TO THE COUNTRY OF THE CICONES. 89 
the Tchohodar only contented himself by re- chap. 
pediting, " In shallahf Inshallak^!" Afterwards 
they fell to relating their exploits : and this 
conversation served to tranquillize them a little; 
for about two hours after midnight they re- 
tired, and left us in quiet possession of the 
booth. When they were all gone, the TcJiokodar 
went to prayers in good earnest, exclaiming 
loudly. Ma slidllah^ ! And holding up his hands, 
to express more forcibly his sense of our 
deliverance, he said, — and there is no reason to 
doubt the truth of it, — that if he had produced 
i\\Qjirmdn which he had in his bosom, instead 
of deriving protection from it, we should all of 
us have been put to death. Indeed the death 
of Mr. Wood, when in a similar situation among 
the rebels north of Constantinople , has been 
attributed entirely to his want of discretion, 
in not concealing the firman and letters of 
authority he carried with him ; for they offered 
'2) " // God will it : If God will it !" 
(3) Ma sha'llah ! is an exclamation of g^ratitude upon any occa- 
sion : literally interpreted, it signifies " JVhat hath God done?" 
But the Turks write it upon the outside of their liouses, as an amulet ; 
and in this manner, 
