NAZARETH.
340
After the retreat of the French from Akka, Djezzar Pasha resolved -
on causing all the Christians in his Pashalik to be massacred, ¬
and had already sent orders to that effect to Jerusalem and
Nazareth; but Sir Sidney Smith being apprized of his intentions
reproached him for his cruelty in the severest terms, and threatened
that if a single Christian head should fall, he would bombard Akka
and set it on fire. Djezzar was thus obliged to send counter
orders, but Sir Sidney’s interference is still remembered with heartfelt -
gratitude by all the Christians, who look upon him as their
deliverer. * His word,” I have often heard both Turks and Christians -
exclaim, “ was like God’s word, it never failed.” The
same cannot be said of his antagonist at Akka, who maliciously
impressed the Christians, certainly much inclined in his favour, with
the idea of his speedy return from Egypt. On retreating from
Akka he sent word to his partizans at Szaffad and Nazareth, exhorting -
them to bear up resolutely against the Turks but for three
months, when, he assured them upon his honour, and with many
oaths, that he would return with a much stronger force, and deliver -
them from their oppressors.
The inhabitants of Nazareth differ somewhat in features and
colour from the northern Syrians ; their physiognomy approaches
that of the Egyptians, while their dialect and pronunciation differ -
widely from those of Damascus. In western Palestine, especially -
on the coast, the inhabitants, seem in general, to bear
more resemblance to the natives of Egypt, than to those of
northern Syria. Towards the east of Palestine, on the contrary,
especially in the villages about Nablous, Jerusalem, and Hebron,
they are evidently of the true Syrian stock, in features, though not
in language. It would be an interesting subject for an artist to
pourtray accurately the different character of features of the
Syrian nations; the Aleppine, the Turkman, the native of Mount
