Volume 4

Travels in various countries of Europe, Asia and Africa / By Edward Daniel Clarke.

  • Clarke, Edward Daniel, 1769-1822.
Date:
1810-1823
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Travels in various countries of Europe, Asia and Africa / By Edward Daniel Clarke. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    632/842 (page 544)
    chap, i, ^ observed this morning a very extraordinary serpent, moving Remarkable upon the grass : it had a large blunt and thick head ; but in other respects it resembled a common viper. Mr. Cripps descended from his horse and killed it; and with that abhorrence of a reptile, terrible in its aspect, and perhaps dangerous, we were glad to see it lifeless. Carrying it, however, in his hands to shew to the Ambassador, who was seated in his arabdh, he received a mild but pointed reproof, against the wanton ness of depriving an animal, un¬ necessarily, of life.—“ Bey Zadeh! said he, had that poor serpent done anything to injure you P Are you the happier because you have deprived it of life P—Do not carry with you a proof of your cruelty; it may be unlucky: the same God who made you, created also the serpent; and surely there was room enough in this wilderness for both of you /” At noon we came to a fountain, with Turkish inscriptions, where the whole procession halted for public prayer. We have before mentioned the imposing appearance ot the Moslems during their devotions; but any person, with a spark ot genuine piety in his breast, could not have beheld this sight unmoved. The Ambassador and all his train of Turkish attendants took off their superb shawls to spread as carpets before them ; then, kneeling down beneath the canopy of heaven, they poured forth their offering of praise and thanks¬ giving, with a fervency of spirit, and an awful solemnity of manner, that filled us with respect and admiration. At six hours’ distance from Tchorlu, we turned a little out of the road to the village of Caristrania, where the Ambassador dined with his suite. Here we found the Agha Caristrania.