Dr Boue on the Mode of Travelling in Turkey. 149 



which the melons, water melons, and grapes a are the only ones 

 which are better than in other parts of Europe. They have 

 some vegetables which are unknown in Germany and France. It 

 is easier to live well with the Turks than with the Christians, for 

 those of the Greek religion often have fast-days, or even weeks; 

 however, Europeans should not care about this strictness, but, 

 even in convents, should, like the Turks, order meat, and other 

 necessary things, especially as they do not know how to cook 

 salt or fresh fish properly. Excellent red wine, not at all sour, 

 like Quin's pretended Hungarian wine, is found everywhere. 



The best months to travel in Turkey are from April to Oc- 

 tober ; for, in winter, the roads are bad in many places, and 

 sleeping in rooms with paper windows is unpleasant. In the 

 Archipelago it may perhaps be different. As for the plague, it 

 is less prevalent in winter and in spring than in autumn ; it 

 seems to be always at Constantinople, although not at the 

 neighbouring towns where Christians live. In Macedonia, it 

 is said to happen rarely, only once in twenty-five years, as is 

 alleged. This year it was there, and in various towns. The 

 Turks are still ignorant of the proper means to extirpate this 

 disease, which, like the cholera, attacks chiefly the lower class 

 of people, those who are dirty or intemperate. We saw two 

 towns, Koprili and Tenishe-Vardar, surrounded, by order of the 

 Sultan, with a military cordon, so that nobody could either go 

 in or out ; rather a singular way of preserving the lives of those 

 who had not yet been attacked by the disease. The conse- 

 quence was, that in other towns, the people took great care 

 that the governor should not know of any of the cases of 

 plague which occurred in them. The plague was at Dubnic/a 

 in August, owing to the clothes of a Tartar, who had died 

 there, being sold to the Jews. Vet travellers must not fear 

 this disease ; it is customary to go round about and avoid in- 

 fected places ; and the cholera is worse, from being liable to 

 attack one anywhere. It is therefore advisable to carry proper 

 medicines for these and other violent diseases. In Turkey one 

 finds very few medical men ; the pachas have generally some 

 Jew or Turk, who is rather a charlatan than a liek'im or doctor^ 

 Indeed, there is no opening for a physician in Turkey, as the 

 sick call them in only for old chronic diseases, whilst for dan- 



