261 
of my^arrival at Jerusalem; I was conducted on the 
next day, Friday, to the sepulchre of David. 
Leaving the city by the gate BebDavoud, or of Da- 
vid, to the S. E. we found at 150 toises distance an 
edifice, which has the appearance of an ancient Greek 
Church. Upon entering it we turned to the lett and 
arrived at the sepulchre by a gallery upon the ground 
floor, enclosed by several doors and railings of iron. 
The monument is a species of bier covered with fine 
silk stuffs of different colours, richly embroidered; it 
occupies all the end wall of the gallery, which is about 
thirteen feet wide. 
Having finished my prayers at the Sepulchre of Da- 
vid, I was conducted towards the east, along the out- 
side of the walls of the # city, and descending a rapid 
slope arrived near the only spring which is in the place, 
called by the Christians the Fountain of Nehemiah. 
The Musbulmen believe that the water of this spring, 
by a miracle of divine power, is made to come from the 
well of Zemzem at Mecca. It is true that mv coarse 
palate found a remarkable difference between these two 
waters; this seemed to me very cold, and I had found 
that at Mecca very warm. The former was sweet and 
good, the latter briny; the miracle is therefore not per. 
ceptible by sense. I then traversed El Wad, or the 
Torrent of Cedron, from whence crossing several hills 
to the eastward I went to visit the chapels and sepul- 
chres of several saints and prophets of the first and se- 
cond order. 
I discovered from the top of one of these hills, a part 
of the Bahar-Lout, which the CN istians call the Lake 
Asphaltites, or the Dead Sea, at the distance of three 
or four leagues in a straight line. By the help of my 
glass I perceived two small harbours, and the moun- 
