He Refused To Pay The Miri Into The Hands Of Youssef Pasha Of
Damascus, Who Had Also Been Invested With
The Pashalik of Tripoli, and
having fortified the castle, he boldly awaited with a few trusty
adherents the arrival of
Youssef, who approached the town with an army
of five or six thousand men. All the inhabitants fled to the mountain,
except the French consul, a secret enemy of Berber. The army of Youssef
no sooner entered the city, than they began
[p.171]plundering it; and in the course of a few months they completely
sacked it, leaving nothing but bare walls; every piece of iron was
carried off, and even the marble pavements were torn up and sold. The
son of the French consul gained considerable sums by buying up a part of
the plunder. The castle was now besieged, and some French artillerymen
having been brought from Cyprus, a breach was soon made, but though
defended by only one hundred and fifty men, none had the courage to
advance to the assault. After a siege of five months Soleiman Pasba of
Acre interceded for Berber, and Youssef Pasha, glad of a pretext for
retreating, granted the garrison every kind of military honours; the
remaining provisions in the castle were sold to the Pasha for ready
money, and in February, 1809, Berber, accompanied by the officers of
Soleiman Pasha, left the castle and retired to Acre. He was again named
governor of Tripoli, when Soleiman Pasha of Acre and Damascus was, in
1810, invested with the Pashalik of Tripoli.
Seid Soleiman, Pasha of Damascus, received the same charge in 1812.
During our stay at Tripoli, Berber was in the neigbbourhood of Ladakie,
making war against some rebel Anzeyrys; the castle of Tripoli was
intrusted to the command of an Aga of Arnaouts, without being under the
orders of Berber. It is very probable that Berber may yet become a
conspicuous character in Syrian affairs, being a man of great spirit,
firmness, and justice. The town of Tripoli was never in a better state
than when under his command.
March 12th.--Having spent ten days at Tripoli very pleasantly, I took
leave of my companion, who went to Ladakie and Antioch, and set out with
a guide towards Damascus, with the intention of visiting the Kesrouan,
and paying my respects to the chief of the
DEIR KEIFTEIN.
[p.172] mountain, the Emir Beshir, at Deir el Kammar. On the way I
wished to visit some ruins in the Koura, which I had heard of at
Tripoli. I therefore turned out of the great road, which follows the sea
shore as far as Beirout. We set out in the evening, ascended the castle
hill to the S. of the town, and arrived after an hour and a half at Deir
Keiftein [Arabic], where I slept. The road lay through a wood of olive
trees, on the left bank of the Kadisha; over the lowest declivities of
the Libanus. It is a part of the district El Koura, the principal
produce of which is oil.
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