phyficians: Stanchio (Cous) and England afford us remarkable examples. I had an opportunity of making thefe obfervations, on the 9th of December, when I was called to a confultation, to enquire into the difeafe of their chief brother phyfician, a Greek from Scio, who died within a few days of an Afthma convulfivum. He obferved strictly the rule he had followed in his practice, to leave all to nature, without ufing any drugs, unlefs diætetical. Thefe are almoft the only drugs prescribed by the phyficians in Smyrna, and the diet confifts in a fort of fasting. They give for reason, that the air is nourishing, and fufficient to keep the fick in life; but this convinced me of my former experience, that the most falutary rules may prove detrimental, when carried too far, and not applied to circumstances. The phyficians here, in my time, were Doctor Demetri, who was above 80 years old, was born in Scio, had travelled through England and Germany, practifed nine years in St. Efprit, the chief hofpital in Rome, and in his youth had acquired fome knowledge in botany, which he did not neglect, as he at this age had a complete knowledge of Ray's and Tournefort's fyftems. I gave him fome idea of Dr. Linnæus's famous fyftem. He received my informations in the fame manner, as an aged foldier, incapable of attending battles and fieges, is yet rejoiced to hear of new expeditions. Dr. Zani was the other of the faculty in Smyrna; he appeared to be ayoung, handfome, and naturallyingenious man, provided with fuch learning as is required for knowing common difeafes: he had great hopes to gain the peoples confidence, towards which he was already pretty well advanced.

THE 16th, I made my first jaunt on horseback, which gave me no favourable opinion of the inha

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bitants of the Eaft. The miferable roads, over hills and dales, full of ftones and mud, put me in mind of the incomparable roads in Sweden, and gave me a much worfe opinion of the celebrated Southern countries, than I before had. But what on this journey caufed a woeful remembrance to a Swede, was the place, where five years ago, Mr. Kierman, merchant in Smyrna, and fon to Mr. Alderman Kierman in Stockholm, was fhot dead by fome highwaymen. The lofs our trade fuffered by the death of this young man, was not to be repaired by the lamentations of the Turks or the punishment of the murderers. The former however fhews that, amongst those we esteem barbarians, there are lovers of virtue, and the latter confirms to us, that the Turks have learn'd the wife rule, that justice is due to all men. Budgia, an agreeable countryfeat of the Dutch Conful Hochpied, to which we came, expelled thefe melancholy reflexions. Its Cyprefs park, filled with Gazellas, Peacocks, Pheafants, Partridges and Nightingales, is incomparable.

THE diverfions of the Carnaval began amongst the Franks, the beginning of the year, with balls and genteel suppers. I was prefent, the 5th of January, at the entertainment the Dutch Conful Hochpied gave to all the Europeans. Every thing was well conducted, after the European manner. Mufick is the only thing, we must put up with, after the manner of the country, which is bad enough. It confifted of two miferable violins, and two lutes, neither of which was well played. This noble art is now no more to be found, in a country where it once had arrived to the highest perfection. In vain may we now look for an Orpheus among the Greeks; but a dance, a remain of the Grecian age, performed by

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the Greek women, afforded me infinite pleasure. They were about fifteen in number, the foremost of which conducted the dance, by making figns with a garment fhe held in her hand. The art confifted in keeping an equal half-circle, to be observed under all their different turnings. They likewife feveral times made a labyrinth, but immediately reaffumed their former ftation, There was fomething particular in this dance, which at first fight, convinced me it was ancient, My conjectures were confirmed by Mr. Peyfonell, the French Conful, who hath much knowledge in what relates to Grecian antiquities. He told me, that some monuments of marble had been found, on which this dance was fculptured, It is fo agreeable when danced by Greeks, dreffed in the ancient manner and conformable to the dance, that no modern invention of this kind feems to equal it. The mufick used on this occafion did not appear to me to have been defigned for it by the antients. What I afterwards heard them fing, feemed to me better applied.

THE hard froft, which had lasted a whole week, (the like was not remembered by the oldeft men living) was now fo far broke, that I in the afternoon of the 2d of February could venture myself in the gardens, without the town, to fee what havock winter had made amongst my flowers, which I a short time before had feen in their glory. They had withstood the cold pretty well, fo that Chryfanthemum and Calendula, with feveral others, yet adorned the fields; but fome of the Syngenefifts had fuffered a little. Art has been but of small affistance to the gardens here, except in planting a few Orange-trees, which do not grow wild. Nature in this place is amiable; but, if a little art was used, the gardens here would foon poffefs much greater beauties

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beauties, than thofe in our Northern Europe, which require fo much coft and labour; Orange-trees grow here in abundance, nor does any body care to pluck the fruit, which remains on the trees the whole year, until the flowering feafon, when it falls off. Some Fig, Olive, and Pomegranate-trees, stand here and there, without order. Poplar-trees are common. enough few Dates and Palm-trees are to be feen, and thofe feem to be very old. Cyprefs trees grow in fome places, and mount towards the fky, like tall Pyramids. Such are the greatest ornaments nature has given to thefe countries. Hedera Helix (Ivy) grows in fuch abundarce about and within all the gardens of Smryna, that it can scarcely be more common in any place. It makes the greatest part of their hedges, and creeps about every where in their gardens, to which it is an ornament but of little fervice. I faw fome of nature's mafter-pieces, of this plant, which confirm'd me in my former opinion, how ufeful it is to adorn gardens, especially if art leads it to proper places, where it is most wanted. I faw an Ivy and a Vine together, cover a Pome-granate tree, which made a noble appearance. In another place, four Vines had crept up a Fig-tree, and with their fibrous roots faftened to the bark, which was not lefs agreeable; but the handsomest of all was a gateway, nature had made of Ivy, which had twisted itself together, over a miferable garden gate, to the thicknefs of three feet, and the length of eight. The gate confifted of fome unplaned and rough deals nailed together, ordinary enough for a common ftable door; but the covering might have been an ornament to the entrance. of a royal garden. The fences round gardens are moftly fuch as the want of wood taught them to make. They are chiefly hedges, and therefore perma

permanent. They make them of Willows, which are planted at the fides of a ditch, at four feet diftance; or of Caprificus, which is yet handfomer, and peculiar almoft to this country, planted in the fame manner. I believe, that our Swedish husbandmen will not dare to plant fuch fences; but I know the former hath been under confideration, and I wish it was done in the fame manner it is here, as I am perfuaded it may.

BANKS are more common here. Ivy, and a parcel of other bushes grow on them, with common Reed, Arundo Phragmites, (Donax) much larger than the Swedish, and make them durable and a good defence. I was curious to know how this Reed came to grow in fuch quantities on thefe banks, and enquired of the inhabitants whether it had been fown or planted there? They answered in the negative. I asked whether they had carried the earth from the fea fhore, and the roots in it, which afterwards grew up? This they likewife denied. The earth for the banks is dug on the fpot, and thrown out of the ditches on both fides. It was not however very difficult to discover whence this plant came. It is not long fince the fea went up to these gardens, which runs now a cannon-fhot from them, and then, as now, Reed grew on the fhore. The fea decreased, and its bottom became dry land, whereby the roots of this Reed remained with its former fhores, which, after the ground was dug up for banks, were at liberty to fpread, grow up and feed, like the largest wood; but this was not fo eafy, whilst they lay hid in the ground under a highway. Clay walls are the worst kind of fences ufed here. The fpring began already, on the 12th of February, to bring forth the beauties of the Southern regions, owing to the mild climate. The Almond-tree