“Concerning the vipers, which Pliny says were frequent among the balsam-trees, I made very particular inquiry: several were brought me alive both to Yambo and Jidda.”—_Bruce._ Footnote 96: p. 81.—_The sunny apples of Istkahar._—“In the territory of Istkahar there is a kind of apple, half of which is sweet and half sour.”—_Ebn Haukal._ Footnote 97: p. 82.—_They saw a young Hindoo girl upon the bank._—For an account of this ceremony, see _Grandpré_’s Voyage in the Indian Ocean. Footnote 98: p. 82.—_The Oton-tala, or Sea of Stars._—“The place where the Whangho, a river of Tibet, rises, and where there are more than a hundred springs, which sparkle like stars; whence it is called Hotun-nor, that is, the Sea of Stars.”—_Description of Tibet in Pinkerton._ Footnote 99: p. 84.—_Hath sprung up here._ “The Lescar or Imperial Camp is divided, like a regular town, into squares, alleys, and streets, and from a rising ground furnishes one of the most agreeable prospects in the world. Starting up in a few hours in an uninhabited plain, it raises the idea of a city built by enchantment. Even those who leave their houses in cities to follow the prince in his progress are frequently so charmed by the Lescar, when situated in a beautiful and convenient place, that they cannot prevail with themselves to remove. To prevent this inconvenience to the court, the Emperor, after sufficient time is allowed to the tradesmen to follow, orders them to be burnt out of their tents.”—_Dow_’s Hindostan. Colonel Wilks gives a lively picture of an Eastern encampment:—“His camp, like that of most Indian armies, exhibited a motley collection of covers from the scorching sun and dews of the night, variegated according to the taste or means of each individual, by extensive inclosures of coloured calico surrounding superb suites of tents; by ragged cloths or blankets stretched over sticks or branches; palm leaves hastily spread over similar supports; handsome tents and splendid canopies; horses, oxen, elephants, and camels; all intermixed without any exterior mark of order or design, except the flags of the chiefs, which usually mark the centres of a congeries of these masses; the only regular part of the encampment being the streets of shops, each of which is constructed nearly in the manner of a booth at an English fair.”—_Historical Sketches of the South of India._ Footnote 100: p. 84.—_Built the high pillar’d halls of_ CHILMINAR. The edifices of Chilminar and Balbec are supposed to have been built by the Genii, acting under the orders of Jan ben Jan, who governed the world long before the time of Adam. Footnote 101: p. 85.—_And camels, tufted o’er with Yemen’s shells._ “A superb camel, ornamented with strings and tufts of small shells.”—_Ali Bey._ Footnote 102: p. 85.—_But the far torrent, or the locust bird._