220 HORRIBLE TORTURES INFLICTED 



habit of compressing his temples with a screw, 

 and pricking the most sensitive parts of his body 

 with red-hot needles. AH talked to us in a very 

 rational manner, said he only wished to die, as 

 his body had been so mutilated he was unfit to 

 live, and begged we would rid him of his weari- 

 some existence. 



Such a scene of horror defies description. Even 

 whilst writing this, All's fiery-looking distended 

 eye-balls; his dejected, haggard, pale, yet livid 

 countenance ; his horribly languid and fainting 

 look, whilst imploring us to have pity upon him, 

 and charitably take away his life, and the general 

 emaciation of his mutilated carcase, still present 

 themselves most vividly to my imagination. 



It is easy to read of such horrors, to wonder if 

 they are correctly described, and to forget them ; 

 but scenes like these pass not so readily away 

 from the recollections of those who have been 

 eye-witnesses of the sober, sad reahty. 



With feelings that cannot easily be imagined, 

 we passed on to an inner room, vvhere was con- 

 fined the Turkish officer, whose wife had been 

 murdered, and who had been arrested in con- 

 sequence of Ali's confession that he had been 



