upon said: "But perhaps His Highness would be so gracious as to
give me even these few words in writing."

Upon this both Boghoz Bey and Artim Bey at once began: "My dear L.,
yesterday was your Sabbath and to-day is ours; I know you are strict
in the observance of your religious tenets, therefore we beg you will
not insist on our writing."

The Pasha smiled, so did all present. Boghoz Bey made several
observations to the Pasha respecting our conversation of yesterday.
Having expressed my thanks to the Pasha, in the name of Sir Moses, I
withdrew from his presence.

At 3 P.M. the _Acheron_ left the harbour. Our bill of health from
Alexandria stated, "With regard to the health of the place, occasional
cases of plague occur in this town." This was signed by John Wingfield
Larking, Her Britannic Majesty's Consul. We were naturally all glad to
quit the place.

CHAPTER XXV.

1839.

ARRIVAL AT MALTA--HOME AGAIN--BOGHOZ BEY RETURNS NO ANSWER--TOUCHING
APPEAL FROM THE PERSECUTED JEWS OF DAMASCUS AND RHODES--REVIVAL OF THE
OLD CALUMNY ABOUT KILLING CHRISTIANS TO PUT THEIR BLOOD IN PASSOVER
CAKES.

_July 18th._--About ten o'clock at night we entered the quarantine
harbour at Malta, where we were ordered to remain till August 7th. To
be confined for twenty days, during the hot summer months, with three
hundred pilgrims, at Fort Manoel, was already a cause of great
discomfort to Sir Moses and Lady Montefiore, but the circumstances
were here made especially painful to them by the loss of a faithful
servant, whose death occurred during their stay in the Lazaretto. In
addition to this they received news that the Turkish fleet had been
delivered up to Mohhammad Ali, in Alexandria, by Kapoudan Pasha; that
the Sultan was dead, and 150,000 Russian troops had arrived at
Constantinople. This change in the political horizon frustrated almost
all Sir Moses and Lady Montefiore's hopes of seeing their schemes for
the amelioration of the condition of Syria realised. There was no
chance now of receiving letters from Mohhammad Ali.

_August 6th._--The captain of the Lazaretto was there before five
o'clock in the morning to give us _pratique_. Sir Moses and Lady
Montefiore went to the Synagogue, presented some ornaments for the
Ark, and various gifts to the officers. They also called on the
Governor, and after paying visits to Sir Hector Grey and their many
other friends, went on board our steamer the _Lycurgus_.

_August 7th._--