56 The Persian Travels Book II. 



the top of 'the Mountain you meet with an Inn-, but though it be a very fair one, 

 with Fountains round about it , yet Merchants never ftop there , but go on a 

 little farther to a Grecian that (peaks good Italian , and whole entertainment is 

 indirferent good, conhdcring the Country. When you go away, you give him a Crown 

 for your accommodation , which is the manner at other Stages, by a cuftom, which 

 the Frank* thcmlelves having eftablifh'd , will never be left off. 



Defcending down the Mountain you difcover the City of Antioch , built upon 

 a Hill. Formerly the Road lay through that City, but the Janizaries of the 

 place exacting a Piafter from every perlbn that travel'd that way, that Road is now 

 dilus'd. Antioch once made more noiie in the World, being fal'n to ruine ever 

 fince the Channel, that ran from the City to the Sea, where Galleys might ride, 

 has been flop'd up by the Sands that have encroach'd upon the Mouth of the 

 Haven. 



When you are at the bottom of the Hill toward the North, you difcover a Caftle 

 built upon a Hill {landing by it felt, ,from whence you have a profpeft over a good 

 part of the Plain of Antioch. It is about fifteen Leagues long, and three broad , in 

 that part where the Road lyes. Somewhat more than half the way , you meet 

 with a long Caufcy parted by feveral Bridges, by reai'on of certain Rivulets that 

 crols it, without which the Road were hardly paifablc. The frerjuent Revolts of 

 Bagdat and Balfara , which the Grand Signer has been fore'd lo often to befiege, 

 caus'd the Grand Vifier in the Reign of Achmat to undertake this Cauiey, which 

 together with the Bridge wasfiniuYd infix Months, that was lookt upon as a Mira- 

 cle. This was done for the more eafic paffage of the Artillery, and other Provifions 

 of War, that were brought out offtontania and Greece to the Siege of Bandar, 

 which could never have been done, but for this Caulcy. At {he end of this Caufcy 

 ftands a Bridge , very long and ftrongly built, under which runs a River, which, 

 with the other Rivulets that wind aWit the Plain , forms a Lake toward the South, 

 that is call'd the Lake of Antioch. This Lake affords a great Revenue , by reafon 

 of the Eels that are caught there, which are taken two Months before Lent, and 

 tranfported to Malta, Sicily, and other parts of Italy. 



This Plain is very full of Olive-Trees •, which produces that great Trade of Soap, 

 that is made at Aleppo , and tranfported into Mesopotamia , Cbaldca , Pcrjia , and 

 the Defert •, that Commodity being one of the mod acceptable Prefents that can be 

 made to the Arabians. Sallct-Oyl is alio in great cfteem among them : fo that 

 when you make them a Prefent of it, they will take off their Bonnets , and rub their 

 Heads, their Faces, and their Beards with it, lifting up their Eyes to Heaven , and 

 cry in their Language, God be thanked. Therein they have loft nothing of the 

 ancient cuftom of the Eaftern People , of which there is often mention made in Holy 

 Scripture. 7 



About a League and a half beyond the Plain , you meet with a Rock , at the 

 foot whereof is a little deep Lake , wherein they catch a world of Fifh that are 

 like our Barbels. I have kiH'd them with my Piftol 5 and found them to be of an 

 excellent taft-, though they are not regarded at Aleppo. 



Two hours after, you ford a River which is call'd Afi-ora; though if it have hap- 

 pen'd to rain, you muft flay 'till the Waters are fal'n. Having paft the River 

 upon the Banks whereof you flay to feed your felf and your Hories , you come 

 to lye at a poor Village call'd Shaquemin, where there is an Inn. Here the Country- 

 people bring Provifions of Food to the Travellers', and whether you eat or no, you 

 muft pay a Piafter, according to the cuftom which the Franks have eftablifh'd 

 After you have pafs'd the Plain of Antioch as far as Shaqitemin , the' Hories in Summer 

 are lo terribly tormented with a fort of great Flies , that it were impoffiblc to travel 

 three or four hours together, were it not for going out of the Road, cither to 

 the right, or to the left, and riding through the Fields, which are full of thofe 

 Burrs that our Clothworkers make ufe of: For in regard they grow as hi^h as the 

 Crupper of the Horfe, they keep the Flies off from flinging and tyring thcHorfes 



Leaving the Village of Shaquemin , the Road lyes among Stones-, and for half 

 this tedious way, for two or three Leagues round about , you fee nothing but the 

 Ruines of ancient Monafterics. There are fome of them which are built almoft all 

 of F re e-ftone *, and about half a days journey toward the North , quite out of the 

 Road, ftands the Monaftery of St, Simeon the Stylite , with the remainder of his fo 



famous 



