JIDDA, 
70C> 
Philosophical Transactions, No. 217 and 218; Ancient Universal 
History, vol. i. ; and, above all, the Ruins of Palmyra, or Tadmor in 
the Desart, published by Mr. R. Wood, who, with M. Bouverie 
and Mr. Dawkins, travelled thither in 1751. The result of their 
observations was published in 1753, in the form of an atlas. The 
ruins of this once n»ighty and celebrated city w^ere celebrated in fifty- 
seven copper-plates, 16 by 12 inches, printed on imperial paper, 
and are admirably executed. 
Palmyra was visited by Mr. Bruce prior to his journey into Abys- 
sinia. Before he came within sight of the ruins, he ascended a hill 
of white gritty stone, in a very narrow winding road, but on getting 
up to the top, he was struck with the most stupendous sight which, 
he believes, ever mortal saw. The whole plain below, which is very 
extensive, was all covered with magnificent buildings, that seemed 
to touch one another. All of them are finely proportioned, and com- 
posed of white stones, which at that distance appeared like marble. 
JIDDA. 
This is the name of an Arabian town, situated, according to Mr. 
Bruce, in a very unwholesome, barren, and desert part of the coun- 
try. “ There is no stirring out of the tow'n,” says Mr. Bruce, “ even 
for a walk, unless for about half a mile on the south side of the sea, 
where there is a number of stinking jiools of stagnant water, which 
contributes to make the town very unwholesome. From this disagree- 
able situation, it is probable it would have been long ago abandoned, 
had it not been for its vicinity to Mecca. The town itself receives 
but little advantage, for all the customs are immediately sent to the 
rapacious sheriff of Mecca. “ The gold,” says Mr. Bruce, “ is returned 
in bags and boxes, and passes on as rapidly to the ships as the goods 
do to the market, and leaves as little profit behind. In the mean 
time provisions rise to a prodigious price, and this falls on the 
towmsmen, while all the profit of the traffic is in the hands of stran- 
gers, most of whom, after the market is over, which does not last 
six weeks, retire to Yemen and the adjacent countries, which abound 
in every sort of provision.” 
The trade at Jidda is carried on in a very strange, or rather incre- 
dible, manner. “Nine ships,” says Mr. Bruce, “were there from 
India;” one of them worth, I suppose, 200,0001. One merchant, a 
Turk, living at Mecca, thirty hours’ journey off, where no Christian 
dares go, while the continent is open to the Turk for escape, offers 
to purchase the cargoes of four out of these nine ships himself; an- 
other of the same cast comes, and says he will buy none unless he has 
them all. The samples are shewn, and the cargoes of the whole nine 
ships are carried into the wildest parts of Arabia, by nien with whom 
one would not wish to trust himself alone in the field. This is not 
all ; tw'o Indian brokers come into the room to settle the price, one 
on the part of the Indian captain, the other on that of the buyer, the 
Turk. Thev are neither Mahometans nor Christians, but have credit 
with both. They sit down on the carpet, and take an Indian siiawd, 
which they cany on their shoulder like a napkin, and spread it over 
