Ohfervations 6cc. ο,β^ 



Hiftory as are older than their Prophet, are a Medley only of 

 Romance and Confufion. 



Upon my arrival at u^kiers, I made It my Bufmefs to be ac- ^^"^ ^^«''- 



.- Ill /-11 ΓΛ r• raiicein Ma- 



quainted with luch rerlons, as had the Character of being ^^^'«'^^'^'^^. 



... ο phyfick &C, 



learned and curious ; and though it is very difficult, (as well ' 

 from their natural Shynefs to Strangers, as from a particular 

 Contempt they have for Chrifl'ians, )to cultivate any real Friend- 

 ihip among them, yet in a little Time, I could find the chief 

 Ailronomer, (who hath the Superintendance and Regulation 

 of the Hours of Prayer ) had not Trigonometry enough to 

 projecT; a Sun- Dial : that the whole Art of Navigation, as it is 

 prattifed at Algiers and Tunis, confifted in nothing more, than 

 what is called the pricking of a Chart and diftinguiihing the 

 eight principal Points of the Compafs. Even Chymiilry, for- 

 merly the favourite Science of thefe People, is no farther ap- 

 plied at prefent, than to the diftilling of Rofe-Water. I have 

 rarely converfed with any of Their \Tiheehs c^^-^] Phyficians 

 who were acquainted with Rafis, Averroes or others of their 

 Compatriots. The Spa?tifj Edition of Diofcorides is chiefly 

 iludied ; though the Figures of the Plants and Animals are 

 more confulted than the Defcriptions. The Defs Tibeeh (the 

 E-mim [Λ-'^] or Prefident of the Phyficians ) once asked me 

 whether the Chrifl'tans had fuch an Author as Boo-Kratt ' (fo 

 either out of Ignorance or Affectation they call Hippocrates-,) 

 adding, that He was the firft of the Arabian \_Hackeems UJ^] 

 Doctors, and lived a little before Avicenna. 



After tliis general Account of the State of Learning and ^'^ ^''"'''^ 'f 

 Education m this Country, it cannot be expected, that any <''>'' «^ " λ/- 

 Eranch either of fpeculative or praftical Knowledge ihould be 

 ftudied properly as an Art or Science. There are not indeed 

 wanting feveral Perfons who prefcribe in Phyfick, play upon 

 a A^ariety of Mufical Inftruments, and are concerned in other 

 Atf ions and Performances which feem at leaft to fuppofe fome 

 Skill in Nature or Mathematicks ; yet all This is learnt mere- 

 ly by Praolice, long Habit and Cuftom, aflifted for the moil 

 Part with great Strength of Memory and Quicknefs of Invention. 

 For no Objection can be made againft the natural Parts and 

 Abilities of thefe People, which are certainly fubtle and inge- 

 nious : only Time, Application and Encouragement are wanting 

 to cultivate and improve them. 



I I. e. The Father of Krztt, fuppofed to be an Arabian. U U U X To 



