210 FROM CONSTANTINOPLE, 
CHAP, very extraordinary serpent, moving upon the 
. orass : it had a laroce blunt and thick head. 
Remark- ^^^^ j^_^ othcr rcspccts it resembled a common 
Serpent, yipcr. Mr. Cripps descended from his horse 
and killed it ; and w^ith our abhorrence of a 
reptile, terrible in its aspect, and perhaps 
dangerous, we , were glad to see it lifeless. 
Carrying it, however, in his hands to shew 
to the Ambassador, who was seated in his 
arabah, he received a mild but pointed reproof, 
against the wantonness of depriving an animal, 
unnecessarily, of life. — " Bey Zadehr said he, 
" had that poor serpent done any thing to injure 
you? Are you the happier because you have 
deprived it of life f—Do not carry ivith you a 
proof of your cruelty ; it may he unlucky : the same 
God who made you, created also the serpent; 
and surely there was room enough in this ivilderness 
for hath of you .'" At noon we came to a fountain 
with a Turkish inscription, where the whole pro- 
cession halted for public prayer. We have 
before mentioned the imposing appearance 
of the Moslems during their devotions ; but any 
person with a spark of genuine piety in his 
breast, would not have beheld this sight un- 
moved. The Ambassador and all his train of 
Turkish attendants took oti' their superb shawls^ 
to spread as carpets before them; then, kneeling 
