The 1770s, in full text

MARSEILLES, March 5. ACCORDING to Letters from Alexandria, we may expect to see Egypt recover its ancient Splendour under the Government of Aly Bey, the new Sultan of that famous Country. A Letter from St. Jean d’Acre, dated December 30th, 1770, says: “Syria is at the Eve of becoming the Theatre of Desolation, and of a cruel and destructive War.

Aly Bey, who has set himself up for the Sultan of Egypt, the Cheik Daer, and the Emir of the Drusas, having united themselves to subdue the Pacha of Damascus, the latter, upon the Approach of the combined Army, retired from Jaffa, after plundering it, except the Houses of the Franks.

All the Places through which his Troops passed felt the same Effects of their Retreat, which has so greatly alienated the Country from him that Nobody even at Damascus will trust either him or his People; and that the Inhabitants of Jaffa and Jerusalem themselves carried the Keys of those Towns to the Army of the Allies. Aly Bey has still the same Designs against Yemen.

LEGHORN, March 20. Ali Bey’s fortunate Progress in the plundering of Syria and Palestine is confirmed by the last Accounts received from Cairo. Besides Jerusalem and Joppa, the Towns of Hebron, Tiberias, Cesarea, Hippos and Capernaum, have surrendered to him and his Allies.

About 12,000 of the Inhabitants of Mount Lebanon make Part of this united Army which is now before Damascus, and after taking that Place, is to attack Seyd, Tripoli and Aleppo.

Other Letters say, that if Ali Bey succeeds in taking Damascus, he intends going with Part of his Army to Arabia to take Mecca and Medina, against which Places Hassan Bey is marching with a considerable Body of Men. VENICE, March 23.

We have the following Account from Aleppo: “Egypt seems to recover its ancient Lustre under the Government of Ali Bey, who is at present at Grand Cairo. His General, after taking Gaza, Nazareth, Jerusalem, and Jaffa, beat the Bassa of Damascus’s Army; after which, the Bassa having received a Reinforcement commanded by the Tair Omer, Lord of St.

John d’Acri, determined to risk another Battle, in which he was likewise defeated. When this sad News arrived at Constantinople, Eight Bassas received Orders to go immediately to the Promised Land, to prevent the Enemies farther Progress.”

CONSTANTINOPLE, August 5. ON the 5th Ultimo the Palace of Mahomet Pacha took Fire, and was reduced to Ashes, as were two Houses contiguous to the Palace. The Report still prevails that Ali Bey is assassinated. They add, that his Troops have abandoned Damascus, and that Osman Pacha beat them in their Retreat.

We have heard of a particular Act of the Bravery of Ali Dahar, Son of Cheik Dahar, who, being irritated by the Resistance of the Turks, attacked their right Wing with such Fury that he forced through the Ranks to the Place where the Pacha of Marasch, who commanded the Turks, was fighting, and killed him with his own Hand. …September 20.

By a Letter from a Greek Merchant at Smyrna, to his Brother in this City, we learn that the famous Ali Bey, who lately revolted from the Grand Seignior, has at length conquered all Syria, and on the 27th of August made a publick Entry into Antioch, where he was received with the loudest Acclamations by the People of that Metropolis.

He was immediately waited upon by the Patriarch, at the Head of his… He seems to have taken a great Liking to the Patriarch, and spends several Hours in his Company, from whence large Immunities are expected for the Christians in Syria and Palestine.

Advices from Aleppo, by Way of Leghorn, say that Jaffa and Jerusalem are both in the Hands of Ali Bey, who has declared that if he was joined by the King of Prussia he would overturn the Ottoman Empire.