50 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO \6q5. 



duct is cut through the main rock, for a great way from the mountains ; and 

 where it ends, the Arabs have made a garden, which afforded us melons, cu- 

 cumbers, purslain, &c. In a grotto hard by, there dwelt an Arab with his 

 family; he had a dozen buffaloes, which they used both for their milk, and to 

 plough the ground, sowing both wheat and barley: hither the Arabs resort, when 

 they have committed any robbery about Aleppo, or Hama, and here they repose, 

 and divide the spoil. 



July 21, we rose at 4 in the morning, and riding two hours south, we came to 

 a ruin called Briadeen. From hence going south-east, in 4 hours more we 

 came to a well called Costal, or a spring. Most part of our way through the 

 desert we were troubled with rat-holes in great numbers, like coney-boroughs, 

 which by the sinking in of the earth, very much incommoded our horses and 

 mules. These rats have at the ends of their tails a bush of hair, and the Arabs 

 eat them all, excepting one part. From this well we arose about 4 in the 

 afternoon, and began to ascend small hills, covered with trees, which, for the 

 most part, were the small pistachos which the Arabs pickle with salt ; but eaten 

 green, are good to quench thirst. We travelled on for three hours up the hills, 

 where we pitched that night, having no other water but what we carried with 

 us; and at night we had a small shower of rain, a thing unusual in that coun- 

 try at that time of the year. July 22, we rose by 2 in the morning, and tra- 

 velling E. S. E. we came by 1 1 to a well called G'hor. 



July 23, we rose by 1 in the morning, and travelling mostly east, we came 

 to a large plain, where we saw before us, on a high mountain, a great castle, 

 called by the Arabs Anture. Having travelled two or three hours in this plain, 

 we espied an Arab driving towards us a camel, with his lance, at full speed, 

 so we supposed him sent as a spy : being come up to us, he told us he was of 

 Tadmor, and that his prince, the Emir Melkam, had that day made friendship 

 with Hamet Shideed, another prince, and that together they had 400 men : so 

 he kept us company an hour or two, and inquired of our muleteers if we were 

 not Turks disguised, with intent to seize on Melkam ; for we travelled with a 

 bandiero, the impress being a hanjarr, or Turkish dagger, and a half-moon. 

 We told him we were Franks, which he could hardly believe, wondering that 

 we travelled thus in the desert, only out of curiosity. Being come near to 

 Tadmor, he went a little before us, and on a sudden ran full speed towards the 

 ruins. Our guide told us he was gone to acquaint the Arabs who we were, and 

 that we ought to suspect and prepare for the worst; so we dismounted 20 of 

 our servants, each having a long gun, and pistols at his girdle, and placed them 

 abreast before us : we following at a little distance behind, on horse-back, with 

 carbines and pistols. In this order we proceeded, and came to a most stately 



