Part L Travel f into the Lev ant. 217 
to Lodge at Coneitra^ which is a little Village, wherein there is a very old 
lar^e Han^ built in form of a Fort, with three Gukerines ; within the precind 
of It there is a Mofque, a 5<«z,<«r, and a CofFee-Houfe j and there alfo you pay 
a Caff^re. Next day you lye at Saxa^ and have bad way to it, the Countrey 
being fo ft ony that it cannot be Cultivated. About midway you find a Han 
built of black ftones and called Raimbe^ over the Gate whereof there is a fquare 
Tower with four Windows after the manner of our Steeples. Saxa is a pretty 
Han^ having a Mofque in the middle, and a Fountain by the. fide of it. With- 
out it you lee a little Caftle, near to which runs a River, that divides itfelf 
into four and thirty Branches, and there'you find three Bridges , where there 
is a CatFare to be paid. The day following you come to Damafass^ feven 
hours traveling from 5^a;<ï ; but firft, about an hour and a halfs journey from 
Saxa^ you crofs over a Bridge upon the River that comes from Saxa. For the 
four firft hours the way is ftony, after that, betwixt two little Hills, and on 
the right hand of a ruined Village, called Camab^ that is to fay, Star^ is the Cmab, the 
place w!"ere our Lord faid to St. Faul^ Saul, Sanl, why Perfecuteji thou me ? The ^^^f^ ■ 
relt of the way, is over moft fertile Plains. fion/ ^^^^'^^ 
CHAP. LVIIL 
Of the City of Damafcus^ and the flaces that are to 
he jeen about it. 
TH E firft thing that may befeenat Damafcus, is the Bez^eftein, which is pamafm;. 
Beautiful enough, and hath three Gates ; from whence you go to the 
Caftle, which is all built of Scones cut in Diamond cut -, but it is not eafie for • 
Franks to enter it. At firft you come to a Court of Guard with feveral Arms 
hanging upon the Wall, and two pieces of Ordnance, each fixceen fpans long. 
About fifteen fteps further is the Mint, where the Jews Work. A little beyond 
that, thereisa Dome of no great Workmanfliip, but fupported by four fo 
great Pillars, that three men can hardly fathom one of them round. Fifty paces 
from thence, you enter through a large Arched Hall into the Divan where 
the Council is held, painted with Gold and Azure after theMofaick way ^ and 
in it there are three Bafons full of excellent v>7ater: When you come out of 
the Caftle, you fee the Ditches half a Pikes depth, and twenty paces over, 
wherein on the fide of the Town a little Canal of water runs, which waters 
the Gardens about, that are full of Orange, Limon, Pomgranet, and feveral 
other Trees. Through the middle of the Caftle runs a branch of the River, 
with which they can fill the Ditches, v/hen there is occafion. On the out fide 
of the Walls of the fame Caftle, hang two Chains of Stone, one of which 
contains fixteen Links, and the other fourteen, cut one within another by 
matchlefs Art, each Link being about two fathom long, and one and a half 
wide,and the two Chains are of one entire Stone a piece, From thence you come 
to a fair Mofque about twenty Paces Square, painted all over with Mofaick 
work in Gold and Azure, and paved with Marble ; in the middle of it is the • 
Sepulchre of Melee D^er,Sultan of z^gypi: After that, you rauft fee the Houfe '^'^^f' 
of the Tefrerdar, wherein thefc is a little Marble Mofque of moft lovely Archi- 
tecture, and painted with Gold and Azure. There are feveral lovely Rooms 
in it of'the fame faftiion, at each Window whereof, you have a little Fountain 
of moft clear Water, which is artificially brought thither in Pipes. In this 
Hcufe there is a door and feveral great Windows, with copper-Lettices which 
looK into the great Mofque, and thence one may fee without moleftation, but 
Chriftians are forbidden to enter it, upon pain of Death, or turning Turk. 
From that door and the Windows,one may perceive a great part of the Mofque 
which may be about three hundred paces long, and threefcore wide. The 
F f Court 
