378 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA, 
Provifions are generally dear ; the fifh is more valued than 
that of Seide, as the fea has here a rocky bottom, while at 
Seide it is fand or mud. The red wine of Libanus which is 
brought here, is palatable, but cannot be tranfported from the 
mountain without a licence from the cuftom-houfe, fo that it 
is dearer than formerly ; yet the prefent price is only forty piaf- 
ters the cantar^ or about four pounds fterling the hundred weight. 
From Beirut, on the 2 2d April, I went to Antura on Mount 
Libanus, diftant about four hours. In the way pafled the 
Nahr Beirut^ and after the Nahr el Kelh^ the largeft ftream in 
this part of the country. The former is the noted river of 
Adonis, famous for vines, fo exquifltely defcribed by Milton. 
Antura is a pleafant village, furrounded with mulberry trees, 
but prefenting nothing remarkable. Not far from this place 
is a convent of nuns, where Mr. Wortley Montague lodged 
his wife *. The drefs of the Chriflians in this quarter feems 
* He brought her thither during the procefs, inftltuted at Rome, relatively 
to her flrft marriage, and before that marriage was fet afide. A long hiftory 
attends this part of the life of this remarkable man. Montague having per- 
fuaded the firft hufband, who was captain of a merchant-man in the fervice of 
perfons at Marfeilles, to leave his wife, whom he had brought with him to 
Egypt, under M.'s proteftion at Raftiid, the latter took advantage of his 
abfence on a voyage home, to perfuacle the woman that her hufband was no 
more. He then made an offer of himfelf, which was accepted. On a dif- 
clofure of the affair, Montague had intereft and addrefs enough to fet afide the 
firft marriage, vi'hich had been folemnized before either of the parties were 
of age. The rehgious were ^erfuaded that Montague was a zealous convert to 
the Catholic faith. 
unre- 
