'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.' [‎367] (420/562)

[ 367 ]
The reading of the above letter gave us all frefli fpirits; we drank the
writers health in water, which (as before obferved) was the only liquor we
were now mafteis cu, and alter wards threw ourfelves on our cots, but fuch
was the joyous perturbation of our fpirits, that we could not take a mo
ment's ileep.
. At ten we f et off once more in our proper ftation, and travelled near
eight hours over an uncultivated country, though much lefs ruo-aed than
what we had lately met with. At feven in the morning, we pitched our
tents by the fide of a river, in a plain, near to an old Caravanferah. Our
courle was from S. S. W. to W. S. W; we travelled about three miles an
hour, which has hitherto been our ufual progrefs in tolerable roads. In
bad ones we do not get forwards above two. I judge upon the whole,
that from Merdin we have made two miles and an half by the hour 5 from
Baghdad to Merdin, three.
From hence we fent our sfga to the Kahier, with our beft compile
ments and thanks to himfelf and Ahdallah Bajha, and likewife to know
whether they approved of our proceeding to Aleppo by ourfelves after the
next ftage. An anfwer being brought us in the affirmative, Mr. Doidge
thought it neceflary to acknowledge the receipt of the conful's letter by the
fame melfenger who had brought it, giving him to underftand that we
hoped to kifs his hand at Aleppo to-morrow morning. In the evening
we were cruelly mortified by a melfage which the Kahier fent by 'the
Aga, importing, that fince the morning he had held a confultation with the
Bajha on the fubjefl of our parting with him to-morrow ; that the Bajha
would by no means confent to it, but infifted on our accompanying him
quite to Aleppo, which, he faid, would be doing a mutual honour both to
himlelf and us. As the whole tenor of this mefTage was con trad i(5lory to
the promife we had received in the morning, we did not fail to remonftrate
againft it, but to no manner of purpofe. The Kahier fent us word, that
he was forry for our difappointment, yet fuch was the will of the Bajha y
and what reply could pofllbly be made to it ? Adding however, that the
confent given us in the morning had been without the Bajha\ knowledge;
that he (the Kahier) had taken upon himfelf to give it, not doubting of
his mifter's acquiefcence, and knowing that upon every account it would be
moft acceptable to us, whom he wifhed to oblige. Thefe were foothing
words, but by no means fufficient to ftifle our difcontent, or to reconcile
us to this abominable aft of turkifh defpotifm. We determined therefore
to leave the Bajha at all events, being now fully convinced that his fole
motive for detaining us, was the fooliih pafiion of having us in his train
when he enters the city of Aleppo,
• ■ ' ;v ; n {i \
At half pad ten we decamped again, and moved off in our ufual order,
pafling by a few inhabited villages, and others that were quite in ruins. At
fix in the morning we got to the fpot where the Bajha intended to encamp,
7 but