Our Author began his voyage to the Eaft, in 1749; failing from Stockholm, for Smyrna, in the month of Auguft, on board the Ulrica, belonging to the Swedish Levant company.

We meet with nothing extraordinary, till we arrive at Smyrna; where we are to make fome ftay. Here our Author waited on M. Peyfonel, the French Conful, and member of the academy of Infcriptions and Belles Lettres; to whom he declares himself indebted for fome observations here made on the nature of corals.

During his refidence at Smyrna, the diverfions of the carnival began among the Franks, with the new year, 1750. Dr. H. was prefent at the entertainment given, January 5, to all the Europeans; in which every thing was conducted after the European manner: but the mufic was wretched. This noble art, fays he, is no more to be found in a country where it once had arrived to the highest perfection. In vain may we look for an Orpheus among the Greeks; but a dance performed by the Greek women, afforded the Dr. infinite pleasure? The women were about 15 in number. The foremost conducted the dance, making figns to the reft. The art confifted in keeping an equal femicircle, to be obferved under all their different turnings. They likewife feveral times made a labyrinth, but immediately refumed their former ftations. There was fomething particular in this dance, which convinced our Author of its antiquity; and M. Peyfonel affured him, that monuments had been found, on which this dance was fculptured. It is fo agreeable, fays Dr. H. where danced by Greeks, dreffed in the ancient manner, and comformable to the dance, that no modern invention of this kind feems equal to it.'

6

The fields and gardens about Smyrna afforded our Author his chief amusement; and he gives a detail of the productions of each. He likewife vifited the neighbouring villages; and gives a defcription of them. Having an inclination to fee the inland country of Natolia before he quitted its coafts, he fet out, March 11, for Magnefia, which is eight hours travelling from Smyrna. Here a profpect opened upon him, fo fingular, that he queftions if any one who has not feen the Eaftern countries can form the leaft idea of it: a mixture of hills and vallies, like the high billows and gulphs in a boisterous fea. In no place, fays he, was it more evident, that the continent, we call earth, was, in the beginning, the bottom of the fea. The hills were in their form unequal, fome being flat toward the top; others of a conic figure; but all uncultivated,-the country being very poorly inhabitated. On the whole, the face of the country, he Lays, is rather ftrange than pleafing, on account of the exceive badnefs of the roads, which renders it very difguft

ful

ful to travellers, Taverns are, indeed, frequent on these roads, for the accommodation of fuch as want the refreshment of a cup of coffee, or plain water; for nothing better can be had in the taverns of Natalia. Yet if one of thefe Natolian Turks (and the cafe, we believe, is pretty much the fame in all parts of Turky) is treated with a glass of wine or brandy, by a traveller, he forgets his religion, on that occafion.

At Magnesia our Author first experienced how miserably a traveller is lodged at the caravanfaras, or inns in Turky. We were led, fays he, to a chamber, the paffage to which was more difficult than the high hills I afterwards afcended; as, on the latter, I had firm ground to ftand on; but here, loose stones. The inward appearance was fuch as might be expected in a place which has not been cleaned for 1000 years, viz. from its beginning; and perhaps fome thousands of people have been lodged in it. A rush mat was laid on the floor for each of us ;-on which we put the bed-cloaths we had taken with us; and this was all the furniture, tables, chairs and bed.

Being a Phyfician, our Author was much regarded by the Mufelem, or chief commander of Magnefia; and, for the same reason, by his fervants, and even by all the inhabitants of that town. Wherever I went, fays he, fo far from pointing at me or my fervant and calling Jaur! (unbeliever) which is otherwife cuftomary amongst the Turks when they fee a Chriftian, efpe-, cially a ftranger, I faw and heard myself called and taken notice of as Hekim Packi: however, I had not this complaifance for. nothing. Mufelem, as the chief of the town, began very carefully to think about his health; which was not only followed by his fervants, but by all in the town whom I had occafion to converse with. It is common enough amongst the Turks, and even Greeks, to be fick as often as they have an opportunity of speaking to a phyfician. Moft of them are fubject to the hypochondriac diforders; and as this disease always occafions perfons to be fufpicious of their health, especially in the country, and in little towns, where they feldom have an opportunity of converfing with them who can give them any fatisfaction, it is no wonder they should be curious, and that a physician fhould be both welcome and employed. There is no occafion to defire to feel the pulfe. The first thing the perfon does who confults a doctor, is to put forward his naked arm. I know not where they learned this, as perhaps neither they, nor their fathers before them, ever appeared before a physician capable of judging by the pulfe. If I may guefs, I fhould think it tranfmitted by the parents to their offspring, and to have been first

Thefe taverns, or rather coffee-houses, are only huts, confifting of Rones piled together, and covered over with boughs.

introduced

introduced by that great phyfician who lived here, and pat fuch great and just confidence in the pulfe. It is not difficult to inme that the great doctor from Stanchio (Cous) to acquire perject experience, on which he built his fcience, here introduced the caitom, that, when any diseased person confulted him he fele has pulfe, which he taught his difciples; of whom the peeple learned it, and have retained it to this day without knowing the reason; in the fame manner as hath happened with religious ceremonies amongit fome nations, who ftill ufe them, tho' they know not whence or why they were introduced, those who introduced and propagated them having through the change of times been extirpated. I gave my Mufelem fome medicines I had taken with me from Sweden in order to strengthen his fomach. A Seraglio of fifteen women, which at fo early an age kept, was enough to hurt it; but I would not advise any phyfician, who may chance to be in my fituation, and is confulted by a Turkish grandee, to tell him this, as he might perhaps become a martyr to truth. It is beft to think and do what appears to be of fervice, and talk as little as poffible. By way of recompence he gave me liberty to go whither I pleafed, and promited to take care that the mountains and places where I intended to botanize fhould be clear, which I efteemed the beft reward I could defire."

Dr. Haffe quift is pretty copious in his account of the religious! ceremonies at the church feftivals, obferved here, by the Greek and Armenian Chriftians; but as fuch details, we apprehend, will not, in this country, be regarded as the most useful or entertaining parts of his book, we fhall now wait on him at Alexandria.

Here he takes notice of a circumftance which would horridly mortify our English fquires, and Yorkshire hunters, were they to travel to the land of Egypt. At Alexandria they would not be fuffered to indulge in their favourite exercife of riding on horfeback: and here too the London citizen would be fadly at a lofs for his com modious hackney coach. From the great contempt the Turks have for Christians, Jews, and Moors, they will not permit any of them to ride on a horfe, which is here deemed too noble 1 creature for fuch despicable wretches to beftride; and of which honour a Muffelman alone is worthy. The Chriftians however are very well content to ride upon affes, fince cuftom hath rendered the ufe of them fo general; and our author learned to think fo well of thefe Egyptian hacks, that he afferts, no town has better conveniences for going from place to place, than Cairo or Alexandria.' The streets, he fays, are almost full of affes, [fo poffibly, may be the streets of fome European cities] and he who chufes not to walk, mounts the afs he likes beft, fi which refpect, indeed, the cities of Europe and Egypt differ] and gets on apace, and at a reasonable expence. The Moors are the owners of thefe long ear'd nags, and value them at a high rate.

The

The proprietor of the afs which our Author ufually mounted, told him, that he gave twenty ducats for that beaft, and would not take double the money for him, the creature being his master's chief support.

Our Author alfo vifited Rofetta; and, en paffant, describes the country and its produce. He alfo mentions many particulars relating to the manners and customs of the people; and among other circumstances, he give the following account of the Egyptian fnake-merchants:

Now [the beginning of July] fays he, was the time to catch all forts of fnakes to be met with in Egypt, as the great heats bring forth these vermin: I therefore made preparation to get all I could, and at once received four different forts, which I have defcribed and preferved in aqua vitæ. These were the common viper, the ceraftes of alpin, jaculus, and an anguis marinus. They were brought to me by a Pfilli, who put me, together with the French Conful, and all of the French nation prefent, in confternation. They gathered about us to see how The handled the most poifonous and dreadful creatures, alive and brifk, without their doing or even offering to do her the leaft harm. When she put them into the bottle where they were to be preferved, he took them with her bare hands, and handled them as our ladies do their laces. She had no difficulty with any but the vipera officinales, which were not fond of their lodging. They found means to creep out before the bottle could be corked. They crept over the hands and bare arms of the woman, without occafioning the leaft fear in her: fhe with great calmness took the fnakes from her body, and put them into the place deftined for their grave. She had taken these ferpents in the field with the fame eafe the handled them before us; this we were told by the Arab who brought her to us. Doubtless this woman had some unknown art which enabled her to handle thofe creatures. It was impoffible to get any information from her; for on this fubject fhe would not open her lips. The art of fascinating Serpents is a fecret amongst the Egyptians. It is worthy the endeavours of all naturalifts, and the attention of every traveller, to learn fomething decifive relative to this affair. How ancient this art is amongst the Africans, may be concluded from the ancient Marii and Pfylli, who were from Africa, and daily fhewed proofs of it at Rome. It is very remarkable that this fhould be kept a fecret for more than 2000 years, being known only to a few, when we have seen how many other fecrets have within that time been revealed. The circumstances relating to the fascination of serpents in Egypt related to me, were principally, 1. That the art is only known to certain families, who propagated it to their offspring. 2. The perfon who knows how to fafcinate ferpents, never meddles with other

poisonous

poisonous animals; fuch as fcorpions, lizards, &c. There are different perfons who know how to fafcinate these animals; and they again never meddle with ferpents. 3. Those that fafcinate ferpents eat them both raw and boiled, and even make broth of them, which they eat very commonly amongst them; but in particular, that eat such a difh when they go out to catch them. I have even been told the ferpents fried or boiled, are frequently eat by the Arabians, both in Egypt and Arabia, though they know not how to fascinate them, but catch them either alive or dead. 4. After they have eat their foup, they procure a bleffing from their Scheik (prieft or lawyer) who uses fome fuperftitious ceremonies, and amongst others, fpits on them feveral times with certain geftures. This matter of getting a bleffing from the priest is pure fuperftition, and certainly cannot in the leaft help to fafcinate ferpents; but they believe, or will at leaft perfuade others, that the power of fafcinating serpents depends upon this circumftance. We fee by this, that they know how to make use of the fame means ufed by other nations; namely, to hide under the fuperftitious cloak of religion, what may be easily and naturally explained, efpecially when they cannot or will not explain the natural reason. I am inclined to think that all which was formerly, and is yet reckoned witchcraft, might come under the fame article with the fascination of ferpents. The discovery of a small matter may in time teach every body to fafcinate ferpents; and then this power may be exercifed by those who have not got it from the hands of a holy Scheik, juft as the heat would naturally hatch chickens in an Egyptian oven; whether a Scheik did or did not lay himself naked on it, when the eggs are juft put in; yet to this ceremony do the fuperftitious Egyptians afcribe the happy event of the chicken being hatched, when they are asked the reason. I have been told of a plant with which they anoint or rub themfelves before they touch the ferpents; but I have not hitherto received the least description of it, therefore I regard it as fabulous,'

Among the things moft obfervable at Cairo, the nilometre engaged our Author's attention. This is a pretty large house built in a square near the river Nile. Its roof terminates in a white pyramid; in the foundation-wall, are holes through which the water has a free entrance. In the middle of the building is a marble obelifk, in which is a fcale of inches; and by this they daily observe the increase of the river till the water is let into the town, and over the country.-On the 27th of July, Dr. Haffelquift was prefent at the celebration of a feftival to which Cairo alone hath a right, derived from nature, and not to be celebrated in any other place in the world! It was on this day that the water of the Nile was let into the town; and there

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