this period the two younger brothers disagreed with each other. The dispute arose among their servants; but grew to such a height between themselves, that their old father was called out of his bed to settle it. He is accused, and it would appear with some justice, of favoring his youngest child, after the manner of most parents. Sidy Useph, though married, was quite a lad in age, being only about sixteen or seventeen years old. He was however a most "Angry boy." He had been early in life accustomed to the fantastic tricks of Muleh Yesied, an infamous tyrant, the son of the then reigning emperor of Morocco. Sidy Useph was esteemed the cleverest of his family. His cleverness however did not extend to a perception of propriety; and accordingly he was a cunning fierce, wilful, spoiled child; a singular mixture of boyish perverseness, matured cunning, and despotic contempt both of difficulty and decency.

June 2, 1790.-To our very great surprise, the Bey, Sidy Hamet, and Sidy Useph rode on the sands together to-day. The Bey's people were nearly double the number he has in general with him, while Sidy Hamet and Sidy Useph's attendants were not near so numerous as usual.

The Bey's friends are much alarmed for his safety, and are very sorry to see him so reconciled to Sidy Useph. When they wish to caution him, the Bey's language is, that Sidy Useph has no power to injure him, as he can bring in no Arabs without his father's leave; and as the Bashaw's life is expected to terminate daily, he will not have it on his conscience to shorten its duration. The people, he says, know and acknowledge the throne to be his, therefore, while his brothers do not openly molest him, it is time enough when the Bashaw's life is ended to set limits to their power and possessions; "and then," continued he," unless they aim at the throne, they will have every reason to be satisfied with what I shall do for them."

The Bey depends on the vigilance of his people to guard his person from treachery; it is impossible for them to give greater proofs of attachment to him, or to be more on the alert than they

are.

Those who are not at the palace with the Bey, keep a watch at night in their own houses, in case of the least alarm at the castle, and this they do without any orders from their Prince. At length, however, Sidy Useph determined upon his eldest brother's destruction. With this view he paid a visit to his mother. He brought his chosen blacks with him and had well instructed them. The moment he entered the castle, he proceeded to Lilla Halluma's apartment, to whom he declared his intentions of making peace with his eldest brother, and intreated her to forward his wishes, by sending for the Bey to complete their reconciliation in her presence. Lilla Halluma, transported with the idea of seeing her sons again united, as she flattered herself, in the bonds of friendship, sent instantly to the Bey, who was in Lilla Aisher's (his wife's) apartment, informing him that his brother, Sidy Useph, was with her without arms and waiting to be reconciled to him in her presence; that she would herself join their hands together; and that, by the Bashaw's

head, the Bey if he loved he would come to her directly unarmed. The Bey, actuated by the first impulse, armed himself with his pistols and yatagan, or sabre. Lilla Aisher was certain, from the love Lilla Halluma bove the three princes, that no open danger would threaten the Bey's life in her apartment. She only dreaded treachery, which the Bey would never listen to. In the present moment she was alarmed lest the Bey's passing to Lilla Halluma's apartments with a hostile appearance, so contrary to the rules of the harem, might give a pretext for his being assaulted by Sidy Useph's people: she therefore reminded him that he was going to his mother's apartments, where it was sacrilege to carry arms; and after the message Lilla Halluma had sent him, his going with them might seem as if he purposed to assassinate his brother, and would, perhaps, draw the vengeance of the castle on him while he was unprepared. The Bey, hesitating a moment, pulled off his arms, embraced Lilla Aisher and was departing, when she threw herself at his feet, and presenting him his sabre, entreated him not to leave all his arms, and would not let him go till he consented to take that with him.

When the Bey came to his mother's apartment, Lilla Hallums perceiving his sabre, begged him to take it off before they began to converse, as she assured him his brother had no arms about him. The Bey, to whom there did not appear the smallest reason for suspicion, willingly delivered his sabre to his mother, who laid it on a window near which they stood, and feeling berself convinced of the integrity of the Bey's intentions, and being completely deceived in those of Sidy Useph's, she with pleasure led the two princes to the sofa, and seating herself between them, held one of each of their hands in hers, and, as she has since said, looking at them alternately, she prided herself on having thus at last brought them together as friends.

The Bey, as soon as they were seated, endeavoured to convince his brother, that though he came prepared to go through the ceremony of making peace with him, yet there was not the least occasion for it on his part, for that he had no animosity towards him: but, on the contrary, as he had no sons of his own living, be considered Sidy Hamet and himself as such, and would continue to treat them as a father whenever he came to the throne. Sidy Useph declared himself satisfied, but said, to make Lilla Halluma easy, there could be no objection, after such professions from the Bey, to their both attesting their friendship on the Koran, the Bey answered, "with all my heart, I am ready." Sidy Useph rose quickly from his seat, and called loudly for the Koran, which was the signal he had given his infernal blacks to bring his pistols, two of which were immediately put into his hands, and be instantly fired at the Bey, as he sat by Lilla Halluma's side on the sopha. Lilla Halluma raising her hand to save her son, had it most terribly mangled by the splinters of the pistol, which burst and shot the Bey in his side. The Bey rose and seizing his sabre from the window, where Lilla Halluma had laid it, he made a stroke at his brother, but Sidy Useph instantly discharged a second pistol and shot the Bey through the heart. To add to the unmerited affliction of Lilla Halluma, the murdered prince, in his last moments, erroneously conceiving she had betrayed him, exclaimed, “Ah, madam, is this the last present you have reserved for your eldest son ?" What horror must such words from her favourite son have produced in the breast of Lilla Halluma in her present cruel situation. Sidy Useph, on seeing his brother fall, called to his blacks, saying, “There is the Bey, finish him." They dragged him from the spot where he lay yet breathing, and discharged all their pieces into him. The Bey's wife, Lilla Aisher, hearing the sudden clash of arms, broke from her women, who endeavoured to restrain her, and springing into the room, clasped the bleeding body of her husband in her arms, while Lilla Halluma endeavouring to prevent Sidy Useph from disfiguring the body had thrown herself over it and fainted from the agony of her wounded hand. Five of Sidy Useph's blacks were at the same moment stabbing the body of the Bey as it lay on the floor; after which miserable triumph they fled with their master.

The Bashaw took little pains to resent the murder of his eldest son; but endeavoured to let the transaction pass off as quietly as possible. Sidy Hamet, his second son, was presently proclaimed Bey. Upon the elevation of Sidy Hamet, his younger brother's chief hostility was immediately addressed to him. Their disputes invariably arising in the indomitable insolence of the younger, were perpetual.

June 23, 1791.-The town has been in a state of great alarm. The twentieth of this month was fixed for Sidy Useph to meet the Bashaw and Bey in the castle, and make piece again with the Bey in the Bashaw's presence; but Sidy Useph sent a letter to his brother the preceding evening, to say he should not come to the castle without his arms, and desired the Bey to remember the words of the prophet, which declared that nothing could shorten or lengthen the life of a man, and that if the Bey believed in their strongest tenet (mughtube, fate), he could not want courage. The Bashaw sent immediately an answer to Sidy Useph, to tell him that he would not suffer him to come into his presence armed; but, notwithstanding this order, Sidy Useph approached the town next morning, with three hundred men under arms. In consequence of Sidy Useph's approach with such numbers, a proclamation was issued from the castle to the Moors of the town, that if they were molested, every one had the Bashaw's leave to defend themselves, not only against Sidy Useph's people, but against Sidy Useph himself. Such a defence without this edict would have been considered high treason.

Before Sidy Useph appeared in sight, his famous Marabut Fataisi came into town with some of his holy followers. They were admitted to the sovereign, and Fataisi told the Bashaw that Sidy Useph was on his way to town with twenty people only, and without arms, and implored him by the prophet to send the Bey out to meet him, and make terms with him for the peace of his family and of his people. The Bashaw instantly agreed to it, and had the prince gone he would certainly have been murdered. But the Bey having received certain information, that Sidy Useph was near the town with several hundred people, he seized the Marabut, though in the Bashaw's presence, and, holding his sabre over him, he told him, that had he not beeen a Marabut, he would have laid him dead at the Bashaw's feet for his treachery, and then informed the Bashaw that his brother had with him upwards of four hundred men under arms. The Bey turned the Marabut out of his presence, and the officers presented their arms at him, but the Bey ordered them not to fire. He desired they would see the Marabut out of the gates of the town, and give orders that, on pain of death, no one should suffer him on any account to enter it again.

In the evening the castle was crowded with people, and strongly guarded at the sandannar, or guard-house. At the zooks, a sort of guard-house in the bazaar, the guards were trebled.

From our house we saw the Bashaw sitting in his golphar, at five in the morning of that day, and he remained almost wholly there till evening. The Bashaw dispatched messengers to the different cydes of the Messeah, to send the Moors of the adjacent villages into town that night, but Sidy Useph sent immediately to tell them that if they did not come to him, or if one of them attempted to go into town, he would massacre their families and burn their gardens.

A body of Mezurateens and Arabs came in that night to assist the Bey, whose situation is truly distressing. He can get no resources from the Bashaw, and was so short of cash when the Arabs arrived, that he was obliged to borrow money to get provender for their horses, and the necessary provisions for his family. In the evening the Shaiks of the streets were ordered to arm the inhabitants of the town. In the Messseah the Moors joined Sidy Useph's people, and committed dreadful ravages all the the night, plundering the palaces and gardens belonging to the Bashaw, and of those who remained attached to him.

Before sufficient assistance could arrive from the Arabs for the Bashaw, it was feared Sidy Useph had Moors enough on his

side to enable him to enter the town, and the whole of the night of the twenty-second he was every hour expected to have forced his way in. The agitation of the Tripolians, as well as the Europeans, during the whole of that night, is not easy to be conceived.

The town being on the sea cost, the inhabitants could have fled no where from the rapacity of a banditti of Arabs, had they made their way into the city.

At half-past ten the next morning, Sidy Useph appeared for the first time in open hostilities against his family. All the atrocities he had as yet committed received a ten-fold addition of guilt, by their having been achieved under the mask of friendship.

On the appearance of Sidy Useph the second day, all the consular houses were closed, as were the shops and the houses of the inhabitants who turned out with their arms, and ranged themselves in the streets.

The Bashaw sent forces out early in the morning, to preserve the villages of the Messeah from the further ravages of Sidy Useph's people. In the afternoon they brought in the governor or cyde of the Messeah, who was carried to the castle to be strangled, but he is yet living. This man, instead of assist ng the people and protecting them, had given every assistance he could to Sidy Useph. When the cyde arrived at the town gate, the Bashaw ordered his chaouxes to proclaim Sidy Useph a rebel, and that it should be lawful to seize him wherever he could be taken, excepting in the marabuts or mosques, which may not be violated.

A noble moor came into town in the evening of the twentysecond, and pretended not to have joined Sidy Useph, or to have approved of his measures; but he returned again to him early in the morning, and, a short time after his departure, a quantity of provisions and ammunition was stopped at the town gate, which he had endeavoured to send out to him.

About an hour before noon Sidy Useph's people attacked the town. We saw Sidy Useph for some time seated as cyde of the Messeah in the Pianura, in the place the cyde should have occupied had he been present. Just at this moment the cyde of the Messeah was brought into the castle-yard to be strangled, but he was remanded back. This is the second time in one day that he has undergone the terrors of being put to death.

The Bashaw has sent round the coast to collect the Arabs. We saw a number of horsemen at a very great distance, approaching from the west; this circumstance gives courage to the people here, who were much cast down. The cannon from the town were fired at Sidy Useph's people during the whole of the day, which had the desired effect of keeping them back. But though the fire was incessant, it did little execution on either side. Sidy Useph lost five men, and a few horses belonging to the town were killed, notwithstanding there were upwards of three thousand shot fired. The cannon were not even mounted upon carriages; they were fired by a Russian so badly, that he frequently pointed them into the sea on his left instead of into the Pianura exactly before him. This account, I assure you, extraordinary as it appears, is true, for we saw every one fired. Things continued pretty much in this way till the November following.

The town is badly off for articles from the country: none are brought in, as the Moors cannot venture out for fear of being plundered by Sidy Useph's people. A fowl, fresh meat, or even an egg, cannot be had without great difficulty and danger; and at an enormous expence, vegetables and other provisions have already been procured, at the risk of the lives of those who have been sent for them.