xxxii INTRODUCTION. 



From Gilma I pafled to Muchtar, corruptly now fo call- 

 ed. Its ancient name is Tucca Terebinthina *. Dr Shawf 

 fays its modern name is Sbeeba, but no fuch name is known 

 here. I might have pafTed more directly from Spaitla fouth- 

 ward, but a large chain of mountains, to whofe inhabitants 

 I had no recommendation, made me prefer the fafer and 

 plainer road by Gilma. At Tucca Terebinthina are two tri- 

 umphal arches, the largeft of which I fuppofe equal in tafte, 

 execution, and mafs, to anything now exifling in the world. 

 The lefTer is more fimple, but very elegant. They are both, 

 with all the particulars of their parts, not yet engraved, but 

 Hill in my collection. 



From Muchtar, or Tucca Terebinthina, we came to KifTer:}:, 

 which Dr Shaw conjectures to have been the Colonia AfTuras 

 of the ancients, by this it mould feem he had not been 

 there ; for there is an infcription upon a triumphal arch 

 of very good tafte, now Handing, and many others to be 

 met with up and down, which confirms beyond doubt his 

 conjecture to be a jufl one. There is, befides this, a fmall 

 fquare temple, upon which are carved feveral inftruments 

 of facrifice, which are very curious, but the execution of 

 thefe is much inferior to the defign. It ftands on the de- 

 clivity of a hill, above a large fertile plain, dill called the 

 Plain of burfe, which is probably a corruption of its ancient 

 name.Afluras, 



From Killer I came to Mufti, where there is a trium- 

 phal arch of very good tafte, but perfectly in ruins ; the 

 i » merit 



* Itin. Anton, p. 3. f Shaw's Travels, cap. v. p. 115. 



$ Cd. Geog. Antique, Kb. iy. cap. 4. and cap. 5. p. 118. 



