where, as I am inform'd, in former days a very fine city ftood, which is fo defolated, and in procefs of time decay'd to that degree, that in our days there is almost nothing left of it but a small village, and here and there in the fields fome small ruins of old houses.

We went on farther between the mountains, where we spy'd a little town upon the hills, and above it a ftrong castle, which it is faid the French did formerly build, that lieth in a very convenient place between the mountains, fo that you must go juft by it; but because it is haunted with evil fpirits and hobgobblins, it remaineth unrepair'd and uninhabited. We left it on our left hand, and came out into a fpacious corn-field well till'd, where on our left we faw the town Sermin at a great diftance, and near to it and about it, great woods of Piftacio-trees, which are gathered there, and fent to Tripolis, and fo by the merchants to us: Some of them grow alfo near the high-ways, chiefly in the village of Bafile, where we stay'd all night.

muft

In our way we found nine or ten Champs, call'd Caravatscharas: these are open inns, where the caravans and travellers go in, commonly. towards evening, to ftay there all night; they are free to any body, but you find neither meat nor drink there, if will have it you you bring it along with you, and must be contented to lie upon ftraw, if you can have it, upon the lower wall, which goes round about the fides, on purpofe to give to horfes, affes, and camels their food upon it. They are generally three miles diftant from one onother; they are large and stately, and as strong in walls as caftles, commonly built four-fquare, and have within a large yard, and round about it are ftables which are quite open, just like cloifters. Some of them have a garrifon of nine or twelve Janifaries, to keep the roads clean, and to protect the travellers from affaults of the inhabitants and Arabians,"

When we had travell'd over feveral rough mountains, and came almost near to Halepo, we faw at laft the city' just like Damand, of the bignefs of Strasbourg; at the gates we difmounted, because in Turky no outlandish man' hath liberty to ride thro' a city, and fo we went into it, and I went into the French Fundique to take my lodgings, as all Germans ufe to do.

СНАР,

CHAP. VI.

Of the fituation of the potent city of Halepo, of the buildings thereof, and alfo of the delicate fruits, and fine plants that grow there within and without the gardens.

THE

But

HE town of Halepo, which is the greatest and most potent in Syria, anciently call'd Nerea, is in fome places well fortify'd with ditches and walls, only they are not quite round it, fo that one may (the fame it is with Tripolis) at any time of night go in and out; neither are the gates, as ufed in our country, chiefly in cities of account, befet with foldiers, but you will only fee two or three waiting at the head-gates, where the highways go through, which are rather there to take cuftom, than to keep the gates, neither have they any arms. in the middle of the city there is a caftle on a high hill, which is ftrong, large, furrounded with walls and ditches, and well befet with a good guard. Concerning their other buildings, which are flat at the top, and cover'd with a fort of pavement, that one may walk on the tops of them, they are like unto them of Tripolis. Amongst the reft there is a very magnificent building, which they fay hath coft a great deal of money, which hath for it's entrance a very low and finall door, fo that one must bend himself very low that will go into it, but when you come in, you find there delicate large halls, high open arches, very pleafant and cool to fit underneath in the fummer, water-works, orchards, and kitchen-gardens, where among the reft was one of thefe Ketmy's: Befides these there was alfo fome fine Mofques with fteeples, which were round and finall, but very high; fome of them had a balcony at the top, like unto a garland, whereupon the waits are, and their priests go about at the time of prayers, to call people in. But for other ftately buildings, that might be erected

for

for the memory of some potent King or Prince, there is

none.

Without the city they have here and there fome country-houses; among the reft one built for the Turkish Emperor, at four miles diftance from the city, where he used to be fometimes, chiefly when he is at war with the Sophy, King of Perfia, that he may prefently affift his army in cafe of neceffity; this is very large, but not built fo ftately as fo great a monarch deferveth. In the great garden is a chapel built by the river that runs through it upon pillars, where the Great Sultan ufed to hold conferences with his Privy-counsellors and Vifier-bafhaws. It happen'd in the reign of Solyman the Great, as the gardiner did relate to us, that when they were affembled, to confult whether it was more profitable to him to fuffer the Jews in his provinces, or to root them quite out; after every one had given his opinion, and moft of them were of the opinion, that they ought not to be tolerated, because of their unfufferable ufury wherewith they oppreffed his fubjects; and after the Emperor had heard every ones fentiment, he gave them alfo to understand his, and that in this inftance, viz. He bad them look upon a flower-pot, that held a quantity of fine flowers of divers colours, that was then in the room, and bid them confider whether each of them in their colour, did not fet out the other the better; and that if any of them fhould decay, or be taken away, whether it would not fomewhat spoil the beauty of the reft. After every one had heard the Sultan's opinion, and did allow of it to be true; the Emperor did begin to explain this, and faid, The more forts of nations I have in my dominions under me, as Turks, Moors, Grecians, &c. the greater authority they bring to my kingdoms, and make them more famous. And that nothing may fall off from my greatnefs, I think it convenient, that all that have been together fo long hitherto, may be kept and tolerated fo ftill for the future; which pleafed his council fo well, that they all unanimously agreed to it, and fo let it remain as it

was.

Without the city of Halepo are abundance of quarries, where they dig great free-ftones of a vast bigness, almost

as

as white and foft as chalk, very proper for building: There are alfo about the town fome walks or grotto's under ground, which are above an English mile long, which have the light let into them by holes made near the highway, fo that a man must be very careful (chiefly at night) that he may not fall into them, or that he may not be trapann'd by the Moors that live in them in great numbers. The ground about it being very chalky, it caufeth to the foles of our feet, chiefly at night, although one be very well provided with ftrong fhoes, a very confiderable drinefs and heat, as one may also fee by the Moors, that, for the moft part go bare-foot, which caufeth the foles of their feet to be fo fhrifted, that into fome of their crevifes you may almoft put your little finger. Yet notwithstanding that, Halepo is furrounded with rocky hills, and the valleys thereof are chalky; they have no want of corn, as barley, wheat, &c. but rather it is very fruitful, and their harvest beginning commonly in April or May: But they have but few oats, and lefs grafs or hay; for the driness is so great, and it is fo fandy, and the hills are fo rough and full of bushes, that they make but very little hay. Wherefore they feed their cattel with barley, and with ftraw, which is broken in pieces by threfhing waggons, that are drawn by oxen. The valley is alfo full of Olive-trees, fo that yearly they make feveral thousand hundred weight of oil for to make Soap. There is also a great quantity of tame and wild Almond-trces, of Figgs, of Quince, and white Mulberry-trees, which are very high and big: Piftacies-trees, which they call Fiftuc, are hereabout very common; they have underneath very ftrong ftems, which have outwardly an afhen-colour'd bark, and are adorned with handfome leaves of a fad green colour, like unto their Charnubis, and behind them grow many fmall Nuts like Grapes in clufters together. In the spring when they firft put out, they fend forth long fhoots, which the Moors gather in great quantity for their fallad, and dress them as we do Afparagus. There are alfo abundance of delicate orchards, that are filled with Oranges, Citrons, Lemons, Adam's-Apples, Sebeften, Peaches, Morelloes, and Pomegranates, &c. and amongst them you find fometimes Apples and Pears, but very

few,

few, nor fo many forts, nor fo big, nor fo well coloured as ours. There grow many Myrtles, which bear roundifh berries of the bignefs of our Sorbus or Services, of a blewish grey colour, very good to eat, which have white feeds of the fhape of our jumping cheese-magots; they propagate them diligently, because they are beautiful, and remain long green, to put about their graves. Moreover there are many Sumach-trees, which they plant for their feeds fake, which is much ufed by them; but Cherries, Amelanchier and Spenleny I have not seen there, and very few Goosberries, or Currans; Weychfeln they have, but very few, wherefore they efteem them, and keep them choice, as a foreign plant, to fhew them to others, and to prefent great perfons with them; this may fuffice of trees.

Concerning their garden plants: thofe that are common, are Endives, Lettice, Keal or Coleworts, Colliflowers, Caulorapa Rauckelen, Apium, Tarcon, whereof Rhafis defcribeth two forts, one with long fmall leaves, by us call'd Taragon, and the other with broad leaves, which I reckon to be our Lepidium, by the inhabitants call'd Cozirihan. Ravos Serap; or our common Hartichokes. But beyond all they plant Colocafia in fuch plenty as we do Turneps, whereof they have alfo great plenty. They are alfo very well provided with Horseraddishes, Garlick, and Onions, which the inhabitants ftill call Baffal. Of Pumpions, Citruls, and Cucumis anguinus, which they call Gette, they plant as many as they have occafion for; but many more Angurien an Indian Muskmillion, or Water-mellons, which they call Batiechas, but Serap. Dullaha, they are large, of greenish colour, fweet and pleafent to eat, and very cooling, wherefore they esteem them to be their best fruits; but chiefly thofe, which have more red than white within they are very innocent and harmlefs, and keep fo long good, that they fell them in their Batzars all the winter long. Morcover, there are three forts of those plants which the Arabians call Melanzana, Melongena, and Beudengian, as afh-coulour'd, yellow, and flesh-colour'd, which are very like one another in their crookednefs and length, and like unto the long Gourds. There are two other forts, which are call'd Bathlefchain, viz.

oblong

;