I 
858 Maundrei 
Niches, tb fhew that they worfhipped one inviiible 
God, not to be reprefented by Images. In two Hours 
we came from Nizib to a good Chriftian Village cal- 
led Uwur, and in an Hour and half more to a Well 
in the Defert. 
25. We travelled Weft near two Hours, and came 
through a fine Country diverfify’d into fmall Hills and 
Valleysj to a Village called Adjia^ having left Silam 
and two other Villages on the Right-hand. At Adjia 
rifes the River of Aieppo from a large Fountain at once, 
and juft above it runs the Sejour^ which might be let 
into it by a ftiort Cut of ten Yards. From Adjia our 
Courfe was Weft North Weft. The Banks of the Se- 
jour are well planted with Trees and Villages. In two 
little Flours we came to Antab, having crofted the Se- 
jour at a Bridge, about three Quarters of an Hour be- 
fore. Leaving the City on the Right-hand we paffed 
under its Walls, and pitched about three Quarters of 
an Hour from it on a plain Field, on the Banks of the 
Sejour. 
Antah ftands moftly on a Hill, having a Caftle^ on 
a round Mount at its North-fide, and exaflly refem- 
bling that of Aleppo^ though much lefts : It has a very 
deep Ditch round it, and at the Foot of the Mount 
within the Ditch, is a Gallery cut through the Rock 
all round the Caftle with Portals for Shot, and it is 
faced with Stone Walls, where the Rock was not ftrong 
enough. The Houfes have generally no upper Rooms, 
the Bazars are large. I ftaw here a fine Stone very 
much refembling Porphyry, being of a red Ground 
with yellow Specks^ and Veins very gloffy. It is dug 
juft by Antah. 
Antah is doubtlefs Antiochia penes ’Taurum^ in the 
Skirts of which it ftands, and is not far diftant from 
the higheft Ridge : It is about two Thirds as big as 
Aleppo. 
26. We paffed through a fruitful mountainous Coun- 
try, and came in feven Hours and a Quarter to Row- 
ant Caftle : It ftands on the Top of a round fteep 
Hill, and has been ftrong for the Times it was built in. 
It is probably a Saracen Fabrick, and is now in Ruins. 
At the Foot of the Hill Weftward runs the River E- 
phreen, its Courfte is South-South-Weft ; our Courfe 
from Antah to Rowant was North-Weft and by 
North. 
27. We continued travelling through the Mountains, 
which were now ftomewhat more uneven and precipititious, 
but watered every where with fine Springs and Rivulets. 
In about fix Hours we came to Corns 5 our Courfte was 
South-weft, having croffed the Ephreen about two thirds 
of an Hour before. Juft by Corns is the River Sabon, 
that is, Cbor or Char., which encompaftfes moft part of 
the City. 
Corns ftands on a Hill, confifting of the City and 
Caftle t The City ftands Northerly) and from its North- 
end aftcending, you come at laft to a higher Hill to 
the Southward, on which ftands the Caftle. The whole 
is now in Ruins, which fteem to have been very large, 
wall’d very ftrongly with huge fquare Stones. Within 
are obftervable the Ruins, Pillars, ^Ac. of many noble 
Buildings. On the Weft-Side there is a fquare Enclo- 
fure of great Capacity, compaffed with good Walls and 
five Gates, which admitted into it as one may diftcern 
by the Ruins of them. I conjedur’d they might be 
the Cathedral. 
Below the Caftle-Hill to the Southward ftands a no- 
ble old Monument. It is fix fquare and open at fix 
Windows above, and is covered with a Pyramidal Cu- 
pola. In each Angle within is a Pillar of the Corinthian 
Order of one Stone, and there is a fine Architrave all 
round juft under the Cupola, having had Heads of Oxen 
carved on it, and it ends a-top with a large Capital of 
the Corinthian •, near this are fteveral fepulchral Altars. 
28. We left Corns., and without the Town about 
half a Mile South-Eaft, we defeended down through a 
Way cut obliquely on the Side of a Precipice, which 
leads to a Bridge of (even Arches, of a very old Struc- 
ture, over the River Sahon. And about a Charter of a 
Mile further we came to another Bridge of three very 
large Arches over the River Ephrsen, Thefe Bridges 
L’i travels Book III. 
are very ancient) and well built of fquare Stone. Three 
Pillars have an acute Angle on the Side againft the 
Stream, and a round Buttrefs on the other Side, and on 
both Sides are Niches for Statues. They were well paved 
a-top with large Stones, and are doubtlefs as well as that 
of the other Side of the Town, the Work of the ex- 
cellent and magnificent ’Eheodorit. 
From this Bridge in about three Hours with a 
Courfe South-Eaft, or South Eaft and by South, we 
arrived at Jan Bolads. From Jan Bolads to Chiblis is 
one Hour and two Thirds, Courfe North, North- 
Eaft. Chihlis is a large populous Town, and has 
fifteen Moftques that may be counted without the Town 
and it has large Bazars. Many Medals are found here* 
which feem to argue it to be ancient 5 but under what 
Name I know not. 
Aleppo bears from Jan Bolads South and by Eaft, 
Seek Berukel South South Weft. An Hour from Jan 
Bolads is Azafs 5 and two Hours further we lodged in 
the Plain, which about Chiblis and Azafs is very wide and 
no lefts fruitful. This Country is always given to the 
Valide., or Grand Signior’s Mother. On Saturday, A- 
pril 29, we arrived lafe at Aleppo, having travelled about 
five Hours that Day. 
There is at the Diftance of about four Hour’s Journey 
from this City, a very great natural Curiofity, much 
talked of in that Country, and which deferves to be 
particularly deftcribed : It is called the Valley of Salt, 
and indeed is fo ftiled with great Propriety. This Val- 
ley is of two or three Hours Extent ; we were three 
Quarters of an Hour in crofting one Corner of it. It 
is of an exad Level, and appears at a Diftance like a 
Lake of Water. There is a Kind of a dry Cruft of 
Salt all over the Top of it, which founds when the 
Horfes go upon it like frozen Snow There are 
three or four fmall Rivulets empty themftelves into 
this Place, and wafth it all over about Autumn, or 
when the Rains fall. In the Heat of the Summer the 
Water is dried off, and when the Sun has fcorched the 
Ground, there is found remaining the Cruft of Salt 
aforefaid, which they gather and feparate into feveral 
Heaps, according to the Degrees of Finenefs, fome be- 
ing exquifitely white, others alloy’d with Dirt. It being 
folt in fome Places, our Horfes Hoofs ftruck in deep ; 
and there I found in one Part a fofe brown Clay, in 
another a very black one, which to theTafte was very 
fait, though deep in the Earth, Along on one Side of 
the Valley, that towards there is a fmall Preci- 
pice, about two Men’s Lengths, occafioned by the con- 
tinual taking away the Salt, and in this you may fee 
how the Veins of it lie. I broke a Piece of it, of which, 
that Part that was expofted to the Rain, Sun, and Air, 
though it had the Sparks and Particles of Salt, yet it 
had perfectly loft its Savour, as in St. Matt. Chap. v. 
The inner Part, which was conneefted to the Rock, re- 
tain’d its Savour, as I found by Proof. In feveral 
Places of the Valley we found the thin Cruft of Salt 
upon the Surface, bulged up as if fome Inftedf, working 
under it, had raifted it ; and taking off the Part, wo 
found under it Effloreftcences of pure Salt, ftiot out ac- 
cording to its proper Figure. At the neighbouring Vil- 
lage Gibul are kept the Magazines of Salt, where you 
find great Mountains (as I may fay) of that Mineral 
ready for Sale. The Valley is farmed of the Grand 
Signior at 1200 Dollars Annum. 
31. Our Author not only wrote this large and regu- 
lar Account of his Travels, but was alfto ready on any 
Occafion to explain whatever Difficulties arofe in the 
Minds of his Friends, with refpedf to the Eaftern Coun- 
tries, in which he had lived fo long, or the Manners 
of the People that inhabit them. Thus upon the Reve- 
rend Mr. Osborn*^ writing him a Letter, to defire from 
him a general Chara(fter of the Eurks, and a particular 
Account of the Manner in which the Englijh Merchants 
lived amongft them *, he gave him the following clear 
and diftindt Anfwer, “ As to the former it would fill 
“ a Volume to write my whole Thoughts about them, I 
“ fhall only tell you at prefent, that I think they are very 
“ far from agreeing with that Charafter, which is given 
“ of them in Chrijiendom, efpecially for their exaft Juft^ 
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