427 
Bey quitted the Ottoman empire at sunrise on Saturday 
the 19th of December 1807. 
After a journey of six hours he arrived at a village 
where he saw the first Russian picquets, one of which 
accompanied him to the advanced guard of the £trmy ? 
which occupied a line of heights and small redoubts on 
the other side of a large river, the bridges over which 
were destroyed. Ali Bey praises the civility he experi- 
enced from the Russian general and the other officers 
whom he found at this place. 
Hence he was conducted to a village near Bucharest 
to another general, who welcomed our traveller with all 
the delicacy and urbanity displayed by well-bred men 
in all civilized nations. Ali Bey, after having taken his 
leave, and made his acknowledgments, set out for 
Bucharest, where he arrived late at night. 
The fatigue of this wearisome journey having rather 
exhausted the strength of our traveller, he was obliged 
to take two days' repose, but the attentions of the 
Russian general Bahmetief, and the Chevalier Kiriko, 
a consul general of the same nation, contributed to his 
speedy recovery. Ali Bey feels himself unable to ex- 
press his gratitude to these two respectable individuals, 
as also to general Vlanius, the Archbishop Diothithors, 
the two lieutenants of Prince Ipsilanti, and the other 
nobles of Wallachia. 
Bucharest, the capital of Wallachia, is a city of con- 
siderable extent, and of an agreeable rural appearance. 
The streets are straight, of a good width, and paved 
with wood; the houses are low, but have large doors 
which admit carriages to the foot of the staircase; and 
the gardens are very numerous. This capital is said to 
contain from 60 to 70,000 souls. The churches and 
chapels are stated to be three hundred and sixty; the 
