coming near me the infection might be communicated. The Turks, on the contrary, were stationary, and never thought of shifting their position, unless to perform their devotions.

*

In the further prosecution of this voyage, I sailed past the rocky mountains of Patmos, which appeared to be six miles in length. The captain could not be prevailed upon to deviate from his course, and land me on the island, that I might have an opportunity of examining a spot so eminently sanctified by the presence of John, when he was in a state of exile for the Word of God, and the testimony of Jesus Christ. Here the last instance of this apostle's care and affection for the Christians of the Asiatic churches, was expressed in writings of the highest sublimity †, containing a prophetic account of the future state of the church, although in language mysterious, and not level to our limited capacities. From the report of some Christians who were passengers in the ship, I was informed there is a small tower, which is asserted to have been the residence of St. John, and a monastery has been founded here to his memory.

It is ornamented externally with one or more bells, which I never observed in any other church in the Holy, Land, the Mahomedans being decidedly hostile to the sound of them. They are called to prayers by one of their number calling the hour from the top of minarets, which I shall have occasion more particularly to advert to hereafter, when explaining their peculiar religious tenets and rites. As I have touched, however, upon the subject, it may in general be mentioned as remarkable, that in Catholic churches the bells are hung in a different manner from those in Protestant places of worship, the former being attached to a beam laid across the building, and the rope fixed to the tongue of the bell, by pulling which a disagreeable noise is produced; whereas the latter are moved on wheels, and rung with facility, and with a sound clear and distinct.

A contrary gale of wind sprung up, and fears being entertained of coming in contact with the plague, which we heard had been raging in Smyrna, and having been nearly a month beating about in a filthy crowded vessel, and obliged to sleep on deck, although the voyage is usu ally accomplished in a few days; besides finding provi sions running short; I resolved to proceed by land, and with that view disembarked on the coast of Scio. After crossing the mountains I arrived at Sedequi, a summer residence of the European inhabitants at Smyrna, and about six miles distant, where I considered it prudent to! halt, information of the existence of this dreadful pestilence having been fully confirmed. It had been communicated by a vessel with slaves, that recently arrived in that harbour.

During my stay here, I was invited to the house of the Dutch Consul; I finally threw off my Turkish dress, and once more resumed that of the Christian, and I own I never experienced a higher gratification than in placing myself in my native attitude, by sitting upon a chair, after being? so long obliged to retain a cross-legged position, and also partaking of the hospitalities of the table, having, in fact, never enjoyed a meal with any proper degree of comfort since I was at the house of Mr. Briggs, the British resident at Grand Cairo.

After remaining at Sedequi some days, and falling in with the Rev. Mr. Williamson, the English chaplain, we rode down to Smyrna, carefully shunning the quarter inhabited by the Turks.

The driver of the mules which carried my bed and baggage, exercised the greatest possible caution, and avoided interference or coming in contact with any person. I was accommodated in his apartments in the British Factory, where I was for some time confined in close quarantine. On entering the town, he pointed out a blind person to me who was soliciting alms. He was one of the most deplorable and affecting objects that imagination can conceive: being almost in a state of putridity from the horrible disease of leprosy. At the period of my arrival the shops

were shut up, "accidents" (deaths), as they are termed, occurring every hour, and many awful spectacles of disease, like those of old, removed from their polluted habitations in litters, to prevent the contagion making more rapid strides, who were laid under tents pitched on the sea shore for their reception, about two miles distant from the town. This brought to my recollection the words of the Psalmist, that it was a destruction that wasteth at noon day. This leads. me to observe, that on some occasions it is the practice of Mahommedans to mount the minarets, from which there is proclaimed the name of persons who have died, the hour when the event occurred, and followed by a call on the friends to commit the bodies to the earth. Although our own native land was at no very distant period visited with this frightful pestilence, yet great is the gratitude which ought to be expressed at the present day that we are exempted from such a visitation. We are bound to continue our prayers that the Almighty would withhold his destroying angel from us, which cuts down thousands, and occasions, such awful scenes of desolation and woeful mourning.

AQUEDUCT.

THEATRE. TEMPLE OF DIANA. HER STATUE DISCO

PLOUGH. - COINS. PHILADELPHIA AND LAODICEA.

VERED.

APOSTLE PAUL. - SOIL.

RETURN TO SMYRNA.

THE peculiar horror which accompanies those ravages occasioned by the plague having embittered every moment, and led to considerable apprehensions as to my personal safety, I resolved to take the earliest possible opportunity of leaving Smyrna, and proceed to some distance. With this view I directed my course to Ephesus, trembling at every step in passing through the town.

The ride in that direction, after leaving Smyrna, is along the front of well cultivated mountains, interspersed with villas, but the prospect soon changed, and I found I was going along a kind of wilderness. I remarked in the course of this journey several tents, pitched in the fields, which were covered with black cloth, nearly similar in form and extent to those I adverted to about Jericho and Mount Tabor. In passing some cottages, I saw prodigious flocks of storks flying about, with very large outstretched wings.* Their beaks and legs were of considerable length, and they flew in the form of a circle. Although they are ranked among unclean birds †, yet they are supposed to be unrivalled among the feathered tribe, for qualities of an amiable nature, and may be considered as domestic birds. They are much attached to the tops of houses, and appear to be under no kind of fear, nor are they apprehensive of being dislodged. No such act, indeed, is contemplated by the inmates of any dwelling to + Levit. xi 13.

* Zech. v. 9.

which they resort. They form very large nests of dry twigs of trees, and perch not only on the roofs of the houses, but on the tops of the highest trees *, and shun the noise and bustle of towns. They are familiar, like sparrows, and their annual migration is similar to that of swallows. The circumstance has not escaped the observation of the prophets. † This bird is an object of veneration in Egypt, and it is held a breach of order or policy to kill them. I also observed that it was protected in Holland, and is taken special care of in other countries at advanced age ‡, asylums being built and endowed for that purpose. Some of the Mahomedans are inclined to believe the transmigration of the human soul into this particular species of birds.

After various windings I arrived at the plain of Ephesus, which I calculate to be from forty to fifty miles distant from Smyrna, and was accommodated for the night in a hut at a bridge thrown over the river Cayster, which moves along the plain, and terminates in the sea. This place was wretched in the extreme. I slept on the ground, and passed a most uncomfortable and restless night, being tormented with vermin and flies, added to swarms of beetles erawling about; the cackling of swallows, and the howlings of dogs, with the yell of a cat upon the roof.

Next morning I proceeded to view the once celebrated city of Ephesus, which is completely shut in by mountains. The ruins of a castle first attract attention, on a rocky eminence, which forms a noble object, and is of great extent. At the bottom of it stands the church §, dedicated to the memory of St. John, who is supposed to have spent some part of his life in this place. It was founded by the Christians, and afterwards converted into a Mahommedan mosque, in the interior of which are lofty and massy co

Fez has an hospital richly endowed for the treatment of lunatics. Part of the funds has been bequeathed by the wills of various charitable testators, for the express purpose of nursing sick cranes and storks, and burying them when dead.-Travels of ALI BEY.

§ Rev. ii. 1.