CH. XXIV.] RcconqtLest of the Euphrates. 1 8 r 



of Northern Arabia for nearly two hundred years. 

 A new era, however, has now quite recently been- 

 begun ; and within the last sixteen years the Turkish 

 Government has recovered a part, at least, of the 

 territory lost so long to the Empire. In 18G2, the 

 heyday of reform and activity in Turkey, when, 

 after the Crimean war, ended some time before, the 

 Porte found itself in possession of a large army and 

 plenty of money, Omar Pasha, then Governor of 

 Aleppo, at the head of a considerable number of 

 troops marched down the valley of the Euphrates 

 and took military possession of Jaber and Deyr, the 

 only two inhabited villages then existing on the 

 Upper Euphrates. Deyr was at that time inhabited 

 by certain fellahin Arabs, partly descended from the 

 original founders of the town in the days of the 

 caliphate,* partly recruited from Mosul and Orfa, 

 who, having long enjoyed a semi-independence 

 under Anazeh protection, resented the interference 

 of the Turks, and defended their town stoutly. But 

 Omar Pasha had brought artillery with him, and 

 took the place by storm, and this was all the re- 

 sistance he met with. A garrison was placed in 

 Deyr, and guard-houses were built at intervals 

 between it and Aleppo. Deyr became a Pashalic 

 under the Valy of Aleppo, and the Upper Valley 

 of the Euphrates was declared to be once more 2)art 

 of the Empire. The Anazeh seem to have contented 



* Deyr mu?t be older than the Mussulman era, for its name, 

 signifying " convent," jioints to a Christian origin. 



