300 
TURKISH CAMP, 
hisarmed train, that at all reminded meof Xenophon or his Greeks; 
though the grim and mustachioed visages, rich and varied cos¬ 
tumes, flowing draperies, and brilliantly mounted weapons of 
the rest, might present a not unlikely picture of Ariasus and his 
Asiatics. 
As soon as the pasha’s letter was read, the kiahya repeated 
his welcomes again and again; adding, that he “ should take 
care never to let me stir, without an attendant force, sufficient to 
prevent the possibility of any danger ; for the pasha had given 
such orders on that head , as made the command peremptory.” 
This was rather too much of a good thing, and excited my 
alarm, lest I should be in another danger, that of being most 
inconveniently checked in the object of my proposed expedition 
into the desert, by so exaggerated a care of my person. Ac¬ 
cordingly, I lost no time in showing his excellency that I did 
not intend any such restriction ; and, on expressing my deter¬ 
mination to begin my observations, by proceeding toBirsNimrood 
the succeeding day, which lies across the river, and about six or 
seven miles from his camp, he called the officer appointed to 
command my guard, into his presence, and gave him instructions 
to be always at my orders, but never to relax his vigilance over 
my safety night nor day. During these discussions, coffee, pipes, 
&c. were served in their due courses; and with every appropriate 
ceremony, similar to the style in which I had been received by 
the Pasha. But the figure and air of my military host were by 
far the most stately and solemn of the two. His features might 
be considered handsome, though of a too composed gravity to 
be called pleasing; a composure, however, when looked into, 
that seemed more the effect of intended concealment of the 
workings of the mind, than an original absence either of thought 
