Chapter I: Front Matter

Day & Haghe, Lith^{rs} to the Queen

PORTRAIT OF THE AUTHOR IN HIS BEDOUIN DRESS.

London, Henry Colburn, G^t Marlborough S^t, 1846]

TRAVELS

OF

LADY HESTER STANHOPE;

FORMING THE COMPLETION

OF

HER MEMOIRS.

NARRATED BY

HER PHYSICIAN.

IN THREE VOLUMES.

VOL. III.

LONDON:
HENRY COLBURN, PUBLISHER,
GREAT MARLBOROUGH STREET.

1846.

Frederick Shoberl, Junior, Printer to His Royal Highness Prince Albert,
51, Rupert Street, Haymarket, London.

CONTENTS

OF

THE THIRD VOLUME.

CHAPTER I.

Preparations for a journey to Bâlbec--Precautions
against the plague--Departure from Meshmûshy--Heavy
attire--The author loses his road--Cheerless night--Drûze
hospitality--Barûk--Bur Elias--Village of Malaka--Cottages
in the Bkâ--Hard dumplings--Grumbling servants--Misery
of villages in the territory of Bâlbec--Mode of
encampment--Arrival at Bâlbec 1

CHAPTER II.

Residence at Bâlbec--Visit to the governor, the Emir
Jahjáh--Wretchedness of Bâlbec--Bath Scene--Encampment
of Lady Hester at Ras el Ayn--Sepulchral caverns--Greek
bishop of Bâlbec--Catholic priest--Climate--Departure
from Bâlbec--Any Ayty--Hurricane--Bsharry--Mineral
springs--Dress of women--Village of Ehden, conjectured
by some to be the site of Paradise--Resort of native
Christians --Arrival of Selim, son of Mâlem Musa Koblan,
of Hamah--The Cedars of Lebanon--Maronite monastery of
Mar Antaniûs--Lady Hester enters it in spite of the
monks--Arrival at Tripoli 15

CHAPTER III.

Residence at Tripoli--The governor Mustafa Aga--Lady
Hester’s visit to him--Extraordinary civilities paid
by her to Selim--Town and port of Tripoli--Greek
bishop--Library--Paintings in the church--Unwholesome
climate--The author’s journey to the convent of Dayr
Hamýra--Illness of Mûly Ismael’s Khasnadár--Miraculous
cures performed at the convent--The Khasnadár’s wife--The
monks--Castle of El Hussn--Extensive view--Arrival of Selim
at the monastery--His character--Return of the author to
Tripoli--Lady Hester’s plan of an association of literary
men and artists--Departure for Mar Elias 41

CHAPTER IV.

Journey from Tripoli to Abra--Monastery of
Dayr Natûr--Grave of Mr. Cotter--Ruins of
Enfeh--Batrûn--Renegado priest--Remarks on
apostates--Gebayl, the ancient Byblus--Mulberry
plantations--Castle--Public-houses--Nahr Ibrahim,
the river Adonis--Taberjeh--Ejectment of cottagers
in rain and cold--Nahr el Kelb, the ancient river
Lycus--Inscriptions--Shuifád--Visit of Lady Hester to
the Syt Habùs--Capugi Bashi sent to Lady Hester--Mbârak,
the groom--His dexterity--Nebby Yunez, the tomb of
Jonah--Arrival at Mar Elias--Precautions adopted against
the Capugi Bashi 64

CHAPTER V.

Probability of the existence of Hidden Treasures in the
East--Manuscript pretending to reveal such Treasures,
brought to Lady Hester--She obtains firmáns from the Porte
authorizing her to make researches--She sends to Hamah for
Mâlem Musa--Her letter to the Pasha of Acre--Her plans
for raising money--Journey of the Author to Damascus--His
Visit to Ahmed Bey--Ambergris--Damascus sabres--Horse
Bazar--Horse Dealing and Horse Stealing--M. Beaudin’s night
journey to Tyre--His horse stolen--Detection and punishment
of the thieves--Return of the Author to Mar Elias--His
dangerous situation in a snow-storm--Interior of a Drûze
Cottage 86

CHAPTER VI.

Journey of Lady Hester from Mar Elias to
Ascalon--Bussa--Acre--She prevails on Mr. Catafago
to accompany her to Ascalon--Illness of Ali
Pasha--Professional visits of the Author--Abdallah Bey, the
Pasha’s son--Extraordinary honours paid to Lady Hester--Her
departure from Acre--Tremendous storm--M. Loustaunau; his
prophecies--His history--Don Tomaso Coschich arrives with
despatches from Sir Sydney Smith to Lady Hester--Substance
of them--Presents sent to the care of Lady Hester by
Sir Sydney--His character in the East--Cæsarea--Um
Khaled--Village of Menzel--Jaffa--Mohammed Aga,
the governor ordered to accompany Lady Hester--His
character--Arrival at Ascalon 116

CHAPTER VII.

History of Ascalon--Ruins--Encampments--Forced labour of
peasants--Excavations--Fragments of Columns--Discovery of
a mutilated statue--Apprehensions of Signor Damiani--Lady
Hester orders the statue to be destroyed--Excavations
abandoned--Lady Hester’s narrative of the motives and
results of the researches--Auditing accounts-- Mohammed
Aga a fatalist--Return to Jaffa--Derwish Mustafa Aga and
Lady Hester’s black female slave--Patients--Mohammed
Bey; his story--Return of Lady Hester’s servant
Ibrahim from England--Khurby, or the Ruins--Remains
near that spot--Return to Acre--Altercation with
muleteers--Excavations at Sayda--Reflexions on researches
for hidden treasures 152

CHAPTER VIII.

Visit of the Author to the Maronite convent in the village
of Joon--Abyssinian man and woman--Black horses--Lady
Hester fixes herself at Meshmûshy--Solitary wigwam--The
Author wishes to return to England--He sets out for
Egypt--Destruction of Tyre, not so complete as travellers
represent--A self-taught lithotomist and oculist--Seaweeds
used for dyeing--Embarkation for Egypt in a vessel laden
with wood--Impalement--Passengers on board--Cyprus--Revolt
in Gebel Nablûs--Frequency of insurrections there--Arrival
at Rosetta--Smoking during Ramazán--The Author is joined
by Burckhardt, or shaykh Ibrahim--Mutiny of troops at
Cairo--Departure by land for Alexandria--Lake Edko--Stay
in Alexandria--Coasting voyage to Damietta--Burckhardt not
considered as a Turk--Foreigners betrayed by their speech 188

CHAPTER IX.

M. Surûr, English agent at Damietta--Patients--Excursion to
Lake Menzaleh--Mataryah--Melikýn--Pounds for cattle--Ruins
of San--Broken pottery--Conjectures on its original
use--Tennys--Dybeh--Botarga fishery--Fowling--Running
deemed indecorous in a Turk--Menzaleh--Haunted
house--Disdain of pedestrian travellers--False
door--Departure for Syria--Vessel, cargo, and crew--Charms
to raise the wind--Arrival at Acre, Tyre, and Abra 223

CHAPTER X.

Disappearance of Colonel Boutin, a French
traveller--Efforts of Lady Hester Stanhope, for
investigating his fate--Mission of Abd el Rasák from
Mahannah to Lady Hester--Manners and character of the
Bedouins--Story of Mustafa Aga, Khasnadár of Mûly Ismael,
and his wife--Departure of Abd el Rasák and his companions 254

CHAPTER XI.

Quarrel between a Drûze and a Metouály--Buying of
medals--Imposition practised on Lady Hester--Punishment
of the offender--Illness and death of the Greek
patriarch--Funeral ceremonies--Election of a new
patriarch--Cottage in the gardens of Sayda--Long
drought--Flocks of birds--Hydrophobia--Excursion of the
Author to Garýfy--Shems ed Dyn and his father--Purchase
of wine--Decline of commerce in the Levant--Mâlem Dubány
and his daughters--Extortion of Eastern rulers--Arrival of
Miss Williams--Arrival of Mr. Bankes--He copies and removes
fresco paintings--Failure of his first attempt to reach
Palmyra--Visit of Mr. Buckingham--Locusts--Lady Hester
takes a voyage to Antioch 267