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had sound it upon thc (ime Account the Afrtrnoonbefore. About i Hoursfhort of our Stage, we were sht wn 3 Little Round Hilli, lying to thc Righcin a Direct Litte, known by the Name of Tenage ; where we were told therewas Good Water, and it's for that reason only they deferve the Norice ofthofe that Travel through such a Thirsty Defart. The Place, to which wedirected our Course, was call’d Esrce, where we arrived about 11 a Clock,and sound ro our Creat fatisfaction Excellent Water. Here we could dil-cern the Poundations of a Spaclous Ctly, and a piece of a Thick Wall, builtof Chalky Stone was standing: this we judged to be the Rematnder of aCafile fituated on thc fide of the Hili, so as both to Defend and Commandthe City. On the Top of the Hili, above the Caßle, stands the Ruins ofaFabrick, in appearance very Anclent, built cf a vtry Hard Stone, yet ex-ceedingly worn by the Weather. Tis of an Oblong Figtire, Pointihg nearto theN. E. and S. W. with only One Door on the Eäßtrly End, whichwas once Adorned whhextraordinary good Carvings, of which there areflill somc Remains: but the greatest part iseither worn away, or purposolyDelaced ; and thofe Marks of Ändert Beauty that Rcmain are Obscure, andDifficultly Discernable.
The Outside of the Walls is Beautified with Piliafitrs quite round, withthcir Pedeflals and Capitals Regulär and Handsom; but the Roof is fallen down,and within appears nothing which looks either great or Btautifuf. TheSituation, and Placing the Door, hinders one from Corjecturing it to havebeen a Cbrifiian Qratcry, or Ckapel, and theresore in probability it must havebeen a Heathen Pemple , and if 10, then the Piece of the Caßle-Wall beingof a softer Stone, must be much more Modern. The Goodness of the Wa-ter brings the Arabs fwho Rpve up and down the Defart) and the Turk-men frequently hither : which has occastoned a great many Gravet abouttheTemple; andsome have had Leisure, and swhich is more difficult tobeImagined,) Skill enough roscratch in the Walls the first Lettcrs of theirNantes,and rrany more in /srakick which we could n akc nothing
of, no more than of an Arabick Inscriptio* which lay hard by, but appeareanot Ancient.
Otf. x. We dcparted b orn Efree, about an Hour and an half aster Mtd-niglty and in 6 Hours and an half arrived at Two Wells , .be Water 18 Fa-thom and 2. Foot Deep, known by the Name of Imp Alalcha Giub.Through the greatest part of this Stage, we had a broad Beaten Road, andwhere that was not Dilcernible we guided our felves by a Ridge of LhalkyHilis, under which the Wells lay. The Water we sound excceding Bad, andof so Noisom a Scenr, that we could not endure it so much as at ourNoses.
In our way Hither we were fhewn tfte true Piant which they Burn forSoap-Aßies, which has no Leaves, tut a Soft Juicy Stalk, Ihooting intoseveral Branche», and something rcsembling our hamphire, only ’cis moreRound than that. The /^crlikcwiscwe faw, which were made not far fromthe Wells, which in Burning Runinto Cakes, not much unlike the Cindersof a Eorgt, only they ar« Heavitr, and not so füll of Ports nor so fJard as
»bey