28 TRAVELS TO THE EAST. 
hour, except cutting them crut of a rock and 
fmoothing. There were fome that had infcrip- 
tions. The bur ying-p laces of the Turks are 
handfome and agreeable, which is owing chiefly to 
the many fine plants that grow in them and which 
they carefully place over their dead: Cypreffes of 
remarkable height, and an innumerable quantity of 
Rofemary, were the plants chiefly found here. The 
latter were now in full bloflom and afforded a de- 
licious odour. The former, which the Turks ef- 
teem mourning trees, were in fruit, and are agree- 
able both fummer and winter to the fight and fmell. 
The Turks aft much more confident than the 
Chriftians, when they bury their dead without the 
town, and plant over them fuch vegetables, as 
by their aromatick and balfamick fmell can drive a- 
way the fatal odours, with which the air is filled in 
fuch places. I am perfuaded, that they by this ef- 
cape many misfortunes, which affeft Chriftians, from 
their wandering and dwelling conftantly among the 
dead. A large and fine variety of Ranunculus 
Ficaria; the Androfaceof Linnseus were new flowers 
of this year, which I faw, and the Almond-tree 
which was fnow-white with bloffoms. Why does 
the Almond-tree, which hath white flowers, blof- 
fom on bare boughs ? not for the fame reafon as 
the hazel ; perhaps the fruit, having a ftone, 
requires a longer time to grow ? They adorn the 
rifing grounds, and according to nature’s order ought 
to afford much fruit, as they bloom at a time of 
the year when the Jky is conftantly ferene, and it 
neither rains nor is there any kind of bad weather, 
which in many countries prevent a fine bloflom 
from giving the wifhed-for fruit. 
The 17th, I found Hyacinthus Mufcari grow in 
common round the town, and in full blolTom. The 
Turks 
