66 THE NATURAL HISTORY OF DISTANT LANDS 



still spoken ; though corrupt, it was, Belon thinks, more 

 similar to ancient Greek than the Italian dialects to 

 Latin. He notes some customs which still prevail in 

 Crete, such as the practice of sipping wine, but at the 

 same time quenching thirst with large draughts of 

 water. He did not fail to visit the ruins of ancient 

 cities, all of which the Cretans were inclined to call by 

 the celebrated name of Labyrinth. A particular account 

 is given of the mode of collecting the balsamic resin 

 called Ladanum, which was much esteemed by the 

 ancients, and of which Pliny had related a ridiculous 

 fable, viz. that it was combed out from the beards and 

 shaggy legs of goats which had browsed in the forests of 

 Arabia. There is a lengthy description of his discovery 

 of the parrot- wrasse (Scarus), which Aristotle had said 

 (v/rongly, as it happens) to be the only fish that 

 ruminates. The Cretan sheep and goat are described 

 and figured. Concerning the latter Belon makes two- 

 startling remarks, viz. that its horns may be four cubits 

 long, and that the number of rings on the horns tells 

 how many years the animal has lived. 



In this way Belon goes on pleasantly from one 

 country to another, discussing with little method 

 animals, plants, useful arts, drugs, and the ruins of 

 ancient buildings. One heading runs thus : — " Modestie 

 des soldats turcs, et d'un serpent nomm^ Jaculus, et de 

 I'oiseau nomm^ Onocratalus." Many of the woodcuts 

 are fair, but the long-tailed ichneumon, whose tail is cut 

 ofi" and shown separately above the body, makes us 

 smile. 



Augier Ghislen de Busbecq (1522-1592) was a 

 Fleming, who was twice sent by the emperor as 

 ambassador to Soliman II. Historians have drawn 

 valuable information from his descriptions of the 



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