THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 45 



fo that it hath become proverbial — If you think you mall 

 die. you mail die. 



If a traveller finds, that he is as well after having been 

 fome time in this country as he was before entering it, his 

 bell way is to make no innovation in his regimen, further 

 than in abating fomething in the quantity. But if he is of 

 a tender conititution, he cannot acft more wifely than to 

 follow implicitly the regimen of fober, healthy people of 

 the country, without arguing upon European notions, or 

 fubftituting what we conlider as fuccedaneums to what we 

 fee ufed on the fpot. All fpirits are to be avoided; even bark is 

 better in water than in wine. The ftomach, being relaxed 

 by-pro fufe perfpiration, needs fomething to flxengthen, but 

 not inflame, and enable it to perform digeftion. For this 

 reafon (inftinct we mould call it, if fpcaking of beads) the 

 natives of all eaflern countries feafon every fpecies of food, 

 even the fimpleft, and mildelt, rice, fo much with fpices, ef- 

 pecially pepper, as abfolutely to blifter a European palate. 



These powerful antifeptics Providence has planted in 

 thefe countries for this ufe ; and the natives have, from 

 the earlieft times, had recourfe to them in proportion to 

 the quantity that they can procure. And hence, in thefe 

 dangerous climates, the natives -are as healthy as we are in 

 our northern ones. Travellers in Arabia are difgufted at 

 this feemingly inflammatory food; and nothing is more com- 

 mon than to hear them fay that they are afraid thefe quan- 

 tities of fpices will give them a fever. But did they ever 

 feel themfelves heated by ever fo great a quantity of black 

 pepper? Spirits they think, fubftituted to this, anfwer the 

 fame purpofe. But does not the heat of your ikin, the 



violent 



