ALE 



of two forts eavalrv and infantry. The cavaliy, who alone 

 n.erit tlie name of loldiers, alFiimc for this rtal'on the appt-l- 

 lation of Daoula or Deltti, and likcwift that of Ddibaihes 

 and Lawend, from wliencc we have formed I.eventi. Their 

 ^rms are fhort fabrcs, pillols, nniflcets, and lances. They 

 wear a kind of ielt cap, nine or tea inclies iiigh, witliout 

 any projefting rim ; and tlieir faddlesare made in tlie Enghfn 

 n.anner. In the rell of their cloathing and accoutrements, 

 they refemble the Mamalukes. Indeed, they are more 

 like banditti than foldiers, and frequently aft as fuch. Al- 

 moil all the cavaliy in Syria arc Turkmans, Curds or Cara- 

 nianians, who, after excrcifmg th.e occupation of robbers in 

 their own country, feck employment and an afyliim near the 

 p..rfon ot the pacha ; and tiiey often lay wafte the country 

 and pillage the peafants by open furcc. The infantry are 

 a corps in every refpecl inferior to the former. Within the 

 laft 50 or 60 years, the peafants of Tunis, Algiers, and 

 Morocco, have, under the name of Mograbians, or Men of 

 the Welt, fought employment in Syria and Egypt ; and 

 they compofe the infantry of the pacha. Their whole ac- 

 cotitremtnts and baggage are confined to a rully fuxlock, a 

 large knife, a leathern bag, a cotton (liirt, a pair uf drawers, 

 a red cap, and fometimes (Uppers. Their pay is about los. 

 and lod. per month, out of which they furnlfli themfelves 

 with arms and cloalhing ; but they are maintained at the 

 expence of the pacha. The pay ot the cavalry is double, 

 belides whith eachhorfeman has his horfe and ration, which 

 is a meafure of chopped llraw and 15 pounds of barley a 

 day. Thefe troops are divided by bairaks or colours, con- 

 fiftingof about 10 men each, under the command of an aga, 

 who reduces their number in order to purloin their pay. 

 The fuperior agas tolerate this abufe, and the paclia over- 

 looks it for the lake of the emolument derived from this 

 fpecies of fraud. 



On the demife of a badiaw, the mohaflil takes poffef- 

 fion of his effefts till a capugi-baHiaw, from Conllantinople, 

 comes to receive them in the name of the fultan. The 

 eitates of merchants, and of other private perfons, defcends 

 to the heirs, agreeably to eftablifhed laws, which allow a 

 certain portion only to be devifed by will, and the cadi is 

 fjppofed to fee ftritl: juftice done to the heirs. The pro- 

 perty of merchants, ftrangers, who die in the public khanes, 

 is fubjeft to the infpettion and care of the mohaflil, who 

 detains it till it is claimed by the legal heir. 



Crimes of a capital kind are very rare at Aleppo. Tlie 

 iifual capital punifhments are hanging, beheading, ilrang- 

 ling, and impaling. Janizaries are itrangled, not with a 

 bow-ftring, but by a cord put round the neck, and then 

 twifted with a flick in the manner of a tourniquet. The 

 bodies of all who are executed remain for fome days ex- 

 pofed to public view. Theft is uncommon ; when it oc- 

 curs, it is fometimes punifhed by amputation of the hand, 

 but more commonly with the baftinado, which is performed 

 with rods about the fize of a fmall walking-ftick ; and this 

 is the ufual punifhment for offences of an inferior kind. 

 Banifhment to the ifland of Cyprus, and the maritime towns 

 of Syria, is chiefly employetl for removing turbulent mem- 

 bers from the city or the divan. 



The agas are thofe who chiefly farm the lands ; and the 

 peafants are entitled to one-third of the produce, from 

 which are annually deducted a part of what may have been 

 advanced by the aga to ftock the farm, and alfo a certain 

 proportion of the avanias, that are from time to time im- 

 poftd on the villages. Thefe peafants are fimply clothed, 

 indifferently lodged, and live chiefly on coarfe bread, Icban, 

 or a preparation of milk, pulfe, barley and melons ; but 

 ftldom taile auiraal food. However, habit and ignorance 



ALE 



mitigate the rigour of their condition, which they bear 

 witii patience, exercifing out of the fcanty pittance of the 

 fruits of their labour, a fpirit of hofpitality. 



The Europeans, or Franks, as tlicy are called, rcfiding 

 at Ahppo, are Englifh, French, Venetian, Dutch, and 

 Tufean, or Imperial fubjeds. The language in common 

 ufe is the Italian. The Englifh faftory confifts of a con- 

 ful and 10 merchants, a chaplain, chancellor, phyfician, 

 and an officer named a chanfe, who walks before the con- 

 ful, carrying a ilalT tipped with filver, and takis care of 

 all letters and difpatciies. The number of Englifh hoiifes 

 in 1772 was reduced to four, and in 1783 to two. There 

 are two druggomans or interpreters, Greek natives of 

 Aleppo, who fjjcak the Italian, but can feldom read or 

 write any other language, befides the Arabic and Turkilh. 

 They have fabrics from the /.e'Dnn/ company. Two ja- 

 nizaries are alfo kept in conllant pay, who attend at the 

 houfe of the conful, and walk before him when he goes 

 abroad. The French factory is more numerous than the 

 Englilh, each merchant having a clerk or writer, or a pcr- 

 fon under tlut title, who afterwards becomes a partner in 

 the lunife. The refidence of the French in the Levant 

 is limited to a certain numijcr of years, after they take 

 the name of fadors, or merchants ; and they are therefore 

 fcnt early in life from Marfeilles, under the denomination 

 of Scrivains, and they evade taking the name of faftor 

 after they have a fhare in the bufmefs, that they may pro-' 

 long their Hay in the countiy. The number of French 

 houfes of trade was reduced in 1772 to fix, or feven, the 

 number in 1783. The conful has his chancellor, chaufe, 

 and janizaries, and maintains the fame ftate with the Eng- 

 liflr conlul ; but he has precedence on all public audiences, 

 on account of the prior ellablilhment of the French factory 

 at Aleppo. Under the protetlion of the cohful are two 

 or three French furgeons, who praflife ph)-fic ; the drug- 

 gomans are French fubjedfs of the Levant, or native 

 Frenchmen. Befides the merchants, a number of French 

 fubjefts find their way here, and by intermarriage with the 

 native Chriitians, produce a half French race, called mezza 

 razza. There are four convents, under the protection of 

 the French conful. The Dutch conful, being the fole 

 perfon of that nation at Aleppo, excrcifes alfo the pro- 

 feflion of a merchant ; but the EngIKh and French con- 

 fuls are prohibited engaging, dlreftly or indireftly, in com- 

 merce. However, fince the year 1772, the Dutch conful 

 has regular appointments, without benefit of trade. The 

 Venetians were eilablifhcd at Aleppo before any other 

 European nations. For fevcral years preceding 17,1, the 

 Venetians had no conful, but they, as well as the Tufean?, 

 were under the proteftion of the French or the Englifh ; 

 but foon after 1754, a conful of their ov\-n nation came to 

 rcfide at Aleppo. The emperor appointed a conful there 

 in 1784, who was a rich Jew merchant, and who fliaved 

 his beard to affume the uniform and the fword : Rullia has 

 alio veiy lately fent one. The houfes of the Franks are 

 as commodious as their fituation in the khanes will admit ; 

 and their tables are well fupplied. Although they have 

 little or no focial intcrcourfc with the Turks, they live 

 together in harmony. The Englilh gentlemen keep ex- 

 cellent tiorfes, and ufnally take an airing every day ; in 

 the month of April they retire to the ganlens, in tlic vi- 

 cinity of Babullah, where they refide till towards the end 

 of May, coming to town for bufinefs in the morning, and 

 returning at night. The French natives at Aleppo are 

 equally protedled by government, and they enjoy confidcr- 

 ablc privileges. The confiilar houfes are refpefted as fanc- 

 tu.iries ; the officers of juftice cannot enter the houfes of 



private 



