DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.12665#0263
AN EX-OFFICIAL.
24T
some of his friends came in to look at and welcome
the stranger, I laid myself down upon the divan
and went to sleep.
The next morning I was unable to move ; the
fatigue, and particularly the rain of the preceding
day, had been too much for me, and I remained all
the morning in an up-stairs room, with a high ceil-
ing and a stone floor, lying on a rug in one cor-
ner, cold, desponding, and miserable. In the after-
noon I went down into the large room, to talk with
the consular agent. But a year before he had
flourished in all the pomp and pride of office.
The arms of our country were blazoned over his
door, and the stars and stripes had protected his
dwelling ; but a change had come over him. The
Viceroy of Syria had ordered the flags of the con-
suls to be taken down at Ramla, and forbidden any
of his subjects to hold the office except in the sea-
port towns. I could not help thinking that he was
perfectly right, as it was merely allowing them the
benefit of a foreign protection, to save them and their
families, with two or three janizaries, from their
duties to himself; but I listened attentively to the
complaints of the poor agent. His dignity had been
touched, and his pride humbled in the eyes of his
townsmen ; for the governor had demanded the
usual duty from his sons, and had sent his execu-
tive officers with the summary order, the duty or
the bastinado. The agent owed his appointment
to Commodore Patterson ; and talked of him and
Captain Nicholson as friends who would see jus-
24T
some of his friends came in to look at and welcome
the stranger, I laid myself down upon the divan
and went to sleep.
The next morning I was unable to move ; the
fatigue, and particularly the rain of the preceding
day, had been too much for me, and I remained all
the morning in an up-stairs room, with a high ceil-
ing and a stone floor, lying on a rug in one cor-
ner, cold, desponding, and miserable. In the after-
noon I went down into the large room, to talk with
the consular agent. But a year before he had
flourished in all the pomp and pride of office.
The arms of our country were blazoned over his
door, and the stars and stripes had protected his
dwelling ; but a change had come over him. The
Viceroy of Syria had ordered the flags of the con-
suls to be taken down at Ramla, and forbidden any
of his subjects to hold the office except in the sea-
port towns. I could not help thinking that he was
perfectly right, as it was merely allowing them the
benefit of a foreign protection, to save them and their
families, with two or three janizaries, from their
duties to himself; but I listened attentively to the
complaints of the poor agent. His dignity had been
touched, and his pride humbled in the eyes of his
townsmen ; for the governor had demanded the
usual duty from his sons, and had sent his execu-
tive officers with the summary order, the duty or
the bastinado. The agent owed his appointment
to Commodore Patterson ; and talked of him and
Captain Nicholson as friends who would see jus-