the good
things not easily to be had at Adalia. It is so deeply retired in
uncivilisation, and so wanting withal in the excitements of energetic
barbarism, that human life is there tamed down to the most passionless
condition. It was, too, notwithstanding the season, a time of unusual
commercial enterprise just then. It was the year of the murrain in
Egypt, which destroyed so enormous a proportion of their cattle; and
Mehemet Ali was sending in all directions to purchase horses, asses, and
kine. A large corvette of his came in while we were there, on this
service. She had landed her guns, and was filling her deck with
livestock. There was also a deal of business going on just then in the
timber line. But little evidence of this brisk state of the markets was
given by the people. A good many visitors certainly came off to see us;
but that was rather a reason why we should have accused the populace of
idleness. We were struck with the appearance of many of the old fellows
who honoured us with visits. They retained, without exception, the
orthodox dress and beard of the old school. Among them were a great
number of the green turbans, which mark the sacred person of the
"Hadji." Such a clustering of these distinguished characters made us
fancy at first that Adalia itself must be invested with the idea of some
peculiar sanctity. But we found that these gentlemen were merely _en
route_, tarrying at Adalia, a great point of embarkation, for
opportunity to pursue their journey. The place is in one of the great
high roads to the Hedjaz: and of the swarms who pass through it every
year, many pilgrims have not sufficient funds to defray the expense of
travelling either way. It then becomes a work of charity for the more
opulent of the faithful to speed them on the journey. But that they
depend on such means of travelling is reason sufficient to account for
long in their line of locomotion, and for their congregating here in
considerable numbers. Of all places likely to maintain the constant
infection of plague, this must be one of the first: for notoriously
among no people is the disease so rife as among the pilgrims.

The worthy consul did his best to embellish the days of our sojourn with
pleasurable episodes. Society there was not likely to be any; but yet
such as, for want of better, they had, he undertook to show us. He
really seemed very much obliged to us for our opportune visit, and said
that it would be the making of him.