through the midft of them. 'Twas not at alldiftin- 
guilhable from the reft, but by its Bignefs, and a little 
more Company about it, being all made of a fort of Hair- 
Cloth, which feemed hardly a defence againft Rain or 
Sun : But certainly they muft find otherwife, elfe their 
Neceflity (they fpending their lives in fuch moveable 
Habitations) would have taught them to have contrived 
fomething better. It cannot well be doubted but they 
aredefcended from the old Arais they living juft 
after the fame manner, having no fettled Abode, but re- 
move from Fountain to .Fountain, as they find Grafs for 
their Sheep and Camels, and Water for them and them- 
felves. They love to derive themfelves from Ifmae/ the 
Son of Abraham ; and it may be they are defcended 
from him, but I believe they would be Jiard put to't to 
prove their Pedigree. 
As foon as we alighted, we were attended by the OfB- 
cers of the Emir, and conduced to a very noble Tent 
built after the Turkifh mode, and pitcht next to his 
own. Hither he ftnt to bid us welcome, and to en- 
quire how we had paft in our Voyage ; and prefently 
after, we had a Repaft of feveral Difhes of Meat fet be- 
fore us, to ftay our Appetites till a more plentiful Sup- 
per could be got ready. But before Supper, the King 
himfelf made us a Vifit in Perfon, bidding us wel- 
come to Fay^ and asking what we had feen in cur Tra- 
vels that pleas'd us ? how we liked Tadmor > and whe- 
ther we had found a Treafure there ? For this Notion 
flicks in the Heads of thefe People, That the Franks go 
to fee old Ruines, only becaufe they there-meet with 
Infcriptions which dircdl them to fbme hid Treafures. 
And therefore it's no unufiial thing with themjWhen they 
find a Stone with an Infcription on one fide, to turn that 
down to the ground, that it might not be feen or read of 
any. But we afliired him we went with no fuch Ex- 
pedlations, but only out of a defire to fee the Place : 
B b z neither 
