TO AC II A. 151 
land town, they carry on a good trade. Here is a 
French conful to three merchants houfes, who bay 
cotton, both raw and fpun, aflies, and large quantities 
°f foap. Rama is now chiefly noted for being the 
teftdence of the Turkifh commander, who, under 
the tide of Bey, governs Jerufalem, Gaza, and 
Hama, and to whom all Chriftians, as well as the fub- 
Jefts of the Turkilh emperor, who go to and from 
Jerufalem, mult pay a duty of fome putters, which 
makes a fine revenue. The Franks alone are ex- 
empted from this. 
The 30th, in the forenoon, I came to the Town of 
Acra, after a voyage of twenty-fix hours from Jaffa. 
}^ r e wentwith the little boat, which brought us over, 
tmo the harbour, which is a gulf between the mountain 
Carmel and the mountain of Galilea, at the foot 
°f Which Acra is (ituated, clofe by the entrance of 
the gulf. Here lay three French merchant Chips, 
tvhich is the only nation that continues to trade to 
this port, and fetch its goods, of which the greatelt 
P a rt confitts in raw cotton, which fome years amounts 
t° tetpthoufand bales, each bale of a can tar of one 
hundred rottoli of the country. I took lodgings at 
the convent of the French monks, which is the only 
European houfe in this town, and depends, as all 
'Jthers in Syria and Egypt do, on the Spaniards in 
Jerufalem ; I was here treated to my entire fatisfac- 
t>on. Xhe board and lodging in the other convents 
°r Syria and Palettinc are preferable to thofe of Je- 
1 jffilem. In the afternoon I paid a vifit to the French 
v |ce-conful,whois here for the fake of five merchants, 
y 10 carry on a trade to Marfeilles. Towards even- 
ts I Went about the town, to fee the mott remark- 
‘ things here : I mean the work which a com- 
m° n ^ ra -h» who hath lately ufurped the govern- 
, * Cllt of Galilee, ordered to be made round the 
L 4 town, 
1 # 
