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have paid the Greek peasants for his supply of provisions; but 
that was not permitted: and so liable were they to such pillage, 
that they generally denied having the articles. At one place where 
the usual supply was demanded, the head of the village pretending 
he did not understand the Turkish language, the mikmindar 
knocked him down, and kicked him until he began to complain 
in good Turkish of being thus beaten, when it was well known the 
villagers were poor people, often in want of necessaries, and whose 
princes scarcely left them the air they breathed: “ Pshaw! thou 
art joking, friend/' replied Ali Aga, “ thou art in want of nothing, 
except of being well basted a little oftener; but all in good lime: 
proceed we now to business. I must instantly have two sheep, a 
dozen of fowls, a dozen of pigeons, fifty pounds of bread, twelve 
pounds of butter, with salt, pepper, nutmegs, cinnamon, lemons, 
wine, salad, and good oil of olive; all in great plenty." The 
Moldavian replied with tears, 44 I have already told you that 
we are poor creatures, without so much as bread to eat; where 
then must we get cinnamon?" On this, the conductor took his 
whip, and flogged the poor Moldavian until he could bear it no 
longer: when, finding Ali Aga inexorable, and that the provisions 
must be produced, he ran off; and in less than a quarter of an 
hour, the primate of the village, assisted by three of his country- 
men, brought all the provisions required, not forgetting even the 
cinnamon." 
I wish not by the preceding relation to diminish the hospitality 
of Ragojee or Govindsett: the conduct of their people who 
escorted us was consistent with the usage of Hindostan: where 
princes, governors, and officers, travelling through a country, pitch 
