OF THE OLD WORLD. 363 



toria ;) and the small scar he has on his wrist, 

 which he often brags about, and shows to strangers 

 as a wound, was thus accounted for : — During one 

 of the outbreaks of the " Eyahs " or Christian sub- 

 jects of the Porte, in Southern Turkey, he was sent 

 in command of a body of troops against a walled vil- 

 lage not very far from Monastir, whicli was vigorously 

 defended by the inhabitants, armed only with match- 

 locks and ataghans. A long-continued drought had 

 dried up most of the wells in the enceinte of the 

 place, and the besieged had to obtain their supply 

 from a spring in the ditch outside the walls, which 

 task was generally imdertaken by the women and 

 children after nightfall. This fact was communi- 

 cated to Omer Pacha by some of his sycophants, 

 and he ordered the small brass rifled mountain- 

 piece, which he always keeps in front of his tent, to 

 be pointed so as to command the source on a risino- 

 ground far out of range of the small-arms of the 

 garrison. During the night a noise was heard in 

 the ditch by some of the advanced sentries, and the 

 Pacha was informed that the villagers were drawing 

 water : he immediately rushed to his gim and loaded 

 it, not knowing that one of his staff had previously 

 made it all ready for him. When he applied the 

 match, the piece, being doubly charged, recoiled 

 violently, knocking down the Pacha on the broad 

 of his back, with half a dozen of his hangers-on, 

 and injuring his wrist. Thus is the only wound 

 Omer Pacha ever received accounted for, and it is 



