me, this pre-eminence has been enjoyed by Bagdad, and it has
been the central place of trade between the east and the west; and for
these purposes, if improved, a more desirable situation could not be
imagined under a firm and wise administration. This Suliman Pasha
strengthened the Georgian interest in this pashalic prodigiously by
the purchasing of an immense number of Georgian slaves whom he
manumitted at his death. One of these, Ali Pasha, who married his
daughter, succeeded him, and was murdered at prayers after about five
years reign. Suliman Pasha who succeeded him, also married a daughter
of the former Suliman, he governed about three years, and was then put
to death. He was succeeded by Abdallah Pasha, who was the treasurer of
Ali Pasha; he continued about three years, and was put to death. To
him succeeded Seyd Pasha, son of Suliman Pasha the elder, who, at the
end of about three years, was also put to death. To these last who had
thus succeeded and murdered one another, succeeded Daoud, the present
Pasha, who to avoid a like fate with his predecessors, cut off every
man about him who could possibly afford him any umbrage; but while on
the one hand he secured himself, on the other he so weakened the
Georgian interest, that when his affairs became involved in
difficulty, there was none to help but creatures who had ministered to
his avarice which he had gratified at the expence of every loyal
feeling (if such an expression can be used by a Turk.) But still,
though previous to the plague, the Georgians had been thus diminishing
in numbers, and more so in intellectual and moral character, still
they were a strong body; but the plague swept them nearly all away.
All this taking place at this peculiar juncture when there is no
recruiting their strength from Georgia, which is now in the hands of
the Russians, and when the heart of the Sultan is peculiarly set
against the whole mameluke rule seems to indicate the period of their
downfall to be near at hand. Should Ali Pasha now succeed in getting
possession of the city, the Georgian government of these renegade
slaves will be ended as that of their brethren in apostacy was in
Egypt. But, however things may terminate, there are no elements of
recovery, fall they must; for the curse of God is upon them from the
hands of one tyrant after another, till some powerful nominal
Christian government will accept the government of them, for which
they are daily ripening, which t