Page:Travels from Aleppo, to the city of Jerusalem, and through the most remarkable parts of the Holy Land, in 1776.pdf/5

 to ransack the convent, seeing this glass, told the Fraires, if he could drink that off full of pure wine, he would save the convent; which one of them doing, the Turks went away, admiring what sort of p oplepeople [sic] they were. May 16. We took our leave of the patriarch, and presented him with some money, also the poor Fraires and others belonging to the convent, and so took our journey to Tripoli, having had a review of those mountains and the country adjacent, overspread with many fair villages, and fruitful valleys sown with corn, and a great quantity of mulberry gardens; it being the general employment of the inhabitants to make silk.

We returned to Trip liTripoli [sic] to the Consul’s house last night, wh rewhere [sic], after two days repose, and having been extraordinary well treated we took our leave of the Consul. May 18. about midnight we set sail for Joppa, with a good wind; in the morning we came in sight of Cape Blanco, where the wind proving contrary, we were forced to beat up and down for two days before we could weather the cape. The wind coming good we weathered it, and came in sight of Cape Carmel; which two capes make the bay of Aerica, on which there is a convent of white friars, and here they showed us Elisha's tomb. Three or four hours sail further, we came in sight of Caesarea, now ruinate and inhabited by savage Arabs. May 23. we arrived at Joppa, being about 34 miles N. W. of Jerusalem, which hath no harbour to defend ships from storms, but very good ground to anchor in, about ten fathom water; it is a poor town. and hath one castle to defend those ships that come in close to the shore; the chief trade thereof is pot ashes for soap, cottons, and cotton yarn, which the Franks bring from thence. May 26. we arrived at Ramah, about six miles north from Jerusalem, a pleasant village; the trade of the inhabitants is in Fillado's; the people are poor, and the livelihood of the women is to spin it. We were treated there at the convent, till a messenger was dispatched to the convent at Jerusalem, for our admittance to pass thither, because of some extravagant stories that flew abroad, of the plague raging in the place from whence we came. Our messenger re-turned back that night.

May 27. In the morning, we mounted to take our journey for Jerusalem, and halted at St. Jerom’s church about twelve, to eat what small provision we had with us: and the heat of the day being passed, we proceeded on our journey; and about four in the afternoon, we tarried till the druggermen of the convent went to the cady for licence for us to enter the city; which having obtained, and delivering up our swords, and what other arms we had, to be carried to the convent, we entered the city on foot, and were conduced by the druggermen to the Latines convent, with two or three fathers; we found them at their devotion, and afterwards all went into