Maundrell’j Travels Book III. 
I, HE Author of thefe Travels was a Gentle- 
1 man who, during the Time he refided in 
the Univerfity of Oxford^ laid a Foundation 
of an extraordinary Charadter, in Point both of Learn- 
ing and Manners. He applied himfelf with great Di- 
ligence to the Reading of Greek Authors, and a ftrong 
Turn towards Antiquities and Church- Hiftory *, and 
though his Conftitution was far from being ftrong, 
and his great Patron Dr. Spratl, Bifhop of Rochejier, 
had it in his Power to provide for him at home ; yet, 
upon the very firfh Propofal of his going Chaplain to 
' the Fadfory at Aleppo, he very chearfully and gladly em- 
braced it ; and, during his Refidence there, was equally 
happy himfelf, and agreeable to the Gentlemen who then 
refided there, as I have been informed by feveral who 
were there at that Time, and by fome that accompa- 
nied him in his Journey. It may not be amifs to ob- 
ferve, that the worthy Bifhop Frampton was his Prede- 
ceffor in this Employment ; and as he was a Man of 
great Piety and Purity of Manners, fo, on the other 
hand, his Converfation was fo chearful and entertain- 
ing, and he had the Art of introducing learned Sub- 
jedls with fuch Eafe, and of enlivening them in fuch a 
Manner, that he diffufed a Spirit of Literature through 
the whole Fadtory ; fo that when Mr. Mamdrell came 
firft amongft them, he profeffed himfelf aftoniftied at 
the ftridl Order and perfedf Regularity in which they, 
lived ; exhibiting, as himfelf fays, in all their Adlions 
the beft and trueft Signs of a Chriftian Spirit, fmcere 
and chearful Friendfhip among themfelves, a generous 
Charity towards others, a Converfation innocently chear- 
ful, addidled to no Pleafures but fuch as were honeft 
and manly ; and, in fhort, in all Points fo well dif- 
pofed, that it feemed rather a College, and a well- 
governed College too, in fome famous Univerfity, 
than a Fadtory of young Merchants, fent there to 
make their Fortunes. We need not at all wonder, that 
in Company like tliis Mr. Maundrell rejoyced in his Si- 
tuation, or that amongft other Advantages he there en- 
joyed, he Ihould lay hold of vifiting the Land of Judea, 
and the Places confecrated to the Reverence of all 
Chriftians, by their having been the Scenes of the prin- 
cipal Adis of our Saviour and his Apoftles in the firft 
Ages of the Church. What he faw v/ith Pleafure, he 
has related with great Accuracy and Judgment ; and the 
Learned, both of our own and of Foreign Countries, 
are agreed, that amongft the numerous Relations of 
Journeys to the holy City, there are none that, in Point 
of Candour, Fidelity, and Exadfnefs, furpaffes this ; 
which is the Reafon that we have given it a Place in 
this Colledlion, and dare recommend it to the Reader 
as an excellent Performance of its Kind, filled not only 
with all that can be reafonably expedfed from it ; but 
alfo with a great Variety of curious and ufeful Learn- 
ing, which can hardly fail to inftrudl and pleafe. 
2. On February 26, 1696, I fet out with fourteen 
Englijh Gentlemen from Aleppo, defigning to vifit the 
Holy Land at the next Eajier, and the firft Night we 
took up our Quarters at the Honey-Kane, about an Hour 
and a half Weft of Aleppo. A very indifferent Lodging 
we had ; for here it is to be noted, that in travelling 
this Country, a Man does not meet every Night with 
Inns as in England ; but you muft either lodge under 
your own Tent, or elfe in Publick-houfes, founded for 
the Ufe of Travellers, called by the Turks, Kanes ; to 
which all Comers are welcome, paying a fmall Fee to 
the /te-Keeper, if they be able. And here you muft 
expea nothing but bare Walls, for all other Neceffaries 
muft be carried by every one that travels. 
On the 27th, we parted from the Honey-Kane, 
paffing by Oorem and Keffre, we entred into the Plains 
of Kefieen, of a vaft Compafs, and in moft Places very 
■fruitful. At our firft Defcent into them Effoyn, we 
^.-counted no fewer than twenty four Villages ; and Kef- 
teen itfelf is a large Village on the Weft- fide of the 
Plain, encompafs’d with fb many Fields of Corn, that 
the Inhabitants breed many Pigeons. At this Place we 
law, over the Door of a Bagnio, a Marble-ftone carved 
with the Sign of the Crofs, and the Gloria Patri, &c. 
which was probably the Portal of fome Church former- 
ly. On the 28th, we left Kef teen, and continuing in 
the fame ’Plain, abounding with Corn, Olives and 
Vines, we came to Harhonoofe, and from thence to a 
very rich Valley called Rooge, which is walPd on both 
Sides with high Mountains ; and having travel’d in this 
Valley four Hours, we pafs’d through the Skirt of the 
Lake or Sea of Rooge, and from thence we came to 
Te-ne-ree, where we paid our firft Caphar. Thefe Ca- 
phars are certain Duties paid by Travellers to Officers 
that attend in their Stations to receive them. They 
were at firft levied by Chriftians, for repairing the Ways, 
and fcouring them from Robbers ; but under that Pre- 
tence the Turks now exad unreafonable Sums, though 
themfelves are often the greateft Robbers. 
After this Caphar, we crofs’d over the Mountains on 
the Weft-fide of the Valley of Rooge, and defcending 
into a Valley, we pafs’d Bell-maer, and came to S boggle, 
which is a large but filthy Town, fituate on the River 
Orontes, over which you pafs to it by a Bridge of thir- 
teen fmall Arches. The River hereabouts is pretty 
deep, and yet fo rapid, that it turns great Wheels, 
made for lifting up the Water by its natural Swiltnefs, 
without any Force added to it, meerly by confining its 
Stream. We lodg’d here in a large and handiome 
Kane, founded by the fecond Grand Vizier Cuperli, and 
lo well endow’d, that it fupplies every Traveller with 
a competent Portion of Bread, Broth, and Flefh. It 
was crouded with Turkijh Hodgees or Pilgrims, bound 
for Mecca ; but we found a peaceable Reception among 
them. 
3. March i. we parted from Shoggle, and crofs’d a 
Mountain on the Weft-fide of the Valley, from which 
we defeended into a third Valley like the two former ; 
and having pafs’d the Village Bedame, we entred into 
a woody Country, where our Road was very rocky and 
uneven, but yet pleafant, becaufe it prefented us with 
the Profped of Plants and Flowers of divers Kinds, as 
Myrtles, Oleanders, Tulips, and other aromatick Herbs, 
After this we defeended into a low Valley, at the Bot- 
tom of which there is a Fiflfure fo narrow, that you 
cannot difeern it till you come upon it, though you 
may hear the Noife of the Stream running into it at a 
great Diftance. They call it the Sheck's Wife, from 
a Woman of that Quality that fell into it. From hence 
we came in one Hour to a Place called the Sultan’s 
Stone, where we pitch’d our Tents, and lodg’d for that 
Night. 
On the 2d, we left our Campagnia Lodging very 
early, the Weather being yet moift and cold, and came 
in an Hour to the Caphar of Crufta, and from thence 
in another to the Foot of a Mountain called Occaby, 
which we afeended with great Difficulty, and then we 
found a fine Country planted with Silk-Gardens, through 
which we came to Belulca, and there repair’d to a Place 
which is both the Kane of the Village, and the AgaP?, 
Houfe ; but though we gave him a fmall Prefent, we 
could hardly obtain a dry Part of the Houfe to lodge 
in. In the mean Time, being informed that there were 
feveral Chriftians Inhabitants in this Place, we went to 
vifit their Church, which was only a Room about four 
or five Yards fquare, wall’d with Dirt, and cover’d with 
Bullies, in which was an Altar of the fame Materials 
with the Walls, paved at Top with Potfherds and 
Slates ; and in the Middle of the Altar flood a Crols 
made of two Laths nail’d together, on each Side of 
which there are two or three old Pictures of our blefied 
Lord and the Virgin, iAc. a very mean Habitation for 
the God of Heaven, but yet held in great Efteem by 
the poor People, who come hither with great Devo- 
tion, and hang the Room vdth Bags of Silk- worms 
Eggs, that by the Holinefs of the Place they may bring 
a Bleffing upon them, and increafe their Virtue. 
On the 3d, we left Belulca, and arrived at Scholfatia, 
a poor Village, fituate upon a fmall River, now fwollen 
fo high with the late Rains, that it was not fordable ; 
which put us to a Nonf)lus, not knowing what to do 
till the Rain abated ; and then we pitch’d in the open 
Field, though thoroughly foak’d with Wet. But after 
the Rain had ceafed a little While, it began to pour 
down a-frelli with Lightning and Thunder, and then 
we 
