a 6 TRAVELS TO THE EAST. 
mond-tree flowered around Smyrna on bare 
boughs. Anemones and Tulips adorned the fields, 
and grew fpontaneotifly in valleys, and at the foot 
of mountains. The former are pretty, of different 
colours, purple and deep red, cochineal red, 
with a white ring at the bafxs of the petals. I 
defcribed to day a Solitaire, a bird kept in a 
cage in our Swedifh houfe. It is a kind of Thrufh 
(Turdus fclitarius), highly efleemed by the Eaft- 
ern nations for its fong; and they have told me, that 
it fells to the Turks at Conftantinople, for 200 Pi- 
afters. It whiftles, and can learn to fing entire 
airs, if it be kept to it, and exercifed. They are 
found in the Grecian iflands. Whence they are 
brought over and fold by the Greeks, who in their 
language, call it M iy»x<x. If kept in a cage, it is fed 
with frefli meat, infects and currants. 
I was defirous to fee Opobalfamum or Balfam of 
Mecca in a place where I was certain to find it good 
and genuine. This is feldom found genuine in Europe, 
and perhaps never entered an Apothecary’s fhop in 
Sweden, unadulterated. It is a drug that is feldom 
to be had genuine, even in Turkey ; for the bufhes 
from which it is taken are fcarce in Arabia, and the 
quantity they yearly afford is barely fufflcient for 
tfle court of the Turkifh Emperor, and the gran- 
dees of the empire. A few of the common Turks, 
who make pilgrimages to Mecca, may chance to get 
a fmall quantity not mixed, but fcarcely one in a 
thousand that yearly go there return without fome 
mixture, which they fell for the true Balfam, though 
they have made it of Turpentine, &c. Of this kind I 
take the greateft part to be, which the Druggifts 
and Apothecaries in Europe have; as I faw their 
merchants in Smyrna buy fuch mixtures, and fend 
them to Europe, there to be difpofed of under the 
' ' . name 
