_Advertisement._
The Author’s intention, when he first began to digest his materials,
was only to exhibit an account of the epidemic diseases at _Aleppo_,
particularly of the plague, which raged three years in that city during
his residence therein. A long and extensive practice among all ranks and
degrees of people, had furnished him with the means of being perfectly
well acquainted with the customs and manners of the inhabitants. The
neighbourhood of this place, its site, and natural productions, he found
had not been so fully described, but that there still was room left
for improvement. Instead, therefore, of confining himself singly to so
much of the general history of the place as might be sufficient for the
purpose of his profession, he has entered into the subject more at large,
and has endeavoured to present the reader with a succinct, but at the
same time an exact account of such things relative thereto as seemed most
to merit attention. It must however be remembered that his observations
are confined to one city, and its environs only. Other places, and those
too at no great distance, may have other customs; and to this it may be
ascribed, that different writers on the head of the customs of eastern
nations present us with very different accounts.
When it is considered that the Author resided many years abroad, and
conversed daily in other languages more than in his own, which he had but
little leisure to cultivate, the defects in his stile, it is hoped, will
be forgiven.
In the plates he has not only endeavoured to give an idea of the various
dresses of the people, but a view of their furniture, habitations, and
amusements.
The birds and fishes here delineated are such as, to the best of the
Author’s knowledge, have not before been properly represented, and those
of the plants are chiefly of the same kind. So many of the _Arabic_ names
of these as were collected, would have been given, had it been possible
to have expressed them justly in _English_ characters, or easy to have
had them correctly printed in _Arabic_; in which language, it must be
observed, all the names of places, _&c._ in this work are given, unless
mentioned to be otherwise.
The different subjects in the first part were intended to have been
pointed out, by varying the running-title according to the subject; but,
by mistake, this was omitted till too late.
The method used by the _Europeans_ for their preservation during the rage
of a pestilence was chiefly intended for the use of the Author’s friends
in _Aleppo_, to whom it was presented on his leaving that country. To
those in _Europe_ he sincerely wishes that it may never otherwise be
useful than to satisfy their curiosity.
How far the Author’s abilities have been equal to the task he has
undertaken, the public will judge; and he intreats their candour.
That he has had fair opportunities of observing, that he has given a
faithful narrative of facts, and that he has used no false colouring
in his representation, he presumes to appeal to his cotemporaries and
acquaintance, who, in visiting these places again in his description, may
perhaps call to mind many agreeable hours they have spent even in these
scenes, so far distant from their native country.
A DESCRIPTION OF THE CITY of ALEPPO, AND THE PARTS ADJACENT.