The next morning we went to our friends houses in order to stay a while with them: In the mean time we walked sometimes about in our own cloaths to see the town, which is situated in the country of _Syria_, called _Phœnicia_, which reached along the sea-shore to _Berinthus_, _Sidon_, _Tyrus_, and _Acon_, as far as the mountain of _Carmelus_. The town _Tripoli_ is pretty large, full of people, and of good account, because of the great deposition of merchandizes that are brought thither daily both by sea and land: It is situated in a pleasant country, near the promontory of the high mountain _Libanus_, in a great plain toward the sea-shore, where you may see abundance of vineyards, and very fine gardens, enclosed with hedges for the most part, consisting chiefly of _Rhamnus_, _Paliurus_, _Oxyacantha_, _Phillyrea_, _Lycium_, _Balaustium_, _Rubus_, and little _Palm-trees_, that are but low, and so sprout and spread themselves. In these gardens, as we came in, we found all sorts of sallating and kitchen-herbs, as Endive, Lettice, Ruckoli, Asparagus, Seleri, whose tops are very good to be eaten with salt and pepper, but chiefly that sort that cometh from _Cyprus_, _Taragon_ by the inhabitants called _Tarchon_, Cabbages, Colliflowers, Turneps, Horseradishes, Carrots, of the greater sort of Fennel, Onions, Garlick, _&c._ And also fruit, as Water-melons, Melons, Gourds, Citruls, Melongena, Sesamum (by the Natives called _Samsaim_, the seeds whereof are very much used to strow upon their bread) and many more; but chiefly the Colocasia, which is very common there, and are sold all the year long: I have also found them grow wild about rivulets, but could never see either flowers or seeds on them. I found also without the gardens many Dates and white Mulberry-trees, which exceed our Aspen and Nut-trees in height very much; and also Pomgranat-trees and Siliqua, which the _Grecians_ call _Xylocerata_, the _Arabs_, _Charnuby_. Also Olive and Almond-trees, and Sebesten, the fruit whereof are to be had at Apothecaries shops by the same name: _Poma Adami Matth._ But in great plenty there are Citrons, Lemons, and Oranges, which are as little eaten there as Pears or Crabs here. Between these gardens run several roads and pleasant walks, chiefly in the summer, for they afford many shady places and greens, where you are defended from the heat and the sun-beams: And if passing through you should have a mind to some of the fruits, you may either gather some that are fallen down, or else pull them from the nearest trees without danger, and take them home with you.