Royal Society. ip 
piftols ; in this order they proceeded, and came to a moft (lately 
aquedudl:, which runs under ground for five miles in a d'ltcA 
paiTage, and is covered with an arch of baftard marble all the 
way, and there is a path on both (ides the channel for two perlbns 
to walk a bread, the channel itfelf is about an Engllifo yard 
in breadth, and | of a yard in depth 5 at 20 yards diftance there 
are ventidu6ls all the way for air to pals, and the holes are 
furrounded withlrnall mounts of earth, to keep the fand and 
duft from falling down 3 they marched clofe by thefe mounts, 
which might ferve them for a defence, expe6ling every mount 
the ^rabs would come and attack them, as having the difad- 
vantage of fun and windintheir faces 5 wherefore the merchants 
travelled hard to gain an eminence, where they might poft 
themfelves advantagioufly, and flop and repofe a little, %o con- 
iider what was beft to be done 5 the Arabs finding that they 
came on with this order and refolution, thought it no? fit to 
attack them 5 and thus the merchants gained the hill, from 
whence they could difcern thofe vafl and noble ruins, having 
a plain like a fea for extent, to the fouthward thereof 5 here 
baring refrefhed their men, and fetched afmall compais, they 
defcended by the foot of a mountain, on which ilands a large 
uninhabited caflle , in this place two Arabs came to them 
with lances, one being Chiah to Melkam^ and the merchants 
lent two to meet them 5 the Arabs told them, that the Emir 
had underitood of their coming, and had fent them to acquaint 
the merchants, that he was their friend, and that all tlie coun- 
try was theirs ^ the merchants fent back with them their Jani- 
zary, and a fervant to vifit the prince in his tents, which were 
in a garden; and in the mean time difmounted at a watering 
place amidfl the ruins, but did not unload till their Janizary 
and iervant returned with the Emir's TeJ]arr^ afTuring them of 
friendihip and protection, a writing which the Arabs were 
never known to violate before ; with them there came alfo one 
belonging to the Shcck of the town, for whom the merchants 
had letters ixom Ufeffe Aga the Emeen of Aleppo-^ and he 
advifed the merchants, for greater fecurity, to pitch their tents 
under the town walls, in the ruins of a large palace, the wall 
ftill {landing very high, the town within being but fmall, aiid 
the houfes, excepting two or three, no better than hog-flies; 
lo they pitched in a deep fandy ground, where they felt it 
exceeding hot; here they waited till 5 o'clock without eating 
any thing, expe6ling the Sheck would have made them pre- 
fents, according to the ufual cuftom of the l^urks to their 
friends, 
