748 
this he appeared unwilling to do: 
but, notwithstanding this cautionary 
advice, and his obstinate refusal to 
write, 1 determined to repair my- 
self immediately to Acre. I re- 
paired to the house of. the commis- 
sary of the Seven Isles. Very soon 
after, the drogoman of the pacha, 
informed of my arrival, came to 
conduct me to the pacha, who re- 
ceived me in an apartment where 
he was unattended, and which was 
without any other furniture than a 
carpet. He had, on one side of 
him, a pistol, with four barrels, a 
small air-gun, a sabre, and a hatchet. 
After inquiring as to my health, he 
asked me, whether I was not per- 
suaded that our end is pre-ordained 
in heaven, and that nothing could 
change our destiny. 1 answered, 
that I believed, as he did, in predes- 
tination. He continued to speak 
for some time on that subject. I 
perceived, however, that he affected a 
degree of simplicity, but that, at the 
same time, he wished to pass for a 
man of wit, as well as for a just 
man. He repeated several times, 
* It is said, that Dgezzar is barba- 
rous: this is false; he is but just 
and severe. | Request of the first 
consul, not to send me, as commis- 
sary of commercial relations, a lame 
or a blind man ; because such a per- 
son would be sure to say, that 
Dgezzar had made him so.’ Soon 
after he said, ‘ I desire that the com- 
missary you may send shall reside at 
Seide, as that is the most commer- 
cial part in my dominions: besides, 
it is not necessary he should reside 
here, where [ shall be myself the 
French commissary, and shall take 
care that your countrymen be well 
received, I highly esteem the 
French. In stature, Bonaparte is 
small, but he is nevertheless the 
x. 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1803. 
greatest of mankind. I know that 
he is greatly regretted at Cairo, 
where they wish to see him again.’ 
I made a few observations on the 
peace between France and the 
Porte ; to which he answered, ‘ Do 
you know why [I have thus received, 
and feel so much pleasure at seeing 
you? Itis because you come unau- 
thorised by a,firman, and without any 
orders from the divan. IL have the 
greatest contempt for its blind vizier. 
They say that Dgezzeris a Bosnian, 
a man ot straw, and cruel to excess; 
but, nevertheless, I can stand the 
ordeal. .1 was once poor.) »My 
father had nothing to bequeath me 
but courage. 1 have achieved my 
own elevation by dint of exertion. 
This, however, does not make me 
proud, and Dgezzar, perhaps, will 
soon finish his career; not that he 
is old, as his enemies report, (he 
then performed some of the mancu- 
vres of the Mamelukes, in their mode 
of rising their arms, &c. which he 
really executed with surprising a- 
droitness and agility,) but because, 
most likely, God will have it so. 
The king of France, once so pow- 
erful, has perished. Nebuchadnez- 
zar, the greatest of all kings, was, 
when. his time was come, killed by a 
fly, &c.? He made several other 
observations in this strain, and af- 
terwards spoke of the motives which 
induced him to make war upon the 
French army: from the whole of 
his demeanour it could easily be 
seen, that he wished to be on good 
terms with the first consul, and that 
he stifled his resentments. The fol- - 
lowing is the apologue, which he 
used to demonstrate the causes of his 
resistance. ¢°A black slave,’ he 
said, ‘ after a long journey, in 
which he had suffered the greatest 
privations, arrived at a little field of 
sugar 
