but this we do know, that the love of our Father,
and his gracious providence, will be magnified by all events, and that
we shall yet praise him more and more. It seems to me more than
probable that the Pasha does not intend to return. By the plague he
has lost half his soldiers, and a great number of his Georgian slaves,
who are his personal attached friends; he may now remove without
obstruction perhaps, from any one, or the possibility of any
communication being made to his enemies to intercept him; but time
only will show; however this may be, it is certain that should the
plague cease to-morrow, the city is in such a state, that no
resistance could be made for one moment to any enemy. How invaluable
the past proofs of the Lord's loving kindness and tender mercies are
at such times, the remembrance of him from the Hill Mizar of the
Hermonites. In going along the streets to-day, I saw several poor
sufferers labouring under the plague; and a number of places, where
clothes had been brought out and burnt.

Our anxieties have been greatly increased by the illness of our dear
little baby; but our unerring Physician has restored her to us to-day,
we trust in a measure which promises amendment.

_April 27._--To-day all thoughts are turned from the plague to the
inundation, which from the falling of a portion of the city wall on
the north-west side last night, let the water in full stream into the
city. The Jews' quarter is inundated, and 200 houses fell there last
night: we are hourly expecting to hear, that every part of the city is
overflowed. A part also of the wall of the citadel is fallen. And, in
fact, such is the structure of the houses, that if the water remains
near the foundations long, the city must become a mass of ruins. The
mortar they use in building is very like plaister of Paris, which sets
very hard, and does very well when all is dry; but as soon as ever
water is applied, it all crumbles to powder; and in building walls of
four or five feet thick, they have only an outside casing of brick
work thus cemented, and within it is filled up with dust and rubbish,
so that what seems strong enough in appearance to bear any thing, soon
moulders away, and by its own weight accelerates its ruin. It must be
many many years, if ever, before the city can recover. But it seems
to me, that this seat of Mohammedan glory, and of its proudest
recollections, has received its death-warrant from the hand of the
Lord. This