■18 THIRTY-FIVE YEARS IN THE EAST. 



jar, to extinguish the fl^me, she permitted the damejane 

 to fall on the ground, and, sprinkled as siie was with the 

 burning spirits, she fell a victim to the fl imes. Some time 

 afterwards, she was found in the dark room, in a fainting 

 state, amidst the ashes of her clothes. 



From Tripoli I went, by order, to Akar, in the moun- 

 tains, to attend the Prince AH Essat, who, together with his 

 numerous family (wife, brother, children, and slaves ) were 

 infected with the venereal disease, which, although appear- 

 ing under different forms and complications, may be ranged 

 in the ci->ss of syphilis secundaria. At that time I knew no 

 better remedy for that complaint than corrosive sublimate 

 combined with salmiac, accompanied by decoctions of sarsa- 

 parilla, china-root, gujac wood, &c. 



Whilst I v/as at Akar, it was reported that Abdula, 

 Pasha of Acre, had commenced war against the Pasha of 

 Damascus, in consequence of a dispute, and that he had sent 

 troops, the greater part of them Christians ( Maronites from 

 the Lebanon) and Druses, under the command of Emir 

 Beshir, towards the holy city of Damascus ( Bab-ul-Kaba, or 

 •entrance to the Sanctuary of Mecca \ and that the inhabi- 

 tants of Damascus had been defeated. The Sultan des- 

 patched immediately five pashas to Acre, in order to bring 

 the heads of Abdula Pasha, of Emir Beshir, and of the new 

 governor at Tripoli, the above-mentioned Barber, for hav- 

 ing taken part in the war, by sending his own troops to 

 join the main army. AH Essat Bek took advantage of the 

 moment, having his partisans at Tripoli ; he came down 

 from Akar, blockaded and bombarded that town, and forced 

 it to capitulate. Meanwhile, Barber betook himself to the 

 citadel, in which he surrendered under certain conditions. 

 The five pashas arrived so suddenly, that Emir Beshir 

 had only time to escape, and embark between Seida and 

 Berout, in a French vessel, which conveyed him to Egypt, 

 where, by the interference of Mahomet AH Pasha, he 

 obtained from the Sultan his own pardon and that of 

 Barber and his superior, Abdula Pasha, which, by the by, 

 cost each of them an immense sum of gold, At London 



