xiv T H E P R E F A C E. 



Geographical Part, whenever the prefent State of that 

 Country is compared with the antient, 



I have not followed the fame Method, in illujirating the 

 comparative Geography of thofe Parts of Syria, Egypt, 

 and Arabia Petr^ea, that fell under my Obfervations. 

 Whenever therefore I had Occafion to call in the Authority 

 of the Antient s, I have always done it hy way of Note, in 

 the exprefs Words of the Author. For, Books of this 

 Kind being in few Terfons Hands, theReference alone, with- 

 out the Words referred to, mu/i frequently have excited a 

 Curiofity that could not be gratified, and confequently would 

 have been of little Service to the Reader. 



The fame Re a f on may be urged for the Variety of Notes 

 and §l^otations , that are occafionally made ufe of, in the 

 Mifcellaneous Farts of thefe Obfervations For as it 

 was neceffary to produce fuch Evidence and ^^uthority, 

 fo the §luptations themfelves can hardly be thought Super- 

 fluous. 



Thus have I given a general Account of this Work, and 

 of the Affiflances i received in compiling it : a Work, which 

 will require the Reader's Candor and Indulgence. For, 

 notwithftanding every Sheet of it was looked over by feve- 

 ral Learned Gentlemen of my Acquaintance ; yet, upon re- 

 viewing, I find that fome Errors of the Prefs ; and, I fear , 

 many Slips and Inaccuracies of Stile have efcaped me. 



The Reader will be likewife pleafed to put a favourable 

 Conftruction, upon the lefs entertaining Paragraphs, that 

 may too often occur in /^^C^/^r/^/?/^//?^ Geographical Ob- 

 fervations. The Nature of the Subjeci {which confifis chiefly 

 in the Enumeration of Places, Tribes, and their Diftances 

 from each other) would not permit them to be otherwife-, 

 and in This, we have both the Authority and Example of 

 Strabo, Ptolemy, and other antient Geographers. 



Tet how dry and tedious foever Difquifittons of this Kind 

 may appear to fome Perfons, the curious, I hope, will 

 not he dif pleafed to find fever al difficult Points, both of the 

 antient and modern Geography , thus explained and il- 



luflrated 



