' Part IL Travels into the Levant. aA 
Saviour being come as far as Euphrates, gave a man a Handkerchief on which 
his Pidurc was rtamped,that he might therewith go and convert the people of 
Alefopctamia ; but that this man being curious to fee what it was, and having 
unfolded the Handkerchief contrary to thé commands of our Lord, it flev/ 
into a Well, and that our Lord knowing this, faid that that Land was good 
fornothing, and therefore went no farther; this is the caufe why they will' 
not bury their dead there : Others tell this llory in another manner, which 
I (hall relate when I come to (peak ofOrfa. 
Friday the fourth of July We parted from Bir, about two a Clock in the Departure' 
Morning ; and took our way a little different from what we had held till we from Bir, 
came there ; for we d ireifted our' courle Eaft-North-Eail untlll we came to 
Orfa. About nine in the Morning we encamped in a Field near to a hill, 
where heretofore had been a great Town called Aidar Ahmet, at prefenr 
there is nothing of it to be feen, and a little Brook runs by it among Reeds. 
Next day being Saturday the fifth of July we let forwards on our Journey 
about two a Clock in the Morning; and about five a Clock palfed by Icharrm- jcbarmelidt 
lick which was formerly a little Town with a Caftle, built by one Ddivar 
Bajha, who was Bajha oï Diarkck,upon a little eminence, with a Han for the 
convenience of the Caravans;and that becaufe of the many Robbers upon that 
road, as there is ftill at prefent. All was built of ftones taken our of the 
Ruines o{ Atdar Ahmet ; but there is no more now remaining but a little of 
a Caftle, with a Irnall Village at the foot of it ; and part of the Walls of the 
Town, whereof two gates are ftill to be feen ; the Han which is ftill entire is 
very pretty. We went on, and about nine in the Morning, encamped in a 
place where formerly ftood a great Town called Yogonboul ; at prefent it is no Togonhoul 
more but a confufed heap of ftones, amongft which tHfere are fome Wells of 
Rain- water. We parted from thence the fame day about ten of the Clock 
at Night, and alcended by bad ways. Next morning being Sunday the fixth 
of July, at one a Clock in the Morning, we travelled along a lovely way 
made in the Rock, two fathom deep, a fathom broad, and eight fathom long, 
before that way was cut, there was no travelling by that road : Then we 
went down an ugly defcent which continues as far as the Town of Orfa,w\\QrQ 
we arrived about two a Clock in the Morning, and encamped near the Walls. 
The Town of Orfa which is the ancient EdeJJa is about two hours march in orfa, Edejfa.- 
circuit ; the Walls of it are fair and pretty entire, it is almoft fquare, but 
within there is hardly any thing but Ruines to be feen, and neverthelels it is 
very populous. On the South-fide there is an adjoining Caftle, upon a hill, 
with large and deep Ditches, though they be cut in the Rock ; it is large in 
compafs, but full of Ruines, and has onely fome pittifull old broken Guns ; on 
the top of the Caftle there is a little fquare Turret from whence one may fee 
a great way, and the People of the Countrev fay that EUas lived in that little -^-i 
Chamber. 11''^^'^"^^'' 
On the fide that looks towards the Town, there are two great Stone-pillars, ° 
at fix or fevcn fteps diftance one from another, and ftanding upon their Pe- 
deftals ; they are of Corinthian order, confifting ofleven and twenty lays of y^wu^s of Co 
ftone a piece ; each lay contains but two ftones, and each ftone is nineteen tiiuhbn°order/ 
Inches high, being two foot and a half in Diamjetrc. The People of the 
Countrey fay, that heretofore there were two others like to thefe, and that 
one of the Thrones of Nimrod was placed upon thefe four Pillars ; that The throne o*" 
from this place, to which they bear great reverence, Abraham was thrown Nimrod. 
headlong into the Furnace that was underneath, and that at the lame 
infl:ant a Spring of Water guflied out, which is running at prefent, and fills 
a Canal clofeby; it is a great many fathom in length, and five or fix in 
breadth; whole Water having wafhed all the To'wn, lofes it felf under ground, 
at fome hcurs Journey from thence. 
There is fo great plenty of Fifh in this Canal, that they appear in greac 
fhoals, and! take them to be Carps ; but they fay that if a man fhould catch 
any in this Canal, and eat of them, he would not fail to fall into a Fea- 
rer ; and that's the reafbn they fuffer nobody to catch them, unlefs on the o- 
ther fide of a little Bridge which is at the end of the Canal : for riiey fay that 
beiing taken beyond that Bridge, there is no danger in them. 
G Betwixr. 
