[42 3 
truned the latter end of April, tho’ with no great 
violence, except the firft fhock, and that much lefs 
terible than thofe of 1759. We felt 6 or 7 within 
the week, and 4 more at long intervals during our 
imprifonment ; but as they were all flight, ourappre- 
henflons foon fubflded. At our releafe from con- 
finement the laft day of Auguft, we flattered our- 
felves with the hopes of a fpeedy releafe from danger; 
but it pleafed God to order it other wife. In all 
the plagues, with which Aleppo has been vifited in 
this century, the contagion is laid to have regularly and 
conftantly ceafed in Auguft or September, the hotteft 
months in the year; and it is pretty certain, that it dif- 
appeared about that time in 1742, 1743, 1744 and 
1760 ; but unfortunately for us that now reflde here, 
the year 1761 has proved an inftance of the fallacy of 
general obfervations on this dreadful fubjedt; for, from 
the end of March 1761 to the middle of Sept. 1762, 
fcarce a day has pafled without fome deaths or frefh 
attacks from the diftemper ; and tho’ the violence of 
it ceafed in the autumn, yet I believe on an average 
it was fatal to at leaft 30 perfons in every week, from 
that time to the end of the winter. In February laft 
we were pretty healthy : hearing but of few accidents, 
and thofe in the fkirts of the city, we once more be- 
gan to entertain fome faint hopes of a farther exemp- 
tion, but they were of very ihort duration: in March 
the infedtion fpread again, and in April increafed with 
fuch rapidity, that we were obliged to retire to our 
clofe quarters on the 26th of that month. I have 
now the fatisfadlion of informing you that, by the 
blefiing of Providence, we are once more fafe and at 
liberty. 
4 
