4 
54 
TRAVELS TO THE EAST. 
rower, and were elegantly adorned with Rulhes and 
the fineil Rice-fields; yet farther in were clofe 
Palm-woods. We failed by two fmall cattles. Some 
villages lay on our left hand, fituated on Delta. 
Dolphins and Porpoiffes tumbled about in the water. 
I came at two o’clock to Rofetta, and was well re- 
ceived by the French Conful Du Salauze. lowards 
evening I went out in the fields, which had been fown 
with Rice eight days before. The Rice was three 
inches high; the water flood four fingers high on the 
ground, and was raifed by wheels worked by 
oxen, and conduced on the fields in channels. _ This 
is done during the time the Rice grows and ripens. 
I heard a found which feemed artificial ; for example, 
as if fomebody had knocked together hard wooden 
flicks. 1 afked what it was, and was told that my- 
riads of little frogs which kept under water emitted 
this found. We were on the road perfecuted by two 
kinds of creatures of different nature, tho’ both in- 
tended to hurt us; they were Gnats and Buffaloes. 
The latter efpecially feemed to be angiy with me 
and the interpreter I had with me, as we were 
dreffed in red. Our Janiffary w as obliged to drive the 
animals from us with his cudgel. Under the Turkilh 
Government one muff always be ready for attack and 
fence. The people in Rofetta are tolerably civil ; 
therefore a perfon is in no danger of being attacked 
by them. Our other enemies, the Gnats, tho’ they 
were much weaker, yet could not be fubdued 
bv this guard. Their number made them intoler- 
able and invincible. The Rice-fields, becaufe they 
are conflantly under water, occafion a fwampy 
ground, fit for the fupport of thefe vermin, and m 
thcfe they lay their eggs. They were a different 
fort from thofe we have in Europe, being Ids; but 
bit worfe, and left great boils in the Jkin, with an in- 
tolerable 
