i 7 6 TRAVELS TO THE EAST. 
place in the Mediterranean. The inhabitants make 
it a trade to filh up this fpunge, by which they get 
a living, far from contemptible, as their goods are 
always wanted by the Turks, who ufe an incredible 
number of fpunges at their bathings and walhings. 
A girl, in this ifland, is not permitted by her rela- 
tions to marry, before flic has brought up a certain 
quantity of fpunges, and before Are can give a proof 
of her agility, by taking them up from a certain 
depth* 
We had been at fea twenty days, wheti on the 
8th we came in fight of Stanchio. Our voyage be- 
gan to grow tedious* They never take much pro- 
viffon on board for a voyage through the Archipe- 
lago ; but Imagine they can always run into fome of 
the iflands, and get what they want. We had thefe 
thoughts at our departure from Cyprus, with prc- 
vifions for fome days ; and intended to provide ouf- 
felves in Rhodes, or Stanchio, for the remaining part 
of the voyage; but we were much difiatisfied to find 
ourfelves without water, and with very little other 
provifion, being at the fame time informed, by a vef- 
fel which met us, that the plague raged violently in 
both the places we intended to run into, and there- 
fore were inacceffible. Our circumftances gave me 
an opportunity of making a good obfervation. We 
had on board a Dervice (Turkilh Monk) who came 
to us, and complained bitterly, not for want of 
Bread, though he had been without it for feveral 
days, but for fomething more necefiary to him than 
Bread. He had been two days without Opium, and 
now found himfelf in a condition which made him 
fear he ihould find his grave in the fea. I with 
pity faw a young man become lean, emaciated, with 
a trembling body, feized with weaknefs and fwim- 
mings. This is the cafe of thofe, who by a deftruc- 
