In the morning we crossed the Barrady at a new bridge near Dummar, from whence our road ascended, and brought us to the top of the precipice, under which the river runs, the mountain being cleft asunder to give it admission into the plain below. From this precipice we have a most distinct prospect of Damascus, which appears a perfect paradise. It is situate in a plain of such extent, that the mountains which bound it on the farther side are but just discernible, It stretches itself from South-West to the North-East, extending about two miles in length; and is narrow in the middle, but at each end swells to a greater bulk. The domes and minarets of the mosques are a great ornament to the city; and the gardens, with which it is encompassed for many miles round, planted with fruit trees of all kinds, and always kept fresh and green by the streams of the river Barrady, surprise and ravish the spectator. The little towers, steeples, and pleasure-houses, which in every part lift up their heads among the trees, add to the beauty and delightfulness of the prospect. The Barrady, as soon as it issues from the above-mentioned cleft of the mountain, is immediately divided into three streams, of which the middlemost and biggest runs directly to Damascus, through a large field called the Agor Damascenus, and supplies all the fountains and receptacles of water in the city. The other two, which seem to be the work of art, flow on the right and left, on the borders of the gardens, into which they are let by little channels, and dispersed over every part of them; insomuch that there is not a garden without a fine rivulet running through it, and perhaps improved into fountains, cascades, and other water-works, which are very delightful, though

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not contrived with such exquisite art as in some gardens of Europe.- -But we must leave this preci pice which has given us such a view of so charming a landscape, and proceed to Damascus, whither we are strongly invited by the pleasing and enchanting prospect.

Descending from our agreeable eminence into the plain, we were conducted by our guide round about the gardens to the East gate of the city, which was nearest to the Latin convent, where we proposed to lodge during our stay at Damascus. As we passed between the gardens, we observed their method of scouring the channels, which is done by putting a great bough of a tree into the water, and dragging it along by a yoke of oxen. The driver sits or stands upon the bough, as well to press it down, as to drive the beasts; and thus they both cleanse the bottom, and fatten the water by stirring up the mud, so as to render it of greater advantage to the gardens. We also admired the singular structure of the gardenwalls, which consist of huge pieces of earth, shaped like bricks, and hardened in the sun. They are each of them two yards long, one in breadth, and half a yard thick. Two rows of these placed edgeways, one upon another, form the usual inclosure in this country.

As to the river Barrady, after it has largely contributed to the beauty and fertility of the fields and gardens about Damascus, wherein it loses great part of its waters, the small remnant that escapes is again united into one channel, on the South-East side of the city; and after a course of a few hours, it is finally lost in a morass, without ever arriving at the sea. It is well known that the Greeks, and from them

the Romans, called this river Chrysorrhoas, which is as much as to say, the Golden River; but as for those rivers of Damascus called Abana and Pharpar, whereof mention is made in 2 Kings v. 12. there are no traces of any such names remaining; nor can we tell where to find them, unless two branches of the Barrady were anciently so called, as it seems reasonable to conjecture.

On the 28th of February, about noon we arrived at the East gate of Damascus, and went immediately to the Latin convent, where we were kindly received by the superior, a native of Aix in provence. Our first business was to make a present to the Turkish beglerbeg or viceroy, to pay the way for a visit we intended to make him *, in order to procure his favour and protection whilst we continued in this city; for the Damascenes are a bigotted and insolent people, and have a strange aversion to the European Christians, from whom we had therefore reason to expect some injurious treatment. We succeeded in our application to the Turkish governor according to our wish. es, who gave orders to an officer of the Janizaries to let two of that body attend us wherever we went,

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*"It is counted uncivil, says Mr. Maundrell, to visit in this country without an offering in hand. All great men expect it "as a kind of tribute due to their character and authority, and "look upon themselves as affronted, and indeed defrauded, when "this compliment is omitted. Even in familiar visits amongst in"ferior people, you shall seldom have them come without bring. "ing a flower, or an orange, or some other such token of their re "spect to the person visited; the Turks in this point keeping up "the ancient oriental custom hinted, 1 Sam. ix. 7. If que go

(says Saul) what shall we bring the man of God? there is not a "present, &c. which words are questionless to be understood in "conformity to this Eastern custom, as relating to a token of re"spect and not to a price of divination." p. 26.

and prevent our being insulted or molested by the populace.

Thus guarded, we walked out to take a view of the city; the streets whereof are narrow, as is usual in hot countries, and the houses built of brick hardened by the heat of the sun, or only common clay, in as coarse a manner as the vilest cottages, notwithstanding they have plenty of good stone in the adjacent mountains. This dirty way of building is attended with an inconvenience which we were made sensible of by experience; namely, that upon any hasty shower so much mud is washed from the sides of the houses, as makes the streets intolerably nasty. It seems strange, that people should affect such mean buildings, when they have materials at hand fit for the noblest structures; but the Turks think it to lit tle purpose to build durable houses, in which their tenure is so very precarious; and seem particularly averse to making an outside shew, lest it should prove a temptation to their superiors to deprive them of their possessions. The doors, however, are adorn. ed with marble portals, and the inside of the buildings elegant enough; for there we usually find a large square court, beautified with variety of fragrant trees, flowers, and fountains, and surrounded with splendid apartments and sofas, where the Turks eat, drink, smoke, receive visits, and loll at their ease, taking the advantage of the shade or the sun-shine, according to the heat or coldness of the season. The cielings, pillars, and arches, are gilt and painted af. ter the Turkish manner, and the carpets and cushions as rich as can possibly be procured.

This may suffice to give an idea of the private buildings at Damascus, for most of them bear some

resemblance to the foregoing description. As for their public structures, the first we took notice of was the church of St. John the Baptist, now converted into a mosque, and one of the most stately ones in the Turkish empire. No Christian being permitted to enter this mosque if he is known to be such, we made no attempt to gain admittance: with much ado, however, we got a look into it at three several gates, which are very large, covered with brass, and stamped all over with Arabic characters. The court on the North side of the mosque is about a hundred and fifty yards long, a hundred broad, and paved throughout. On the South side of it stands the mosque, and its other three sides are encompassed with a double cloyster, supported by two rows of granite pillars of the Corinthian order, exceeding lofty and beautiful. The inside of it is divided into three aisles by two ranges of pillars of a greyish marble, and of the order before-mentioned; and the pavement looks very bright and shining. In this church is kept the head of St. John *, as they pretend, and several other relics, esteemed so sacred by the Mahometans, that it is penal even for a Turk to go into the room where they are deposited. The Turks at Damascus have a tradition amongst them, but upon what it is grounded I could by no means learn, That our Saviour will descend into this mosque at the day of judgment, as Mahomet will into that of Jerusalem: and accordingly one of its steeples, through which they suppose he will make his entrance, is called the steeple of the Messias.

* Thevenot says the head of St. Zachary, but Maundrell makes it the head of St John.