Royal Society. j^j 
•remains of a monaftry, being one continued pile of building, of 
an oblong foi;m, ftretching lengthwile ea.ft and well, and enclo- 
fing a very fpacious area 5 at a diftance it makes ^ glittering fliew, 
being built of Gyp fine Stone or Rock T/wg-Gi^^s, relembling 
alabafter, but not fo hard 5 when the fun fliines upon it, it re- 
fleds the beams fo llrongly, that they dazzle the eyes of the fpec^ 
tators 5 there was no art or accuracy in the workmanfliip, and 
but very little carved work, and that mean enough, and the ce- 
ment was little better than dirt 3 round about were the Imall 
apartments or chambers of the monks, built arch-wile, only one 
ftory above ground 3 but underneath were feveral cells or vaults, 
larger than the chambers, which perhaps might ferve for their 
fchools, or working houfes ; in the middle of the area Hand the 
ruins of leveral buildings, fome of which feem to have been cil- 
terns for water, and it may be the bathing places; but one heap 
was moft remarkable, which probably was the abbot's or bifhop's 
houfe^ and another, which was the ruins of their church- this 
was formerly no inelegant Urutlure, being built in the form of 
our churches, and diftinguiflied into three ifles, of which the 
middle one is fupportd by 18 turned marble pillars, with capitals 
upon them, not of marble, but of a fort of clay, and call into 
that fhape, but of a colour exa£lly refembling the pillar it felf • 
and what confirms their being caft, is a Greek infcription to be 
feen on all of them ; the letters of which are not made by inci- 
iion in the Hone, but feem to be flamped, {landing out higher 
than the dillance between them ; and on one of them, by miltake, 
they are fo placed, as to be read after the oriental manner, frotn 
the right hand to the left 3 the words are thefe, with the cruci- 
fex before them. 
+ Eni QEm^ EniCK° t« rrm^N map«ni« t^ 
XeoVETHQK", 
From hence their guide led them to the river, by the aflillancc 
cf two fmall hills, called Jff-'Dien, their way lying north, and a 
little bending to the eall. They pitched on the reach of the ri- 
ver, where it was not very broad, not being above half a mufket 
fhct over. 
06iober 12, About fun-rifing they proceeded on their journey 
keeping along the banks of the river, which for the moll part 
led them well and northwell 3 and here their travelling proved 
very agreeable, having the river on the right hand, and hills of 
marble, or other fine Hone, on the left 3 and delightful groves 
of 
