Chapter XI

Plague at Abra--Terror occasioned by it--Peasants forsake
the village--Alarm of Lady Hester--Imaginary virtues
of bezoar and serpent stone--Funerals--Embarrassment
of the Author--Illness of his servant--Increase of the
contagion--Medical Treatment--Arrival of the Kite sloop
of war--Number of victims of the plague--Pilgrimage to
the shrine of St. Haneh--Prickly heat--Lady Hester goes
to reside at Meshmûshy--Costume of the Drûzes--Maronite
monastery--Camel’s flesh eaten--Bridge of Geser
Behannyn--Journey of the Author to Bteddyn--Sons of the
Emir Beshýr--Wedding at Abra--Moorish Conjuror--Return
of Giorgio--Vineyards--Wines--Dibs--Raisins--Olive
Harvest--Figs--Country between Abra and Meshmûshy 358

TRAVELS

OF

LADY HESTER STANHOPE.

Τὴν Ἀσίην δὴ πλεῖστον διαφέρειν φημὶ της Ευρώπῆς ἐς τὰς φύσιας
τῶν ξύμπαντων, τῶν τὲ ἐκ τῆς γῆς φυομένων και τῶν ἄνθρωπων·
πουλὺ γαρ καλλιόνα καὶ μεῖζόνα πάντα γίγνεται ἐν τῃ Ἀσίῃ. Ἡτὲ
χώρη τῆς χώρῆς ἡμερωτέρη καὶ τὰ ἠθεα τῶν ἄνθρῶπων ἣπιωτέρα καὶ
εὐεργοτέρα. [Hippocr. 72 ¶, cap. 5. Περὶ ἀερῶν, ὑδατῶν καὶ
τοπῶν.]