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of fairies: in others are erected beneath the shade pillars of stone, or posts, elegantly carved and ornamented with the most beautiful porcelain to supply the use of mirrors." Pennant.

Page 200.

The nightingale now bends her flight.

"The nightingale sings from the pomegranate-groves in the day-time, and from the loftiest trees at night.”—Russel's Aleppo.

Page 204.

Before whose sabre's dazzling light, &c.

"When the bright cimiters make the eyes of our heroes wink." The Moallakat, Poems of Amru.

Page 204.

As Lebanon's small mountain-flood

Is rendered holy by the ranks

Of sainted cedars on its banks.

In the Lettres Edifiantes, there is a different cause as

signed for its name of Holy. which formerly served as so of recluses, who had chosen these retreats as the only witnesses upon earth of the severity of their penance. The tears of these pious penitents gave the river of which we have just treated the name of the Holy River.". -V. Chateaubriand's Beauties of Christianity.

"In these are deep caverns, many cells for a great number

Page 208.

A rocky mountain o'er the sea

Of Oman beetling awfully.

This mountain is my own creation, as the " stupendous

chain" of which I suppose it a link does not extend quite so far as the shores of the Persian Gulf. "This long and lofty range of mountains formerly divided Media from Assyria, and now forms the boundary of the Persian and Turkish empires. It runs parallel with the river Tigris and Persian Gulf, and almost disappearing in the vicinity of Gomberoon (Harmozia) seems once more to rise in the southern districts of Kerman, and following an easterly course through the centre of Meckraun and Balouchistan, is entirely lost in the deserts of Sinde.". - Kinneir's Persian Empire.

Page 209.

That bold were Moslem, who would dare

At twilight hour to steer his skiff

Beneath the Gheber's lonely cliff.

"There is an extraordinary hill in this neighbourhood, called Kohé Gubr or the Guebre's mountain. It rises in the form of a lofty cupola, and on the summit of it, they say, are the remains of an Atush Kudu or Fire Temple. It is superstitiously held to be the residence of Deeves or Sprites, and many marvellous stories are recounted of the injury and witchcraft suffered by those who essayed in former days to ascend or explore it." - Pottinger's Beloochistan.

Page 210.

Still did the mighty flame burn on.

"At the city of Yezd in Persia, which is distinguished by the appellation of the Darûb Abadut, or Seat of Religion, the Guebres are permitted to have an Atush Kudu or Fire Temple (which, they assert, has had the sacred fire in it

since the days of Zoroaster) in their own compartment of the city; but for this indulgence they are indebted to the avarice,,not the tolerance of the Persian government, which taxes them at twenty-five rupees each man." - Pottinger's Beloochistan.

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"Nul d'entre eux oseroit se perjurer, quand il a pris à témoin cet élement terrible et vengeur."- Encyclopedie Françoise.

Page 215.

The Persian lily shines and towers.

"A vivid verdure succeeds the autumnal rains, and the ploughed fields are covered with the Persian lily, of a resplendent yellow colour "Russel's Aleppo.

Page 222.

Like Dead Sea fruits, that tempt the eye,

But turn to ashes on the lips.

"They say that there are apple-trees upon the sides of this sea, which bear very lovely fruit, but within are all full of ashes." Thevenot. The same is asserted of the oranges

there; v. Witman's Travels in Asiatic Turkey.

"The Asphalt Lake, known by the name of the Dead Sea, is very remarkable on account of the considerable proportion of salt which it contains. In this respect it surpasses every other known water on the surface of the earth. This great proportion of bitter tasted salts is the reason why

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neither animal nor plant can live in this water." - Klaproth's Chemical Analysis of the Water of the Dead Sea, Annals of Philosophy, January 1813. Hasselquist, however, doubts the truth of this last assertion, as there are shell-fish to be found in the lake.

Lord Byron has a similar allusion to the fruits of the Dead Sea, in that wonderful display of genius, his Third Canto of Childe Harold, magnificent beyond any thing, perhaps, that even he has ever written.

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Page 222.

While lakes, that shone in mockery nigh.

"The Suhrab or Water of the Desert is said to be caused by the rarefaction of the atmosphere from extreme heat; and, which augments the delusion, it is most frequent in hollows, where water might be expected to lodge. I have seen bushes and trees reflected in it, with as much accuracy as though it had been the face of a clear and still lake.". Pottinger.

"As to the unbelievers, their works are like a vapour in a plain, which the thirsty traveller thinketh to be water, until when he cometh thereto he findeth it to be nothing."Koran, chap. 24.

Page 223.

"The

A flower, that the Bidmusk has just passed over. "A wind which prevails in February, called Bidmusk,. from a small and odoriferous flower of that name." wind which blows these flowers commonly lasts till the end of the month."- Le Bruyn.

Page 223.

Where the sea-gipsies, who live for ever on the water. "The Biajús are of two races; the one is settled on Borneo, and are a rude but warlike and industrious nation, who reckon themselves the original possessors of the island of Borneo. The other is a species of sea-gipsies or itinerant fishermen, who live in small covered boats, and enjoy a perpetual summer on the eastern ocean, shifting to leeward from island to island, with the variations of the monsoon. In some of their customs this singular race resemble the natives of the Maldivia islands. The Maldivians annually launch a small bark, loaded with perfumes, gums, flowers, and odoriferous wood, and turn it adrift at the mercy of winds and waves, as an offering to the Spirit of the Winds; and sometimes similar offerings are made to the spirit whom they term the King of the Sea. In like manner the Biajús perform their offering to the god of evil, launching a small bark, loaded with all the sins and misfortunes of the nation, which are imagined to fall on the unhappy crew that may be so unlucky as first to meet with it.". Dr. Leyden on the

Languages and Literature of the Indo-Chinese Nations.

Page 223.

The violet sherbets.

"The sweet-scented violet is one of the plants most esteemed, particularly for its great use in Sorbet, which they make of violet sugar."- Hasselquist.

"The sherbet they most esteem, and which is drank by the Grand Signor himself, is made of violets and sugar."Tavernier.

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