Part 1. Travels into the Lev ant. 275 
CHAP. XC. 
Of the Comtrey-Houfes and other "places that are to 
he Jeen about Tunis. 
Two days after our arrival, DonPhiUppo fent for ustofhew us aCoun- 
trey-Houfe he had half a League from the Town. The Countrey abouC 
,Tnms is full ofthefe Countrey Houfes, which are built like the Baftides zbowt 
Marfeilles. Don Philippo's is very pretty, it is built in form of a fquare Tower, » 
and higher than any about it ; from the Hall to the top of the Tower, 
there are an hundred and eleven fteps up, and from thence there is an 
excellent Profped, which difcovers on all hands a lovely Plain reaching out 
of fight, full of Olive-Trees. In it there is a great Hall open above with 
covered Galleries round it, which have the Roof fupported by feveral Pillars. 
In the middle of this open place, there is a great refervatory of Water, 
which ferves for feveral Water-works. All this place is adorned with Marble, 
as alfo all the Halls and Chambers, which are beautified with Gold and Azure, 
and very pleafant Plaifter-work, there being Fountains every where, that 
play when one pleafes. One ihould alfo fee the Bardes^ which are three 
Houfes built by the Bey for his three Sons, a League from Tmis. This 
Bey is as it were the Balha's Farmer, to whom he gives fo much of the Revenue 
due to the Qrand Signior in the Countrey, which he gathers, and the reft he 
keeps to himfelf. He was not at that time Bey, but Bafha, and his eldeft 
Son was Bey. In thefe Houfes there are a great many Fountains with lovely 
Bafons of one entire piece of Marble, brought from Genoa j and as in the 
Houfe of Don Philippe, an open Hail, with a great refervatory in the mid- 
dle, and walks all round it, roofed over, and fupported by feveral Pillars ; 
this, as alfo all the Rooms, are paved with black and white Marble, adorned 
with Gold and Azure, and that kind of Clay or Plaifter-work. There are 
feveral fair appartments in all thefe Houfes, which have lovely Gardens full 
of Orange and feveral other Fruit-Trees, planted in as good order as in 
Chriftendora, with many neat Beds and borders of Flowers at the ends of 
Walks, all made by Chriftian flaves. Thefe Houfes are called Bardes, from 
the Morefco word Berd, that fignifies Cold, becaufe there is a frefh Air about 
them. Near that place, there is an Aquedud built by a Dey, which brings 
Water four or five miles off to Tunis. A few fteps from that, there is ano- 
ther Aquedud fomewhat older, yet ftill modern, which is parallel to the 
former, and carries Water alfo to Tunis. Another day I went to fee the 
Cantre, which belongs to Schelebi, whom I mentioned, the Son of I^ifonfcmre, 
Dey, and is four leagues from Tunis. As you go thither, you pafs by the 
old Aquedudls of Carthage, which are about half way j they are at that 
place very entire ftill, raifed high, and built of very great ftones. From 
Tunis to the Cantre moft of the way is over large Fields planted with Olive- 
T'-ees, fome fteps diftanc from one another, but in fo ftreight a line, that they 
Î jok like Walks,which would be very pleafant,were it not that thefe ways are 
always full of Rain-water and mire, as all the Countrey about Tunis is,becaufe 
it lyes upon a level. We came then to the Cantre, fo called from a Bridge, 
which HifoufDty, the Father of 5c^f/e^»i, built over a River called Magerda, Mugeria, 
for Cantre in A/or^/co fignifies Bridge .This River Magerda is neither very broad 
nor rapid, but enough to deferve the name of a fair River-, it runs near to the 
Houfe QÏ Schelebi, and his F.ather built a ftone Bridge to crofs over it, the 
fpaces betwixt the Pillars of th e feven Arches, being built up from the bottom 
to thefurface of the Water, with huge pieces of Free-ftone; fo that the 
water pafting through the Arches, and finding it lower on the other fide, 
makes at every arch a very pleafant Cafcade two foot high, where the 
Water falls witji a gr eat iioife. Upon that River there are feveral Iron-Mills, 
