'A voyage from England to India, in the year 1754, and an historical narrative of the operations of the squadron and army in India, under the command of Vice-Admiral Watson and Colonel Clive, in the years 1755, 1756, 1757 ... Also a journey from Persia to England by an unusual route. With an appendix, containing an account of the diseases prevalent in Admiral Watson's squadron, etc.' [‎281] (324/562)

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[ 281 J
although he fat down before it twice with a very numerous army, and threw
fcveral hundred (hells into the city, could not matter it. The wall all
round is full of loop-holes for mufketry, and has in its infide, little cham
bers or lodgments for the foldiers. From the bottom of the ditch to the
top of the wall is about forty feet: the De/er/ comes quite up to the foot
of the glacis.
The bifliop remembers, that about twenty-five years ago, the rivers
Euphrates and Tygris were fo overflown, that the whole country between
them appeared as one large fea •, and over all the plain between this city and
people could pafsonly in boats : the water flowed quite up to the o-Ia-
cis, the ditch was full, the city alio overflown, and the foundation of moft of
the buildings hurt-, th ee hundred houfes were entirely deftroyed. To pre
vent as much as poffible fuch a thing from happening again, the Turks take
care now to face the foundation wall of their houfes, with a compofition
of charcoal, aihes, and Demar (a fort of bitumen.)
The land towards the Defert is almoft entirely barren, except two or
three fpots with com, whofe harveft is now gathering in. Without the city
were many hundred Camels^ fome preparing for Bamafcus, others for Mofiil
In our ride, I obferved every Mofque or church to be crouded with pigeons
on the outfide, which breed in the Domes and Minarets-, and you generally
fee on the Minarets the Stork, a large bird called by the Jrabs Leg-leg, a
deftroyer of ferpents j the Turks never offer to moleft it, on the contrary a
neft of them is efteemed by a bigoted Turk more than a field full of fheep
and camels. Thofe who own a houfe where Storks have nefted, are fuppofed
to receive great bleflings from heaven; and if a Chriftian fhould happen to
kill one of them, his life would be in danger. Upon the wall and glacis,
were feveral large birds, not unlike a Mallard-, but by the peculiarity of
their cry, they muft be of a different fpecies.
After our ride, we breakfafted with the bifhop, on coffee, bread, and
country cheefe, (which laft is very indifferent) apples and mulberries ; the
mulberries are of the fmall Indian fort, not much refembling ours in Europe.
We finiflied, with fmoaking the Argik, and drinking a glafs of French white
wine, and came home about nine o'clock, when wc found the carpenters,
brifkly at work on our Takht Revans.
Bap a Solyman, is the chief commander at Baghdad under the Grand Seignior:
in effeel, he is the fupreme lord himfelf of this part of the empire.
He makes no remittances to the Porte, but rather, he yearly brings his
matter in debt for repairs, or pretended repairs of fortifications, fupporc
of troops, &c. The Grand Seignior has more than once attempted to
fuperfede him •, but the Janizaries, of whom he has at leaft forty thou-
fand under his command, would admit of no other mafter; fince that time
three or four different meffengers have been fecretly fent for his head, but
O o as
1758.
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