Page:Travels and adventures of William Lithgow.pdf/21

 Returning to Tripoli, he set out with a caravan of Turks for Aleppo, but before his arrival there, the caravan for Babylon, to his great grief, was departed. But being told that it staid at Beershacke on Euphrates, on account of some Arabs who way-laid them in the desarts, he hired a janizary and three soldiers to overtake them. But though they had staid, they were gone three days before he got there. Beershacke is by some supposed to be Padanaram. To Aleppo, therefore, he was forced to return. While he was there, the Bashaw, having the year before revolted against the grand Signior, he sent him a chiaux and janizaries on an embassy, proferring, that if he would acknowledge his rebellion, and for that treason send Achmet his head, his eldest son should inherit his possessions and Bashawship; otherwise the Sultan would come in person, and utterly eraze him and all his from the face of the earth. The messengers met the Bashaw on horseback, accompanied by his two sons and 600 horsemen. Hearing this, he dismounted, consulting with his sons and friends, he and they concluded that it was best for him, being an old man, to die to save his race from destruction, and preserve his son in his authority and inheritance. This done, he went to prayer; and taking leave of them all, and sitting down on his knees, the chiaux struck off his head,