Besides the palace in the fortress, and the two I have mentioned in my last Letter, allotted to the two sons of Ali, there is another summer residence of the Vizier’s in the suburbs, at the north-west end of the town. It is built in the midst of a garden, in a wild and tangled state, when we saw it, but abounding with every kind of fruit-tree that flourishes in this favoured climate – the orange, the lemon, the fig, and the pomegranate. It is in the form of a pavilion, and has one large saloon (I think an octagon), with small latticed apartments on every side. The floor of the saloon is of marble, and in the middle of it there is a fountain containing a pretty model, also in marble, of a fortress, mounted with small brass cannon, which, at a signal, spout forth jets of water into the fountain, accompanied by a small organ in a recess, playing some Italian tunes. The small rooms are furnished with sofas of figured silk, and the lattices of the windows, as well as the cornices, are gilt, and highly polished. The shade of an orange-grove protects the pavilion from the sun, and it is to this retreat that the Vizier withdraws during the heats of summer, with the most favoured ladies of his harem, and indulges in the enjoyment of whatever accomplishments these fair-ones can display for his gratification. Our attendant pointed out to us, in a recess, the sofa on which Ali was accustomed to sit, whilst, on the marble floor of the saloon, his females danced before him to the music of the Albanian lute.
In a field adjoining the gardens, and surrounded with high walls, are a few large deer and antelopes. The pavilion and its gardens bespeak a taste quite different from that of the country, and most probably the Vizier was indebted to his French prisoners for the beauties of this elegant retirement. We were told it was the work of a Frank.
