A View of the Ruines of Palmyra alias Tadmor, taken on the Southern Side.
What Account they there took, the Publick has already seen in our Last, since which, by the Favour of Mr. Timothy Lanoy and Mr. Aaron Goodyear, two very Eminent Merchants, who were both in the first Voyage, we have received not only the Draught of the Prospect of those noble Ruins, taken upon the Place, (of which we here give a Copy,) but also the Journals of both the Voyages; which, for the Satisfaction of the Curious, we have thought fit to Publish.
The first Voyage, Anno 1678.
July 18. at Five in the Morning, we set out from Aleppo, being sixteen English; but with Servants and Mulettiers in all forty; and in four Hours and an half, travelling South by East, we arrived at a Village call'd Cafferabite, being at the edge of the Desart, here we reposed the rest of that Day.
July 19. we rose at one in the Morning, and directed our Course S. S. E. over the Desart, for a Fountain call'd Churraick; but our Guide losing his Way, there being no Path, 'twas near Noon before we found it: which made us doubt of our Safety. This Well has no Signs near it to discover it by. Here we pitch'd our Tents, and refresh'd our Selves and Horses; and the Water being of a Purgative Quality, made us some Diversion. In our way, we found two Arabs with two Asses, one whereof carried Water and a little Bread, the other they rod on by turns; they had one Gun, with which they they shot Antelopes, the Bullet being a hard Stone broken round, and cased with Lead; they had on the Palms of their Hands, Elbows, Knees and Feet, some Antelope-Skin tied, that they may be able to creep the better on the Ground, to Shoot; one of the Asses walking by as a Stalking-horse, and the Arab imitating the Cry of the Gazel till he get within Shot: These Arabs are called Selebee. At the Well came to us some Arabs that were making Ashes of the ordinary sort of Weeds call'd Chuddraife, Ruggot and Cuttaff; these they cut and dry, and putting them into a Pit, set Fire to them, and the Ashes cake at the bottom. The Ashes they carry to Eglib and Tripoli, to make Soap of: But the best sort of Ashes are made of the Weed Shinon, which grows about Tadmor, Soukny, Tibe and Yarecca; it grows like Broom in England, and in Shape resembles Coral.
July 20. we rose at four in the Morning, and Travelling two Hours E. S. E. we arrived at Andrene, where we found the Ruins of two or three Churches, and of a great Town lying in a large Plain; where having tarried about an Hour and an half, and taken some fragments of Greek Inscriptions, which afforded no certain Sense, but yet were evidently Christian, we march'd again S. by E. and in about four Hours time came to a pleasant Aqueduct call'd Sheck-alal; this Aqueduct is cut through the main Rock, for a great way from the Mountains; and where it ends, the Arabs have made a Garden, which afforded us Melons, Cucumbers, Purslain, &c. In a Grotto hard by, there dwelt an Arab with his Family; he had a dozen Buffalo's, which they used both for their Milk, and to Plow the Ground, Sowing both Wheat, and Barly: Hither the Arabs resort, when they have committed any Robbery about Aleppo, or Hama, and here they repose, and divide the Spoil.
July 21. we rose at four in the Morning, and riding two Hours South, we came to a Ruin call'd Briadeen; here we found the following Inscription on a Stone, good part in the Ground:
ΑΦΙΕΡΩΘΗ ΑΑΙΛΥΝΔΙΟΥ ΤΟΥ ΑΜΦ ΕΤΟΥΣ
ΔΙΑ ΜΑΤΕΡΝΟΥ ΚΑ(Ι Π)ΑΠΠΟΥ ΚΑΙ ΜΑΙΚΟΥ ΚΝΕΤΜΝ
-------- Υ ———— Ν
From hence going South-East, in four Hours more we came to a Well called Costal (which signifies a Spring in Arab.) Most part of our way through the Desart we were troubled with Rat-holes in great numbers, like Coneyboroughs, which by the sinking in of the Earth, very much incommoded our Horses and Mules. These Rats have at the ends of their Tails a bush of Hair, and the Arabs eat them all, excepting one part. From this Well we arose about four in the Afternoon, and began to ascend small Hills, covered with Trees, which, for the most part, were the small Pistacho's which the Arabs pickle with Salt; but eaten green, are good to quench Thirst. We travelled on three Hours up the Hills, where we pitch'd that Night, having no other Water but what we carry'd with us; and at Night we had a small Shower of Rain, a thing unusual in that Country at that time of the Year.