We set out from Aleppo for Tadmor on Michaelmas-day, being in all, Masters and Servants, thirty Men, well armed, having obtained a Promise of Security from Assyne, then King of the Arabs, and one of his own People for a Guide. This Day our Road pointed S. b. E. and in four Hours we came to a Fountain call'd Caphir-Abiad, leaving Old Aleppo about an Hour distant on the right Hand: Here we made but a very short stay, but proceeded to a better Fountain at the foot of a very high Hill, cover'd with loose Stones, the Ruins of a Village called Broeder, of which there was not one House remaining; and dining here, we advanced in an Hour and a quarter more, in the Afternoon, through a fertile open Place, to a Place called Emghir, famous for the best Wheat that is brought to Aleppo. This we made our first Stage; and mounting again in the Morning about five a Clock, in less than an Hour, past by an uninhabited Village, call'd Urghee, our Road pointing as before, through the fruitful Plain, even and pleasant; but when we came to ascend the Hills, where I reckon'd we entred the Desart, and were to take our leave of Mankind, at least of an inhabited Country for some Days, we had a troublesome Passage, over loose great Stones, without any appearance of a Road.
Our Guide had promised to conduct us through pleasant Groves and Forests; but no such thing appeared, unless we would bestow that Name upon low withered Shrubs that grew in the Way, only one Tree we saw, which was of good use to us, serving as a Land-mark; and when we were come up with it, being left at a little distance on the right Hand, we gain'd the Prospect of a remote ridge of Hills before us, and on the top of one of them an old Castle; this Castle, we were told, was known by the Name of Gazar Ibn Wordan; but what it anciently was, or in what Condition it is at present, I could not learn; therefore, not unwillingly, I turned my Eyes from it, to a little round Hill more on the left, by which we were to direct our Course, and about a quarter of an Hour from which stood a Sheck's House, call'd Sheck Ailha, where we were to bait, with a Well of Water by it, but such that we had but little gusto to taste, though it served our Horses: All the Country hereabouts is stor'd with Antelopes, and there is a barbarous sort of People there, that have hardly any thing else to live upon, but what of these they can kill; and Necessity has taught them to be no mean Artists in their way, for they lie down behind the Stones, and as the poor harmless Creature passes, shoot them; and though their Guns be very ordinary, exceeding heavy and thick, with Match-Locks, yet are they such excellent Marks-men, that they kill many. That Morning we had Travelled about five Hours to reach Sheck Ailha's; yet finding nothing to invite our stay there, (though there were four or five Tombs there not ill made, according to the Turkish mode) about one a Clock we mounted again, bending to the S. E. or something more Easterly. In our way we had two remarkable Prospects, one on the right Hand, of the Ruins of an ancient City call'd Andreen, and sometimes Londrine, which we were told had been formerly inhabited by Franks, and that there were many Inscriptions there; but it was too far out of our way, and withal something too dangerous too, for us to take a view of them: The other, on the left Hand, was another Tree, not far from which our Guide assured us of good Water, where we designed to take up our Lodging; the hopes of the Water made us slight a Well we past by on the Road, at which afterwards we repented we had not stay'd; for when we came up with the Tree, from which we had declined a great way to the right, we found our Water still at a very great distance, and were constrained to take new Directions by a white chalky Hill, almost as far as we could see, and yet not much beyond the Place which was to be our Stage; on therefore we proceeded till Sun-set, very weary, and almost without hope of our coming to Water that Night, though at the same time near dead with Thirst; and which the more supriz'd us, our Guide was advanced a great way before, out of our sight, upon what design we knew not, but at his return, we found it was only to assure himself better of the way, and in an Hours time more he brought us to the side of a Bog, call'd by the Name of Zerga, where, such as it was, we found Water enough, but it was neither palatable nor wholsome, neither did the Ground seem proper to Sleep upon; yet we were forced to be content, there being no removing thence that Night.
October 1. We departed from Zerga, about two Hours before Sun-rise, and as soon as it was light, had the Prospect of a very high Hill, which was to be the bounds of our Travel that Day. To this we made as directly as we could look, finding nothing in our way observable either to arrest our curiosity, or to slacken our Pace, except a multitude of Holes made in the sandy Earth, by Rats, Serpents, and other Animals, which render'd our Riding a little troublesome; as we had found it upon the same Account the Afternoon before. About two Hours short of our Stage, we were shewn three little round Hills lying to the right in a direct line, known by the Name of Tenage; where we were told there was good Water, and it's for that reason only they deserve the notice of those that Travel through such a thirsty Desart. The Place to which we directed our Course was called Esree, where we arrived about eleven a Clock, and found to our great Satisfaction, that our Guide had not deceived us in his Promise of excellent Water: Here we could discern the Foundations of a spacious City, and a piece of a thick Wall, built of a chalky Stone, was standing: This we judged to be the remainder of a Castle situated on the side of the Hill, so as both to defend and command the City. On the top of the Hill, above the Castle, stands the Ruins of a Fabrick, in appearance very Ancient, built of very hard Stone, yet exceedingly worn by the Weather; 'tis of an oblong Figure, pointing near to the N. E. and S. W. with only one Door on the Easterly end, which was once adorned with extraordinary good Carvings, of which there are still some remains, but the greatest part is either worn away, or purposely defaced; and those marks of ancient Beauty that remain are very obscure, and difficultly discernable; the outside of the Walls is beautified with Pilasters quite round, with their Pedestals and Capitals regular and handsom; but the Roof is all fallen down, and within appears nothing which looks either great or beautiful. The Situation, and placing the Door, hinders one from conjecturing it to have been a Christian Oratory, or Chappel, and therefore in probability it must have been a Heathen Temple; and if so, then the piece of the Castle Wall being of a softer Stone, must be much more modern; the goodness of the Water brings the Arabs (who rove up and down the Desart) and the Turk-men frequently hither, which has occasion'd a great many Graves about the Temple; and some have had leisure, and, (which is more difficult to be imagin'd) skill enough to scratch in the Walls the first Letters of their Names, and many more in Arabick Characters, which we could make nothing of, no more than of an Arabick Inscription which lay hard by, but appeared not ancient.
October the 2d. We departed from Esree, about an Hour, or an Hour and an half after Midnight, and in six Hours and an half arrived at two Wells, the Water 18 Fathom and 2 Foot deep, known by the Name of Imp malcha Giub: Through the greatest part of this Stage we had a broad beaten Road, and where that was not discernible, we guided our selves by a ridge of chalky Hills, under which the Wells lay; the Water we found exceeding bad, and of so noisome a Scent, that we could not endure it so much as at our Noses; which made our Guide laugh at us, who told us, the Arabs, and even the King himself used to drink freely of it; which, I am sure, our Horses would not do, though they were under a necessity of drinking that or none: For our selves we had brought from Esree Water, sufficient for one Day at least. In our way hither we were shewn the true Plant which they burn for Soap-Ashes, which has no Leaves, but a soft juicy Stalk shooting into several Branches, and something resembling our Camphire, only it's more round than that; the Ashes likewise we saw, which were made not far from the Wells, which in burning run into Cakes, not much unlike the Cinders of a Forge, only they are heavier, and not so full of Pores, nor so hard as they are. In the Afternoon, we proceeded on our Voyage two Hours and an half, to a place called Almyrrha, passing rather between than over the Hills, though we had something of an ascent too; this we did to shorten our Stage the next Morning, for we were told before-hand we should find no Water upon those Mountains; so, for our Selves, we liv'd upon our old Stock, and our Horses were constrain'd to pass that Night without Water. Our Journy hitherto had been altogether Southerly, and but little varying to the Eastward of due South.
October the 3d. We mounted from Almyrrha between five and six in the Morning, making to the point of a high ridge of Mountains, through an uneven Desart Way, frequently interrupted with Gutts and Channels, probably made by the descent of the Waters from the Hills, upon sudden Rains: We came to the ascent after about four Hours Travel, which we found not difficult; and when we were on the top, we had a pleasant Prospect of the Country, and what we rejoyced at most, we were shewn a little Hill, just behind which, we were told lay Tadmor. This Mountain was cover'd on both sides with great plenty of Turpentine-Trees, which was an Object very pleasing, having seen very few greens in our whole Journey: This Tree grows very thick and shady, and several of them we saw loaded with a vast abundance of small round Nut, the chief use whereof is to make Oil, though some eat them, and account them as great a Regalio as Pistaches; their outward Husk is green, and more Oily than that of Pistaches, and within a very thin Shell is contained a Kernel both in colour and relish very much resembling them; but those that eat them, seldom take the Pains to search for the Kernels, but eat Husk and Shell all together, which have no ungrateful Taste: From this Hill we had a tedious descent, and coming at the foot into a narrow Gut, winding this way and that between the Mountains, our Passage seemed very long, hot and tiresome; our want of Water however obliged us to proceed, whereof we now began to be in great necessity, especially for our Horses and Mules, who had none the Night before, nor none all that Day; with this we had hopes of being supplied two different ways; having had a shower of Rain the Night before, we hoped to have found Water standing in the hollows of the Rocks; but either the Rain had not reach'd so far, or not in such plenty as to fill those naturally hewed Cisterns: Our other expectation was from the Wells that were in the Road; but these our Guide advancing before and examining, met us with the unwelcome News, that they were all dried up, and the best Advice he could give us, was to pitch where we were, and content our selves with the remains of what we had brought two Days in our Vessels, till our Horses and Mules might be sent to a Fountain two Hours out of our way, and being watered there themselves, bring a fresh supply for us: This way, with some difficulty, we assented to, as more eligible, than weary as we were, to wander so far out of the Road, to have the same Ground to stage over again the next Morning: We resolved therefore to send our Guide, with one or two of our Servants, in search of the Water, and afterwards others with our Horses, while in the mean time we pitch'd our Tents, it being then about two a Clock in the Afternoon: As soon as they were gone, a small drizzling Rain, which we had about half an Hour, encreased to a very plentiful Shower, which put us upon producing all the Vessels we had to catch it as it fell from the Heavens, or ran down the Skirts of our Tents, our Horses at the same time greedily drinking it from the Ground; but we might have spared our Pains, for in less than half an Hours time, our Camp was in a manner a-float, and we were surrounded with Water not only sufficient for us, but for an Army of 20000 Men; those hollow Gutts which we passed over without the least appearance of moisture, were, by the Cataracts which descended from the Mountains, become Rivers; and our Guide with those Servants we had sent out, that before rode over it dry, it being swoln to such a Torrent, were put to some difficulty to repass it; so plentifully was God pleased to provide for us in our greatest streight; and which encreases both the Wonder and Mercy, the next Morning, all this great quantity of Water was past away, so that in about two Hour's Riding we could hardly perceive that there had been any Rain at all. This memorable Place is known by the Name of Al-Wishal.
October the 4th. From Al-Wishal we proceeded for Tadmor, some of the Ruins of which we perswaded our selves we could see the Day before; perhaps it might be the Castle, which is more than half an Hour's distance from the City; our way lay Southward, but the Gut in which we travelled would not permit us to keep a direct course: However, in about an Hour's Walk, we past by Antor Mountains (our Guide call'd them Toul Antor) through a Gut or Rent, both sides of which so directly answered one to the other, they would tempt a Man to believe they were separated by Art, for an entrance into the Country; but it must have been a work of prodigious Labour and Charges to have cut through such vast Mountains: And if any one was so hardy as to attempt it, he certainly grew weary of his Undertaking; for the Ground is levelled but a very little way, and almost as soon as we were well got within the open space, we were obliged to ascend another Hill, and so our Road continued over Hills and Valleys interchangeably all the way. On the left Hand, some distance from the Road, we saw a Sheck's House on the top of a high Hill, which made a better show than usually those Buildings do, but being assured by our Guide it was a modern Structure, and eager too to come to the principal Place we aimed at, we would not prolong our Stage so much as to turn out of the Road, to see more of it: So pressing still forwards, we had hardly proceeded four Hours, when we came to the brow of a Rocky Mountain, separated from that whereon stands the Castle of Tadmor, but by a narrow Valley: In which Hill, by the Way, appeared some Quarries of fine Stone, which probably might afford Materials to the curious Buildings in the City. Our Guide here (according to his accustomed Diligence) advanced some few Paces before us, and having espied three or four Country-Fellows driving Asses towards us, he caused us to make halt, to give them an opportunity to come nearer to us, resolving to speak with them, to know whether the Coast was clear, or if any of the Mountain Arabs were then at Tadmor, or not. After a little space, with our Arms in our Hands, we marched in as good order as the Way would permit, down a rocky and steep Precipice, into the Valley; and our Guide making greater speed than we could, gallop'd after the poor affrighted Country Fellows; who seeing such a Company unexpectedly descend the Hill, left their Asses, and fled towards the City with all possible speed: But they were soon overtaken, and brought back again to us; to whom they related the good News, that there was no Force at all in Tadmor, and that we might proceed with Courage, and see what we would there with all safety: Which News obtained them their Liberty to go again to their Asses, and we continued in our Way.
Having tired our selves with roving from Ruin to Ruin, and rummaging among old Stones, from which little Knowledge could be obtained; and more especially not thinking it safe to linger too long in a Place, where should the Mountain Arabs (who were Enemies to Assyne Abasse, our Friend) have Intelligence of us, they might either fall upon or endeavour to intercept us in our return; (for which reason also we had all along concealed our intended Course, under a pretence of proceeding forward to Damascus.) On Thursday, October 8. about half an Hour after four in the Morning, we departed from Tadmor, being very well satisfied with what we had seen, and glad to have escaped so dreaded a Place, without any Trouble or Pretences upon us; but else with some Regret, for having left a great many things behind, which deserved a more particular and curious Inspection. Our Road lay almost due East, or a little inclining to the North; and on the left Hand, a ridge of Hills stretched along for a great space, sometimes about half an Hour distant from the Road, and sometimes opening wider: These Hills, we were told, were stored with rich Veins of divers Minerals, and afforded all that vast quantity of Marble, the Remains whereof we had seen at Tadmor; and it was from a Fountain call'd Abulfarras, at the foot of one of them, they fetch out Water, which we drank there; the Inhabitants contenting themselves with that which runs from the Hot Springs. To the right Hand lay a vast barren Plain, perfectly bare, and hardly any thing green to be seen therein, except it were a few Gourds which our Servants found on the side of a little rising-Ground, where there was no shew of any thing moist to feed them. Our Way being plain, we had the sight of Tadmor, especially the Castle, for above half our Stage, till we came to an old Caphar House. We made indeed a very short Days Journey, in the whole, finding a Fountain of excellent Water in about five Hours and a half's Riding; which, as it was a most welcome Refreshment to us in such a thirsty Desart, so it was the only good Water we met with till we came to Euphrates, which was not till the third Day from this Place. At this Fountain we pitch'd, near to which is a Village, but almost wholly ruined and deserted. 'Twas some time before any Body would be seen, for they were afraid of us; at length, three Men came out to our Tents, Spectacles of a miserable Poverty, occasion'd by their being frequently pillaged by the Mountain Arabs, and a great Duty they pay to Assyne Abasse their King, for his Protection: Three hundred Dollars they pay him Annually, when one would think the whole Village was not able to make up the Sum of one Hundred; yet being the remotest Place that was under his Jurisdiction, they often suffer by the Inroads of the other. The Name of the Place is Yarecca, a Name it received (as we were inform'd) from a Victory obtained there by the Turks over the Mamalukes.
October the 9th. From Yarecca we mounted early, and Travelling N. E. or near that Point, in seven Hours time arrived at Soukney. The Road we found much like what we had the Day before, lying over a barren Plain; only we had Hills on both sides, and sometimes closing within half an Hours riding one of the other. The Village has its Name from the Hot Waters, (for so the Word imports,) which are of the same Nature with those of Tadmor; herein they Bath frequently, the same little dirty Hole serving both for Men and Women; only they have so much Modesty remaining, that they have different Hours for one and the other. To say the Truth, 'twas the only mark of Modesty I could observe among them; in other respects they seemed a Confident, or rather Impudent Generation of People. Before we could pitch our Tents, they flock'd about us in multitudes, Men, Women, and Children; and of the last, many of them as naked as ever they came into the World, not so much as a Rag about them to cover them; and so numerous they appeared, that if we had reason to think Yarecca wanted Inhabitants, we had no less, to conclude Soukney over-stock'd. At this Place usually resides an Officer of Assyne's, who is their Sub-Basha, or Governor: He whom we found there, was call'd Dor, of a good Family among the Arabs, to whom we made a Present; and he civilly return'd it in Barley for our Horses. Afterwards he came under our Tents, and invited us to an Entertainment; which, considering the Circumstances of the Place, was very Splendid, though it was nothing but Pilaw at last, a little diversify'd by the dressing; and, to speak truly, I judge we could not have less than a Bushel of Rice set before us. His Palace, indeed was not very stately, there being few Cottages in England but might vie with it. To the Room wherein we were entertain'd, which, doubtless, was the best, if not the only one he had, we were forced to clamber, rather than ascend, by broken Steps made of Stone and Dirt. When we were got in, and commodiously seated after the Turkish Mode, it seemed large enough for about a dozen or fourteen People: At the upper end was a little space separated from the rest by a ridge made up of Earth, within which, I suppose, he slept. The Walls were mean; but the Roof much worse, having no other Covering but Faggots; so that certainly it could not be Proof against a Shower of Rain which fell that Night, and forced us out of our Tents, into in old ruinous Cane, for shelter: However, it served well enough for our Afternoons Collation; and we had come away with a good Opinion of the Gentleman's Civility, had he not afterwards endeavoured to make a Pretence upon us, and so would have forced us to pay dear for our Rice: He pretended to a Customary Duty of a Chequeen a Head of all Franks that past that Road; though probably neither he, nor his Grand-father before him, had ever seen a Frank there before. But when he understood by our Guide, that we were not so easily to be imposed upon; and withal, that we were Assyne's Friends, and in our Way to his Tents; and especially our Treasurer a Person he very much esteemed, who therefore would be sure to acquaint him with any Exaction or Injury offer'd us, his Mouth was quickly stop'd, and he grew so sensible of his Error, that he sent to excuse it, and presented our Treasurer with a Fan of Black Ostrich Feathers; and not only so, but in the Morning came himself, and begging Pardon, desired nothing might be said of what had past, and so conducted us about an Hour on our way. This Village pays to Assyne fifteen hundred Dollars per Annum.
October the 10th. Continuing our Voyage still to the N. E. or something more Easterly, we found it another pleasant and easie Stage to another Village call'd Tiebe, so called (as they say) from the goodness of the Water, the Word signifying good: But we found them not so over excellent; they had the Tast, and were doubtless tinctured with the same Mineral, with those of Soukney and Tadmor, though not so strong. But the Village it self made a better Shew than usual; and the People appear'd of something better Fashion, and more civiliz'd, than those we had left. It's pleasantly situated, and makes a good appearance as one comes up to it; the Prospect being helped by a well built Steeple, to which is now adjoyned their Mosch: But I am apt to believe it the remains of a Christian Church, being built with more Art and Beauty than you shall easily find in Turkish Fabricks: And there are also several Ruins about it, which speak it to have been a more famous Place than now it is. Into the Mosch we were permitted to enter, without any Disturbance. This Village lies in one of the Roads from Aleppo to Bagdatt, and pays to Assyne an Annual Tribute of one thousand Dollars. From hence we mounted again in the Afternoon, and proceeded about two Hours and a half farther, to shorten our next Days Stage. Having travelled this Day, in all, about seven or eight Hours, the Place we pitch'd at was a Fountain, and known by the Name of Alcome; but neither Town nor House by it: neither was the Water fit to be Drank, being of the same nature with that of Soukney, and almost as warm.