feafon Khamfin, fifty, because these winds are moft felt between Eafter and Whitfuntide, during which they eat rice, vegetables, fresh fish, and fruits; bathing frequently, and ufing plenty of perfumes, and lemon juice, with which regimen they prevent the dangerous effects of the Khamfin. ·

It must not be fuppofed that this wind, which, in a few hours, corrupts meat and animal fubftances, blows fifty days; Egypt would become a defert. It feldom blows "three days together, and, fometimes, is only an impetuous whirlwind which rapidly paffes, and injures only the traveller overtaken in the deferts. When at Alexandria, in the month of May, a tempeft of this kind fuddenly arofe, driving before it torrents of burning fand: the ferenity of the fky difappeared, a thick veil obfcured the Heavens, and the fun became blood-coloured. The duft penetrated even the chambers, and burnt the face and eyes. In four hours the tempest ceased, and the clearness of day appeared. Some wretches, in the deferts, were fuffocated, and feveral I faw brought dead, fome of whom, bathed in cold water, were reftored to life. The inhabitants of Grand

Cairo, being more inland, fuffer more; and a French merchant, who was fat, died, fuffocated by the heat. Similar phænomena have buried caravans and armies.

Several modern authors, with M. Paw at their head, have faid the peftilence is native in Egypt. Were this true it would greatly diminish the advantages of the country, for neither fertility nor riches can preponderate against an evil so dreadful. I have collected information from the Egyptians, and foreign phyficians who have lived there twenty or thirty years, which all tends to prove the contrary. They have affured me this epidemic difcafe was brought thither by the Turks, though it has committed great ravages. I myself faw the caravelles of the Grand Seignor, in 1778, unlade, according to cuftom, the filks of Syria at Damietta. The plague is almost always on board, and they landed, without oppofition, their merchandize, and their people who had the plague. It was the month of August, and, as the disease was then over in Egypt, it did not communicate that season. The veffels fet fail, and went to poifon other places. The fummer following, the hips of Conftantinople, alike infected, came to

the

the port of Alexandria, where, they landed their diseased, without injury to the inhabi-> tants. Since this time, the fhips of Smyrna have brought the contagion here, at the beginning of winter; it has fpread over the country, and a part of the Egyptians have perished.

1

The following is an obfervation of ages. During the months of June, July, and August, if infected merchandize be brought into Egypt, the peftilence expires of itself, and the people have no fears; and if brought at other feafons, and communicated, it then ceases. A proof that it is not native in Egypt is that, except in time of great famine, it never breaks out in Grand Cairo, nor the inland towns, but always begins at fea ports, on the arrival of Turkish veffels, and travels to the capital, whence it proceeds as far as Syene. Having come to a period in Grand Cairo, and being again introduced, by the people of Upper Egypt, it renews, with greater fury, and, fometimes, fweeps off two or three hundred thousand fouls; but always ftops in the month of June, or those who catch it then are always cured. Should these ceffations be attributed

to

to the great heats, the falubrious north winds of fummer, or the heavy: dews? Perhaps thefe caufes all contribute (f)

We ought not to pafs over another striking remark, which is, that the excess of heat: and cold are equally deftructive of this dreadful contagion; winter kills it at Conftantinople, and fummer in Egypt; it feldom reaches the polar circle, and never paffes the tropic. The caravans of Grand Cairo, Damafcus, and Ifpahan, which are fometimes infected,

(f) I cannot forbear citing an incident, Sir, which was

fold me by a captain, deferving credit, because it may afford information to thofe phyficians who feck an antidote against this deftructive evil. I left Conftantinople, "where the plague was raging, and my failors had con“tracted the difeafe. Two fuddenly died, and, by assisting them, I was infected. 'I felt exceffive heat, which made my blood boil the difeafe feized my head, and F "perceived I had only a few moments to live. The lit"tle remaining reafon I had taught me to attempt an "experiment. I laid myself, quite naked, all night on "the deck; the heavy dews that fell penetrated to my

very bones, and, in a few hours, I could breathe freer, "and my head was better; my agitated blood became "calm, and, bathing, the morning after, in the fea, I "was perfectly cured." I know not, Sir, whether the remedy be infallible, but this I am certain, that no pestiferous matter, paffed through water, will communicate the infection.

rever propagate it at Mecca; and Yemen ist fafe from the plague.

History seldom mentions its appearance at Lacedemon, Athens, and Byzantium. When it fpread in Greece, the people expelled it by: keeping large fires in the open places, cleaning the canals, levelling hills which stopped the vapours, and preventing communication. Neither the air, fun, nor water of these fine countries are changed: the fame falubrity would still exift were they inhabited by nations whofe government watched over the well-being of the citizens, and the public fafety. Smyrna and Conftantinople are now the refidence of this dreadful affliction, which, must be attributed to the little value in which the Turkish government holds the lives of men, and their abfurd ideas on predeftination. Of what confequence is it to the defpot though half his people perifh, if he, fhut up in his feraglio, be fecure; or to the Mahometan, while the plague fweeps thoufands from his fide; fince he must live till his hour is come, to endeavour to retard it would be vain?

When the infection pervades the European and Greek habitations, they purify them by fumigating,