Our guards, who were now two of Topal Ali’s soldiers, beheld the Ansárys with distrust, and endeavoured to inspire us with it too: but their demeanour was peaceable; and, although there was nothing like timidity in their manner, their address was not rude. As I was seated at the door of my tent smoking, they came and placed themselves close by me. Soon after arrived others; and then those already seated rose, and, with most prolonged ceremoniousness, gave place to the new comers, or preserved their precedence. The Drûzes likewise are reproached with being much given to useless ceremony and complimentary speech. The Ansárys were all armed, some with a brace of pistols in their girdle, and all with khanjárs.
Lady Hester thought their appearance and air so military that she resolved to encamp a day longer among them. I have no doubt, too, that she was anxious to learn something of a people of whom such extraordinary things are reported; and when she was intent on any plan which required much penetration and great conduct, she generally chose to be alone. Under pretence, therefore, of staying behind until a house was prepared for her, she requested us to depart next day for Latakia.
Next morning accordingly Mr. B. and I, with the principal part of the luggage, set off at seven in the morning. We had to ascend until we reached the summit of the mountain, from which the descent is gradual, and leads almost imperceptibly, on a level with the sea, to the city of Laodicea, now called in Arabic el-Ladkýah. But the river which we had seen on the preceding day winds, by a circuitous course, round the foot of Mount Sekûn, and reappears on the other side, emptying itself afterwards, under the name of Nahr-el-Kebýr, at a short distance from the city.
The season of the year was calculated to produce a favourable impression of the beauty of the country. There was no similarity whatever between the coast here and at Sayda. Round Latakia all was verdure, and the climate seemed to be just at that point at which the sun’s rays are insufficient to burn up the soil, but still capable of producing the fruits that are generally thought to require considerable heat. Here the date, it is true, does not bear; but there are melons, grapes, and figs, in the greatest abundance. Such were our first impressions, as we traversed the environs of Latakia. A residence of seven months, the latter part of which was a continued scene of suffering, caused me to view the same picture with such different feelings, that I quitted it at last with more pleasure than I ever did any place in my life.
Lady Hester did not arrive until two days afterwards, and it was said that she had completely gained the hearts of the mountaineers among whom she had been encamped. This may be readily believed, for there never was a person who could, like her, when she thought it worth while, on all occasions, and with all classes, engage and secure admiration and attachment.
CHAPTER IX.
Residence at Latakia—Remains of Antiquity—Port—Gardens—Sycamore—Birdlime tree—Vegetables and fruit—Tobacco—Salt tanks—Sponge fishery—Hanah Kûby—Fanaticism of the Turks of Latakia—A Barbary Shaykh—The Plague—Habits of the Mahometans accordant with common sense—Epidemic illness—Impalement of a Malefactor—Ravages of the Plague—Mr. Barker, British Consul at Aleppo, comes to spend some time near Latakia—Hard fate of a Christian—Experiment on a fruit diet—Imprudence of smoking in the streets during Ramazán—Amusements—Sporting—Departure of Mr. B. for England—Civility of the Greek Patriarch—Illness of Lady Hester, and of the Author—She supposes her disease to be the Plague—Illness of servants—Scarcity of provisions—Departure for Sayda—Turkish Lugger—Tripoli—Aspect of Mount Lebanon—Arrival at Sayda—Seamanship of the Turks.
There was a spacious mansion in Latakia, which, from its size and the expense required to keep it up, had been for some time empty. This was hired, unfurnished, for three months, at the rate of 500 piasters per month; whereas it would have been well paid for at 150. Here Lady Hester and Mr. B. took up their residence, whilst, with the view of seeing patients, I hired a house for myself, which I occupied, with two servants, Tanûs, whom I engaged on my arrival at Latakia, and my groom, Ibrahim. In the courtyard were tethered my two horses, night and day in the open air, but, as the yard was small, and they could almost snuff each other’s breath, they were constantly breaking loose and fighting. Lady Hester was hardly well housed when she wrote a long letter to the Marquis of Sligo, a great portion of which, as descriptive of her journey into the Desert, I shall be excused for inserting.
Extract of a Letter from Lady Hester Stanhope to the Marquis of Sligo.
Latakia, 1813.