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we difniDunted at a wateritrg place amidft the Ruins? 
but did not unload till our Janizary and Servant return- 
ed with the Emirs Tefcarr, affuring us of Friendftiip 
and Pfoteftion, a Writing which, the Arabs were never 
known to violate before. With them came alfo one 
^that belonged to the Sheck of the Town, for whora we 
had letters from VJeffe Aga the Emeen of Aleppo. He 
defired us for greater fecurity to pitch our Tents under 
the Town Walls, which is in the Ruins of a great Pa- 
lace, the Wall yet (landing very high, the Town with- 
in but fmall, and the Houles excepting two or three no 
better than Hog-ftyes. So we pitched in a deep Sandy 
Ground where we found it exceeding hot. Here wc 
waited till three of the Clock without eating any thing, 
^expe<9:ing the Sheck fliould have prefented us accord- 
ing to the ufual Cuftom of the Turks to their Friends, 
and have given fome anfwer to the Letters we brought 
Wm I but on the contrary we found by the gefture of 
the People, that we had Reafon to fufped them. Here- 
upon two of our Company, believing that the want 
•of a Prefent to the Emir was the caule thereof, refol- 
ved to adventure to give him a Vifit, and taking the 
Janizary and one Servant, they carried Him a Prefent 
^of two pieces of Red Cloath, and four of Green, and 
ieveral other things : Being come, he welcomed them 
into his Tent, and placed the one on his right hand 
and the other on his left. Melkam was a young Man, 
not above Five and Twenty, and well Featur'd and a 
moft Excellent Horfe-man Harnett Shideed^ the other 
Prince, was more elderly, as about Forty years of ^^ge, 
and was not in the Tent, but fate under a Palm-tree 
©ear it. He treated them with Coffee^ Camels- fle/h and 
Dates^ and enquired of their Journey, and the Caufe of 
their Coming : They told him 'twas only curiofity to 
fee thofe Ruins he faid that formerly Solomon Ihn el' 
Voud Built a City in that place, which being deftroyed, 
was 
