AND LOWER EGYPT. 187 



this second jiEson ; and from the manner In which 

 he spoke of it, I perceived that the thing appeared 

 to him as easy and simple as if 1 had possessed 

 the magical arts of a Medea. To lose no time in 

 effecting a cure of such importance, the old Ara- 

 bian hinted to me that I should accompany him 

 in visiting his estates, and that during our journey 

 he would take the necessary restoratives. 



Ismai'n was also accustomed to chew and smoke 

 hasch'isch, an intoxicating preparation from the 

 hemp of Egypt, of which I have before given a 

 description. He sunk every day into the gentle 

 torpor, the keif^ which that plant superinduces ; 

 but habit had given him a desire to change this 

 method, and he instructed me to provide him some 

 other ingredient which should produce a similar 

 efi'ect, always excepting wines and other spirit- 

 uous liquors, to which he had an utter aversion. 



After the prince had made me acquainted with 

 his plans, he resumed the course of his affairs, and 

 I retired to the shade of a grove of trees, in the 

 middle of which his tent was situated. I was im- 

 mediately surrounded by that kind of people who, 

 in Africa as in Europe, follow on the heels of 

 those who appear to be in favour with the great. 

 A sumptuous dinner was served up to me, during 

 which I did not want either lookers-on or flat- 

 terers. 



