It was at this period that we heard of the reappearance of the plague in Syria, after a suspension of ten years, or thereabouts. Its introduction was said to be as follows: in the spring it had broken out at Constantinople; about the 1st of February of the next year, a Tartar, arriving at St. Jean d’Acre from Constantinople, died of it there, and a Jew, buying his clothes, communicated the infection to his whole family. This was its first appearance in Syria; but, as the pasha and the inhabitants took the alarm, several shops were shut up and some families quitted the town. Other precautions, such as placing a sentinel at the Jew’s door, and preventing communication from without, stopped the disease in its birth. At Beyrout, a vessel came to anchor in the roads, having the plague on board. A barber went on board to shave the people, and subsequently died; but, as his house was put under quarantine, and as no goods were permitted to be landed from the vessel, the evil spread no further. Exclusive of these insulated attacks of plague, a malignant fever was raging at Tripoli, Beyrout, Sayda, and St. Jean d’Acre: and, although no diseases of a malignant character had shown themselves where we had been, still there was so much sickness prevailing, that every person of our party, with the exception of myself, had been ill in one way or another.
The time had now come, when, from the settled state of the weather, and from the completion of the necessary arrangements, Lady Hester resolved on departing for Palmyra. The arrangements, whilst actually going on, may be said to have lasted six weeks. Never had an excursion of pleasure a finer object: we were going to contemplate the most finished productions of art. Seldom, too, was witnessed a caravan of a few individuals on a more magnificent scale. Twenty-two camels were to bear the tents, luggage, firewood, rice, flour, tobacco, coffee, sugar, soap, saucepans, spare horse-shoes, and other provisions; eight carried water, and nine corn for the horses. We were to be escorted by a tribe of Bedouins, headed by a prince’s son; and our own cavalcade amounted to twenty-five horsemen. The most trifling want of the meanest servant was provided for, and the best equipped military expedition could not be more complete in all its parts than this. Although Lady Hester might be satisfied, from what she had herself seen, and from the report I had made her of the practicability of the journey, she nevertheless could not doubt that the risk of it would be great, as she carried with her things of value in the eyes of the Arabs, and went totally at the mercy of her conductors.[44] It was known that the Honourable F. North, afterwards Lord Guildford, Mr. Fazakerley, and Mr. Gally Knight had not thought it safe to venture across the Desert to which we were going, and others in the same way had been deterred by the picture that had been drawn of the dangers they would have to encounter. Even those who effected their purpose had experienced many hardships.
But, besides the wish of beholding broken columns and dilapidated temples, Lady Hester may be supposed to have had other motives peculiar to herself, and which could not actuate travellers in general. These columns and temples owed the greatest part of their magnificence to one of her own sex, whose talents and whose fate, remotely akin to her own, no doubt might move her sympathy so far as to prompt her to visit the spot which a celebrated woman had governed. She sought the remains of Zenobia’s greatness, as well as the remains of Palmyra.
I must interrupt the narrative for a moment to insert two letters written by Mr. B. and Lady Hester to one of their friends, that the reader may gather from other hands some particulars of the nature of the journey we were about to undertake.
To Lieut.-General Oakes, &c., Malta.
Hamah, March 13, 1813.
My dear General,
In the month of October last I wrote you a letter from Aleppo, in which I stated that I was then on the eve of my departure to join Lady Hester at Hems, and that we proposed going from thence to Palmyra. Many unforeseen circumstances occurred which rendered it impossible to carry the plan into execution at that moment. From Hems, I went to Damascus, and, after having remained there near a month, I came to this place, where we have passed the winter. As Lady Hester was unwilling to relinquish the journey to Palmyra, we have been occupying ourselves in making the necessary preparations. We do not intend, as at first, taking an escort to guard us against the Arabs, but to put ourselves under their protection. By so doing, we shall gain a double advantage: we shall not only see the ruins of Palmyra, but shall have an opportunity of acquiring some knowledge of the manners and customs of the very curious inhabitants of the Desert. Perhaps you will not think it very prudent that we should trust ourselves into their power. I am aware that no reliance can be placed on the honour or good faith of so uncivilized a people; but I do not think it is to their interest to be guilty of any act of treachery towards us. We have besides taken every manner of precaution against such an event.
Lady Hester has gained the friendship of Ishmael Aga, a great Delibash chief, who has guaranteed our safety. He is one of the most powerful men in Syria, and the Arabs stand in great awe of him. I think, therefore, that you need be under no apprehension of our being detained prisoners in the Desert. Mahannah el Fadel, the chief of all the tribes known by the name of Anizi, comes here to-morrow, in order to escort us. If Lady Hester succeeds in this undertaking, she will at least have the merit of being the first European female who has ever visited this once celebrated city. Who knows but she may prove another Zenobia, and be destined to restore it to its ancient splendour?—perhaps she may form a matrimonial connection with Ebn Seood, the great chief of the Wahabees. He is not represented as a very loveable object; but, making love subservient to ambition, they may unite their arms together, bring about a great revolution both in religion and politics, and shake the throne of the Sultan to its very centre. I wish you would come and assist them with your military counsel. How proud I should feel to learn the art of war under so accomplished a general! I only hope that Lady Hester’s health will be able to resist the fatigue which she will unavoidably be exposed to. It will require, too, great management to keep the Arabs in good order; for, from the specimen that we have already had of them, I am afraid that we shall find them very troublesome. The greater the difficulties, the greater will be our merit in overcoming them. We have spent a most disagreeable winter here: the weather has been extremely severe for this climate. Almost all the fruit-trees in the gardens of Damascus have been destroyed, and a tribe of Arabs, who inhabited the plain, have been overwhelmed, with their wives, children, and flocks, by the snow. The oldest men never recollect so severe a winter. To increase our misfortunes, the plague has come to this country. From the most correct information which we have received, it appears that it has broke out in Acre, Tyre, and Sayda. As there is constant communication, by means of caravans, between the coast and the interior, it will, I am afraid, soon be carried to Damascus, and from thence spread itself over the whole of the country.
The Turks take no measures to stop its progress: they are predestinarians, and say, that, as it is the will of God, they must submit to it with patience. I certainly do not admire this resignation; for it never can be the will of God that man should not endeavour to avert an impending evil. Such resignation is the effect of ignorance, and not of piety.