30 



only of single canvas, Farenheit's thermometer often rose to 116 

 degrees; it sometimes exceeded 114 in the officers' marquees, with 

 a fly, or separate awning, rising some feet above the tent. This ex- 

 ceeded every thing I had before experienced, and had it continued 

 long no European constitution could have supported it: the tran- 

 sition between health and fever, life and death, was so sudden that 

 medicine had not time to operate, and our men died rapidly; to 

 all, respiration became difficult, and an oppressive languor and 

 weariness were the general complaint. 



The greatest luxury I enjoyed during this sultry season was a 

 visit to the English factory, where the resident had one room dark 

 and cool, set apart entirely for the porous earthen vessels contain- 

 ing the water for drinking; which were disposed with as much 

 care and regularity as the milk-pans in an English dairy: on the 

 surface of each water-jar were scattered a few leaves of the Damas- 

 cus rose; not enough to communicate the flavour of the flower, 

 but to convey an idea of fragrant coolness when entering this de- 

 lightful receptacle: to me a draught of this water was far more 

 grateful than the choicest wines of Schiraz, and the delicious 

 sensations, from the sudden transition of heat, altogether in- 

 describable. 



Chardin mentions that the Persians use rose-water for cleans- 

 ing the leather bottles which contain the water for drinking; they 

 cause them to imbibe the rose-water, to take off the taste of the 

 skin: roses are the delight of the orientals upon all occasions. 

 When Doubdan was leaving the holy sepulchre at Jerusalem, the 

 people presented his party with nosegays of flowers, and fresh- 

 gathered roses, others sprinkled them from bottles of rose-water. 



