Antab is doubtless Antiochia penes Taurum: in the skirts of which it ftands, and is not far diftant from the highest ridge: it is about two thirds as big as Aleppo.

Wednesday, April 26. We paffed through a fruitful, mountainous country, and came in feven hours and a quarter to Rowant Cafle. It ftands on the top of a round fteep hill, and has been ftrong for the times it was built in. It is probably a Saracen fabric, and is now in ruins. At the foot of the hill Weftward runs the river Ephreen; its courfe is South, South Weft. Our course from Antab to Rowant was North-West

and by North.

Thursday, April 27. We travelled through the mountains, which were now fomewhat more uneven, and precipitous; but watered every where with fine fprings and rivulets. In about fix hours we came to Corus; our course was South Weft, having croffed the Ephreen about two thirds of an hour before. Juft by Corus is the river Sabon, that is, Chor, or Char, which encompaffes moft part of the City.

Corus ftands on a hill, confifling of the City and Caffle. The City flands Northerly; and from its North-end afcending, you come at laft to a higher hill to the Southward, on which ftands the Caftle. The whole is now in ruins, which feems to have been very large, walled very strongly with huge fquare ftones. Within are obfervable the ruins, pillars, &c. of many noble buildings. On the West-side there is a fquare enclosure of great capacity, compaffed with good walls and five gates, which opened into it; as one may difcern by the ruins of them. I conjectured they might be the Cathedral.

The middle infcription was over the middle of the portal; the other two on the top of the pilafters on the right and left hand.

VOL. X.

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Below

Below the Cafle-hill, to the Southward, flands a noble, old monument. It is fix fquare, and opens at fix windows above; and is covered with a pyramidical Cupola. In each angle within is a pillar of the Corinthian Order, of one ftone; and there is a fine Architrave all round juft under the Cupola, having had heads of Oxen carved on it; and it ends a-top with a large capital of the Corinthian Order: near this are feveral fepulchral Altars, of which only one has a legible infcription.

Friday, April 28. We left Corus, and without the town about half a mile South-Eaft, we defcended down through a way cut obliquely on the fide of a precipice, which leads to a bridge of feven arches of a very old ftructure, over the river Sabon. And about a quarter of a mile further, we came to another bridge of three very large arches over the river Ephreen. Thefe bridges are very ancient, and were built of fquare flone. These pillars have an acute angle on the fide of the ftream, and a round buttrefs on the other fide, and on both fides are niches for flatues. They are well paved at top with large ftones, and are doubtlefs, as well as that of the other fide of the town, the work of the excellent and magnificent Theodorit.

From this bridge in about three hours, with a courfe South South-Eaft or South-Eaft and by South, we arrived at JanBolads. From Jan-Bolads to Chillis is one hour and two thirds, course North North-East. Chillis is a large populous town, and has fifteen Mofques that may be counted without the town and it has large Bazars. Many medals are found here, which feem to argue it to be ancient; but under what name I know not.

Aleppo bears from Jan-Bolads South and by Eaft; SeckBerukel South South-Weft. An hour from Jan-Bolads is Azafs. And two hours further, we lodged in the Plain, which about Chillis and Azafs is very wide, and no lefs fruitful. This country is always given to the Validea or Grand Signior's mother.

Saturday,

Saturday, April 29. We arrived, by God's bleffing, fafe in Aleppo; having travelled about five hours with a course South and by Eaft.

Δόξα Θεῶ.

An Account of the VALLEY of SALT: extracted from
MAUNDRELL'S TRAVELS.

THIS Valley is of two or three hours extent; we where three quarters of an hour in croffing one corner of it. It is of an exact level, and appears at a distance like a lake of water. There is a kind of a dry cruft of falt all over the top of it; which founds, when the horfes go upon it, like frozen fnow, when it is walked upon. There are three or four small rivulets which empty themselves into this place, and wash it all over about Autumn, or when the rains fall.

In the heat of the Summer the water is dried off, and when the fun has fcorched the ground, there is found remaining the cruft of Salt aforefaid; which they gather and feparate into feveral heaps, according to the degrees of fineness; fome being exquifitely white, others alloyed with dirt.

It being foft in fome places, our horfes hoofs ftruck in deep: and there I found, in one part a foft brown clay, in another a very black one, which to the tafte was very falt, though deep in the earth. Along on one fide of the Valley, viz. that towards Gibul, there is a fmall precipice about two men's lengths, occafioned by the continual taking away the salt; and in this you may fee how the veins of it lie. I broke a piece of it, which was expofed to the rain, fun, and air; though it had the fparks and particles of falt, yet it had perfectly loft its favour, as in St. Matthew, chap. v. The inner part, which was connected to the Rock, retained its favour, as I found by proof.

3 E 2

In

In feveral places of the Valley, we found that the thin crust of falt upon the furface bulged up, as if fome infect working under it had raised it; and taking off the part, we found under it efflorescences of pure falt fhot out according to its proper figure.

At the neighbouring Village Gibul, are kept the Magazines of Salt, where you find great Mountains (as I may fay) of that Mineral, ready for fale. The Valley is farmed of the Grand Signior at 1200 Dollars per Annum.

An Extract from A SURVEY of the WISDOM of GOD in the CREATION.

TH

Of fome Particular PLANT S.

[Continued from page 365.]

HE Balfam-Tree grows on rocks, and frequently on the limbs or trunks of other trees. This is occafioned by birds, fcattering or voiding the feeds, which being glutinous, like thofe of Miftletoe, take root and grow; but not finding fufficient nourishment, the roots spread on the bark till they find a decayed hole wherein is fome foil. Into this they enter and become a tree. But the nourishment of this fecond fpot being exhaufted, one or two of the roots pafs out of the hole, and fall directly to the ground, though at forty feet diftance. Here again they take root, and become a much larger tree than before. They flourish on the Bahama Islands, and many other of the hot parts of America.

In Italy are many Coppice-Woods, of what our gardeners call the Flowering Ash. Manna is procured by piercing the bark, and catching the fap, as we do that of birch trees, to make birch wine. It begins to run in the beginning of Auguft, and in a dry feason, runs for five or fix weeks. But we have

no

no need to be beholden to the King of Naples, For the tree grows as well in England as in Italy. What flupidity is it then, to import, at a large expence, what we may have at our own doors? The leaves of this tree are the proper Sena, and better than any brought from Apulia.

Peruvian Bark comes from a tree, about the bignefs of a plumb-tree. Its leaves are like ivy, and are always green. It is gathered in Autumn, the rind is taken off all round, both from the boughs and the tree, and grows again in four months. It bears a fruit, not unlike a chefnut, except its outward fhell. This fhell is properly called China-China, and is esteemed by the natives, far above the bark, which is taken from the trunk or boughs. And it feems this only was in ufe, till the demand for it fo increafed.

The tree which produces Cotton is common in feveral parts both of the Eaf and Weft-Indies. The fruit is oval, about the fize of a nut. As it ripens, the outfide grows black, till opening in feveral places by the heat of the fun, it difcovers the cotton, of an admirable whiteness.

Pepper grows on a fhrub in feveral parts of the Eaft-Indies, which is of the reptile kind; and for that reafon is ufually planted at the foot of fome larger tree. It grows in clusters, which at first are green. As the grains ripen, they grow reddish; and after being expofed awhile to the fun, become black. To make white Pepper, they moiften it with feawater, and then expofing it to the fun, diveft the grains of the outer bark, which of confequence leaves them white.

The tree that bears Jamaica Pepper, is abou. hirty feet high, and covered with a grey, finooth, fhining bark. It floots out abundance of branches, which bear large leaves, like thofe of the bay-tree. At the very end of the twigs grow bunches of flowers, each ftalk bearing a flower, which bends back. To thefe fucceeds a bunch of berries, larger when ripe than juniper berries. They are then black, fmooth, and shining;

they are taken from the tree when unripe, and dried in

the