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queen's birthday. 
There is no calculating on the strength of the 
impulse of curiosity. 
24^7^. — The Queen^s birthday. At eight o'clock 
Mr. Gagliuffi fired a musket, and hoisted the 
British jack and pennant over the Consulate. At 
noon, fifty-one discharges of muskets and matchlocks 
announced the auspicious event to the natives of 
this city, and to the Tibboos, Tuaricks, Soudanese, 
Bornouese, and all other strangers of the Sahara and 
Central Africa. In the evening, the Consul gave a 
dinner to us travellers and to the Pasha and his 
officers. The healths of her Majesty, the Sultan, 
and the King of Prussia, were drunk in champagne 
with enthusiasm. There were thirty or forty dishes 
on the table, and among them a turkey, the first 
ever killed in this city. Mr. Gagliuffi had recently 
brought a cock and hen from Tripoli. A small 
saloon was decorated with banners and cotton-stuffs 
of Soudan, with various devices. Amongst these were 
a small portrait of her Majesty ; an Ottoman blood- 
red flag, with its crescent and star ; and a white flag 
with the Prussian black eagle. The effect was excel- 
lent, and quite astonished the natives. The Turks 
ate and drank famously, and for the most part got 
"elevated." When in this state it was curious to 
see them clawing at the viands, utterly forgetful of 
Eastern gravity and decorum. I must observe, how- 
ever, that Mustapha Bey himself and one other 
officer declined to drink wine. The Turks seem very 
tolerant to one another in this respect. It is left as 
