greatly delight, and fhew that they inherit of their forefathers the art of good horfemanship.

SEDEKIO near Smyrna, is a remarkable place, because the great Sherard, who in his time was Regent of the Botanic world, here gave Flora a seat, wherefore it cannot but be viewed with pleafure by a Botanift. I determined to visit this place on the 20th. This great lover and patron of Botany spent his time agreeably here every fummer, during his ftay in Smyrna as Conful from England. I have feen the houfe where he hath enjoyed the greatest pleasure of perhaps any European that ever was in this country, when he employed his time in making the great Botanical collections, by which he rendered himself immortal. Near the houfe is a little garden laid out by him, in which he introduced no foreign plants, nor was at great pains in adorning it. He knew it was better to spend his time and money on fuch matters in his native country, than in a barbarous place, in which his ftay was fo uncertain.

ALEXANDRI A.

MAY

AY the 15th, I rode out to fee the gardens of Alexandria, which were the first places I faw after my arrival. I procured an equipage which I had never used before. It was an afs with an Arabian saddle, which confifted only of a cushion on which I could fit, and a handfome bridle. On each fide of the afs walked an Arab, and another followed, who took care to help me along. The beaft was one of the handsomeft to be seen of the kind, lively and well kept. I here miffed the advantage I had a fortnight before of riding on horfeback. The great opinion Turks have of themselves, and contempt for Chriftians, Jews, and Moors, are in Egypt very evident; of which this is a proof, that they never permit any of the above-mentioned people to ride on a horfe, which they esteem too noble a creature to bear fuch defpicable wretches, and which ought only to ferve a Mufelman. A few Arabs or Moors, who are in fome efteem, lawyers or the like, are permitted to ride on a mule. The Christians laugh at this foolish behaviour, which is only the height of ftupidity. Since cuftom has introduced the use of these creatures, they can fcarcely be deemed defpicable: but on the contrary, one may in fome measure be well fatisfied with this inftitution. No town has better conveniencies of

going

going from place to place than Cairo or Alexandria. The streets are almost all full of affes. A perfon who chufes not to walk, mounts the afs he likes best, and gets on apace. For one, two, at the most three para, he may ride through the whole town. The Moors own these beasts, and value them high enough. Few would imagine that they pay more. for fuch a miferable beast, than a fine horse costs in Europe or here. The perfon who owned that I rode on, faid it coft him 20 ducats, and that he would not take double the money for it, as it fupported him. In the place I had hitherto refided, I had walked in gardens of Lemon, Orange, Fig and Mulberry trees. I had feen whole fields filled with the finest vines. I had travelled through forefts of Olive-trees, and rested myself in the agreeable groves of Cypreffes; but I faw not one of these Eastern glories in Egypt. Here I met a garden filled with other forts of plants, which the Creator hath given to the Southern countries. Palm or Date trees now defended us with their agreeable fhade. I began immediately to enquire of the inhabitants what they knew concerning the qualities of this vegetable, in order to encrease the hiftory of them, which is yet fo defective amongst Botanists: As whether they knew any thing about a male and female of the Dates, and their fecundation? But the French interpreter interrupted my enquiries by changing the difcourfe.

The 30th, at two o'clock in the morning, I left Alexandria in a little boat. At 12 o'clock I came into the opening of the Nile that leads to Rofetta, where it is about a cannon fhot over. The fhores were at first dry and covered with fand; but farther up the country, which is level, they were full of fine Palm-trees. The fhores afterwards became nar.

rower, and were elegantly adorned with Rushes and the finest Rice-fields; yet farther in were close Palm-woods. We failed by two fmall caftles. Some villages lay on our left hand, fituated on Delta. Dolphins and Porpoiffes tumbled about in the water. I came at two o'clock to Rofetta, and was well received by the French Conful Du Salauze. Towards evening I went out in the fields, which had been fown with Rice eight days before. The Rice was three inches high; the water ftood four fingers high on the ground, and was raised by wheels worked by oxen, and conducted on the fields in channels. This is done during the time the Rice grows and ripens. I heard a found which feemed artificial; for example, as if fomebody had knocked together hard wooden fticks. I afked what it was, and was told that myriads of little frogs which kept under water emitted this found. We were on the road perfecuted by two kinds of creatures of different nature, tho' both intended to hurt us; they were Gnats and Buffaloes. The latter efpecially feemed to be angry with me and the interpreter I had with me, as we were dreffed in red. Our Janiffary was obliged to drive the animals from us with his cudgel. Under the Turkish Government one must always be ready for attack and fence. The people in Rofetta are tolerably civil; therefore a perfon is in no danger of being attacked by them. Our other enemies, the Gnats, tho' they were much weaker, yet could not be fubdued by this guard. Their number made them intolerable and invincible. The Rice-fields, because they are conftantly under water, occafion a swampy ground, fit for the fupport of thefe vermin, and in thefe they lay their eggs. They were a different fort from thofe we have in Europe, being lefs; but bit worfe, and left great boils in the fkin, with an intolerable

tolerable itching in the place they bit. They are quite different from thofe I faw at Alexandria, which were as large as we have them in Sweden, but of a different colour, namely, afh-coloured with white fpots on the joints of the legs.

THE 11th of June, I faw at Mr. Barton's, the English Conful, Tamarinds which clofed their leaves every evening towards fun-fet. A variety of a Cat head, fomething more oblong than in the common Cats. She was of a confiderable fize, being the length of five fpans, three and a half high, and two and a quarter broad. This fort is found in Egypt. I got fome information concerning Sal Armoniac, and how it is made in Egypt in large quantities. It is made of Soot, which is gathered of the burnt dung of Oxen and Camels, and is carried hence in great quantities by the Venetians. The manner and place of making it is kept fecret. The Scinc, a medicine which is used in Europe, but its hiftory fcarce known, is a Lizard, found on the fhores of the Nile in Egypt, and even in the houses up in the country. It is dried and fold to the Venetians and Genoefe, who powder it, because then more convenient for tranfportation; wherefore it was difficult to know whence this drug came. The inhabitants of Egypt in general fear this animal, and few are to be found that for the fake of gain catch and fell them to the Europeans. The Egyptians ufe this drug to excite venery, and of them the Europeans have without doubt learned to make the fame use of it.

I SHOULD mention fomething concerning the hatching of Chicken in Egypt. The method the women ufe is extremely odd. They put the eggs under the arm pits, and have the patience to keep them there until they are hatched by the natural