xxx ii INTRODUCTION. 



From Gilma I palled to Muchtar, corruptly now fo call" 

 ed. Its ancient name is Tucca Terebinthina *. Dr Shaw f 

 fays its modern name is Sbeeba, but no fuch name is known 

 here. I might have pafTed more directly from Spaitla fouth- 

 ward, but a large chain of mountains, to whofe inhabitants 

 I had no recommendation, made me prefer the fafer and 

 plainer road by Gilma. At Tucca Terebinthina are two tri- 

 umphal arches, the largeft of which I fuppofe equal in tafte, 

 execution, and mafs, to anything now exifting in the world. 

 The leflcr is more fimple, but very elegant. They are both, 

 with all the particulars of their parts, not yet engraved, but 

 Hill in my collection. 



From Muchtar, or Tucca Terebinthina, we came to KifTer$, 

 which Dr Shaw conjectures to have been the Colonia Afiuras 

 of the ancients, by this it fhould feem he had not been 

 there ; for there is an inscription upon a triumphal arch 

 of very good tafte, now ftanding, and many others to be 

 met with up and down, which confirms beyond doubt his 

 conjecture to be a juft one. There is, befides this, a iroall 

 fquare temple, upon which are carved feveral inllruments 

 of facrifice, which are very curious, but the execution of 

 thefe is much inferior to the delign. It ftands on the de- 

 clivity of a hill, above a large fertile plain, (till called the 

 Plain of Surfe, which is probably a corruption of its ancient 

 name Afiuras, 



From Kiffer I came to Mufti, where there is a trium- 

 phal arch of very good ^tafte, but perfectly in ruins ; the 

 j meri t 



* Itin. Anton, p. 3. t Shaw's Travels, cap. v. p. 115. 



X CeJ. Gsog. Antique, lib. iy. cap. 4. and cap. 5. p. 11S. 



