llow vp and ouerwhelme the towne: for euery
yere it increaseth and eateth vp many gardens, although they vse all policy
to diminish the same, and to make it firme ground. The city is about the
bignesse of Bristow, and walled about, though the walles be of no great
force. The chiefe strength of the place is in a Citadell, which standeth on
the South side within the walles, and ouerlooketh the whole towne, and is
strongly kept with two hundred Ianisaries and good artillery. [Sidenote:
Store of white silke.] A riuer passeth thorow the midst of the city,
wherewith they water their gardens and mulbery trees, on which there grow
abundance of silke wormes, wherewith they make great quantity of very white
silke, which is the chiefest naturall commodity to be found in and about
this place. This rode is more frequented with Christian marchants, to wit,
Venetians, Genouois, Florentines, Marsilians, Sicilians, Raguses, and
lately with English men, then any other port of the Turks dominions.
[Sidenote: The city of Hammah.] From Tripolis I departed the 14 of May with
a carauan, passing three dayes ouer the ridge of mount Libanus, at the end
whereof we arriued in a city called Hammah, which standeth on a goodly
plaine replenished with corne and cotton wooll. On these mountaines which
we passed grow great quantity of gall trees, which are somewhat like our
okes, but lesser and more crooked: on the best tree a man shall not finde
aboue a pound of galles. This towne of Hammah is fallen and falleth more
and more to decay, and at this day there is scarse one halfe of the wall
standing, which hath bene very strong and faire: but because it cost many
mens liues to win it, the Turke will not haue it repaired; and hath written
in the Arabian tongue ouer the castle gate, which standeth in the midst of
the towne, these words: Cursed be the father and the sonne that shall lay
their hands to the repairing hereof. Refreshing our selues one day here, we
passed forward with camels three dayes more vntill we came to Aleppo, where
we arriued the 21 of May. This is the greatest place of traffique for a dry
towne that is in all those parts: for hither resort Iewes, Tartarians,
Persians, Armenians, Egyptians, Indians, and many sorts of Christians, and
enioy freedome of their consciences, and bring thither many kinds of rich
marchandises. In the middest of this towne also standeth a goodly castle
raised on high, with a garrison of foure or fiue hundred Ianisar