Vt)!.. XIX.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 55 



with our horses, while in the iDean time we pitched our tents. About 2 o'clock 

 a small drizzling fain, which we had about half an hour, encreased to a very 

 plentiful shower, which put us upon producing all the vessels we had to catch it 

 as it fell from the heavens, or ran down the skirts of our tents, our horses at 

 the same time greedily drinking it from the ground ; but we might have spared 

 our pains, for in less than half an hour's time, our camp was in a manner afloat, 

 and we were surrounded with water not only sufficient for us, but for an army of 

 20,000 men ; those hollow guts which we passed over without the least appear- 

 ance of moisture, were, by the cataracts which descended from the mountains, 

 become rivers, yet the next morning, all this great quantity of water was passed 

 away, so that in about two hours' riding we could hardly perceive that there had 

 been any rain at all. This memorable place is known by the name of Al- 

 Wishal. 



October 4, from Al-Wishal we proceeded forTadmor, our way lay southward, 

 but the gut in which we travelled would not permit us to keep a direct course ; 

 however, in about an hour's walk, we passed by Antor mountains, through a 

 gut or rent, both sides of which so directly answered one to the other, they 

 would tempt a man to believe they were separated by art, for an entrance into 

 the country ; but almost as soon as we were well got within the open space, we 

 were obliged to ascend another hill, and so our road continued over hills and 

 valleys interchangeably all the way. We had hardly proceeded 4 hours, when we 

 came to the brow of a rocky mountain, separated from that whereon the castle 

 of Tadmor stands, only by a narrow valley; in this hill there appeared some 

 quarries of fine stone, which probably might afford materials for the curious 

 buildings in the city, where we soon arrived. 



Having tired our?elves with roving from ruin to ruin, and searching among 

 old stones, and not thinking it safe to linger too long in a place, where the moun- 

 tain Arabs might either fall upon or endeavour to intercept us in our return : 

 therefore on Thursday, Oct. 8, about half an hour after 4 in the morning, we de- 

 parted from Tadmor, being very well satisfied with what we had seen, and glad 

 to have escaped so dreaded a place, without any trouble or pretences upon us ; 

 but with some regret, for having left a great many things behind, which de- 

 served a more particular and curious inspection. Our road lay almost due east, 

 or a little inclining to the north ; and on the left-hand, a ridge of hills stretched 

 along for a great space, sometimes about half an hour distant from the road, 

 and sometimes opening wider: these hills were said to abound in rich veins of 

 minerals, and afforded all that vast quantity of marble, the remains whereof we 

 had seen at Tadmor ; and it was from a fountain called Abulfarras, at the foot 

 of one of them, they brought out water, which we drank ; the inhabitants 



