iv t H E P R E F A C E. 



as Jo many Guards, heing 'watchful Animals, and awaking 

 with the Leaji Noife. 



Ly^s there was no Chance of meeting, in thefe long and 

 dreery Deferts, with the leaft Hofpitality or Entertainment, 

 we were obliged to carry along with us all Things necejjary 

 forfo long and tedious a Journey. We took Care, in the 

 fir ft Tlace, to provide ourf elves with a fufficient §luantity 

 of Goafs Skins, which we filled with Water, every four 

 or five Days, or as often as we found it. Barley, with 

 a few Beans intermixed ; or elfe the Flour of one or other 

 (f them , made into Balls, was the Provender we laid in 

 for our Camels. We provided for ourfelves Wlieat-Flour, 

 Bifcuit, Honey, Oyl, Vinegar, Olives, Lentils, potted Flefh, 

 andfuch Things as would keep, during two Months , the 

 Space commonly taken up in compleating this Journey. Nor 

 jhould the Wooden Bajon or Copper Pot he forgotten, that 

 made up our Kitchen Furniture ; the latter whereof was the 

 neceffary Utenfxl for cooking our Trovifion , the other for 

 ferving it up, or kneading our unleavened Cakes. 



When we were either to boy I or bake, the Camels Dung 

 that we found left by fome preceeding Caravan ', was our com- 

 mon Fuel ; which, after it has been expofed a Day or two in 

 the Sun, catches Fire like Touchwood, and hums as bright 

 as Charcoal Nofooner was our Food prepared, (whether it 

 was potted Flefh, boy led with Rice ; a Lentil Soup ; or un- 

 leavened Cakes, ferved up with Oyl or Honey ;) than one of 

 the Arabs , after having placed himfelf upon the higheH 

 Station he could find, invites three Times , with a loud 

 Voice , all his Brethren^ The Sons of the Faithful, 

 to come and partake of it ; though none of them were in 

 View, or perhaps within a hundred Miles of us. This 

 Cuftom however they maintain to be always a Token of their 



I Vox Perfica eft yU^Vr Orvdn, id eft. Negotiator, vel colledive Negotiatores j ft. 

 tota eorumCohors fimul iter faciens, quse Arabic^ !i.ii\.ii CafiU vocatur. Hinc Mercatorum 

 Hofpitia publica quae Arabibus audiunt ^^\.i. Can, Perfis ^J>.^ <J\y^y Carvan Serai nomi- 

 naptur, i. e. Caravana hofpitium. Nam Serai eft quaevis Domus ampla ; iinde in Conftanti- 

 nopoli, Imperatoris Palatium foeminarum Turcis dicitur nomine Perfico Serai, Europaeis 

 minns bene Serail 8c Seraglio. Vid. Perit. Itinera Mundi. Ed. T.Hyde, p. (Ji. 



great 



