MEMOIR OF BURCKHARDT. 37 



irregularities in his evening ablutions. This real or 

 fancied defect lost him the good opinion which by 

 his manner and conduct he had hitherto maintained. 

 He was told that he was " haraam^ or in a forbid- 

 den unclean state, and in consequence he was sub- 

 jected to considerable annoyance ; but it lasted only 

 a single day, as they were now approaching the 

 termination of their journey. 



Over a wide extended plain rose the castle of 

 Aleppo, at the sight of which the armed horsemen 

 of the caravan set off in a gallop, repeatedly firing 

 their muskets. Another hour's march, through 

 deserted and ruined villages, brought them to the 

 town ; on entering which all the merchandise must 

 be weighed at the custom-house khan, in order to 

 determine the sum due to the muleteer for freight, 

 as also the amount of duty to be paid for them to 

 the Grand Seignior. This city continued to be his 

 principal residence during the two years and a half 

 which he remained in Syria, chiefly for the purpose 

 of learning to speak Arabic fluently. 



A few days after his arrival he was attacked by 

 a strong inflammatory fever, occasioned probably 

 by the want of rest, owing to the quantity of vermin 

 that had collected on his person. But in a fortnight 

 his health was restored, and allowed him to proceed 

 with his studies uninterrupted, with the aid of a 

 young Frank who spoke the language like a native, 

 though he could neither read nor writS it. Our 

 traveller made rapid progress, making daily addi- 

 tions to his practical knowledge of Arabic, and his 



