Note 116 — 1798-1799.

While here, sergeant Watson of the artificers, in preparing money for the payment of the mission in the presence of a Turkish marine, quitted the room for a moment, leaving the money on the table. “On his return,” writes Dr. Wittman, “the marine had disappeared with 120 piastres, about 9l. English. Having described the person of the delinquent to the Capitan Pacha, inquiries were at once commenced to detect the thief. On the second day after, the marine confessed his guilt to General Koehler, and begged his influence with the Capitan Pacha to save his life. The General did so, but several days elapsed before the affair was disposed of. During the interval, the General, anxious to prevent the culprit being strangled, expressed some doubts of the culprit’s identity; but in reply to this, the Pacha very handsomely declared his full conviction that the marine had taken the money, as he was certain an Englishman would not tell an untruth.”—Wittman’s Travels in Turkey, Asia Minor, &c., p. 65.