Vol. III. MifcelUnea Curhfa. 



is a Well of a prodigious depth, as certainly 

 it muft be a great way to come at Water 

 from the top of fuch a Rock, the Ditch that 

 furrounds it, not having the leaft appear- 

 ance of moifture therein ^ which made it 

 therefore feem more ftrange that a Wild Boar 

 fliould rufli out thence among our Horfes, 

 when we rode up to take a more particular 

 View of the Place. This Gaftle ftands on 

 the North fide of the Town, and from hence 

 you have the beft Profpeft of the Country all 

 about^ You fee Tadmor under you incloled 

 on three fides with long Ridges of Mountain^, 

 which open towards the Eaft gradually to 

 the diftance of about an Hours Riding but 

 to the South ftretches a vaft Plain beyond 

 the reach of the Eye. In this Plain you fee 

 a large Valley of Salt affording 

 great quantities thereof, and lying j^^^ ^^^^^ 

 near about an Hours diftance from ^ 

 the City. And this more probably is the 

 Valley of Salt, mentioned 2 Sam, 8. 13. where 

 David fmote the Syrians^ and flew 18000 

 Men, than another which lies but four Hours 

 from Aleppo ^ and has fometimes paft for it; 

 The Air is good, but the Soil exceeding bar- 

 ren, nothing green to be feen therein, fave 

 fome few Palm-Trees in the Gardens, and 

 here and there about the Town* And from 

 thefe Trees I conceive is obtained its Name, 

 both in Hebrew (Tadmor) which fignifies a 

 Palm-Tree, and- in Latin (Palmira :^) and 

 the whole Country is thence denominated 

 Syria Palmirena • and Ibmetimes SoUtudines 

 Pdmirena^ : So that the Latins did not change 

 but only Tranflate the old Name, which 



G 4 there- 



