* Part IL Travels into the Levant 
4-7 
following the current of a litcle'^Brook, which was on the lame fldCj half an 
hour aftcr*eleven,we came and encamped near a great Village called Kiz^ilkcn^ 
by which that rivulet runs. I obferved on the way that daA', that they were' 
but then cutting down their Corn, whereas at Alepf ^, they begin to cut a- 
bout the end of May y or beginning of jF/we. After we were encamped we 
felt, f notwithftanding our PavilUons ' lb hot a Wind, that it feemed to have a hot Wind. 
muftered together, and brought with it all the heat of the Air, and 1 think : 
that a man ftanding near a great flame, which the Wind blew upon his tace, 
could not feel a hotter Air. 
Kiz,ilken is a great Village all inhabited by Syrians : we-found fome Carpous, K^^^nj^rn 
or water- Mel Ions there, which were ripe and good, and thefè did us a great 
deal of kindnefs. In the night-time there came Robbers feveral times ; but 
t!iey that watched, making as if they would fire upon them, they made fome 
lillv cxcufèsand marched away. 
From Kiz,ilken we parted next day being Friday the eighteenth of Jul)', 
half an hour after one of the Clock in the Morning, and continued our way 
Eaft-South Eaft ; about four a Clock we fkw on our right hand two very 
Iblid v^ell built houfes, but abandoned, as well as the old Ruines that were 
to our left. Half an hour after feven, we arrived at a great VillagCj called 
Kodgiafar, where the Cuftomercame to take his dues, but not knowing that Kodgiafif . 
I was a Franck, asked me nothing. In former times it was a very great Town, ^ 
and fome very high and fubftantial Buildings ftill remain ; and amongft others 
a fpacious Church rarely well built. Firft you enter into a large Court, 
along which ftands the Church that hath (even doors all ftopt up, except the 
middlemoft which hath a great Nich on each fide ; over thefe doors there 
has been Mofàick work, the place whereof is ftill to be obferved, and at the 
four Corners of the Court there has been four very high fquare Steeples co- 
vered with little Domes, of which (at prefènt) there are onely three remain- 
ing, and of thefe too, but one entire : The other two want onely the Dome ; 
they are built of pretty litde Free-ftones, with Ornaments of Architecture, 
and fo is the Church alfb, the middle wherof is covered with a Dome rough 
caft over, and the Walls fupported by good large ftone-Butterefles. The Turks 
having converted it into a Mofque, have made a Keble in it, and a little 
Pulpit to preach in. Near to this Town, runs a Water that palTesundera 
Bridge of five Arches; to fay the truth, it is not very good, but there are 
good Wells, and each houle has one: There is one in the middle of the Court 
of that Church, and hard by it, a kind of Dome fupported by feveral Pillars ; 
but for what ufe I know not, unlefs it be to wafh in, as the Turks do when 
they go to their Mofque. 
Kodgiajag is over againft Merdm that ftands upon a hill to the North-Eaft Merdin, 
ofit ; the Caftle is on the very top of the hill, and is feen at a great diftance, 
being four hours Journey from Kodgiafar. The Cuftomer of Merdm came to 
our Camp for his dues, and demanded of me as a Franck, five Fiaftres, and 
therefore made my man Prilbner ; but my Moucre brought him out, he was 
informed that I was a Franck, by a Turk of the Caravan, who was the onely 
man of them all that fhewed any averfion to me. 
The Caftle of Merdm is fo ftrong, that the Turks fay no Army is able to 
take it, feeing they have both Spring-water and Ciftern-water. They will 
have it, that Tamarlan lay feven years before this Caftle, who > to fliew them 
that he would continue there untill it were taken) caufed the Trees below ic 
to be cut down, and new ones planted, ot the fruit of which, ( when they 
began to bear, ) hefent to the Garrifon; and that the befieged to make the 
beft fhew they could, fent him Cheefemade of Bitches milk, as if it had been 
of the Milk of Ewes, which wrought a good efFeft ; for he was perfwaded by 
that^ that they had not as yet fpent their fheep, and defpairing to force them, 
he raiied the Siege, though he had prevailed in all the other Sieges that he 
attempted 
There is a Ealha at Merdm, and almoft all the Inhabitants of Kodgtafar are 
Robbers. We ftayed there all Saturday, becauie the Cuftomer had not as 
yet agreed with our People what he was to have of every load, having ask- 
ed too much ] at Kodgiajar, there ftill remain many fair Steeples, and other 
antiquities 
