412 VISIT TO THE CAPOUDAN PACHA. 



was a merry fellow,, and said what a pity 'twas I was an infidel. 

 Having exhausted his stock of anecdotes, which, truth to say, 

 abounded more with obscenity than wit, he turned his attention to 

 S - and his recruits. 



" Bismillah Bre Capitan," said he, " in the name of Allah, what 

 are you doing there ? I am tired of this. Can you not invent some- 

 thing new ?" " Please your highness, I am teaching them the 

 manual exercise/' " What an eshec! what an ass thou art! I tell 

 you I want my Cheris to amuse me I do not want them to fight." 

 te Please your highness, it is my business to form soldiers for the 

 field not for the parade." " Bakallam, we shall see. Inshallah 

 shallah, I will command them myself/' And then turning to me, 

 " Sit you there," said he, (t and I will shew you a thing." So saying, 

 his highness jumped up, and putting on his slippers, he hastened 

 down into the court. 



" Now," said he to S - , " form them into two columns you 

 lead one, and I will lead the other : you march round that way, 

 and I will march this: and when I order the clarionet to play, let 

 them march as solemnly as they can ; but at the sound of the tom- 

 tom, let them run like greyhounds. Let it be done. Give me a 

 sabre." 



His highness placed himself at the head of his column, and having 

 ordered the clarionet to play, the two parties marched round like 

 mourners at a funeral ; but when the tom-tom sounded, " sauve qui 

 pent" the devil take the hindmost ! The only thing that impeded 

 their progress, was the person of their august chief, who, enveloped 

 as he was in his caftan, and incumbered with slipper^, in spite of his 

 prodigious exertions, was evidently unable to keep up with his 

 " beau ideal" of double quick time. The alternations of maestoso 

 and presto prestissimo, were continued for some time, till the Pacha, 

 getting tired, seized upon an unfortunate who, in the enthusiasm of 

 the moment, had outstripped his fellows, and so got clear of the 

 ranks and ordered him to be tied up to one of the pillars which 

 supported the keschk. This being immediately done, he took a 

 ramrod, and, with his own hands, beat him over the calves of his 

 naked legs till the blood ran down from them : the poor wretch ut- 

 tering all the while the most agonizing cries : but the Pacha only 

 seemed to enjoy his amusement the more, and continued to strike 

 till fairly exhausted. I was so wrought upon by this inhuman exhi- 

 bition, that I dared not again trust myself in his highness's presence. 

 So I took my departure without ceremony ; leaving S -- to make 

 what excuse for my absence he might think fit. And so ended my 

 visit to the Capoudan Pacha. 



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