A journey from Aleppo to Jerusalem at Easter, A.D. 1697 / [Henry Maundrell].

  • Henry Maundrell
Date:
1749
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A journey from Aleppo to Jerusalem at Easter, A.D. 1697 / [Henry Maundrell]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    j fwerable to its Name. The moifture and flipperinefs of the way at this time, added to the ftcepnefs of it, greatly encreafed our labour in alcending it. Infomuch that we ii were a full hour in gaining the top of the Hill. Here |i we found no more Woods or Hills, but a fine Country, I well cultivated and planted with Silk Gardens: thro* which, leaving on the right hand a Village called Citte l Galle, inhabited folely by Maronites, we came in one hour i to Betlulca. Here we repaired to a place which is both the Kane of the Village, and the Agas Houfe; and re- ( folving by reafon of the Rains, which fell very plentiful- r ly, to make this our Lodging, we went to vifit the Aga | with a fmall prefent in our hands, in order to procure c our felves a civil Reception. But we found little recom- c pence from his Turkilh gratitude, for after all our refpe<5t i| to him, it was not without much importunity that we obtain'd to have the ufe of a dry part of the Houfe. The j place where we were at firft Lodged lying open to the i Wind and the beating in of the Rain. Our whole Stage this day was not much above four hours, our courfe about J South Weft. Being imform’d that here were feveral Chriftian Inha- i bitants in this place, we went to vifit their Church, which we found fo poor and pitiful a Structure, that here Chri- ftianity feem'd to be brought to its humbleft State, and Chrift to be laid again in a Manger. It was only a Room of about four or five Yards fquare, wall'd with Dirt, having nothing but the uneven ground for its Pavement j and for its Cieling only fome rude Traves laid athwart it, and cover'd with Buihes to keep out the Weather. On the Eaft fide was an Altar, built of the fame Materials with the Wall; only it was paved at top with Pot-fherds and Slates, to give it the face of a Table. In the middle of the Altar ftood a fmall Crofs compos'd of two Laths nail'd together in the middle: on each fide of which enfign were faftned to the Wall two or three old Prints reprefenting our BlefTed Lord and the Blefted Virgin, The Venerable prefects of fome Itinerant Fryars, that had