THE

TRAVELS

Of the Late

Charles Thompfon, Efq;

D

VOL. HI.

ESCENDING from our agreeable Eminence into the Plain, we were conducted by our Guide round about the Gardens to the Eaft Gate of the City, which was nearest to the Latin Convent, where we propofed to lodge du ring our Stay at Damafcus. As we pafs'd between the Gardens, we obferv'd their Method of fcouring the Channels, which is done by putting a great Bough of a Tree into the Water, and dragging it along by a Yoke of Oxen. The Driver fits or ftands upon the Bough, as well to prefs it down, as to drive the Beafts; and thus they both cleanse the Bottom, and fatten the Water by ftirring up the Mud, fo as to render it of greater Advantage to the Gardens. We alfo admired the fingular Structure of the GardenWalls, which confift of huge Pieces of Earth, fhap'd like Bricks, and harden in the Sun. They are each VOL. III. N° XXXIII. A

of

of them two Yards long, one in Breadth, and half a Yard thick. Two Rows of these placed edge-ways, one upon another, form the ufual Inclofures in this Country.

As to the River Barrady, after it has largely contributed to the Beauty and Fertillty of the Fields and Gardens about Damafcus, wherein it lofes great Part of its Waters, the fmall Remnant that efcapes is again united in one Channel, on the South-East Side of the City; and after a Courfe of a few Hours, it is finally loft in a Morafs, without ever arriving at the Sea. It is well known that the Greeks, and from them the Ro. mans, call'd this River Chryforrhoeas, which is as much as to fay, the Golden River; but as for those Rivers of Damafcus call'd Abana and Pharpar, whereof mention is made in 2 Kings v. 12, there are no Traces of any fuch Names remaining, nor can we tell where to find them, unless two Branches of the Barrady were anciently fo call'd, as it feems reasonable to conje

cture.

On the 28th of February, about Noon, we arriv'd at the Eaft Gate of Damafcus, and went immediately to the Latin Convent, where we were kindly receiv'd by the Superior, a Native of Aix in Provence. Our first Bufinefs was to make a Prefent to the Turkif Beglerbeg or Viceroy, to pave the Way for a Vifit we intended to make him, in order to procure his

"It is counted uncivil, fays "Mr. Maundrell, to vifit in this "Country without an Offering «in hand. All great Men ex66 pect it as a kind of Tribute "due to their Character and

Authority, and look up"on themselves as affronted, "and indeed defrauded, when

this Compliment is omitted. "Even in familiar Vifits a

mangtt inferior People, you

* fhall feldom have them come "without bringing a Flower,

.

or an Orange, or fome other "fuch Token of their Refpect

to the Perfon vifited; the "Turks in this Point keeping up "the ancient oriental Cuítom "hinted, 1 Sam. ix. 7. If we go, (fays Saul) what shall we bring the Man of God? there " is not a Prefent, &c. which "Words are questionlefs to be

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Favour and Protection whilst we continued in this City; for the Damafcens are a bigotted and infolent People, and have a strange Averfion to the European Christians, from whom therefore we had Reason to expect fome injurious Treatment. We fucceeded in our Application to the Turkish Governor according to our Wishes, who gave Orders to an Officer of the Janizaries to let two of that Body attend us wherever we went, and prevent our being infulted or molefted by the Populace.

THUS guarded, we walk'd out to take a View of the City, the Streets whereof are narrow, as is usual in hot Countries, and the Houfes built of Brick harden'd by the Heat of the Sun, or only common Clay, in as coarfe a manner as the vileft Cottages, notwithstanding they have Plenty of good Stone in the adjacent Mountains. This dirty way of building is attended with an Inconvenience which we were made fenfibe of by Experience; namely, that upon any hafty Shower fo much Mud is wafh'd from the Sides of the Houses, as makes the Streets intolerably nafty. It seems strange, that People fhould affect fuch mean Buildings, when they have Materials at hand fit for the nobleft Structures; but the Turks think it to little purpose to build durable Houses, in which their Te nure is so very precarious; and feem particularly averfe to making an outfide Shew, left it should prove a Temptation to their Superiors to deprive them of their Poffeffions. The Doors, however, are adorn'd with Marble Portals; and the Infide of the Buildings elegant enough, for there we ufually find a large fquare Court, beautified with Variety of fragrant Trees, Flowers, and Fountains, and furrounded with fplendid Apartments and Sofa's, where the Turks eat; drink, fmoke, receive Vifits, and loll at their Eafe, taking

understood in Conformity to "and not to a Price of Divina "this Eastern Cuftom, as rela- tion." Pag. 26. atting to a Token of Respect,

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the Advantage of the Shade or the Sunshine, according to the Heat or Coldness of the Seafon, The Cielings, Pillars, and Arches, are gilt and painted after the Turkish Manner, and the Carpets and Cushions as rich as can poffibly be procur'd.

THIS may fuffice to give an Idea of the private Buildings at Damafcus, for moft of them bear fome Refemblance to the foregoing Defcription. As for their publick Structures, the first we took notice of was the Church of St. John Baptift, now converted into a Mofque, and one of the most stately ones in the Turkish Empire. No Chriftian being permitted to enter this Mofque if he is known to be fuch, we made no Attempt to gain Admittance; with much ado, however, we got a Look into it, at three feveral Gates, which are very large, cover'd with Brass, and ftamp'd all over with Arabick Characters. The Court on the North Side of this Mofque is about a hundred and fifty Yards long, a hundred broad, and paved throughout. On the South Side of it ftands the Mofque, and its other three Sides are encompass'd by a double Cloyster, fupported by two Rows of Granite Pillars of the Corinthian Order, exceeding lofty and beautiful. The Infide of it is divided into three Ifles by two Ranges of Pillars of a greyish Marble, and of the Order before-mention'd; and the Pavement looks very bright and fhining. In this Church is kept the Head of St. John*, as they pretend, and feveral other Relicks, esteem'd fo facred by the Mahometans, that it is penal even for a Turk to go into the Room where they are depofited. The Turks at Damafcus have. a Tradition amongst them, but upon what it is grounded I could by no means learn, That our Saviour will defcend into this Mofque at the Day of Judgment, as Mahomet will into that of Jerufalem; and accord

Thevenot fays the Head makes it the Head of St. John. : ef St. Zachary, but Maundrell

ingly one of its Steeples, through which they fuppofe he will make his Entrance, is call'd the Steeple of the Meffias.

FROM this Mofque we went to the Caftle, which is about half a Mile diftant towards the Weft, and is a handsome square Fabrick of Free-Stone after the Ruftick Manner. The Walls are very high, and have large Towers at proper Distances. We were juft admitted within the Gate, where we faw abundance of old Arms and Armour, formerly taken from the Chriftians; but this was not a Place for us to gaze with Freedom. In the Middle of the Wall at the Eaft End of the Castle hangs down a fhort Chain cut out of one Stone, which is of no Ufe that I know of, but to fhew the Skill of the Workman. A much longer Chain than this is faid to have hung here in the last Century, which was broken down in ftormy Weather, and fell into the Ditch.

NoT far from hence are two Mofques, formerly Christian Churches, in which are the Sepulchres of fome of the Kings of Damafcus. There is no looking into one of them, but we peep'd into the other, and obferv'd that the Walls in the Infide are faced with Marble of various Colours to the Height of fix or feven Yards above the Pavement, and there are feveral fine Pieces of Mofaick Work between the Windows. This Mofque is compleatly round, and cover'd with a handfome Dome; and in the Middle of it are two Tombs very near each other, ftanding upon a Floor of Marble raised about a Foot and a half higher than the rest of the Pavement. They are of Cedar, about five Foot high, and feem to be of excellent Workmanship. It is faid that one of them contains the Body of a King who renounced Christianity to embrace the Imposture of Mahomet, and afterwards rais'd a cruel Perfecution against the Chriftians. Near thefe Tombs the Koran lies chain'd upon a Cedar Defk, which probably fome Perfon is paid for reading on account of the Souls of the Deceafed Princes

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