Travels in Greece, Palestine, Egypt, and Barbary During the Years 1806 and 1807 /c by F.A. de Chateaubriand ; Translated from the French by Frederic Shoberl

the Fathers of St. Saviour have not seen, perhaps, two hundred Catholic travellers, including the religious of their orders and the missionaries in the Levant. That the Latin pilgrims have never been numerous, may be proved from a thousand circumstances. Thevenot relates, that in 1656 he was the twenty-second person who had visited the Holy Sepulchre. Very often the number of pilgrims did not amount to twelve, since it was found necessary to take some of the religious to make up that number at the ceremony of foot-washing on Maundy Thursday.* In fact, in 1589, sixty-seven years before Thevenot, Villamont found only six European pilgrims at Jerusalem. If in 1589, when religion was so flourishing, no more than seven Latin pilgrims were to be found in Palestine, I leave the reader to judge how many there might have been in 1806. My arrival at the convent of St. Saviour was considered as an extraordinary event. M. Seetzen, who was there at Easter, the same year, that is, seven months before me, says that he was the only Catholic.

As the riches swallowed up by the Holy Sepulchre are not brought to Jerusalem by Catholics, they must consequently be derived from Jewish, Greek, and Armenian pilgrims. In this case even I think the calculations much over-rated.

The greatest expence of the pilgrims consists in the duties which they are obliged to pay to the

*Theven. chap. xlii. p. 391.

+ Liv. ii. c. 19. p. 250.

Turks and Arabs, either for admission into the holy places, or for caffari, or passports. Now the sum total of all these amounts to no more than sixty-five piastres twenty-nine paras. If the piastre be taken at its maximum, at fifty French sous, and the para at fifteen deniers, this will make one hundred sixty-four livres, six sous, three deniers* : but if we calculate the piastre at its minimum, that is, at thirty-three sous four deniers, and the para at ten deniers, we shall have one hundred and eight livres, nine sous, six deniers. Here is the statement as I received it from the procurator of the convent of St. Saviour. I leave it in Italian, which is now understood by every body, with the proper names of the Turks, &c. original characteristics which attest its authenticity.

Speza solita che fa un pelerino en la sua intrata da Giaffa sin a Geruseleme, e nel ritorno a Giaffa.‡

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The following accounts differ a little in their sums total, because the value of the piastre is daily fluctuating in Syria, while that of the para remains stationary: for which reason the piastre is at different times composed of a different number of paras.

Cavalcatura sin a Rama, e portar al Aravo*

che accompanas in a Gerusaleme.

Pago al Aravo che accompagna

Piast. Par.

Al vilano che accompagna da Gerasma 5 30
Cavalcatura per venire da Rama ed altra

Intrata nel SSmo. Sepulcro Al Meheah governatore. E stader del tempio .

Intrata nella citta Ciohadari del cadi e

governatore, sbirro e portinaro Primo e secundo drogomano

If the pilgrim goes to the Jordan, the sum of twelve piastres must be added to the above amount. It appears to me that, in a discussion of facts, there may be readers who would like to see a statement of my own expences at Jerusalem. it be considered that I had horses, janissaries, and escorts, at my command; that I lived, in regard to eating and drinking, as I might at Paris; that I was continually visiting the Holy Sepulchre at unusual hours; that I went to see the same places ten times over, and ten times over paid the duties, the caffari,

* Aravo, instead of Arabo-a substitution of one letter for another common in the Frank language, in modern and

very

in ancient Greek.

and a thousand other exactions of the Turks, the wonder will be that I was quit for so small a sum. I subjoin a copy of the original account, with all the orthographical errors of Michael, the drogman: it is so far curious, as it retains, in some measure, the air of the country. The reader may there trace all my motions, and find the proper names of several persons, the prices of various articles, &c. Lastly, these accounts are faithful witnesses of the veracity of my narrative. They will likewise shew, that in the latter I have omitted to notice many things, and that I have examined Jerusalem with much greater attention than I have asserted.