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regions, they shaved their heads; and, at Byblus especially, those who would not comply were bound to prostitute themselves for one entire day to all strangers that would have them for hire, and the money so got was presented to the goddess Venus.

Some relate, that on a certain night while this solemnity lasted, they laid an image in a bed, and having gone through variety of lamentations over it, light was brought in, and the priests anointing the mouths of the assistants, whispered to them that deliverance was come; whereupon their sorrow was turned into joy, and the image taken as it were out of its sepulchre. Others say, that the priests of Osiris in Egypt wrote to the women of Byblus signifying to them, that they had found that deity; and the letter was sent, it seems, in an earthen vessel, or in a little box or chest made of the plant called Papyrus, which came by sea of its own accord to Byblus. It performed this voyage in seven days, and as soon as ever it appeared in port the women danced, feasted, and rejoiced, as extravagantly as they had mourned, wept, and lamented.As to the redness of the river above mentioned, its true cause was known and declared even by some of the Ancients who were not so superstitious as the rest of their contempories; it being owing to a kind of minium, or red earth, which is sometimes washed into it by the violence of the rains; and in time of floods it is still subject to the same appearance.

On the 15th in the morning, having travelled about an hour beyond this river, we crossed the foot of the mountain Climax, through a rugged pass, which brought us to the bay of Junia. At the entrance of this bay is an old stone bridge, where we

come into the jurisdiction of the bashaw of Sidon. The mountains at the bottom of the bay are very high and steep, the road lying between them and the sea. They are called the mountains of Castravan, are inhabited chiefly by Maronites, and are famous for their excellent wine. Towards the farther side of the bay we passed by a square tower, or castle, of which there are several along this coast, said to have been built by the empress Helena to defend the country from pirates. At this tower we paid a caphar, which is collected by Maronites, who are not much behind the Turks in their insolence and exactions.

Soon after we got clear of this bay, we came to the river Lycus, sometimes called Canis, from an idol anciently worshipped here in form of a dog, and said to have given oracular responses. This river is confounded with Adonis by several of our modern geographers, but the mistake is evident from late observations, as well as the authority of the Ancients. The Lycus issues into the sea from between two mountains, excessively steep and rocky; one of which we ascend as soon as we have crossed the river, by à road about two yards broad, cut along the side of a rock a great height above the water, at the expence of the emperor Antoninus; the memory of which laborious but useful undertaking is perpetuated by an inscription near the entrance into the way, the greatest part whereof is still legible. In less than half an hour we passed this Antonine way, which brought us to a smooth sandy shore; and in two hours time we came to a large river called Beroot, which has over it a handsome stone-bridge of six arches. On the other side of the river, near the sea, is a large field, where our renowned champion St. George is

2

said to have slain the dragon; in memory of which exploit there was a small chapel built upon the place, at first dedicated to that Christian hero, but now changed into a Mahometan mosque. In another hour we arrived at Barût or Beroot, where we took up our quarters in a kan near the sea-side, and met with good accommodation.

This city was anciently called Berytus, and is perhaps little inferior to Byblus, in antiquity, as it is said to have been standing in the time of Cronus. It was greatly esteemed by Augustus, in whose reign it had many privileges conferred upon it, together with a new name, being then called Julia Felix; but it has nothing to boast of at present, except the advantages of its situation. It stands on the sea-side, in a delightful and fruitful country, and is supplied with fresh water by several rivulets that fall from the neighbouring hills, and are conveyed all over the city in agreeable fountains. The palace and gardens of the Emir Faccardine, neglected and ruinous as they are, are still one of the greatest ornaments of the city, and merit a brief description. This Faccardine, in the reign of sultan Morat, had his chief residence in Beroot, and was the fourth emir or prince of the Druses*, a people supposed to be de

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* "As far as I could learn, says Dr. Shaw, the Druses and Surees (the latter of whom are perhaps descended from the "Indigenæ or original Syrians) differ very little in their religion, "which is a mixture of the Christian and Mahometan, the Gospels and the Koran being equally received as books of divine "authority and inspiration. For, to omit what is commonly "reported, of their being circumcised, worshipping the rising and "setting sun, intermarrying with their nearest relations, and mak"ing their children pass through the fire, (as some of the Eastern "nations did formerly to Moloch) we may be convinced, I pre

scended from some scattered remains of the Christians that engaged in the crusades for the recovery of the Holy Land, who settled themselves in the adjacent mountains, where they have ever since main tained a kind of sovereign jurisdiction. But Faccardine, not wishing to be confined to his hilly do. minions, had the power and artifice to extend them into the plains along the sea-coast from Beroot to Acra; till at last the Grand Signior, grown jealous of his rising authority, drove him back again to the mountains, where his posterity to this day retain their principality.

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This prince's palace, which we went to take a view of, stands in the North-East part of the city, and has a beautiful marble fountain at its entrance. The inner parts of the building, which consists of several courts, are now running to decay, or else were never finished by their first master. The de sign of the whole, however, though not carried to perfection, is visibly grand, and not unworthy the quality of a prince in Europe, but its greatest beauty, and what best deserves our attention, is the orange-garden. It is a large quadrangular piece of ground, divided into sixteen squares, with walks between them, which are shaded with spreading orange-trees, that were gilded when we were there, with the finest fruit, and made as charming a sight as can possibly be imagined. Each of these sixteen squares had a stone border, wherein channels were so

sume, from their indulging themselves in wine and swine's "flesh, that they are not Mahometans: at the same time, the "names they are known by, of Hanna, Youseph, Meriam, (i. e. "John, Joseph, Mary, &c.) will not be sufficient arguments in fa "your of their being Christians." Shaw's Travel's. p. 277.

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contrived as to convey the water to every tree in the garden, little outlets being cut for part of the stream to vent itself as it passed along. Had an European gardener the cultivation of this spot of ground, nothing could be made more delightful, but the Turks, who in general are people of gross apprehensions, and have not a taste for refined pleasures, have turned this beautiful place into a sheepfold. On the East side' of the garden were two terrace-walks, rising one above another, each of which had an ascent of ten or twelve steps, were planted with several fine orange-trees to make. shades in proper places, and led into summer-houses and other delightful apartments. All this elegance and regularity may well be wondered at in these parts of the world, the Turkish gardens being usually nothing else but a number of trees planted together in a confused manner, without walks, arbours, knots, or any appearance of art or design: but Faccardine had been in Italy, where he had seen gardens of another nature, which his excellent genius (for such his works speak him to have had) knew very well how to imitate in his own country.

At one corner of another garden, in which are several pedestals for statutes, is built a very strong tower about twenty yards in height, from whence we had a distinct view of the whole city. The prin. cipal object that strikes our sight is a large Turkish mosque, originally a Christian church, dedicated to St. John the evangelist; into which we could not gain admittance, and therefore contented ourselves with seeing it at this distance. The Greeks are still pos-, sessed of a church in this city, an ancient and decayed fabric, the inside whereof we had an opportunity