TO THE PASSAGE OF MOUNT H^MUS. 20^ 
and as he mentioned the comfort he derived chap. 
from a consciousness of not having deserted her 
V. 
in her utmost need, we congratulated him upon 
his marvellous escape from the contagion ; but 
he would not allow the expression to be used : — 
" How could that be called an escape,' he asked, 
" which was only a continuance of his appointed 
*nime?" 
The country exhibited the same wretched Aspect 
appearance which it wore when we were here country. 
in January: the spring this year being very 
backward, its approach had wrought no change 
in the dreary aspect of the scene. At the end 
of three hours we reached Buyuk Tchekmadjeh, 
approaching it, from the south, by its four 
successive bridges. We found the whole place 
abandoned, owing to the alarm which our Tahtar 
couriers had excited, in preparing for the arrival 
of the Ambassador. The dread of being pil- 
laged by the Turkish grandees, causes the 
people everywhere to fly when they approach. 
"We had therefore choice enough of lodgings ; 
for every place of habitation was deserted. 
The house to which we were conducted was as 
clean as the dwelling of the most fastidious 
Hollander. This town consists of forty houses, 
and contains one hundred and sixty Turkish 
