ouse, and entertained in a very splendid manner by the
emperor's order. We wait here till all points are adjusted,
concerning our reception on the Turkish frontiers. Mr W----'s
courier, which he sent from Essek, returned this morning, with the
bassa's answer in a purse of scarlet satin, which the interpreter
here has translated. 'Tis to promise him to be honourably received.
I desired him to appoint where he would be met by the Turkish
convoy.--He has dispatched the courier back, naming Betsko, a village
in the midway between Peterwaradin and Belgrade. We shall stay here
till we receive his answer.--Thus, dear sister, I have given you a
very particular, and (I am afraid you'll think) a tedious account of
this part of my travels. It was not an affectation of shewing my
reading that has made me tell you some little scraps of the history
of the towns I have passed through; I have always avoided any thing
of that kind, when I spoke Of places that I believe you knew the
story of as well as myself. But Hungary being a part of the world,
which I believe quite new to you, I thought you might read with some
pleasure an account of it, which I have been very solicitous to get
from the best hands. However, if you don't like it, 'tis in your
power to forbear reading it. I am, dear sister, &c.

I AM promised to have this letter carefully sent to Vienna.

LET. XXIV.

TO MR POPE.

_Belgrade, Feb_. 12. O. S. 1717.

I DID verily intend to write you a long letter from Peterwaradin,
where I expected to stay three or four days; but the bassa here was
in such haste to see us, that he dispatched the courier back (which
Mr W---- had sent to know the time he would send the convoy to meet
us) without suffering him to pull off his boots. My letters were not
thought important enough to stop our journey; and we left
Peterwaradin the next day, being waited on by the chief officers of
the garrison, and a considerable convoy of Germans and Rascians. The
emperor has several regiments of these people; but, to say the truth,
they are rather plunderers than soldiers; having no pay, and being
obliged to furnish their own arms and horses; they rather look like
vagabond gypsies, or stout beggars, than regular troops. I cannot
forbear speaking a word of this race of creatures, who are very
numerous all over Hungary. They have a patriarch of their own at
Grand Cairo, and are really of the Greek church; but their extreme
ig