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state I always considered the latter a great luxury, although seldom 

 introduced at the English tables: they are then like the iced- 

 fruits in Europe, and dissolve in the mouth like snow. I never 

 met with ice during my residence in India: it is now I believe 

 generally used by all who can afford it, especially in Bengal, 

 where it is procured without much difficulty or expense. How 

 Alexander the Great at the siege of Petra, a city of India, pro- 

 cured a sufficient quantity of this luxury to fill thirty ditches, is 

 difficult to account for. Chares, the Mytelenean, is cited by 

 Athenaeus for this anecdote, and adds that it was preserved for a 

 long time by covering it with boughs of trees. 



As perfumed and spiced sherbets are much esteemed in the 

 east for the palate, so are perfumed oils and spicy unguents for the 

 person. A variety of fragrant oils are made in Persia and India, 

 by putting blossoms of mogrees, jasmine, and other highly scented 

 flowers into the most delicate oil; which after a certain time im- 

 bibes the flavour, and is poured off into small bottles, stopped 

 with cotton and wax, to be dispersed throughout the provinces by 

 borahs, gosannees, and yogees, who carry the most costly of these 

 oils, with ottah of roses, pearls, and other valuables that take up 

 little room. 



The borahs are not only considerable traders in commercial 

 towns, but are the chief travelling merchants in Guzerat and the 

 western parts of India; going about like the Jews in Europe 

 with boxes of different commodities; particularly perfumes and 

 jewels. 



These fragrant oils are not only used by all descriptions of 

 Indian females, but the venerable Mahomedan is fond of perfum- 



