REMAINS OF THE CASTLE OF MARRA. 195

CHAPTER XIII.

The present village of Marra-Its Appearance-Inhabitants—A Turkish Answer-Crusaders and Saracens-Cruelties and Barbarities of Crusaders-Sacking of Marra under Bohemond-Khan SebelDishonesty of Turkish officials Sermeim to Aleppo-Approach to that City-Its Walls-Mode of Life and Habits of AleppenesBazaars and Streets of Aleppo-American Missionaries thereHungarians-General Bem-Gate of Fair Prospect-Strange Custom of the Ladies of Aleppo-Visit to Mussulman Tombs-The Beautiful House of the Family of Sada-General Indolence at Aleppo-Turkish Servants-Vaccination for the Aleppo Button-That Disease Described-Curious Cure-The Slave and his Master.

THE present village of Marra lies on the side of a hill; pretty fields and plantations stretch away, till lost in the distance at the foot of the Ansayrii Mountains. Beyond, to the west, are the remains of the Castle, famous in crusading annals, built of huge stones. Amidst its now crumbling ruins, live eleven families, principally inhabiting its old vaults. The ditch, deep and broad, is cut out of the solid rock. The inhabitants are now entirely Mussulman; the town, flat roofed and unwalled, presents the usual, half-ruinous appearance of all Eastern places. The mosque, or rather the

minaret, is handsomely built: there are also two large khans. In the mosque, in the centre of one, we have taken up our quarters. My companion has most comfortably put his head in the niche that points towards Mecca, the broad road of the faithful to the realms of bliss. The whole is well built; outside is a very pretty court, supported by plain, handsome pillars. A curious instance of the idea the natives entertain of the universality of the Frank's talents occurred here. The Montselim sent many compliments to our courier, to beg he would cut him out a pair of European trousers, at the same time sending the calico.

The khan full: a caravan arrived from Aleppo; a Turkish usurer has joined us. These are a dreadful set they lend the poor fellahs (cultivators) money on the next year's produce, and this at 40 per cent., or even higher. Few Turks do this; it is a profession more common among the Christians; and the man who follows it is deservedly looked down upon. The people here were most civil, more so than the Turks are generally, which is saying a great deal; and nowhere do we less deserve it, as, probably, my crusading ancestor, of proud memory, helped to

MOSLEM MARCH ON MARRA.

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slay the ancestors of some who now bid me welcome to their houses. Some dancing boys made their request to be permitted to dance before us, which was refused; they, however, kept up, till nearly dawn, a racket, in which camels and donkeys joined chorus, while our money-lending companion snored solo in the corner; and the fleas attacked us so fiercely, that it was no interruption of rest to rise up and prepare for another day's march.

The autumn after the Crusaders had taken Antioch was passed in disputes, jealousies, and dissensions, which bade fair to be more hindrance to the Christian cause than all the swords of the Moslems. The soldiers, apparently imbued with the true spirit, clamoured to be led to complete their holy intentions: their chiefs but led them to achieve aggrandisement for themselves, and they marched on Marra. Their zeal and courage were, however, long ineffectual: the Moslems met their assault with a courage equal to their own, and now, for the first time, with equal weapons-the state secret had oozed out; and from the walls of Marra Greek fire was poured on the invaders. The Saracens had before used it at the siege of

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CRUELTIES OF THE CRUSADERS.

Thessalonica, A.D. 904; but this was, probably, the first time they had used it against the Crusaders.

Already the fat plain of Antioch had been exhausted by the wasteful invaders; the people of the district of Apamea, in which was Marra, had driven off their cattle to the mountains; and such was the improvident recklessness of the Crusaders, that they began the siege without stores or provisions. Their scaling-ladders were too short; they supplied their other wants by tearing open the graves, and feasting on their fetid contents they rifled the dead for gold, and then ate their bodies, raw or cooked, for food. Albert of Aix says they ate not only Saracens, but cooked dogs. Foucher de Chartres relates that the Crusaders, ravening with hunger, cut the flesh from the thighs of dead Saracens, and, with cruel tooth, devoured the same almost raw. Some roasted boys whole on spits, or boiled them like chickens. At last, on the arrival of Bohemond, the frantic courage of the Crusaders carried the place. All even those who had bought a promise of safety from the Christians-were massacred; the men fell, or were sold to slavery; the girls met a gentler, but more dishonoured, fate.

MARRA TO SERMEIM.

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Jealousies again arose, and the city was finally levelled with the ground, to remove the dissensions as to its possession. Apamea, the capital of the province, was one of the three cities built by Seleucus, B.C. 300.

April 19th.-Marra to Sermeim, five hours and a half. There was a delay in starting. The mountains on our left are now a low range of hills, loose rock, with no signs of cultivation. We passed several villages lying on our east, and in two and a half hours arrived at Khan Sebel. It gives one the idea of a rough fortress of the middle ages, consisting of a large court-yard, surrounded by a double range of low huts in two stories, full of inhabitants as a rabbit-warren; people, fowls, dogs, all pigged together. The outside walls high and well built, quite sufficient to resist any sudden attack. Without, there were a few almost underground huts, not worth plundering, or they would not have been there.

We passed on, leaving the Turks, who had no property to be robbed of, clamouring for an escort, which, spite of letters and orders, the Montselim steadily refused to give them, though we were pressed to take one. Oh, silver key! Oh,