The
vast church was of course thronged, as it always is on that awful
day. It seems that the appearance of the fire was delayed for a
very long time, and that the growing frenzy of the people was
heightened by suspense. Many, too, had already sunk under the
effect of the heat and the stifling atmosphere, when at last the
fire flashed from the sepulchre. Then a terrible struggle ensued;
many sunk and were crushed. Ibrahim had taken his station in one
of the galleries, but now, feeling perhaps his brave blood warmed
by the sight and sound of such strife, he took upon himself to
quiet the people by his personal presence, and descended into the
body of the church with only a few guards. He had forced his way
into the midst of the dense crowd, when unhappily he fainted away;
his guards shrieked out, and the event instantly became known. A
body of soldiers recklessly forced their way through the crowd,
trampling over every obstacle that they might save the life of
their general. Nearly two hundred people were killed in the
struggle.
The following year, however, the Government took better measures
for the prevention of these calamities. I was not present at the
ceremony, having gone away from Jerusalem some time before, but I
afterwards returned into Palestine, and I then learned that the day
had passed off without any disturbance of a fatal kind.
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