Royal Society. 15^ 
within a very thin fhell they have kernels, very much refembling 
them, both in colour and relifli. From this hill they had a te- 
dious defcent, and came at its foot into a narrow gut, windingf 
this way and that, between the mountains • that paffage leemed 
very long, hot and tirelbme^ their want of water however obli- 
ged them to proceed, whereof they now began to be in great 
neceflity, efpecially for their horles and mules ; about 2 o' clock 
in the afternoon a fmall drizling rain, which they had for about 
half an hour, increased to a very plentiful ihower, which put 
them upon producing all the veflels they had to catch it, as it fell 
from the heavens, or ran down the fkirts of their tents, their hor- 
les at the fame time greedily drinking it from the ground ; but in 
leis than half an hour their camp was in a manner aflo.it^ the 
hollow guts they pafTed over, without the leafl appearance of 
moifture, were, by cataracts, which delcended from the moun- 
tains, become rivers, tho* next morning all this great cjuantity 
of water was pafled away, fo that in about two hours riding they 
could hardly perceive there had been any rain at all ; this memo- 
rable place is known by the name o^ Al-ia^ifoal. 
OEioher 4th, From ^l-wipal they proceeded for I'admor^ 
their way lay fouthwards, but the gut, in which they travelled, 
would not permit them to keep a dire6t courfe^ however in about 
an hours time, they paffed by Autor mountains, thro' a gut or 
paflage, both whole fides fo diredly anfwered to each other, that 
one would be apt to think, they had been feparated by art, for 
an entrance into the country 5 but almoft as loon as they were 
well got within the open fpace, they were obliged to alcend an- 
other hill, and {o their road continued over hills and valleys in- 
terchangeably all the way : They had hardly proceeded 4 hours, 
when they came to the brow of a rocky mountain, feparated from 
that whereon the caftle of 'Tadmor Hands, only by a narrow val- 
ley 5 in this hill there appeared fome quarries of fine ftone, which 
probably might afford materials for the curious buildings in the 
city, where they foon after arrived. 
After having tired themfelves in roving from one ruin to an-. 
other, and fearching amongft old flones^ and more efpecially, 
not thinking itfafe to linger too long in a place, where the moun- 
tain Arabs might either fall upon them, or endeavour to inter- 
cept their return 5 therefore on ^Ihurfday^ 081. 8th, about half an 
hour after four in the morning, they departed from Tadmor^ being 
very well latisfied with what they had feen, and glad to have ei- 
caped fo dreaded a place ; but in other refpe^ls they regreted, 
that they were obliged to leave unobierved a great many things, 
U 2 which 
