448 Notes of a Tour through Palestine. [Aug. 



conscription fanned these angry feelings into a blaze, and the whole 

 of Palestine has been in open insurrection for the last five weeks. 

 The mountainous country I have described as forming the centre of 

 the province, is particularly favorable to undisciplined resistance ; the 

 first detachments sent against them were cut off and dispersed. Rein- 

 forcements sent for to the camp at Jaffa were intercepted and de- 

 stroyed, and Jerusalem itself was surprised. At last about 10 days 

 ago, Ibrahi'm Pasha, the son of Muhammad Ali, and Commander-in- 

 Chief, marched on Jerusalem from Jaffa with 7000 men. He was 

 attacked in a narrow pass, was obliged to make a detour with a small 

 escort to ensure his personal safety, (leaving his army to struggle 

 through, which they did, losing more than half their numbers, and 

 gained Jerusalem, which the peasantry wisely abandoned,) leaving his 

 guns in possession of the rebels. Two of his field officers were so 

 alarmed and astonished at this work, that they deserted their colors 

 and fled by sea. Reinforcements have been demanded from Egypt, 

 and so affairs stand at present, all eagerly desiring the return of the 

 Sultan. Meantime a general fermentation exists throughout the land. 

 A dangerous conspiracy was discovered, and quelled by sanguinary 

 punishments at Aleppo. At Damascus, the conscription was so clum- 

 sily and stupidly enforced by troops surrouuding certain quarters, 

 taking out all sorts of men, whether of good condition or otherwise, 

 violating the sanctity of harams to get at them, that numbers fled 

 and joined the insurgents, and all the shops in the city were for some 

 time closed. 600 poor wretches are shut up in the castle, whom they 

 dare neither to release nor to embody in the ranks. A general feeling is 

 manifested against the Christians, on account of the privileges to 

 which they have been admitted ; and in several instances, the Muham- 

 madans have shown a disposition to rise against them. There are a 

 great number of Greeks, Armenians, &c. in all the large towns, ge- 

 nerally people of some wealth. The people of Saphet two days ago 

 arose and massacred the Jews. So that every thing looks like an 

 impending storm, and I should not be surprised if it ended in the 

 Pasha being turned out of Syria. 



I have no feeling in favor of the Egyptian government. It is true 

 they affect liberal opinions, protect the Franks, and imitate European 

 improvements ; but the sole motive and object of all this is the Pasha's 

 personal ambition, and its only good effects are a good police and a 

 greater general security to person and property from all attacks — 

 but those of the Pasha himself. Muhammad Ali, is certainly a wonder- 

 ful man ; but he is, I am now convinced, perfectly selfish, and is not ac- 

 tuated in any way by a desire to ameliorate his country or people. I 



