136 MifcelUnea. Curiofa. Vol. Ill, 



dern ; the goodnefs of the Water brings the 

 Arabs (who rove up and down the Defart) 

 and the Turl^men frequently hither, which 

 has occafion'd a great many Graves about 

 the Temple ; and fome have had leifure, and, 

 (which is more difficult to be imagin'd) skill 

 enough to fcratch in the Walls the firft Let^ 

 ters of their Nanres, and many more in Arar 

 bick Characters, which we could make no-? 

 thing of, no more than of an Arabick In- 

 fcription which lay hard by, but appeared 

 not ancient. 



OBober the 2d. We departed from Efree^ 

 about an Hour, or an Hour and an half af-- 

 ter Midnight, and in fix Hours and an half 

 arrived at two Wells, the Water 18 Fathom 

 and 2 Foot deep, known by the Name of 

 Imp malcha Giub : Through the greateft part 

 of 'this Stage we had a broad beaten Road, 

 and where that was not difcernible, we guid-^ 

 ed our felves by a ridge of chalky Hills, un-? 

 der which the Wells lay; the Water we 

 found exceeding bad, and of fojfnoilbm a 

 •^>i^^.^^pcent, that we cpuld not endure it fb much 

 . > . ^^5 ^t our Kofes^ which made our Guide 

 A ll|ift?^||augh at us, who told us, the Arabs^ and 

 <even the King himfelf ufed to drink freely 

 of iti which, I am fure, our Horfes would 

 not do, though they were under a neceffity 

 pf drinking that or none : For our felves 

 we had brought from Efree Water, fuffici-r 

 entfpr one Day at leaft. In our way hither 

 we were fhewn the true Plant which they 

 burn for Soap-Afiies, which has no Leaves, 

 but a foft juicy {italk fliooting into feveral 

 ^raiiches^j and fomf thing refenibUiig our C^m^. 



