yol. Ill* MifcelUneA Curiofa. I47 



Roads from jileppo to Bagdatt^ and pays to 

 Ajfyne an Annual Tribute of one thoufand 

 pollars. Frpm hence we mounted again in 

 the Afternooja, and proceeded abput two 

 Hours and a half farther, to IJiorten our 

 jiext Days Stage. Ha ving travelled this Day, 

 in all, about feven or eight Houns, the Place 

 we pitch'd at was a Fountain, and known by 

 the Name of Alcome j but neither Town nor 

 Houfe by it : neither was the Water fit to 

 be Drank, being of the fame nature witht|ia,£ 

 of Soukney^ and almoft as warm. 



October the iith. From Alcome we rofe a- 

 bout an Hour and an half after Midnight, 

 our Guide groping out the way, by the help 

 of the Stars, which now bended more to the 

 North than formerly* As foon as it was 

 light enough to look about us, we found our 

 felves in a wild open Defart, the Ground, ia 

 fome Places Covered with a fort of Heath, 

 and in others quite bare. Nor had we tra- 

 velled long after the Sun was up, before, by 

 the help of a riling Ground, we difcovered 

 Arfofa^ the Place whither we were tending, 

 which gave us hopeg we fhould quickly be 

 there : But having a dry tirefome Plain to 

 traverle, and the hot Sun caufing our Mules 

 a little to flacken their Pace, 'twas after tea 

 a Clock before we reached it : And which 

 was more vexatious ftill, finding no Water 

 any where near, we were neceflitattd to 

 proceed forward for the River Euphrates^ 

 which we found four Hours diftant from hence. 

 Arfofa^ or (as the Arahs call it) Arfo fa Emir^ 



feems to be the remains of a Monaftery, ha- 

 ving no Town nor Village near it, ^ being 



hi one 



