'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.' [‎315] (364/562)

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his eyes, that I would enjoin the young gentleman not to fuflfer himfelf any 175^
more to be thus exercifed, for the prieil was attempting to convert him to u--y—-
Mahometanifm ; adding, he knew an inftance of it at Smyrna, where an
unwary perfon having been taught the like words, the meaning of which
he did not underftand, and enticed to repeat them before proper witneffes,
found himfelf under a neceffity of undergoing the other ceremonies, as ablu
tion, circumcifion, &c. which are always the appendages of converfion. This
fervant fince afllired me, that the Chief Prieft did then and often afterwards
highly abufe him for having intermeddled i adding, that he was now grown
old, muft die foon, and would go to hell, unlefs he embraced the true
faith. On our leaving the prieft's houfe, we defired his acceptance of fome
raw coffee, and half a dozen of china coffee-cups which our Ago, had
recommended as the moft agreeable prefent we could make. We fent it
by Francifco, with our thanks for his civilities; he received it with a con-
fequential air, but thanked us, and with a high founding voice, faid, " He
hoped before long we Ihould all become true Mujfulmen"
We took with us from Kircoote 1 5 armed men, and travelled over a June 29.
trad, rocky, and perfedly barren, till after four o'clock in the morning,
when we met with fome ground which had here and there a cultivated fpot.
At half paft four, we rode by a miferably looking village on our left;
it extended to a new bridge of one high arch, which was of fo difficult an
afcent, that we judged it fafeft to difmount. This bridge was built at
the expence of the reigning Bajha of Baghdad, the old one being in ruins ;
two arches of it ftill remain at a little diftance from the new bridge, which
is about 45 feet high, and very narrrow. Having pafTed a little river by
this bridge, we came to a fmall town called Alton-Couprie. The river hath A lton-
its fource in the high Courdiftan mountains, which we now faw to the right Couprie.
before us, whofe tops are partly covered with fnow, and empties itfelf
into the Tygris. The old bridge here, they tell us was built by the ancient
Chriftians, to whom the town formerly belonged. The river abounds with
fifh, and we got fome fine carpj there are fome we were told which weigh 200
pounds.
We pitched our tents on an eminence, fomewhat to the northward of
the town, and for want of a houfe, continued in them the whole day.
Here I again experienced the weather to be unfpeakably hot and diftreffing.
We have to rejoice however that our good fortune brought us this way,
and did not fuffer us to go by that of the Great Defert. Dreadful is the heat
even here ! but how much more muft it have been in the other road,
where we (hould ever have been in want of a houfe and vegetables, and
never have had a plenty of water. In our way hither, we faw a large ftone
bomb-fhell, which our guard told us was one of Kuli Khan's \ we met alfo
a little Caravan, four days from Moful: they confirmed the account we
before received of the Bajhafs being expected there in four or five days, and
that the two great Caravans waited for an efcort.
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