DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.12665#0184
168
INCIDENTS OF TRAVEL.
and thirty years before had left his native city ami'
come to Hebron with a regular passport ; that for
many years a European passport was no protec-
tion, and, indeed, it had been rather an object with
him to lay aside the European character, and iden-
tify himself with the Asiatics; that, in consequence,
he had been careless of his passport, and had lost
it; but that now, since the conquest of Moham-
med Aly and the government of Ibrahim Pacha, a
European passport was respected, and saved its
holder and his family from Turkish impositions.
He mourned bitterly over his loss, not, as he said,
for himself, for his days were almost ended, and
the storms of life could not break over his head
more heavily than they had already done ; but he
mourned for his children and grandchildren, whom
his carelessness had deprived of the evidence of
their birthright and the protection of their coun-
try. I was interested in the old man's story, and
particularly in his unobtrusive manner of telling it;
and drawing upon the reminiscences of my legal
knowledge, I told him that the loss of his passport
had not deprived him of his right to the protection
of his country, and that, if he could establish the
fact of his being a native of Venice, he might still
sit down under the wings of the double-headed
eagle of Austria. I afterward went more into de-
tail. Learning that there were in Hebron some
of his very old acquaintances, who could testify to
the fact of his nativity, I told him to bring them to
me, and I would take their affidavits, and on nrv
INCIDENTS OF TRAVEL.
and thirty years before had left his native city ami'
come to Hebron with a regular passport ; that for
many years a European passport was no protec-
tion, and, indeed, it had been rather an object with
him to lay aside the European character, and iden-
tify himself with the Asiatics; that, in consequence,
he had been careless of his passport, and had lost
it; but that now, since the conquest of Moham-
med Aly and the government of Ibrahim Pacha, a
European passport was respected, and saved its
holder and his family from Turkish impositions.
He mourned bitterly over his loss, not, as he said,
for himself, for his days were almost ended, and
the storms of life could not break over his head
more heavily than they had already done ; but he
mourned for his children and grandchildren, whom
his carelessness had deprived of the evidence of
their birthright and the protection of their coun-
try. I was interested in the old man's story, and
particularly in his unobtrusive manner of telling it;
and drawing upon the reminiscences of my legal
knowledge, I told him that the loss of his passport
had not deprived him of his right to the protection
of his country, and that, if he could establish the
fact of his being a native of Venice, he might still
sit down under the wings of the double-headed
eagle of Austria. I afterward went more into de-
tail. Learning that there were in Hebron some
of his very old acquaintances, who could testify to
the fact of his nativity, I told him to bring them to
me, and I would take their affidavits, and on nrv