Sept. 26.

2.7.

28.

29.

30.

being that we found none of ours, nor having any bufinefs there, we returned to our ship. I found nothing by the way but a few Caper-bushes with fome Paliurus's and Kali.

After our men had filled water enough out of the well by the harbour we went aboard the ship again, hoisted up our fails, and departed in the night. But in going thence for Tripoli we had for the moft part contrary winds, which hindred us fo much, that we did not arrive there until the last day of September. Thanks, honour, and glory be to the Almighty God, that mercifully did pro tect us from all dangers and mifchiefs, and brought us fafely into this harbour.

CHA P. II.

Of the famous city of Tripoli, of it's fruitful neighbourhood and great trade: And alfo of the fplendid. baths, and other manificent buildings to be feen theres Their ways of making Rufma, Pot-afbes, Soap, &c.

B

EFORE Tripoli, near the fea-fhore, we saw five caftles like high towers, diftant from one an other about a mufquet-fhot, where fome Janifaries are kept in garrifon, to cover the fhips in the harbour (which is in some measure surrounded with rocks) and to defend that cuftom-house, and the feveral ware-houfes (where you may fee all forts of goods brought from moft parts of the world) from an hoftile attempt or affault: but after the fun was fet, and night began to approach, we made what hafte we could to the town, which was an hour's' going diftant from us. Some Turks went with us no otherways armed but with good strong cudgels, which, I was told, they commonly carry to keep off the wolves. called Jacals (whereof there are a great many in thefe countries that are used to run, feek, and pursue after their prey in the night). While we were a talking of them fome came up pretty near us, but as foon as they saw us they turned and ran away. When we came to the

gate

>

gate of the town we found it shut up, wherefore one of our friends, that met us to make us welcome, called to fome Frenchmen that were in their inn, in their language called Fondique, which is near the gate, and reacheth quite to the wall of the town, and defired that one of them would take the pains to go to the Sangiacho, to defire him to let the gate be opened to let us in, which they were willing to do. But in the mean time that we ftaid before the gate, another that was an enemy to our friend ran alfo away, and bespoke fome Turks and Moors to fet upon us, which they were very willing to do, and came with all speed through another gate that is never fhut, along the wall to us, fell unawares upon us, struck at us, and took hold of us, chiefly at our good friend, for whofe fake all this was done; others drew theit fcymiters upon us, so that I thought we should have been all cut to pieces. While this was a doing the gate was opened, and fome Frenchmen and their Conful himself came to our affiftance, and fpoke to these fellows, earnestly exhorting them to defiit, and to let the cause be decided by the Sangiacho and Cadi, which at length they did. So we came after this unfriendly welcome in the crowd into their Fondique, where we re-. mained all that night. The Conful was very much difpleafed at this, confidering that fuch-like proceedings would be very troublesome to them, wherefore he made great complaints and enquiries, until at length he found out who was the author thereof.

The next morning we went to our friends houfes in order to stay a while with them: In the mean time we walked fometimes about in our own cloaths to fee the town, which is fituated in the country of Syria, called Phoenicia, which reached along the fea-fhore to Berinthus, Sidon, Tyrus, and Acon, as far as the mountain of Carmelus. The town Tripoli is pretty large, full of people, and of good account, becaufe of the great depo-. fition of merchandizes that are brought thither daily both by fea and land: It is fituated in a pleafant country, near the promontory of the high mountain Libanus, in a great. plain toward the fea-fhore, where you may fee abundance of vineyards, and very fine gardens, enclofed with hedges for the most part, confifting chiefly of Rhamnus, Pa→

liurus,

liurus, Oxyacantha, Phillyrea, Lycium, Balauftium, Rubus, and little Palm-trees, that are but low, and fo fprout and fpread themselves. In these gardens, as we came in, we found all forts of fallating and kitchen-herbs, as Endive, Lettice, Ruckoli, Afparagus, Seleri, whofe tops are very good to be eaten with falt and pepper, but chiefly that fort that cometh from Cyprus, Taragon by the inhabitants called Tarchon, Cabbages, Colliflowers, Turneps, Horferadishes, Carrots, of the greater fort of Fennel, Onions, Garlick, &c. And alfo fruit, as Water-melons, Melons, Gourds, Citruls, Melongena, Sefamum (by the Natives called Samfaim, the feeds whereof are very much used to ftrow upon their bread) and many more; but chiefly the Colocafia, which is very common there, and are fold all the year long: I have alfo found them grow wild about rivulets, but could never fee either flowers or feeds on them. I found alfo without the gardens many Dates and white Mulberry-trees, which exceed our Afpen and Nut-trees in height very much; and alfo Pomgranattrees and Siliqua, which the Grecians call Xylocerata, the Arabs, Charnuby. Alfo Olive and Almond-trees, and Sebeften, the fruit whereof are to be had at Apothecaries fhops by the fame name: Poma Adami Matth. But in great plenty there are Citrons, Lemons, and Oranges, which are as little eaten there as Pears or Crabs here. Between these gardens run feveral roads and pleasant walks, chiefly in the fummer, for they afford many fhady places and greens, where you are defended from the heat and the fun-beams: And if paffing through you should have a mind to fome of the fruits, you may either gather fome that are fallen down, or elfe pull them from the nearest trees without danger, and take them home with you.

Without at the fea-fhore, near the old town of Tripoli (which together with many more, as Antiochia, Laodicea, &c. in the year of our Lord 1183, was fo deftroyed by an earthquake, that nothing but a few marks remain) there were more fpring-gardens, which fome of the Merchants ftill remember. But these were a few years agone by the violence of the feas fo destroyed and so covered with fand, that now you fee nothing there but a fandy ground, like unto the defarts of Arabia. Yet at Tripoli

they

they have no want of water, for several rivers flow down from the mountains, and run partly through the town, and partly through the gardens, fo that they want no water neither in the gardens nor in their houses.

The new town in itself is of no ftrength, for it is fo meanly walled in, that in several places in the night you may get in and out: But within there is a citadel fituated upon an ascent near the water, where a garrifon of a few Janifaries is kept. They have low houfes ill built and flat at the top, as they are generally in the Eaft, for they cover their houses with a flat roof or a floor, fo that you may walk about as far as the houfes go; and the neighbours walk over the tops of their houses to vifit one another, and fometimes in the fummer they fleep on the tops of them: And so it may very well be, that the four men (of which we read in St Mark, chap. ii. and St Luke, chap. v.) that carried the paralytic man, and could not come to CHRIST because of the crowd of people, did carry him on the tops of the houses, and fo let him down through the roof into the room where our SAVIOUR was. They have not great doors, gates, or comings-in from the street as we have in our country, except fome few Merchants houses, because they use neither waggons nor carts, wherefore they have only a little low door, fometimes not above three foot high, fo that you cannot go into them without stooping. In a great many houses the comings-in are fo dark and deep that one would think he were going into a cave or cellar, but when you are come through this entry into them, you fee, in fome, great court-yards wherein are cifterns to wash themselves in, in others large halls paved, and therein fome ascents that go up two or three steps, paved delicately with marble, which they keep very clean, and adorned with rich tapestry, whereupon they fit, and this is covered with a large arch left open at one fide, that the Turks may, chiefly in the fummer, fit underneath them very airy.

Their doors and houses are generally shut with wooden bolts, which are hollow within, and they unlock them with wooden keys about a fpan long, and about the thickness of a thumb, into this key they have driven, five, fix, feven, eight or nine fhort nails, or ftrong

C

Wires

Wires in fuch an order and diftance that they just fit others that are within the lock, and fo pull them forwards, or shut them backwards as they please.

The streets are but narrow, paved with broad ftones, and have, chiefly thofe that are great roads, a channel in the middle of them about ten inches broad, so that a laden Camel may walk in them with ease, or that a man may step over them, which they say are made that the laden Camels or Affes, &c. that daily arrive in great caravans, may be obliged to walk in them one after another, in good order, that people may walk in the streets without being disturbed by them. And that these channels may be kept clean and dry, they have in some places fome hidden drains covered with broad ftones, that as well the rain-water as that of the wells may run away through them.

They cannot brag of any fine buildings, fave only the Mofques or temples, into which no Chriftian must come, except he hath a mind to be circumcized, and fo turn a Mammeluk or Renegado: And alfo fome great houses by the natives called Champ or Carvatfcharas, (Caravanferies) wherein are a great many fhops or ware-houfes, and chambers by one another, as is in ftately cloifters, in the middle thereof there is a great court-yard, where the strange Merchants (that daily bring their merchandizes in great caravans) do inn, confidering that the Turks keep no other inns.

The inns commonly belong to the Grand Seignior, or his Bafha, which they build in several towns to get themselves a yearly revenue, as the Venetians do in Venice out of the German house.

Besides these buildings they have also hot-houses or bagnios, which are fo glorious and fumptuous, that they far exceed all their other buildings in beauty, wherefore they are very well worth feeing. And because the Turks, Moors, and Arabs, &c. according to their Mahometan laws, are bound to bath themselves often, to wash themfelves clean from their manifold fins which they daily commit, but chiefly when they are going to their Mofques, therefore they have their hot-houses always ready, and keep them warm and in an equal heat, with a very fmall charge, and with far lefs wood than one

can