92 THIRTY- FIVE YEARS IN THE EAST. 



science, because I had had so much opportunity for 

 studying the nature of the plague at Constantinople, add- 

 ing that he intended to publish my report. 



About noon we arrived at the infected Palee, where we 

 ordered our tents to be pitched near to the large marsh, 

 opposite to which the town lies. The first sight which 

 presented itself to our eyes was the funeral trains of several 

 of the inhabitants. After dinner, at two o'clock, I repaired 

 to the governor, who was a Hindoo, and told him I was a 

 traveller and a physician, and that I wished to see a few 

 infected persons, and administer to them my medicines 

 gratis, if he would kindly send some one to accompany me. 

 He received me very affably, and yielded to my request. 

 The man who accompanied me had not the trouble to 

 escort me far, as in the very next house there were several 

 patients, some of whom had only a short time to live. At 

 these visits 1 neglected no circumspection and precaution. I 

 never entered a house, but caused the patients to be 

 brought before the door, where I examined them, writing 

 down their names and their statements, and administering 

 to them the remedies, and I departed without having 

 touched any of them. The aspect of the town itself offered 

 a sad spectacle : only now and then I met with a human 

 being : the bazaars and shops were closed ; they told me 

 that the greater part of the inhabitants had either died, or 

 left the t6wn ; and numbers of houses were quite deserted. 

 The infected died in general on the third or fourth day ; 

 and scarcely one among twenty recovered. I saw carbun- 

 cles, buboes, bleeding at the nose — in one word all that I 

 had seen in the hospital at Constantinople. I no longer, 

 therefore, doubted that the disease was a most virulent 

 plague. It is true, that it wis not the plague of Turkey, 

 Arabia or Egypt, but one peculiar to India; Palee being 

 a province of that part of Asia. At four o'clock the same 

 afternoon I returned to our tent, and retired to rest at the 

 ordinary time, in the enjoyment of the best of health ; 

 and I should have slept longer than usual, if Madame 

 j^Mouton had not come to awaks me, and annoLince that 



