Travels in the Great Desert of Sahara, in the Years of 1845 and 1846Richardson, James
History
Travels in the Great Desert of Sahara, in the Years of 1845 and 1846
Richardson, James
Sahara -- Description and travel
functionary was a most savage-looking fellow, and his acts in Tripoli and
his reputation accord with the character broadly stamped on his
countenance. He has risen from the lowest ranks--one of the _canaille_ of
the Levant--and is blood-thirsty and vindictive whenever he has the means
of showing these dreadful passions. How many tyrants have risen from the
ranks of those who are the victims and objects of tyranny!
The Consul hinted to me afterwards, that this military tyrant would
oppose my journey to the interior, and throw all sorts of obstacles in
the way, but thought the Pasha would not listen to his insinuations. On
asking the Consul what he thought of the objections of the Pasha? he
said: "Oh, they are only to increase the merit of his facilitating your
trip." Mehemet Pasha has the rank of three tails, and the Pasha of the
Troops two tails. There was present also Mohammed Aly, a Moor, who
interprets between the Moors and Arabs, and the Turks. He is said to be
entirely in the interest of the English. He frequently visits the
Vice-Consul, Mr. Herbert Warrington, who treats the interpreter with a
bottle of champaigne, and in this way things are greatly smoothed down
before His Highness. A glass of wine is often more potent than an
elaborate speech in these and other diplomatic transactions. It is but
justice to these functionaries to say, whatever money they may take away
from Tripoli, that they are very moderate in their style of living and
dress in this place. The apartment in which we were received was
exceedingly plain. All the furniture was of the most ordinary European
stuff; there was nothing oriental in it but a large square ottoman. A few
flowers were placed gracefully on the table, and there was a pretty
bronzed lamp. We visitors sat on cane-bottomed chairs. The costume of
these high functionaries was the usual large Turkish frock-coat, tightly
buttoned up, and white or other light-coloured pantaloons, for summer
wear, and these strapped over thick heavy black leather shoes, the straps
often inside the shoes as an Ottoman improvement on the European fashion.
The head was covered with the _shasheeah_, or fez, with a large blue silk
tassel hanging prettily from the crown. On the breast hung the _Nisham_
decoration, distinguishing the various grades and rank.
We left His Highness under the impression that he would do every thing in
his power to forward our views, and never dreamt of a future memorandum
of recall after having reached Ghadames with His Highness's permission.
It is not now my intention to give an account of Tripoli, so I pass on to
a second interview I had with the Bashaw. This was on the 7th of July. In
this long interval, I had been waiting for letters from England, and in
every way was learning lessons of most imperturbable patience.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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