Chap.XXL of Monfîeur Tavernier. 249 



der of an Idolatrous Temple. There were four Gates., but the South-Gate is 

 tumbl'd down : the reft are Handing, compos'd of three Stones : Upon both the 

 Stones that make the Taums, there are two figures in half Relief, with their faces 

 one looking upon another, with their arms extended ; one holding in his hand a 

 Pan, out of which iffues a flame of fire ; and the other a Towel folded up. The 

 other Statue holds as it were a Purfè in one hand, and a bowl of Fire in the otherj 

 the Figures being as big as the Life, only their faces are fpoil'd j and as for the 

 other doors, they are both the fame. 



Two Mufquet-fhot from thence., in a plain, rifes a little Mountain, from the 

 North-fide of which fall many Springs that meet in a large Pond full of Fifh. 

 Some high Trees grow there, to {"hade the Habitation of a Dervi's that lives there. 

 The place is pleafant, and all the Springs together fill a Channel large enough to 

 water the neighbouring Fields. Here it was that certainly the ancient Idolaters 

 came to wafh, and thence went to the Temple to fay their Prayers, and make 

 their Offerings. 



Half a league beyond, at the foot of a Mountain, is a place about joo paces in 

 compafs, whence there fall a good number of Springs that meet in a Pond, en- 

 viron'd with high Trees, and full of Fifh. In one corner of the Mountain irand 

 Figures > cut out of the Rock much bigger than the Life. The two which are 

 uppermost look one upon another j and that upon the left-hand carries a large 

 Turbant, fuch as the Grand f^iz.ier of Confiant mo pie wears when he goes to the 

 Divan. From his Turbant to the middle of his Forhead, he was bound with the 

 Trefies of his own hair, the ends whereof were faften'd together with large 

 Buckles behind in his neck. His habit was a Robe after the ancient fafhion, with 

 a kind of a Cutlace by his fide. Nor did the oppofite Statue much differ 

 from this, only inftead of a TurbantJie were a kind of Miter upon his head. The 

 two other Statues underneath the former, ftretch d forth their arms one to 

 the otb' r : the one reprefenting a Man, the other a Woman. The Man feem'd to 

 prefent che Woman a Nofegay of Flowers ; but in truth it was a difficult thing to 

 difcern them, in regard they were both cover 7 d with a Fig-tree that grew juft be- 

 fore rhem out of the rock. 



About two thouiand paces farther, there is a. Lake of fait water about ten 

 leagues in compafs, which is fil I'd by lèverai Springs that fill from the Mountains : 

 and here it is that the people make a great quantitv of Salt. There runs into jt 

 alfo a fait River, over which you crofs upon a large itone-Bridg about three miles 

 from Schiras, in the way to Bander- ébaffi. 



Half a league from the City are two remark able Wells : the one upon the top 

 of the Mountain, the other upon the defcent; eat out of the Rock : both of an 

 extraordinary depth. There is no water in either, becaufe they are half full of 

 Stones, which they that come to fee the Wells, throw into 'em. There are alfb 

 to be feen the ruines of a Caftie formerly built there for the Guard of the High- 

 ways. But fince Iman-KouU-Kan made the new way, he caus'd all thofe For- 

 treffes to be defae'd, as being expenfive to the King, and burthenfome to the Mer- 

 chant, from whom the Guards exacted Toll in thofe places. Now all the ways are 

 free., and the Merchants travel fecurely. __. 



About half a league from the City, toward the Norths upon the brow of â \ 

 high Mountain, ftands a little Mofquee, like a Hermitage : and fifteen foot below 

 it gufhes out a fair Spring, which is the beft in the places neer to Schiras. Neer 

 to it is a little place encompaft with a Pale, with four Pillars that uphold a Ceeling. 

 Here it is that a Dervis fits, and entertains all them that come to vifit him, to 

 whom he prefents Tobacco, according to the cuftom of the Countrey. This 

 place is one of the beft Profpects in all Syria, from whence you behold one way 

 all the plain of Schiras, and all the City from one end to the other, with the Gar- 

 dens, j But people go not thither for the fair Profpecl:, or to vifit the Dervis t but 

 to admire a Cyprefs-tree not above three or four paces from the Profpecl;, planted 

 among the Rocks ; and of that bignefs, that four men can can hardly fathom it : 

 jt is proportionably high, and is look'd upon to be the faireft Cyprefs-tree in all 

 Per fa, where fo many grow befides. This Tree is fed by the Spring which I have 

 mention'd, falling fome eight or ten foot below into a Ciftern, which is always 

 full -, whence through a Canal it runs into a Garden in the plain fome fèven or 



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