iTart IL Travels into the h-e^^ ^^^t. 
21 
over head Rooms for the Women Pilgrims. Then I came to a great Houfe, 
which hath a fquare Court, where they make the Bisket for jVIecha ; and 
there I faw feveral hundred Sacks full, though it was as yet three Weeks to 
the time of their letting out upon the Journey -, They made this Provifion, 
becaufe it is the cuftome, that at Damafcus two hundred Camels are loaded 
with Biskets, and as many with Water at the Grand Sd^ntwts expences, to be 
diftributed in Charity amongft the poor Pilgrims on the way. 
Keeping on my way I crofied the Horfe-Market, where Hands a great 
ftone, between four and five foot high, about three foot broad, and half a 
foot thick, wherein fbme lines in Arabick are cut, but fo worn out that they 
cannot be read but with great difficulty ; the meaning of them is that when 
this ftone {hall be covered with water, then Damafcus will be taken. Never- 
thelefs Monfieur de Bermnnd who conduded me to thefe places, told me that 
fome years before he had feen fo great an inundation, that he believed the 
ftone was covered with water ; at leaft as far as he could perceive from a 
high place pretty near, from whence he difcovered all that Market-place, 
and could not fee the ftone ; near to which many Francifcan Friers were here 
rofore put to death for the faith. 
We came in the next place to the bazar of Horfe-faddles ; it isfo called, be- 
caufe that is the onely Commodity fold there ; having advanced a little into 
it, we faw on the left hand the great Bagmo which I (hall defcribe : then we 
entered into the City again by the Gate of Taboutches-, on both fides of that 
Gate there is a great; Flower-de-luce cut in the Stone We pafled by • the a Flower-de- 
Gate called Bab-Fardu which was to our left, on our way to Bab-Salem^ with- luce, 
out which, but clofe by it, is the conjundion of three Rivers ; this is an ex- 
traordinary pleafant place. Keeping ftill along the fide of the Wall, we ente- 
red the City again by the Gate called Bab-Thoma^ and returned to our 
Lodging. 
All the CofFee houfes of Damafcus zïq fair, and have much water, but the Coffee- houfes 
fairefl of all are in the Suburbs. Amongft the reft that which is in the Sinanie^ Damafcus. 
and is called the great Coffee-houfe, becaufe of its vaft extent, is very de- 
lightfull, by reafon of the many Water-works that are in Bafons full of 
Water there. That which is near the SerragUo Gate and is called the Bridge 
CofFee-houfe, becaufe it is near a Bridge upon the River, is fo much the more 
delicious that the River borders it on one fide, and that there are Trees all 
along before it, under the (hade of which they who are upon the Ma/abez, 
of the Cofïee houfè, have a pleafant frefh Air, and the view of the River 
running below them. The Coffee-houfe of the two Rivers which is near the 
Gate of the Pabcutches, and where the length of the Caftle ends, is alfo fair 
and large ; two Rivers pafs by it, which at the end of a great covered Hall, 
makes a little Ifland full of Rofe-bufhes and other Plants, whereof the ver- 
dure and various Colours, with the fmell of the Flowers delight at the fame 
rime feveral fenfes, and give a great deal of agreeablenefs to a fcituation other- 
wife fo advantageous; For you muft know that thefe Rivers which I call lit- 
tle, are at leaft four fathom broad, and commonly five or fix. All know 
what a Coffee-berry is, from which thefe places take their denomination; I 
have fpoken of it in my former Travels, and fhall onely add in this place 
what 1 learned of the qualities of that drink, to wit, that being drank very TheEffcdtso*' 
hot, it clears the head of vapours, moderately hot it binds up the body, and Coffee.' ^ 
cold it is laxative. 
At Damafcus there are Capucins^ and Monks of the holy Land, whofe 
houfes are near to one another in the quarter of the Maronites, and juft o- 
ver againft their Church, where alfo they fay Mafs : becaufe each of thefe 
orders have their Chappel there. There are Jefuits alfo in that City, but 
they live a pretty way from thence in the quarter of the Greeks, and cele- 
brate in their own houfe. 
I ftayed four and twenty days in Damafcus, but could have been wil- 
ling, not to have ftayed fb long becaufe of the troubles I was threatned with. 
A falfe report being fpread about the Town, by the malice of fome, and per- 
haps of a Servant whom I had turned away, that I had thirty thoufand Che- 
qmns with me j all ways were ufed co fnap fome of thefe pretended Chec^uins : . 
