^Tart IL Travels into the Levant. 
19 
CHAR V. 
A Continuation of Obfervations at Damafcus. 
HAving taken a refolution, whilft I was at Damafcus^ to fee what was 
rnoft curious and worth the feeing "in the Countrey about it; I made an ' 
appointment with fome Friends to go to the place which is called the Forty 
Martyrs. We went out of the City by the SerragUo gate, and crofling the The forty 
horle-Market, kept our way along, a fair, broad and long paved Street, which Martyrs, 
does not a little refemblethe Avenue of the Forta di Popoloat Rome : It led us 
almoft to the Village called Salam Crache : Having palTed this we went up a 
very rough and barren Hill, being nothing but a natural Rock. It behoved 
us to alight from our AfTes and march on foot, afcendingby waysfofteep that 
they were almoft perpendicular. With much trouble, at length we came to 
the place of the forty Martyrs, diftant from the City a good half League ; 
I never in my life-time mounted a fteeper Hill. There is alittle houfe on it, 
where a Sckik liveth, who led us into a Grotto hollowed in the Rock ; where 
he fhewed-'us a place, where it is faid Elias fafted fometimes, and was fed by Grotto; 
a Raven. In a hole hard by, he (hewed us the place where the People of the 
Countrey (ay the forty Martyrs are buried; but no Tomb, Bones, nor 
Afhes are to be feen there. He fhewed us befides in the Roof of that Grott, 
(which is a natural Rock, very hard, and like to Pit-coal, from which much 
water drops,) the figure of a hand, which they fay is the hand of Elias,hut 
which is indeed, no more but the Veines of the Rock, which reprefent (but 
very imperfecftly ) long and great fingers, to the number of more than five or 
fix ; and I cannot tell if ever Elias was there. As to the forty Martyrs, this 
is the Story they tell of them. A Jewiih Child having fecretly left his Excre- 
ments in a Mofque ; the King or Bajha being informed next Morning that 
fuch a Packet had been found there, was highly enraged, and caufed enquiry 
to be made after the Authour. The Jew who was an Enemy to the Chri- 
ftians, told him that he knew for a certain that they had done it in contempt 
of his Religion ; whereupon he caufed them all to be put into prifbn, and 
fbme time after forty of them, out of a charitable Zeal to fave the reft, con- 
felTed themfelves guilty of the pretended Crime ; upon which he caufed all 
the forty to be put to death, though he knew very well they could not all 
have been guilty. Upon the fame hill, ( but at fome hundreds of paces from 
thence, ) is the place of the feven Sleepers, as the People of the Countrey Seven fleèpers. 
think. There they fhew a Grotto where there are feven holes ftopt ; nay 
fome fay that they fleep there ftill ; but in relating thefe things they confound 
fo many Hiftories, that it is very hard to know the truth of what they believe: 
We came back to the Town by the Gate of Paboutches. 
To have a full view of Damafcus^ one mufl: go to that place of the forty The pkce for 
Martyrs. It lies towards the middle of a Mountain that is to the North of having a full 
the City, is long and narrow, and reaches from Eaftto Weft: to the Eaft it view of o^.; 
draws into a point, and at the Weft-end is the Suburbs CdWoà Bah-Ullah., which "^'^fi"^- 
I mentioned before, reaching in length above three or four Miles Weft- 
ward. 
This City is in the middle of a fpacious Plain on all hands furrounded with 
Hills, but all diftant from the Town almoft out of fight ; thofe on the North- 
fide ( is where that of the forty Martyrs, ) are the neareft. On the North- 
fide it hatha great many Gardens full of Trees, and moft Fruit-trees; thefe 
Gardens take up the ground from the Hill of the forty Martyrs even to the 
Towti ; fo that at a diftance it feems to be aForeft. 
Anothe? 
