Travels in Turkey, Asia Minor, Syria, and across the desert into Egypt ...

2q6 TRAVELS IN ASIATIC TURKEY,
are incapable of engaging in any useful undertaking which demands
exertion or activity.
The gardens to the north of Rosctta are very extensive, and must
be pleasing to the admirers of pure and unembellished nature. Nei-
ther order nor method has been consulted in the disposal of the
parts, nor are there any of those regular
walks which are observed
in the gardens
of Europe. The lofty date-trees, planted in thick
clusters, afford a
pleasing of
variety foliage, and a new tint of colour,
amidst the banana, orange, lemon, pomegranate, and citron
trees, which are every where scattered in wild disorder. The ve-
getable productions for the table are disposed with as little regulari-
ty, and are intermixed with clusters of the henna, or Egyptian
privet, which is cultivated in great abundance on account of the
orange dye its dried leaves afford, to add to the fantastic ornaments
of the Egyptian women. The avenues leading to these
gardens,
and those by which they are surrounded, are very agreeable.
In a northern direction from Rosetta there are several morasses
and swampy grounds, which, together with the rivulets or ditches
of stagnant water left by the inundation of the Nile, there is every
reason to presume must be productive, in the summer months, of
miasma of the most dangerous kind, Notwithstanding my visit to
Rosetta was so early as the month of February ', the stagnant and
putrid waters were become extremely offensive in passing in a par-
and as the northerly winds are the
ticular direction near the town ;
most prevalent, the miasma must, supposing it to be generated by
these causes, be readily conveyed to that place, so as to expose its
inhabitants to all the effects of malignant and contagious diseases.
It is probably on this account, among others, that the plague is
supposed to be more frequent at Rosetta than in any other part of
Egypt. Elephantiasis is also a very common complaint, more particularly
among the women.
On the 2Sth, a signal having been made for that purpose, bv the
Reis, or master of a vessel stationed expressly
at the entrance of
the Nile, and whose duty it is tp give notice that the bogaz is open,
the germs laden with corn, and other productions, quitted Rosetta
at an early hour in the morning for Alexandria. Wc were still,
however, detained by the want of germs.
In the mean time we learned that the brother of the Swedish
consul at Alexandria had died there a few days before of plague ;
and suspicions being entertained that the disease had been brought