A Collection of Curious Travels and Voyages, Volume 2 · Observations 1 – Observations 2
More Obſervations made in Aegypt, by Guilandinus, Alpinus, and others.
CHAP. I.
Of the Weather and Seaſons in Aegypt.
THE Months of January and February make the Spring in Aegypt, the Trees beginning to germinate and put forth, and the Herbs to flower, ſo that then the Fields and Gardens are in their glory.
They reckon two Summers, their firſt is in March, April, May, which is the moſt unconſtant, unequal, and moſt ſickly ſeaſon of the year, as alſo the hotteſt and moſt ſcorching; which is imputed to the Eaſt and South Winds, that blow generally for fifty days together over deſart ſandy places, accompanied with a hot burning Sand, that ſpoils all their Eyes: Strangers during this Seaſon retire into Grotts and ſubterraneous places, and drink much of the Water of Nile, which is excellent in quenching epidemical Thirſt at that time.
Their ſecond Summer is in June, July, Auguſt, which is equal, conſtant, and healthful, the Wind blowing then from the North over Sea, the Nile alſo ſwelling and overflowing by the Rains falling in Aethiopia, and the Air moiſt and refreſhing. Now all the People abſtain from Buſineſs and Labour, follow Spectacles, Games, Plays, &c. the Land being under Water.
September and October make their Autumn, at the end whereof they ſow their Wheat, which they reap in March following. This Autumn is temperate and ſalubrious.
November and December are their Winter; Ice, Snow, and Hail are ſeldom or never ſeen: Rain falls rarely in the inner parts of Aegypt, only a Dew; but at Alexandria, and other places near the Sea they have Rain, and a more healthful Air; theſe Showers come moſt in November.
CHAP. II.
Of the Meats and Drinks of Aegypt.
THE Inhabitants, eſpecially the Mahometans, live abſtemiouſly, eat little and often; their Dyet is generally ſimple, abhorring mixtures and variety. Rice boyl'd in Mutton Broth, Lentils, Pulſe, and Legumes; Bete, Mallows call'd Bamia, Cucumbers, Melons, Citruls, Dates, Figs of the Sycomore, Plantanes, Pomegranats, Grapes, Oranges, Lemons, Citrons, Sugar Canes, Colocaſia Root, &c. make up the greateſt part of their Diet.
The richeſt ſort eat Mutton, Poultry, and ſeveral ſorts of Fiſh from the Nile, which tho' fat, are not eſteem'd wholſome, becauſe the bottom of that River is very muddy, and the Water much troubled. All their Bread is made of Wheat, and they make abundance of Milk-meats. Their Kitchin-herbs are water'd every day, all their Gardens being planted near the banks of the Nile, which is one reaſon that their Salleting is more watry and inſipid than in Italy; yet if they did not water them every day in Aegypt, they would ſoon be dry'd up. There are no Gardens but near the River, becauſe there is no Rain nor freſh Water in other parts.
The ordinary People will eat Camels, Buffaloes and Crocodiles. The Water of the Nile, purged and clarified either by ſtanding in Jarrs or precipitated with Powder and Paſtes of ſweet Almonds, is the general Drink of the Country, being eſteem'd the lighteſt, the moſt nutritious, and the moſt refreſhing liquor in the World, the Water running ſo far under a hot Sun, and falling down ſo many Cataracts.
The Inhabitants ſleep little, indulge Venery, having many Wives and Concubines, are generally idle, yet live long, and ſee more years than the Poles, Germans, and other Northern Nations, where Gluttony and Drunkenneſs are much more in faſhion than in the Aegyptian Climate. The Jews and Chriſtians, as alſo the Turkiſh Souldiers, will often debauch at Grand Caire, with thoſe rich Wines brought from Candy, Rhodes, and Cyprus; thoſe from Italy, Corfou, and Zant will not keep in Aegypt, the heat ſoon pricking them.
CHAP. III.
Of the Diſeaſes and Phyſick.
THE moſt epidemical and endemial Diſtempers of Aegypt are ſore Eyes from the Eaſt and South Winds bringing along with them a burning Sand and piercing Nitre mixt with it, which makes them frequently waſh and cleanſe their Eyes with the Nile Water at that Seaſon. Leproſies from their Salt and rotten Fiſh. Inflammatory Phrenzies, killing in three or four hours time. A peſtilential Small pox, and peſtilential Feavers, eſpecially at Alexandria in Autumn. Ruptures are very common, by reaſon of their moiſt and watry Diet: But that which deſtroys moſt is the Plague, which they take no care to obſtruct or avoid, depending upon their Principle of inevitable Fate and Predeſtination; therefore in the year 1580 they loſt above 500000 Souls in 6 or 7 months time, in the ſingle City of Grand Caire.
The Plague in Aegypt rages for the moſt part from the beginning of September to June, at which time it never fails to ceaſe, the Wind turning then to the ſalubrious Quarter of the North, and the Nile ſwelling with freſh Streams.
They reckon this Plague is conſtantly brought either from Barbary, Lybia, or other African Countries, or elſe from Syria or Greece; that from Barbary is moſt furious and pernicious, the other two mild and gentle.
Their practical Phyſick conſiſts in Phlebotomy, which they adminiſter univerſally in almoſt every Diſeaſe; in cauterizing or burning, in ſcarrifying, in cupping, bathing, in a few lenitive Purgatives, and cooling quieting Alteratives.
They Bleed by cutting or pricking the Veins and Arteries themſelves in moſt parts of the Body; yet in Eunuchs, Women, Children, and other ſoft Conſtitutions, they take away Blood by ſcarrifying the Thighs, Ears, Lips, Noſtrils, Gums, &c. They generally bleed after Meat. Their Cupping-glaſſes are of different Figures from ours, and their Cautery is Cotton ſet on fire.
They have a groſs way of Cutting in Dropſies, to let the Water out. Their manner of extracting Stones out of the Bladder is by blowing and extending the Urethra, then preſſing the Stones to the neck of the Bladder by their Fingers put into the Anus or Fundament, and afterwards ſucking them out through the expanded paſſages.
Their Women bath very much, and uſe all manner of Arts to ſoften and plump their Bodies.
They abſtain from all hot or violent Purgatives, as Scammony, Coloquintida, Elaterium, Hellebores, Cataputia, Metezeon, &c. and uſe only the moſt gentle Lenitives, as Caſſia, Tamarinds, Manna, Myrobalans, ſometimes Rheubarb and a little Sena, as alſo cooling Clyſters.
Their Alterative Phyſick conſiſts of Coolers, and Anodyns, as Nymphaea, Poppy, Endive, Lettice, Berberries, China-root (never Guaicum or Sarſa) Opium, Flowers of the Alcanna, Coffee: The Women will eat Hermodactyls like roaſted Cheſnuts at night. They have few Compound Medicines, unleſs a Theriaca different from the Venetian, or that of Andromachus, in the preparing of which they ſeem very careful and ceremonious. Some amongſt them pretend to many Arcanums againſt Feavers.
For a full Catalogue of ſuch Trees, Shrubs, and Herbs as grow in Aegypt, together with their ſynonymous names and places, the Reader may conſult Mr. Ray's Collection of Exotick Catalogues, publiſh'd at London 1693, and annext at the end of this Work, amongſt which he will find an Aegyptian one.
The manner of hatching Chickens at Grand Cairo, with a particular delineation of the Ovens, Fire, Matts, &c. may be read at large in Mr. Greaves's Relation, printed in the Philoſoph. Tranſ. N. 137. pag. 923, 924, 925.
Several Conjectures and Experiments upon the Aegyptian Nitre, commonly call'd Natron, (found floating on the Lake Latron near Nitria, a Town lower upon the Nile than Grand Cairo) may be read in the Philoſoph. Tranſ. N. 160. from p. 609 to p. 619. alſo in N. 167. p. 837, 838. where 'tis proved to be little different from Sal Armoniack, and may owe its original to a natural union or mixture of the foſſile Salt of the Lakes with the Urinoſe one, that comes from the Crocodiles, Hippopotami, and other Animal Inhabitants of thoſe Waters.
Of the Pyramids of AEGYPT. By Mr. Creaves, Profeſſor of Aſtronomy in the Ʋniverſity of Oxford.
A Deſcription of the Pyramids in Aegypt, as I found them in the 1048 year of the Hegira, or in the years 1638, and 1639 of our Lord, after the Dionyſian Account.