TO SMYRNA. 27 ' 
aame of the true Balfam of Mecca. I faw forae the 
1 3th of February, which I am fure was of the true 
kind ; as it agreed with the defcriptions the beft au- 
thors have given us, and what I myfelf have learn’d 
concerning its tranfportation. I had frequently op- 
portunities to fee, what was called Balfam of Mecca, 
but I never believed any to be the true, except 
this, which I have defcribed. 
Spring was now advancing apace; and as the 
-teat encreaied, I went without the totvn on the 
1 4th, to fee what effeft this fine weather had on na- 
ture, and what fort of plants the fpring afforded. I 
Viimt to the burying-places of the Turks, to fee 
Whether they contained any thing worth notice, 
ihey bury moft of their dead without the town, 
they have however near fome of their churches, 
and even private houfes places fill’d with graves. 
But the largeft and moft numerous are without 
the town. They occupy a large terrace around the 
town, and therefore make an incredible quantity of 
earth ufelefs, which they encreafe daily, by digging 
new graves and fearching for other places, when 
ey bury their dead. They have their burying- 
piaces furrounded with fine walls, and handfomer 
t tan thofe about their gardens and vineyards. At 
eacn S rave they had raifed up a ftone of coarfe 
garble f° r the moft part grey, but fome brown. 
n thefe they had bellowed more or lefs art, ac- 
Its t0 t ^‘ e e ^ ate efteem the deceafed enjoy- 
w ue living. I concluded thofe were grandeft, 
vei Wnona was built a triangular monument of 
>. on «* ^ ext were thofe with oblong ftones, on the 
w kich was engraved a turban or 
a Ur v ‘ 3 ^ ea ddrefs ; if this is green, itlignifies that 
xL Tu°\ relatio!1 of Mahomet lies here. The 
1 c u had plain ftones without any art and la- 
bour. 
