Note 7, page 97, col. 2.

The powerful gem, etc.

Some imagine that the crystal is snow turned to ice, which has been hardening thirty years, and is turned to a rock by age.-Mirror of Stones, by Camillus Leonardus, physician of Pisaro, dedicated to Cæsar Borgia.

In the cabinet of the Prince of Monaco, among other rarities, are two pieces of crystal, each larger than both hands clenched together. In the middle of one is about a glass-full of water, and in the other is some moss, naturally inclosed there when the crystals congealed. These pieces are very curious.-Tavernier.

Crystal, precious stones, every stone that has a regular figure, and even flints in small masses, and consisting of concentric coats, whether found in the perpendicular fissures of rocks, or elsewhere, are only exudations, or the concreting juices of flint in large masses; they are, therefore, new and spurious productions, the genuine stalactites of flint or of granite.-Buffon.

El Verbo de Dios diamente

En el anillo de cobre

De neustro circulo pobre.

Note 9, page 98, col. 1.

Before the tent they spread the skin.

With the Arabs either a round skin is laid on the ground for a smail company, or large coarse woollen cloths for a great number spread all over the room, and about ten dishes repeated six or seven times over, laid round at a great feast, and whole sheep and lambs boiled and roasted in the middle. When one company has done, another sits round, even to the meanest, till all is consumed. And an Arab Prince will often dine in the street before his door, and call to all that pass, even beggars, in the usual expression, Bisimillah, that is, in the name of God; who come and sit down, and when they have done, give their Hamdellilah, that is, God be praised; for the Arabs, who are great levellers, put every body on a footing with them, and it is by such generosity and hospitality that they maintain their interest.-Pococke.

Note 10, page 98, col. 2.

With no false colours, etc.

'Tis the custom of Persia to begin their feasts with fruits and preserves. We spent two hours in eating only those and drinking beer, hydromel, and aquavitæ. Then was brought up the meat in great silver dishes; they were full of rice of divers colours, and upon that, several sorts of meat, boiled and roasted, as beef, mutton, tame fowl, wild ducks, fish, and other things, all very well ordered, and very delicate.

The Persians use no knives at table, but the cooks send up the meat ready cut up into little bits, so that

manner of eating. Rice serves them instead of bread. They take a mouthful of it, with the two fore-fingers and the thumb, and so put it into their mouths. Every table had a carver, whom they call Suffret-zi, who takes the meat brought up in the great dishes, to put it into lesser ones, which he fills with three or four sorts of meat, so as that every dish may serve two, or at most three persons. There was but little drunk till towards the end of the repast, and then the cups went about roundly, and the dinner was concluded with a vessel of porcelane, full of a hot blackish kind of drink, which they call Kahawa (Coffee.)—Ambassador's Travels.

They laid upon the floor of the Ambassador's room a fine silk cloth, on which there were set one-and-thirty dishes of silver, filled with several sorts of conserves, dry and liquid, and raw fruits, as Melons, Citrons, Quinces, Pears, and some others not known in Europe. Some time after, that cloth was taken away, that another might be laid in the room of it, and upon this was set rice of all sorts of colours, and all sorts of meat, boiled and roasted, in above fifty dishes of the same metal.-Amb. Tra.

There is not any thing more ordinary in Persia than rice soaked in water; they call it Plau, and eat of it at all their meals, and serve it up in all their dishes. They sometimes put thereto a little of the juice of pomegranates, or cherries and saffron, insomuch that commonly you have rice of several colours in the same dish.—

Amb. Tra.

Note 11, page 98, col. 2.

And whoso drank of the cooling draught,

The Tamarind is equally useful and agreeable; it has a pulp of a vinous taste, of which a wholesome refreshing liquor is prepared; its shade shelters houses from the torrid heat of the sun, and its fine figure greatly adorns the scenery of the country.-Niebuhr.

Note 12, page 98, col. 2.

As out he pours its liquid, etc.

Of pumpkins and melons several sorts grow naturally in the woods, and serve for feeding Camels. But the proper melons are planted in the fields, where a great variety of them is to be found, and in such abundance, that the Arabians of all ranks use them, for some part of the year, as their principal article of food. They afford a very agreeable liquor. When its fruit is nearly ripe, a hole is pierced into the pulp; this hole is then stopped with wax, and the melou left upon the stalk. Within a few days the pulp is, in consequence of this process, converted into a delicious liquor.--Niebuhr,

Borax, Nosa, Crapondinus, are names of the same stone, which is extracted from a toad. There are two species; that which is the best is rarely found; the other is black or dun with a cerulean glow, having in the middle the similitude of an eye, and must be taken out while the dead toad is yet panting; and these are better than those which are extracted from it after a long continuance in the ground. They have a wonderful efficacy in poisons. For whoever has taken poison, let him swallow this; which being down, rolls about the bowels, and drives out every poisonous quality that is lodged in the intestines, and then passes through the fundament, and is preserved.

Corvia or Corvina, is a stone of a reddish colour, and accounted artificial. On the calends of April, boil the eggs, taken out of a Crow's nest, till they are hard; and, being cold, let them be placed in the nest as they were before. When the crow knows this, she flies a long way to find the stone; and, having found it, returns to the nest; and the eggs being touched with it, they be come fresh and prolific. The stone must immediately be snatched out of the nest. Its virtue is to increase riches, to bestow honours, and to foretell many future events.

Kinocetus is a stone not wholly useless-since it will cast out devils.

mascus,

Note 2, page 99, col 2. Conscious of poison, etc. Giafar, the founder of the Barmecides, being obliged to fly from Persia, his native country, took refuge at Da, and implored the protection of the Caliph Solimau. When he was presented to that Prince, the Caliph suddenly changed colour, and commanded him to retire, suspecting that he had poison about him. Soliman had discovered it by means of ten stones which he wore upon his arm. They were fastened there like a bracelet, and never failed to strike one against the other, and make a slight noise when any poison was near. Upon enquiry it was found, that Giafar carried poison in his ring, for the purpose of self-destruction, in case he had been taken by his enemies.—Marigny.

These foolish old superstitions have died away, and gems are now neither pounded as poison, nor worn as antidotes. But the old absurdities respecting poisons have been renewed in our days, by authors who have revived the calumnies alledged against the KnightsTemplar, with the hope of exciting a more extensive persecution.

Note 3, page 99, col. 2.

From spells, or blunt the hostile weapon's edge.

In the country called Panten, or Tathalamasin, « there be canes called Cassan, which overspread the earth like grasse, and out of every knot of them spring foorth certaine branches, which are continued upon the ground almost for the space of a mile. In the sayd canes there are found certaine stones, one of which stones whosoever carryeth about with him, cannot be wounded with any yron; and therefore the men of that country for the most part carry such stones with them, whithersoever they goe. Many also cause one of the armes of their children, while they are young, to be launced, putting one of the said stones into the wound, healing

a certain fish (the name whereof I do not know), which powder doth immediately consolidate and cure the said wound. And by the vertue of these stones the people aforesaid, doe for the most part triumph both on sea and land. Howbeit there is one kind of stratageme which the enemies of this nation, knowing the vertue of the sayd stones, doe practise against them: namely, they provide themselves armour of yron or steele against their arrowes, and weapons also poisoned with the poyson of trees; and they carry in their hands wooden stakes most sharp and hard-pointed, as if they were yron: likewise they shoot arrowes without yron heades, and so they confound and slay some of their unarmed foes, trusting too securely unto the vertue of their stones.-Odoricus in Hakluyt.

We are obliged to jewellers for our best accounts of the East. In Tavernier there is a passage curiously characteristic of his profession. A European at Delhi complained to him that he had polished and set a large diamond for Oreng-zebe, who had never paid him for his work. But he did not understand his trade, says Tavernier; for if he had been a skilful jeweller, he would have known how to take two or three pieces out of the stone, and pay himself better than the Mogul would have done.

Note 4, page 100, col. 1.

With a convulsive effort shakes it out.

And Elisha died, and they buried him. And the bands of the Moabites invaded the land at the coming in of the year.

And it came to pass as they were burying a man, that behold they spied a band of men ; and they cast the man into the sepulchre of Elisha: and when the man was let down, and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived and stood up on his feet.-2 Kings, xiii, 20, 21.

I must remind my readers, that an allusion to the Old Testament is no ways improper in a Mahommedan.

It happened the dead corpse of a man was cast ashore at Chatham, and, being taken up, was buried decently in the church-yard. Now there was an image or rood in the church, called our Lady of Chatham. This Lady, say the Monks, went the next night and roused up the clerk, telling him that a sinful person was buried near the place where she was worshipped, who offended her eyes with his ghastly grinning; and uuless he were removed, to the great grief of good people she must remove from thence, and could work no more miracles. Therefore she desired him to go with her to take him up, and throw him into the river again: which being done, soon after the body floated again, and was taken up and buried in the church-yard; but from that time all miracles ceased, and the place where he was buried did continually sink downwards. This tale is still remembered by some aged people, receiving it by tradition from the Popish times of darkness and idolatry.—Admirable Curiosities, Rarities, and Wonders in England.

When Alburquerque wintered at the Isle of Camaram, in the Red Sea, a man at arms, who died suddenly, was thrown into the sea. In the night the watch felt several shocks, as though the ship were striking on a sand bank. They put out the boat, and found the dead body clinging to the keel by the rudder. It was taken up and buried on shore; and, in the morning, it was seen lying on the grave. Frey Francisco was then consulted. He con

Dec. 2. 3. 3.

Note 5, page 100, col. 1.

That Earth, etc.

Matthew of Westminster says, the History of the Old Woman of Berkeley will not appear incredible, if we read the dialogue of St Gregory, in which he relates how the body of a man buried in the church was thrown out by the Devils. Charles Martel also, because he had appropriated great part of the tithes to pay his soldiers, was most miserably, by the wicked Spirits, taken bodily out of his grave.

The Turks report, as a certain truth, that the corpse of Hevradin Barbarossa was found, four or five times, out of the ground, lying by his sepulchre, after he had been there inhuned: nor could they possibly make him lie quiet in his grave, till a Greek wizard counselled them to bury a black dog together with the body; which done, he lay still and gave them no farther trouble.-Morgan's History of Algiers.

In supernatural affairs, dogs seem to possess a sedative virtue. When peace was made, about the year 1170, between the Earls of Holland and Flanders, « it was concluded, that Count Floris should send unto Count Philip, a thousand men, expert in making of ditches, to stop the hole which had beene made neere unto Dam, or the Sluce, whereby the countrey was drowned round about at everie high sea; the which the Flemings could by no means fill up, neither with wood, nor any other matter, for that all sunke as in a gulfe without any bottome; whereby, in succession of time, Bruges, and all that jurisdiction, had been in daunger to have bin lost by inundation, and to become all sea, if it were not speedily repaired. Count Floris having taken possession of the isle of Walcharan, returned into Holland, from whence hee sent the best workmen he could find in all his countries, into Flanders, to make dikes and causeies, and to stop the hole neere unto this Dam, or Sluce, and to recover the drowned land. These diggers being come to the place, they found at the entrie of this bottomless hole a Sea-dog, the which for six dayes together, did nothing but crie out and howle very fearfully. They, not knowing what it might signifie, having consulted of this accident, they resolved to cast this dog into the hole. There was a mad-headed Hollander among the rest, who going into the bottome of the dike, tooke the dogge by the taile, and cast him into the middest of the gulfe; then speedily they cast earth and torfe into it, so as they found a bottome, and by little and little filled it up. And for that many workmen came to the repairing of this dike, who, for that they would not be far from their worke, coucht in Cabines, which seemed to be a pretie towne, Count Philip gave unto all these Hollanders, Zeelanders, and others, that would inhabit there, as much land as they could recover from Dam to Ardenbourg, for them and their successors, for ever, with many other immunities and freedoms. By reason whereof many planted themselves there, and in succession of time, made a good towne there, the which by reason of this dog, which they cast into the hole, they named Hondtsdam, that is to say, a dog's sluce; Dam in Flemish signifying a sluce, and Hondt dog; and therefore at this day, the said towne (which is simply called Dam) carrieth a dog

Note 6, page 100, col. 1.

The Vulture hovers yonder, etc.

The Vulture is very serviceable in Arabia, clearing the earth of all carcases, which corrupt very rapidly in hot countries. He also destroys the field mice, which multiply so prodigiously in some provinces, that, were it not for this assistance, the peasant might cease from the culture of the fields as absolutely vain. Their performance of these important services induced the ancient Egyptians to pay those birds divine honours, and even at present it is held unlawful to kill them in all the countries which they frequent.-Niebuhr.

Note 7, page 101, col. 1.

His dog beside him, etc.

The Bedouins, who, at all points, are less superstitious than the Turks, have a breed of very tall greyhounds, which likewise mount guard around their tents; but they take great care of these useful servants, and have such an affection for them, that to kill the dog of a Bedouin would be to endanger your own life.—Sonnini. Note 8, page 101, col. 2.

Or comes the Father, etc.

The Arabs call the West and South-West winds which prevail from November to February, the fathers of the rains.-Volney.

Note 9, page 101, col. 2.

Entwines the strong palm-fil res, etc.

Of the Palm leaves they make mattresses, baskets, and brooms; and of the branches, all sorts of cagework, square baskets for packing, that serve for many uses instead of boxes; and the ends of the boughs that grow next to the trunk being beaten like flax, the fibres separate, and being tied together at the narrow end, they serve for brooms.-Pococke.

Note 10, page 101, col. 2.

Shapes the green basket, etc.

The Doum, or wild palm-tree, grows in abundance, from which these people, when necessity renders them industrious, find great advantage. The shepherds, muiedrivers, camel-drivers, and travellers, gather the leaves, of which they make mats, fringes, baskets, hats, shooaris, or large wallets to carry corn, twine, ropes, girths, and covers for their pack-saddles. This plant, with which also they heat their ovens, produces a mild and resinous fruit, that ripens in September and October. It is in form like the raisin, contains a kernel, and is astringent, and very proper to temper and counteract the effects of the watery and laxative fruits, of which these people in summer make an immoderate use. That Power which is ever provident to all, has spread this wild plant over their deserts to supply an infinity of wants that would otherwise heavily burthen a people so poor.—Chenier.