This Country In Which We Now Travelled Was
Quite Level, With Very Few Hills, So Dry That We Saw No
Trees except
along the sides of rivers, and having only a few small villages, in which
we purchased what was
Necessary for our journey, and always rested before
mid-day in the open air, being unable to travel during the height of the
sun, on account of the great heat. Travelling in this manner, we arrived
at _Sultanie_ on the 27th of September. This city appeared to be very
handsome, surrounded by walls, and defended by a good citadel. We saw
here three most curious brazen gates, which had been made at Damascus,
the finest things I ever beheld, which must have cost a great deal of
money. The city of Sultanie stands in a plain at the foot of a range of
mountains, some of which are exceedingly steep and precipitous, and the
inhabitants of which are forced to remove into lower situations during
winter, on account of the severity of the cold. We remained there for
three days, and resumed our journey on the 30th of September, travelling
sometimes in plains, and sometimes among hills, but always taking up our
quarters for the night in the open air.
On the 6th of October we arrived at _Sena_[9], a city without walls,
situated in a plain on the banks of a river, and surrounded by trees, in
which city we passed the night in tolerably bad quarters. We departed
from thence on the 8th, and stopping, according to our usual custom, in
the fields, I was seized with a violent intermittent fever, insomuch that
I could hardly get on horseback next day, and that with infinite distress.
We arrived early next day at Kom, where I was forced to stop, all my
attendants being seized in a similar manner with myself, except our
priest Stephen Testa, who took care of us all. Our fever was so malignant
that we were all delirious during the height of the access or hot fit. I
was afterwards informed that the royal counsellor sent to visit me,
begging my excuse that he could not wait for me, because it was necessary
for him to repair without delay to the king; but that he had left one of
his attendants with me as a guide, and that I need not now be under any
apprehension, as there were none in that part of the country to do me
harm. I remained here a long time sick. The city of Sena or Sava is not
large, and has mud walls, being situated in a champaign country, which is
well peopled, and abounds in every thing necessary to life.
On the 24th of October, being much recovered, we resumed our journey,
though I was still so weak as to find much difficulty in sitting on
horseback. Next day we arrived, at the city of Cashan[10], which very
much resembles Kom, except that it is somewhat handsomer.
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