'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.' [‎291] (336/562)

[ 291 ]
to the ground from the room in which he himfelf flept, fo that whoever 17
in his dominions had any grievance to complain of which they wiftied the
king to redrefs, they were ordered to pull at this chain. It once happened,
that an afs which had fuffered much from the crucky of his mafter, came
and tugged at the end of it and what was ftill more furprizing, the power
of fpeech was fo far miraculoufly given to him, as enabled him to make
one of the king's attendants underftand, that he the als had bufinefs with
his majefty. The creature accordingly got admittance, diicovered its
wounds, &c. The owner was lent for, feverely rebuked, and told, that if
in a certain number of days, he did not cure the afs, he fhould certainly
be put to death. Fortunately for him, fays the fable, the creature was
made well exadly at the time limited, and ever afterwards the afs, and
all other ufeful cattle, were exempted from thofe heavy fufferings, to which
before this incident, they had been accuftomed from the feverity of their
matters, who intimidated by this furprizing ftory became alfo more care
ful of the lives of their beafts. The ftory adds, that a great fnake came
afterwards to make a vifit, but his bufinefs was only to bring the king a
water-melon-feed, as a reward for the faithful difcharge of his kingly truft:
and from this fingle feed have fince been produced all ,the water-melons
in the world. Such kind of allegorical ftories are not uncommon in
Turky.
About a mile and a half to the eaftward of the Arch, (lands an ancient
mud-wall, three fides of a fquare, fronting eaft, weft, and north •, the river
is to the fouth: the wall is about forty feet high, and thirty thick, and each
fide about a mile in length -, we conclude it to have been a citadel to this
once extenfive city. From the ruins hereabouts, are picked up ancient
coins: not long ago, a poor fellow in digging, found a Imall jar with one
piece of gold, and feveral forts of filver and copper pieces of money. I
could only learn that they are looked on as ancient Perfian or Parthian
coins: thp prefent Bajha has them, though neither he nor any of the Turks
have a true tafte for fuch remains. The bifhop's paflion turns to medals \
he has made a great collection, it is faid to the value of 50 or 60,000
pialtres, or about 6 or 7000 /. fterling.
From fome poor Arabs, who live in a fmall village near the Arch, we got
milk, butter, and a lamb which our fervant broiled; he fhot alfo a young
Jackal, which we prefented to an old Arab woman who was very thankful,
and we were told would eat it.
At half paft twelve at night, we lent our baggage to the Sandal, to be Mon
carried to Baghdad, and mounted our cattle; we returned over the river Ma y
toTeallah about three in the morning, when we were entertained by the lark ;
reded before the ferry-houfe for half an hour, faw eight Pelicans in our
journey back, and arrived at Mr. Garden's in the city, between fix and feven,
P p 2 where