| TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 
and did not fuffer me to pafs unknown; this was’ the: 
Acab Saat, Salama, who had infligated the king, on the sth. - 
of December, in one of his drunken fits, to fet out from the 
palace in the night, attended by a number of banditt1, moft- 
ly Mahometans, to plunder feveral houfes; he flew one man, 
as it was faid, with his own hand: among thefe devoted 
houfes mine happened to be one, but I was then happily at 
Kofcam. The next was Metical Aga’s, one of whofe fervants 
efcaped into a church-yard, the other being flan. The lead-. 
er of this unworthy mob was Confu, brother to Guebra’ 
Mehedin. Every thing that could be carried away was 
ftolen or broken; among which was a reflecting telefcope, 
a barometer, and thermometer; a great many papers and 
ketches of drawings, firft torn, then burnt by Confu’s own 
hand, with many curfes and threats again{t me. 
¥ 
Tue next day, about nine o’clock, I had a meflage to’ 
come tothe palace, where I went, and was immediately ad- 
mitted. Socinios was fitting, his eyes half clofed, red as fcar- 
let with laft night’s debauch ; he was apparently at that mo- 
ment much.in liquor; his mouth full of tobacco, fquirt- 
ing his {pittle out of his mouth to a very great diftance ; 
with this he had fo covered the floor, that it was with very 
great difficulty I could chufe a clean place to kneel and 
make my obeifance. He was dreffed like the late king, 
but, in every thing elfe, how unlike! my mind was filled. 
with horror and deteftation, to fee the throne on which he 
fat fo unworthily occupied. I regarded him as I advanced 
with the moft perfect contempt: Hamlet’s lines defcribed 
bim exactly :— | : 
2 | i 
