Page:Travels from Aleppo, to the city of Jerusalem, and through the most remarkable parts of the Holy Land, in 1776.pdf/2



AVING been often importuned by several acquaintances since my arrival in England, to publish my travels through the Holy Land; and in order both to satisfy them and oblige the public, I have complied with their request: therefore, without any further preface, take them as follow:

On Tuesday, May 3d 1776, we set sail from Scanderoon with a N.E. wind, on board the Margaret, Thomas Middleton commander, being twenty Englishmen (of the factory of Aleppo) in company ; but being forced to return three times by contrary winds, by May 10. we arrived at Tripoli, whose part is guarded by six small castles near the sea, and one great castle upon the land; defended from tempest on the west with islands, and the east with a cape of land; so that only a north wind can prejudice ships in this port. The ground is stoney which forced the captains to buoy up their cables the ships riding in six or seven fathom water. The town is about a mile from the marine, situate upon the shell of a hill, and has one good castle for its defence. The town is ruinate, and there were few people to be seen, it being the time of making white silk, and most of the people in their gardens.

May 15. after three days treatment by the Consuls (English, French, and Dutch) with extraordinary civility, about four in the afternoon we set forward for Mount Lebanon; and two hours riding from Trip liTripoli [sic], pitched our tent at the village of Coffersinue; the inhabitants are Christians, and live in houses of reeds, and covered with bushes. The road to this village is very pleasant through a forest of olive-trees, and in the valleys are gardens of mulberries with which they feed their silk-worms. May 14 we departed from Coffersinue about four in the morning, passing a good road, and through plains sowed with wheat. About six we passed over several mountains resembling marble, if not really so, from which we had a fine prospect of the fruitfulness of the valleys. Between these mountains, upon the ascent of an hill, we came to a fountain, where we breakfasted: At seven we rose from the fountain, and passed a very dangerous ragged mountain. About nine we came to Eden, a small village, and very pleasantly seated, being surrounded with mulberries, and other sorts of trees; walnuts, especially, we found very common in this mount. We went to the bishops's house a most miserable ruinated cottage, who, coming to bid us welcome, appeared more like a dunghill rather than a bishop. We enquired whence this village had its name; the Maronites who inhabit the mountains, say, this was the place where Adam committed: the sin of eating the forbidden fruit; but the bishop told us it was in heaven where were three trees; Adam being forbidden to eat of one of them, which was the fig-tree; but, after having eaten, he fell down from heaven among those cedare,